Big Bowl is an Asian restaurant located in the Denver International Airport that offers a build-your-own stir-fry concept with Chinese and Thai-inspired options. I ordered sesame chicken with jasmine white rice and rangoons. Typically, this is a comfort food go-to. But I was disappointed. The sauce was standard, but the quality of the meat was stringy and mushy. I would pass on this. Grade: C

I've been wanting to check out Korean BBQ for a long time, but options are very limited in West Virginia. Fortunately, I had a trip planned to Columbus where I was meeting up with friends, which was the perfect opportunity to try it out. KPOT Korean BBQ & Hot Pot is a Korean barbecue and hot pot chain with a location in Columbus. The concept combines two interactive dining styles in one meal: Korean BBQ, where you grill meats at your table, and hot pot, where you cook meats, vegetables, noodles, and seafood in a simmering broth. You can choose Korean BBQ, hot pot or both. Step 1: Choose from 30 different meats, seafood, and veggies - like pork belly, steak, chicken, fish, shrimp and bulgogi. We weren't sure how many items to order, and they are all included in the total price. So, we may have gone overboard. We ordered: Sliced Ribeye, Sliced Pork Belly, Sliced Prime Brisket, Crab Meat, Spam, Shrimp Dumplings, Tempura, Quail Eggs, Gyoza, Fresh Corn, Black Fungus, Udon, Rice Cake, Ramen Noodle, Vermicelli, Spicy Beef Bulgogi, Steak, Short Ribs, Garlic Chicken, Spicy Calamari, Garlic Shrimp, Pineapple, Zucchini, Garlic, Sweet Potato, Onion, Beech Mushroom, King Oyster Mushroom, Lobster Balls, Shumai, Baby Octopus, Fried Tofu, Broccoli, Bok Choy, Napa Cabbage, Mung Bean Sprout, Sliced Pumpkins, Daikon, Fried Taro, Eggplant, Potato, Baby Bamboo Shoot, King Mushroom, Shiitake Mushroom, Beech Mushroom, Enoki Mushroom & Lotus Root. STEP 2: Make your own sauce. There are millions of possibilities to craft a perfect dipping sauce. STEP 3: Grab your sides. There are some appetizers from the hot bar. STEP 4: Then, it's time to grill. Everything takes different amounts of time to cook, so it can get a bit tricky. For hot pot, it's mostly the same, except you choose a soup base. And, it was a great deal to do both. They offer Thai tom yum, Szechuan spicy, tomato, healthy herbs, Japanese miso, Korean seafood tofu, mushroom and gluten-free. In addition to all of that, they offer bubble tea. So, why NOT have a milk tea? The cup was a nice material, too, that I reused for the day. So, it's more about the interactive experience here. It's fun, it's a bit of work and it's mostly up to you what the flavor ultimately is. But I enjoyed it. Grade: A

Jamba (formerly Jamba Juice) is one of the largest smoothie and juice chains in the United States. It was founded in 1990 by Kirk Perron in San Luis Obispo, originally under the name Juice Club. The company rebranded from “Jamba Juice” to simply “Jamba” in 2019 to reflect a menu that had expanded beyond juice. I ordered a strawberry watermelon lemonade, which was a summer special. It was sweet and fruity, with just a touch of tang from the lemon.

The Woody Creek Bakery & Cafe is known for fresh-baked cookies, breakfast sandwiches, soups, salads, wraps and specialty sandwiches. It has locations both downtown on the 16th Street Mall and in Denver International Airport, which is where I made a quick stop. I ordered a ham & cheese quiche, which included cheddar jack cheese and fruit. Clearly a heat-and-eat situation, but not bad for an airport option. It was a decent pastry with a ham and cheese filling, and the side of fruit -- in this case grapes -- made for a balance in flavor. Grade: C

Located in Concourse C, Root Down is the airport version of the popular Denver restaurant. Root Down focuses on seasonal, locally sourced ingredients with a highlight on vegetarian and vegan choices. I ordered the Banh Mi Turkey Burger with Cilantro Chutney, Jalapeño, Pickled Vegetables, Cucumber & Sriracha Aioli w/ Sweet Potato Fries. This was wonderful for airport food. The burger was moist, and those pickled veggies made for a dynamic bite. The atmosphere? Service? General vibes? All a bit rushed, impersonal and what I'd expect at an airport - even though I was hoping for more. Grade: B