First in Flight Bar image

First in Flight Bar

Restaurant Bar American restaurant Asian restaurant

Bright, contemporary pit stop at Charlotte International Airport featuring sushi & a full bar. People often mention sushi, good, airport, service, rolls,


Address

5501 Josh Birmingham Pkwy, Charlotte, NC 28208

Contact

(704) 359-4463

Price rating

$$ $$

Rating on Google Maps

4.30 (1K reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Thursday: 9:30 AM to 10 PM
  • Friday: (Good Friday), 9:30 AM to 9:30 PM, Hours might differ
  • Saturday: 9:30 AM to 10 PM
  • Sunday: (Easter), 9:30 AM to 10 PM, Hours might differ
  • Monday: 9:30 AM to 10 PM
  • Tuesday: 9:30 AM to 10 PM
  • Wednesday: 9:30 AM to 10 PM

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: sushi (26) good (13) airport (13) service (8) rolls (6)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 C H. 1 year ago on Google
    Great place to unwind for some sushi and beer between flights. The staff is on top of their game, and the sushi is made fresh where you can watch the when ordered.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Joshua K. 1 year ago on Google
    Very tasty sushi and not too expensive! We had a California rolls and the fire cracker. The fire cracker was OK. You get to see them make your sushi right in front of you if you do not choose one out of there front to go boxes. If you want, you can check out yourself and pay for it if you were really in a hurry :-) I really appreciated watching the expert cooks make my sushi in front of me which was gorgeous!
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Amnon N. 1 year ago on Google
    Service was good, but everything seems cheap. Plastic soya cup, wooden sticks, soya in takeaway bags. So you can only imagine the cheapness of the fish. If did feel kinda cheap too but I can’t put my finger in it. Table was kinda dirty. Why does airport food need to be so meh?
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Aleksei B. 7 months ago on Google
    Really nice sushi. Quick but need to keep it cleaner.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Sam G. 1 year ago on Google
    For an airport meal, this was good. Sushi was nice and the service was fast and friendly. It’s a bummer that the soy sauce comes in individual packets and you have to pour them out into a disposable plastic cup. Also, wine is served in goofy plastic cups. The $9 salad was a small, lame bunch of lettuce with shredded carrots and a few avocado cubes. But I guess compared to other airport meals, I enjoyed this one.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Doug J. 1 year ago on Google
    Good sushi didn't have any issues but I had 10 minutes to eat it I got their carryout sushi and wanted a beer at the bar and they wouldn't let me eat their sushi after carry out and buy a beer. The bartender missed out on a $5 or $10 tip and was extremely rude. Tried to explain they couldn't make my food fast enough but I was still buying their takeout I only had 10 minute to board jumping on another plane. Seems absolutely silly that someone is this clueless.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 2/5 Johnnyg 1 year ago on Google
    This has place has got to be the winner for being the most expensive ripoff bar in the entire United States and no one knows about it because of how sneaky they bill you. I have been to bars and restaurants all over the world since 1977. From New York, Chicago, Boston, New Jersey, Texas, France and Virginia to Italy, Spain, Greece, Rome and Sardinia, Italy. None of these places (not even strip bars) have ever charged more than $9 for a beer. But this place does and you don't find out until they bill you because their drinks prices are not on the menu. I also ordered one "Small" margaritas and yes folks, the price for that was $25. Needless to say stay away from this location.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Caroline W. 1 year ago on Google
    We stopped here to eat and my husband left his iPhone on the table. He didn’t realize it until we landed in Boston. The restaurant manager kept the phone safe and went out of his way to package it and return it to us. Thank you, First in Flight, for hiring such a caring and responsible person!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Lisamarie 8 months ago on Google
    Honestly good food (I wasn't a fan of the pepperish miso dressing on salad) they were so accommodating. Even though this is the middle of the airport, bright, and lots of people traffic, it has a good atmosphere and a cute insulation for Air flight above it

  • 5/5 John M. 4 months ago on Google
    Always stop by the first in flight sushi bar when I'm in Charlotte. Love the open concept and the ambiance, there is a player piano right next to it that brings players in from time to time. Highly recommend.

  • 5/5 Phillip A. 4 months ago on Google
    Always a great place if you have time to get your fix for sushi or sashimi or a drink. You can also get pre-made sushi to go as well. They have both sashimi four rolls. They also have a small selection of appetizers whether you want seaweed salad miso soup or some of the other selections they offer. The staff is polite and professional. They are following current COVID guidelines. Recommended.

  • 1/5 Antonio R. 1 year ago on Google
    Good Sushi, horrible customer service from the bartender I completely understand that was late and people is tired and want to go home, However , if you do not want to provide service don’t do it, this guy( bartender) asked me to shut up and make a signal with his finger……. Only asked for a beer, didn’t have the opportunity to get one Very rude and this is not a way to treat your customers , unbelievable…..

  • 5/5 Paul C. 1 year ago on Google
    Had some pretty good sushi - made fresh to order. Staff was incredibly friendly. Someone was jamming on the piano nearby.

  • 3/5 Brian 1 year ago on Google
    A true symbol of mediocrity. Yet, I ate their twice. The sashimi was much better than the rolls. But I'm comparing to top notch sushi. It will get the job done if one of the few rolls they have meet your fancy, or if you shell out a little bit for the sashimi.

  • 1/5 T 1 year ago on Google
    Grumpy bartender. The lady with the short, gray hair. Be careful of her. If you ask for something, she’ll ignore you. When she comes back to ask what you want again, she’ll then go do something else then ask you again 30 seconds later. Then she’ll get mad when you have to repeat yourself and refuse to serve you anything. Not worth the trouble at this place. And airports are NOT the place to play he said/she said given all the incidents we’ve been seeing lately. Just tell her to have a nice day and move along. On a separate occasion, the other condescending bartender made me order a drink because I wanted to sit down to eat my overpriced sushi rather than stand up and eat like a horse.

  • 4/5 JEFF F. 1 year ago on Google
    Great spot in Charlotte airport if you're waiting on your flight sushi and good bartending service highly recommended.

  • 4/5 Maxfield C. 1 year ago on Google
    Sushi was pretty good, it tasted fresh. Checkout was very easy and the whole process took less than 1 minute. Good price for airport food also, about $7 per roll (2 per prepackaged box)including tax. Which is on the pricier side for sushi but not as inflated as most airport food. Definitely would get again and recommend to anybody who likes sushi.

  • 4/5 Llorito Castanares T. 2 years ago on Google
    Not too much to say because the staffs interaction was so little. From trying to order a drink, not getting my questions about food answered, and I ordered a double shot and surely was served a single. The airports hustle....

  • 5/5 Virginia 1 year ago on Google
    This place was sooo good! I had about 2 hours until my flight so I stopped to dine in. I was so skeptical but I'm glad I ate there. The waitress was so nice and aware when my soda was getting low. The variety is very small but the two rolls I got were amazing. 4 days after and I never got sick, so don't fear airport sushi! Glad I got sushi instead of fast food!

  • 2/5 Logan B. 1 year ago on Google
    Me and my flight attendant crew really wanted some sushi and we went up to the counter and they said oh we don't have a cashier you have to use the self checkout. I said yes can you ring us up or one of the other six people and she says no you got to do self checkout without your discount so all of us left. I guess they wanted a tip or something because if we didn't sit down it didn't matter to them.

  • 4/5 Jonah K. 2 years ago on Google
    Firstly the friendly service was a big plus. I love the wamth of the staff there. I was a bit concerned with being stuck in Charlotte for a long layover and then thinking I should get Sushi in a landlocked city, not known for such cuisine. The sushi was 3 star, not great, but not terrible. The miso soup and salad were good. Prices are high, but what do you expect. I would come back for the service alone.

  • 4/5 Cathryn w. 2 years ago on Google
    It's airport sushi. The service was fast, polite and efficient. The food was well prepared. The ingredients weren't the freshest. Again, it's airport sushi. ... Healthier for you than most airport options.

  • 5/5 Jeremy R. 2 years ago on Google
    As far as airport restaurants go, this one is very good. Reasonable prices for food, as all airport restaurants, drinks are still very high. But the service was very good and the food was fresh and delicious.

  • 3/5 Zach S. 2 years ago on Google
    Inconsistent. I was here a few weeks ago and it was actually pretty good; during that visit I ended up having 3 rolls and they were well assembled, with properly cooked rice, good fish, and nice presentation. Tonight I came back and it seems like it's the sushi chef's first time making sushi. Rice is way overcooked mush, rolled so loosely it's falling apart, and insufficient nori so the bottom fell out. I think the presentation speaks for itself in the picture. It's a bummer cause I thought I'd found a gem at CLT but I'll probably eat somewhere else next time I fly through.


Call (704) 359-4463 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Payments
    • ✓️ Debit cards
    • ✓️ Credit cards
    • ✓️ NFC mobile payments
  • Offerings
    • ✓️ Beer
    • ✓️ Wine
    • ✓️ Coffee
    • ✓️ Alcohol
    • ✓️ Cocktails
    • ✓️ Quick bite
    • ✓️ Hard liquor
    • ✓️ Small plates
    • ✓️ Healthy options
  • Popular for
    • ✓️ Lunch
    • ✓️ Dinner
    • ✓️ Solo dining
  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible seating
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible entrance
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible restroom
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible parking lot
  • Dining options
    • ✓️ Lunch
    • ✓️ Dinner
    • ✓️ Seating
  • Service options
    • ✓️ Dine-in
    • ✓️ Takeout
    • ✗ Delivery

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