Near Gate 8 in T1, Island Deli fills the gap
Island Deli in Terminal 1 sits airside past security, a small counter mainly doing grab-and-go sandwiches, pastries, and drinks. Think simple airport deli, not a sit-down meal. The board usually shows premade sandwiches in the US$7–10 range plus bottled drinks and coffee. The Google rating sits around 2.5, so set expectations accordingly and treat it as a backup option, not your main plan.
Hours track with the morning departures bank, opening before 7:00 a.m. on busy days and closing after the last evening flights clear out. You’ll find it along the concourse toward the mid-teens gates in T1, a short walk from the central duty-free area. Seating is minimal: a couple of small tables plus whatever gate chairs you can grab, so assume you’ll eat at the gate or on the plane.
Food is standard: cold-cut sandwiches, wraps, muffins, cookies, and packaged chips. Expect plastic clamshells and basic white or wheat bread, closer to gas-station deli than downtown café. If you need something light before a 3-hour hop to Miami or a longer flight to Toronto, grab a sandwich and a big bottle of water and call it good. Skip anything that looks like it has been sitting in the case too long; turnover can vary by time of day.
Service speed depends heavily on the departure rush. With three or four flights boarding in the same 30-minute window, the single register can back up to 8–10 people quickly. Prices land a couple bucks higher than in town, which is normal for MBJ. If you care about coffee quality, use Island Deli as a caffeine top-up, not your first espresso of the day.
Tip: Hit the restroom and duty-free first, then swing by Island Deli about 35–40 minutes before boarding to avoid the pre-flight scrum at the counter.