Skip the burgers in Terminal 2 and hit Mezza instead
In DCA Terminal 2’s food court, Mezza Mediterranean Grill fills the “lighter, fast” slot that Lebanese Taverna can’t if you’re short on time. It’s a quick-serve counter with build-your-own bowls and plates in the $$ range, usually priced a bit under a full sit-down entree elsewhere in the terminal. Think gyro, chicken, or kebab over rice with salad, ready in a few minutes.
Most flyers talk up the gyro and kebab plates with rice and a decent side salad as the safest order. The plate setup lets you steer it healthier than the average terminal burger: skip extra rice, double up salad, and you still walk away for under typical airport steakhouse money. One Yelp reviewer, “Steven E.,” calls it his go-to when he can’t handle another burger and fries at DCA.
Regulars say go for a plate over a pita sandwich if you’re taking food back to a gate in the high 20s or 30s, since bread gets soggy fast. A lot of frequent flyers ask for extra salad and fewer carbs before 90-minute hops up to BOS, JFK, or LGA so they don’t feel weighed down. Several reviews compare Mezza favorably to generic fast food in this terminal’s court when you still want something warm.
Watch out for inconsistent meat quality: multiple reviews mention chicken or gyro running dry or overcooked on slower mid-afternoon stretches, roughly 2–4 p.m. Portion sizes also get flagged as small for the price compared with city spots along the Yellow Line, and food can be lukewarm if it’s been sitting in the pan. Service is usually quick, but a single big group ahead of you can add 10 minutes.
Practical play: if you’ve got a 45–60 minute window in Terminal 2, grab a kebab or gyro plate here, ask for extra salad, then hit a separate coffee stand near your exact gate instead of tying up time with a combo meal.