Near Gate 52 in Terminal 5, Lemonade is your fast salad line.
Lemonade sits post-security in LAX Terminal 5 and runs like a cafeteria line, so you move past the counter and point at what you want. Portions are prepped and ready, which cuts down the wait during the Delta banks. It’s grab-a-tray, pick a few sides, add a protein, pay, and go back to gate 52–59 without losing your spot in the boarding queue.
Pricing lands in the mid-range for LAX: expect around $12–$16 for a plate built from salads and hot sides, and $3–$5 for a drink. The namesake lemonade comes in several rotating flavors, usually including at least one seasonal fruit option and a classic version. It’s counter-service only; no full table service, no tipping pressure beyond the standard jar at the register.
Menu focus skews California fast-casual: grain and pasta salads, roasted vegetables, and proteins like chicken or salmon that can sit on top. If you’re watching sodium or flying long-haul out of Terminal 5, stick to the veggie-heavy cold case items and skip the richer mac-and-cheese style sides. Portions are airport-sized, so one entrée plus two sides usually covers a normal meal before a 4–5 hour flight.
Turnover is quicker than most sit-down spots in Terminal 5, helped by the pre-made format and limited cooking-to-order. That said, the line still backs up during 6–9 a.m. and 4–7 p.m. Delta departure waves. Figure 10 minutes off-peak and up to 20 minutes during those banks from the moment you join the queue to walking away with food in hand.
Tip: if your group is splitting items, build one larger plate and share instead of multiple smaller ones; it cuts the per-person cost and frees up one less person to hunt for seats in the tight Terminal 5 gate area.