Caption 2 Cheeseburger and onion rings.
Caption 3 Blackened Red Fish Salad
Looking for a truly unique place to take the kids to lunch?
Want to find a restaurant with a breathtaking view? Or maybe you would like to find a place to meet interesting people? Well, the Jet A Way Café at Stennis International Airport just might be the place to be.
The cafe is located in the terminal and has wraparound windows that overlook the tarmac and a variety of interesting planes parked there.
During my visit there were four Air Force propeller trainers (I got to watch the pilots do their pre-flight inspection and take off), a Coast Guard C-130, a few VIP jets from the Air Force and two Ospreys bound for Japan.
I was also told that on a busy day there could be up to 25 planes parked there. I don’t know about you, but I’m fascinated watching a busy track, and enjoying the activity while having lunch is pretty cool too.
Besides the interesting view, the Jet-A-Way is often full of pilots and crew, some military, some civilians, and I was also told that an astronaut or two might show up at any time.
Wouldn’t it be cool to have a meal in a place with so much going on, and a good menu too?
The Jet-A-Way menu is well balanced with options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The food is well prepared and plated, and most is made from scratch.
There’s a dish of the day to tempt you, and the day I was there, it was redfish salad, served with a cilantro-lime vinaigrette. The other specialty was the blackened shrimp tacos.
The hand-cut and battered onion rings are perhaps what this place is most famous for. I have never seen such a beautiful basket of onion rings anywhere!
This place is also known for a good burger, there’s only one on the menu, but it’s a classic. And if you get the onion rings on the side, you’ll have a meal you’ll remember for a long time.
There are also baskets of shrimp, catfish, and chicken and nearly a dozen po-boys and sandwiches, including my favorites, roast beef, Philly cheese, and shrimp.
I like nothing better than to make a meal of sides (called pre-flights here!), and the Jet-A-Way has seven to choose from. How can you go wrong with onion rings, sweet potato fries, and homemade mac and cheese?
I’m not sure I’ve ever been to a more interesting place for lunch! The view is intriguing, and you never know what type of plane will land, or a pilot from who knows where will enter.
The food is solid, reasonably priced and I bet your kids and the rest of the family will love this place.
Jet-A-Way Cafe
Location: 7250 Stennis Airport Road, inside the Million Air Terminal at Stennis International Airport
Info: 228-463-2380 or https://www.facebook.com/Million-Air-Stennis-866970000045155/
Hours: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday, closed Saturday and Sunday
This story was originally published July 9, 2021 5:50 a.m.
