Gate-side Japanese skewers in Terminal 5
Skewers by Morimoto sits airside in LAX Terminal 5, a short walk from most Delta gates. It’s a casual counter-service setup with limited seating, so think quick meal more than lingering dinner. You order at the counter, wait for your number, and eat at shared tables or take everything back to your gate.
The menu leans hard into yakitori-style skewers at airport prices, with most individual sticks landing in the $4–$7 range and combo plates pushing closer to $18–$22. Expect chicken, beef, and shrimp skewers plus a few vegetables, rice, and basic sides. Portions skew smaller than a sit-down restaurant, so plan on more than one skewer if this is your main meal before a 5–6 hour flight.
Quality lines up with the Morimoto brand name on the sign, not a full Morimoto restaurant. Skewers usually arrive hot off the grill with decent char and seasoning, better than most reheated terminal food. If you’re watching time between a 90-minute LAX connection, this works as a made-to-order option that still gets you back to boarding in under 25–30 minutes in most cases.
Options for drinks run standard airport: canned or bottled sodas, water, and a short list of beers, generally in the $9–$14 range. No elaborate cocktail program here, more like a quick beer with skewers before a late Delta departure. Expect service to slow down during the evening rush from 6–9 p.m., especially when multiple flights out of Terminal 5 push back close together.
Hours typically track with the main Terminal 5 banks, opening around the early morning wave and closing after the last big departures, often in the 9–10 p.m. window, but times shift by season. If you have an early morning flight, don’t count on skewers being ready right at 5 a.m.; check what’s actually open as you pass security.
Tip: If your gate is in the low 50s, order to go and eat at the gate seating, which has more space than the small tables at Skewers by Morimoto.