These Military Base Food Courts Are Beyond Impressive

Military bases aren't always austere places fortified behind walls and closed off from the rest of civilization. On the contrary, most modern-day bases are filled with things to do and places to go. Many are home to food courts, much like those found in residential shopping malls. Living on a military base, as either an active duty soldier or a family member of one, can make people homesick. Food courts and other communal gathering spaces can be comforting to people who are new to military life or have been stationed at a base for a long while. A lot of military base food courts are open to the general public and tend to draw in crowds — especially the good ones.

The food courts on bases are part of a retail service system known as the Exchange. An Exchange offers meal variety beyond what is served in traditional base dining halls, but we have to mention that some military dining halls have an ambiance and menus that surpass what you might expect from the armed forces. Exchanges typically stick to the same fast food restaurants in their food courts — think Subway and Panda Express. But some outshine others by offering a little extra — be it a more impressive interior, creative seasonal events, or a few additional dining choices. Let's look at the military food courts (and a couple of dining halls too) that make the base a little less basic.

Some military base food courts offer a fraction of the food choices you might see in a typical shopping mall while others go beyond it. The Ramstein Kaiserslautern Military Community Center (KMCC) is in Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany. It offers one of the most impressive exchange food courts in existence. Ramstein Air Base's Exchange is the largest in Europe and was the first ever to bear the official Exchange logo. The facility's soaring windowed ceilings, gleaming white pillars, and flurry of special events and guest vendors have earned it a reputation as one of the best on any U.S. military base in the world. Food court offerings are plentiful here and range from American fast casual classics like Taco Bell, and Five Guys to lesser-known, somewhat lighter options like Spudz and Bun-D. Visitors can also swing by the Coffee Bike for an authentic cappuccino and or indulge their sweet tooth with a dessert or pastry from Barbarossa Bakery.

Soldiers (and their families) who are stationed on Ramstein Air Base don't always have to rely on the permanent storefronts in the food court because the many different events hosted there often involve food and drinks. Depending on the week, you could pair an evening of shopping with a whisky or beer tasting and sample gelato from a pop-up shop. You may also want to saunter outside, where food trucks are known to be lined up on the pavement selling gyros, Jamaican cuisine, Filipino Food, and more.

The Wilderness Inn dining hall facility, referred to in military shorthand as DFAC has stepped up its game in recent years. After a full remodel in 2016, Wilderness Inn can seat over 300 diners at once with the addition of booths and high-top tables. The interior is spacious, charmingly rustic, and the menu is well-considered. The effort put forth by Elmendorf-Richardson, the joint base shared by the United States Army and Air Force, shows. This dining hall received the Philip A. Connelly Award, an acknowledgment given by the armed forces for its exemplary facility and food preparation. Sure, there's a decent Exchange on this Anchorage base, but considering the formal accolades, Wilderness Inn might be cooking up a more satisfying meal.

The food at Wilderness Inn is served cafeteria style, but the menu is crafted with more care than the military mess halls of yore. Rotating menus feature selections like tempura fried fish, garlic-roasted potato wedges, and glazed carrots for lunch. Dinner may be comprised of sauteed spinach, roasted brussel sprouts, rosemary roast pork, spicy baked fish, rice pilaf, and roasted sweet potato wedges. Patrons of Wilderness Inn are treated to a taco bar one night and a Mongolian bar the next. There are crab boils, holiday-themed meals, and daily hearty breakfasts. Wilderness Inn even offers customized 30-day meal plans to those trying to watch their weight.

South Korean base Camp Humpherys is the largest overseas American base with 36,500 people calling it home. In 2017, a brand new Exchange was introduced to the premises, and the locals arrived in droves. Arby's, Dunkin', Auntie Annie's, Pizza Hut, and the like are to be expected from an Exchange at this point, but these aren't the only food court picks at Camp Humphreys. Joayo and Don Chicken by Korea Place is a genuine Korean fried chicken franchise that's sure to draw hungry customers looking for some comfort food. Family breakfast at The Original Pancake House can make everyone at the table happy, where crepes with fresh fruit, pancake flavors galore, and various egg specialties are just a portion of the menu.

With such an abundance of food court restaurants on Camp Humphreys, it might seem like eating there means you have to embrace fatty food. But that isn't the case. Camp Humphreys is a part of the Be Fit 360°program that is committed to giving military members and their families a plethora of healthier food options at most food court outposts. In conjunction with Be Fit 360° Joayo sells roasted half and whole chickens rather than the traditional fried version and Subway offers protein bowls for those who want to cut back on carbs.

Hawaii's big island has quite a few military base Exchanges, but Schofield Barracks holds its own by consistently bringing new eateries to the food court. So far in 2023, there have been grand openings for Moe's Southwest Grill and Cake Dreams Bakeshop— the latter is the latest business venture from Hawaiian natives Nixon and Cori, the season three winners of the Netflix competition show "Sugar Rush". Before that, Bing Bros joined the party, selling Asian-inspired wraps and bowls. In 2021, Schofield Exchange delighted children all over the base by introducing Raising Cane's to the food court, an eatery that mainly focuses on chicken fingers.

Food court patrons also enjoy Hi Blend, a Schofield Exchange exclusive that serves smoothies, fresh juices, acai bowls, and other diet-friendly fares. As we've seen the best Exchange food courts host many events year after year, and Schofield's is no different. Goodie bags are passed out on Mother's Day, and an afternoon's worth of food and activities are planned in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

As we've seen, many military bases strive to bring variance and intrigue to its food courts and that's exactly what Fort Meade in Maryland is doing. New arrivals, local vendors, and food-related events are a regular occurrence at the Fort Meade Exchange food court. The usual fixtures like Starbucks, Panda Express, and Charleys Philly Steaks are present alongside some slightly more atypical Exchange food court eateries such as Qdoba Mexican Eats and Pokemoto.

The dining options are plentiful outdoors too. During the warm weather months, you can grab a bite to eat at one of Fort Meade's vendor fairs. If you love street food you'll probably want to make time to visit the Exchange for Food Truck Wednesdays. Cuisine options from the food trucks have a major international flair. The food trucks parked at the Fort Meade base will include Mexican fare, comforting soul food, and classic Carribean. There are also vegan options, pizza, and sweet treats like Hawaiian-style shaved ice and bubble tea.

If you're going to live on a military base, Hawaii is a great place to do so. The Exchange at Yokota puts a lot of emphasis on friendly service and community events, which makes the food court here a pleasant place to eat. The Yokota Air Base has made an effort to make sure that Exchange must-haves like Taco Bell, Popeyes, and Burger King offer lower calorie items and vegetarian-friendly picks so that diners have some healthier foods to choose from. The food court also provides military personnel and their families a taste of the familiar by way of its base ops snack bar known as the American Eatery. This quick, affordable option is serving up quesadillas, tuna salad sandwiches, BLTs, omelets, and other American favorites. And if you're really in the mood for a meal inspired by U.S. nostalgia, you should venture to Route 16, an on-base 1950's style diner that serves milkshakes, malts, and pulled pork sandwiches.

The thoughtfulness and dedication of food court staff members have not gone unnoticed. Yokota Air Base is widely known to have one of the best Exchanges in the world. Recently, it was awarded the Director/CEO Cup, the highest honor that can be given to an Army & Air Force Exchange Service.