Tailwind Bar & Grill

There is a breakfast spot in the Tri-Cities that requires an airline ticket, a boarding pass, and at least one shoe removal to access.
This makes it, by default, the most exclusive restaurant in town.

Welcome to Tailwinds.

Let’s set expectations correctly. This is not a life-changing meal. No angels sang. No one wept. But for an airport cafe? It’s solid. Respectable. Competently executed.

Eggs are cooked to order on a flat top. Sausage and toppings are actually cooked there, not reanimated from a steam tray. The bagels and muffins come from a bakery (as they should), and the whole operation feels like someone cared at least a reasonable amount.

This morning’s order: a simple egg muffin with cheddar and Canadian ham. Warm, balanced, did what it was supposed to do. Paired with a Tropicana orange juice because sometimes you just lean into the moment.

They’ve got coffee, espresso, and even a blended juice bar with fruit blended to order, which feels wildly ambitious for an airport in the Tri-Cities and deserves mild applause.

It’s good food. Not incredible. But good.
And sometimes, especially before a flight, that’s exactly what you want.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The smoked sausage and egg is my favorite from here. Well worth the price in my opinion.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Waiting on flight asked if I could get service for alcohol and its closed. All employees are just standing talking and i was told they would open in a little bit. Knowing nothing here once passed TSA and knowing they charge outrageous prices, it seems they would want money instead of just paying their employees to stand in group talking at bottom of the stairs. POOR SERVICE TRI CITIES

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

So got a delay at TRI because as usual delta sucks. Went to the tailwind and got served a 12 dollaar beer and 13 dollar plate of kids food.
Monipolistic and taking advantage to price gouge because no competiin inside the TsA controlled terminal.
Absolutely disgusting.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 2

Service: 4

I specifically asked for a 16 oz cappuccino with no more than 2/3 liquid and a third foam so more expresso taste than a milk. What I got was a standard latte filled with milk and espresso filled to the top. I'm even left a tip. I walked over to trash can and tossed it.

Atmosphere: 3

Service: 5

Context: Easter morning flight. Single staff taking orders and cooking food. Located past the gate.

The order:
- egg, bacon, and cheese on an English muffin
- salted caramel latte

The service:
The woman behind the counter was courteous, bright, helpful, and a talented cook. It wasn't crowded but it wasn't empty, and this person balanced all the responsibility of the cafe with grace all while making a banging egg sandwich.

The food:
The egg was over easy, and runny in the right way. The bacon was crispy, not burnt, and plentiful for such a small sandwich. It wasn't the largest sandwich, and if your really hungry I recommend doubling you eggs or getting two.

The coffee was very flavorful and balanced to my sensibilities, a nice strong real caramel flavor, but the rest of the coffee was not over poweringly sweet.

Closing thoughts:
Definitely recommend, though it is your only option (like others mentioned). I did not try there premade sandwiches, and though they looked ok, I would definitely recommend ordering something from the grill if you can.

That being said I don't know if my experience was because the staff person was exceptional or whether all staff members have such skill. Either it's worth a shot.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 5

Service: 5

Tailwinds, do better. If im going to pay $13 for a protein pack id expect there to be a better handle on managing old fruit. This is the second time in 6 months Ive gotten moldy grapes in my protein pack.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 1

Service: 3

Makayla made the best avocado ? toast and served it quickly with a smile! Tried to call the number on the website to leave a rave review but it is inactive.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Have smoked sausage, egg biscuit really good

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 4

Service: 4

Tri cities little airport bar its getting 5 stars today just because they have a guitar for any guest to play while they wait for their plane. Only place I've ever seen with this genius idea ?

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I purchased a Ham & Swiss sandwich from this concession enroute to Boston yesterday. They are $10.Walked over to the condiment counter, opened the sandwich to apply mayo and saw that the lettuce was not only dead flat and stuck permanently to the ham but was almost entirely black. Seriously. It was black. Where it wasn't black, it was grey. Until this, I had never actually seen rotten lettuce before.I got the attention of a girl behind the counter and showed it to her. This is where I started to become angry. She looked at this dumpster food and said in a monotone, "yeah, that's how the lettuce has been coming in lately. If you want, you can get another". I did. It was worse.At this point she said there wasn't anything she could do about it and that I'd have to wait for the manager to return from break. I said I'm waiting for a plane, I'll take a couple of bags of chips instead. Nope. Had to wait for the manager.The two women behind the counter not only had zero regrets about any of this but instead reacted as though I was a nuisance. I waited for about 10 to 15 minutes for the manager to return. Told him what happened whereupon the girls ACTUALLY DENIED it. Said it wasn't true that I had been standing around waiting.The manager apologized for the bad product and granted me a pair of bags of potato chips in compensation.I will always be grateful that I opened those sandwiches before I tried to eat them. The concession has a monopoly on this airport. I would not eat anything purchased from this place again unless it came in a sealed container. Like chips or bottled water or such.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Hours are wrong. 10 am and closed. 4:30 a.m- 11 is false

In the back of my mind you died, and I didn’t even cry (not a single tear)

Vegetarian options: Not a tear

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: B Y O Grilled Cheese, Philly Cheesesteak, Grilled Chicken Sandwich, Cali Turkey Wrap, Basket of Onion Rings, Smoked Sausage Sandwich, Deluxe Fried Chicken

Very friendly staff and good food ?

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Blueberry Banana

In the back of my mind you died, and I didn’t even cry (not a single tear)

Vegetarian options: Not a tear

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: B Y O Grilled Cheese