As David Brooks was in the middle of a meal this week at Newark Liberty International Airport, the New York Times columnist was so perplexed by the price of his dinner that he took it as a sign of hard times in the U.S. economy. Brooks then snapped a photo of the barely touched burger and crinkle-cut fries that were divided by a bed of lettuce, tomato and empty ketchup packets, with what appeared to be a whiskey on the rocks.
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“This meal just cost me $78 at Newark Airport,” he wrote Wednesday on X, formerly known as Twitter. “This is why Americans think the economy is terrible.”
What was seemingly an everyday complaint about the cost of airport food quickly evolved into a viral talker that’s been viewed more 34 million times on the platform as of early Friday. Some criticized Brooks for not specifying how a burger and fries goes for about $17 or $18 at the airport restaurant, and how the liquor probably made up the majority of his tab. Many turned the conservative columnist’s post into the latest meme.
While Brooks did not name the restaurant, internet sleuths figured out that he was dining at 1911 Smoke House Barbeque, a Trenton-based restaurant that opened a location in Terminal A of the airport earlier this year. The restaurant — whose slogan is “You can’t beat our meat” — confirmed on Facebook that Brooks had eaten at the Newark Airport location, saying that the journalist had misled his more than 253,000 X followers by not pointing out how his drink was most of his bill. X has also added a note to Brooks’s post to give users more context on the most talked-about airport meal in recent memory.
“Bar tab was almost 80% and he’s complaining about the cost of his meal,” the restaurant wrote. “Keep drinking buddy — we get paid off everything.”
Maurice Hallett, the owner of 1911 Smoke House Barbeque, told The Washington Post that his corporate partners at SSP America, a food travel company, had advised him to not talk about the situation and he “agreed not to say anymore about the Newark location.” But Hallett said the response to the post and defense of his restaurant has been “incredible.”
“I am very thankful for the support of small businesses because small businesses still need support,” said Hallett, 49, of Nashville. “It’s lovely to see how 40 million people had our back.”
Brooks, who has not publicly responded or posted to social media since Wednesday, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday morning. A Times spokesperson declined to comment. SSP America spokesperson Lana Cramer said in a statement that the company was “disappointed to see Mr. Brooks’ tweet.”
“We always strive to deliver a good meal and great service, and we hope he’ll experience that the next time he eats at one of our restaurants,” Cramer said. “We wish him safe future travels.”
The high cost of airport food has been a consistent complaint for travelers for years. But airports have made an effort in recent years to reimagine the food options that people should have while traveling, including restaurants from classic hometown institutions and notable chefs from the cities they’re in.
The best restaurants in America’s busiest airports
In New York, officials announced in 2022 that they were cracking down on high prices for food and drinks at the region’s airports, saying that vendors can’t charge more than “street prices,” or what people would pay outside the airport, plus 10 percent. The issue gained attention after a traveler posted a photo of a drink menu at New York’s LaGuardia Airport that featured a vendor selling a Samuel Adams Summer Ale draft for $27.85.
When Hallett left his previous job at General Motors after 19 years, he wanted to work in a field far away from the rigid ways of corporate life. He wanted to barbecue.
In 2015, he and his brother, Reggie, found the biggest smoker they could find, affectionately naming it “Boss Hogg.” The brothers opened up the restaurant along Trenton’s Front Street and are opening another location in Willingboro, N.J., next month.
“That was my exit plan from corporate America: smoking, eating and drinking,” Hallett said.
Before this week, the restaurant had received regional attention from food bloggers when he introduced a “C-Rock Special” to his menu, in honor of comedian Chris Rock’s role in the 1988 movie “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka.” Rock’s character in the film asks for one rib and a sip of Coke, and Hallett has made that exact combo available on his menu for $2.15.
But when Hallett initially saw Brooks’s post, the restaurant owner wondered where the columnist was eating. It didn’t take him long to realize the Brooks was talking about 1911 Smoke House Barbeque.
Others did, too, unleashing a wave of memes based on Brooks’s two-sentence post. Some of the more amusing takes on Brooks’s post included a photo of Bruce Springsteen pointing at a hot dog, and a clip of comedian Tim Robinson ordering enough food to feed a couple of football teams in the Netflix series “I Think You Should Leave.”
While Hallett said he could not go into detail about Brooks’s criticism surrounding the price, the restaurateur made it clear that the price for a burger is similar to that of other airport establishments.
“Everybody knows it’s par for the course,” Hallett said.
The restaurant has capitalized on the attention of the viral post, boasting on Facebook: “We’re the topic of America right now!” Hallett has also made a new meal available to customers: the “D Brooks Special.” Instead of paying $78, customers can get a burger, fries and a double shot of whiskey for $17.78.
Never ask what’s for dinner again. Get one quick recipe in your inbox Monday through Thursday to inspire delicious meals.
“This meal just cost me $78 at Newark Airport,” he wrote Wednesday on X, formerly known as Twitter. “This is why Americans think the economy is terrible.”
What was seemingly an everyday complaint about the cost of airport food quickly evolved into a viral talker that’s been viewed more 34 million times on the platform as of early Friday. Some criticized Brooks for not specifying how a burger and fries goes for about $17 or $18 at the airport restaurant, and how the liquor probably made up the majority of his tab. Many turned the conservative columnist’s post into the latest meme.
While Brooks did not name the restaurant, internet sleuths figured out that he was dining at 1911 Smoke House Barbeque, a Trenton-based restaurant that opened a location in Terminal A of the airport earlier this year. The restaurant — whose slogan is “You can’t beat our meat” — confirmed on Facebook that Brooks had eaten at the Newark Airport location, saying that the journalist had misled his more than 253,000 X followers by not pointing out how his drink was most of his bill. X has also added a note to Brooks’s post to give users more context on the most talked-about airport meal in recent memory.
“Bar tab was almost 80% and he’s complaining about the cost of his meal,” the restaurant wrote. “Keep drinking buddy — we get paid off everything.”
Maurice Hallett, the owner of 1911 Smoke House Barbeque, told The Washington Post that his corporate partners at SSP America, a food travel company, had advised him to not talk about the situation and he “agreed not to say anymore about the Newark location.” But Hallett said the response to the post and defense of his restaurant has been “incredible.”
“I am very thankful for the support of small businesses because small businesses still need support,” said Hallett, 49, of Nashville. “It’s lovely to see how 40 million people had our back.”
Brooks, who has not publicly responded or posted to social media since Wednesday, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday morning. A Times spokesperson declined to comment. SSP America spokesperson Lana Cramer said in a statement that the company was “disappointed to see Mr. Brooks’ tweet.”
“We always strive to deliver a good meal and great service, and we hope he’ll experience that the next time he eats at one of our restaurants,” Cramer said. “We wish him safe future travels.”
The high cost of airport food has been a consistent complaint for travelers for years. But airports have made an effort in recent years to reimagine the food options that people should have while traveling, including restaurants from classic hometown institutions and notable chefs from the cities they’re in.
The best restaurants in America’s busiest airports
In New York, officials announced in 2022 that they were cracking down on high prices for food and drinks at the region’s airports, saying that vendors can’t charge more than “street prices,” or what people would pay outside the airport, plus 10 percent. The issue gained attention after a traveler posted a photo of a drink menu at New York’s LaGuardia Airport that featured a vendor selling a Samuel Adams Summer Ale draft for $27.85.
When Hallett left his previous job at General Motors after 19 years, he wanted to work in a field far away from the rigid ways of corporate life. He wanted to barbecue.
In 2015, he and his brother, Reggie, found the biggest smoker they could find, affectionately naming it “Boss Hogg.” The brothers opened up the restaurant along Trenton’s Front Street and are opening another location in Willingboro, N.J., next month.
“That was my exit plan from corporate America: smoking, eating and drinking,” Hallett said.
Before this week, the restaurant had received regional attention from food bloggers when he introduced a “C-Rock Special” to his menu, in honor of comedian Chris Rock’s role in the 1988 movie “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka.” Rock’s character in the film asks for one rib and a sip of Coke, and Hallett has made that exact combo available on his menu for $2.15.
But when Hallett initially saw Brooks’s post, the restaurant owner wondered where the columnist was eating. It didn’t take him long to realize the Brooks was talking about 1911 Smoke House Barbeque.
Others did, too, unleashing a wave of memes based on Brooks’s two-sentence post. Some of the more amusing takes on Brooks’s post included a photo of Bruce Springsteen pointing at a hot dog, and a clip of comedian Tim Robinson ordering enough food to feed a couple of football teams in the Netflix series “I Think You Should Leave.”
While Hallett said he could not go into detail about Brooks’s criticism surrounding the price, the restaurateur made it clear that the price for a burger is similar to that of other airport establishments.
“Everybody knows it’s par for the course,” Hallett said.
The restaurant has capitalized on the attention of the viral post, boasting on Facebook: “We’re the topic of America right now!” Hallett has also made a new meal available to customers: the “D Brooks Special.” Instead of paying $78, customers can get a burger, fries and a double shot of whiskey for $17.78.
