Right past RNO security, the “Food Court” is your fork-in-the-road
Clear Main Terminal security at Reno–Tahoe (RNO) and you hit the Food Court cluster within about 50 feet, before you split toward the B or C gates. This is not a big mall setup; it’s a tight knot of chains like McDonald’s, Subway, and Starbucks where you can see your options in one glance and decide fast. Most people use it as a grab-and-go stop on the way to short regional flights rather than a long sit-down meal.
Expect standard fast food pricing: a basic McDonald’s combo usually runs around $10–$12, a Subway sandwich about the same, and a coffee plus snack at Starbucks can hit $8–$10. Seating is shared and limited, and during the morning departure bank (roughly 5:30–8:30 a.m.) lines at Starbucks and McDonald’s can back up 10–15 minutes. If you have a sub-45-minute connection, plan on takeaway rather than trying to sit and eat here.
Regulars treat this Food Court as the last real chance for choices before the concourses thin out; several flyers note that some end gates have little or no food at all beyond maybe a vending machine. Many people grab a sandwich or burger here and carry it to B or C gates, especially on flights under 90 minutes where buy-on-board is hit-or-miss. The setup makes it easy to scan McDonald’s, Subway, and Starbucks menus from essentially the same central spot.
Watch out for peak crowding: reviews call out limited variety and the way this tight area clogs during evening departures around 4–7 p.m., with tables filling fast and trash cans overflowing. Health‑leaning or sit‑down options are thin, so if you want something lighter than fries and a burger, Subway is basically the only mainstream option in this zone. Practical tip: grab food immediately after security, then walk to your gate with it — don’t count on finding better choices deeper in the B or C corridors.