What the Fork: Theo & Betty’s is a destination deli
Published 1:30 am Thursday, July 9, 2026
EVERETT — We came for dinner, not a departure.
No luggage. No boarding pass. No travel points. Just an appetite for adventure at Paine Field.
We strolled past the ticket counter and winked at security. There was no plane to catch.
We were there to try Theo & Betty’s Deli & Marketplace, which opened in May. The deli has easy access for passengers, picker-uppers and people like us — Janice & Andrea, creators of What the Fork, a hot new occasional feature for The Daily Herald.
Most airport food is off-limits unless you’ve cleared security. Theo & Betty’s, sandwiched between arrivals and pre-TSA departures, is open to everyone. Until additional seating opens, diners can settle into the laid-back baggage claim area, where Frank Sinatra croons overhead.
It was a sleepy Sunday afternoon between flights and we were the only customers.
We were greeted at the register by Jacob, a magenta-haired counter worker passing the downtime by crocheting a parasol from bright green yarn.
We told him to add another row because we’d need our bifocals to decipher the blue digital menu board that resembled a departure schedule.
Salads. Soups. Sandwiches.
So. Many. Choices.
We asked about nearly every sandwich on the board — Carry-on Corned Beef, Smokey & The Bird — plus whether breakfast was served all day.
It is.
Options include Smokin Salmon, Eggceptional Sausage, Wake & Bacon and Rise & Brine.
Barista-made drinks include espresso and teas. A cooler is stocked with canned beverages.
Most food items can be taken through TSA, except the brisket chili. It’s considered a liquid.
THEO & BETTY
Who’s Theo. Who’s Betty?
That question comes up all the time. It’s a bit of a mystery, but Janice, who covered the airport’s opening in 2019, knew the answer.
The names belong to the dogs of Brett Smith, CEO of Propeller Airports, which built and operates the terminal.
Theo and Betty are two fluffy Wheaten Terriers famous for the “Wheaten Greetin” jumps, wiggles and “lots of kisses,” Smith said.
You may know Smith as a hard-charging entrepreneur, aviation analyst and CEO, but he’s also a fully vetted dog lover.
He considered calling the deli after Lt. Topliff Olin Paine, the fearless Everett aviator whose statue is in front of the airport. But he nixed the idea because, “Everything here is named Paine.”
Then he landed on Theo & Betty. “It sounded good together,” Smith said.
There isn’t a logo featuring the dogs because Smith wasn’t sure diners would embrace a restaurant named after two pups.
We beg to differ. After all, Raising Cane’s honors founder Todd Graves’ yellow Labrador, and Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar was inspired by the founder’s black Lab, Mattie.
If you’re hankering for a glimpse of Theo and Betty, you might spot them if you’re at the airport on a weekend. Smith sometimes brings one or both dogs with him.
In fact, Theo, now 9, has been a frequent visitor at the terminal since before it opened in 2019.
It’s about time he and Betty earned Best in Chow.
THE FOOD
Theo & Betty’s is more like a neighborhood deli that just happens to be inside an airport.
Concessions International, which operates retail and dining venues at Sea-Tac, created the menu. Seattle’s Alki Bakery makes the $5 pastries in the glass case: jumbo glazed cinnamon rolls, chocolate croissants, maple bars and other dangerously delicious temptations.
Sandwiches are made fresh.
These are not the sad, shrink-wrapped airport sandwiches that taste like cardboard with a smear of wallpaper paste.
Choose your bread (brioche bun, sliced sourdough, nine-grain or hoagie), cheese (pepperjack, swiss, cheddar, provolone), sauces (ailoi, mayo, dijonaisse, vinegar) and veggies (lettuce, onion, tomato).
We had important decisions to make.
The game plan was to order two $16 sandwiches — Cali Crunch and The Sounder — and split them so we could each try both.
Once we ordered, Jacob put his crochet aside and went into full Cali Crunch mode. Gloves on, he moved to the sandwich bar and stacked a brioche bun high with smoked turkey breast, bacon, lettuce, tomato and red onion.
“Avocado?” he asked.
Absolutely.
He pulled out a ripe avocado and expertly sliced it into a fan. Those deft crochet fingers come in handy on the cutting board.
This was more than sandwich assembly. It was edible choreography.
Subway meets Sardi’s.
The Sounder, a hot sandwich piled with chunks of roasted pork, was topped with creamy spinach-artichoke spread, so we got a serving of veggies. It’s a gloriously messy hot sandwich, more like a meal tucked into a hoagie roll. Whether you eat it there or on the plane, grab extra napkins.
The roasted pork was tender and juicy. The bun was soft. The spinach-artichoke spread added a gourmet touch. The brisket chili, $8.80, topped with a sour cream swirl, tasted like homemade with just enough spice to tickle the tastebuds. Ask for a sample. They’ll happily oblige.
The Sounder alone was enough dinner for us.
Score! It wins What the Fork’s two-forks-up rating.
The Cali Crunch crafted by Jacob became Monday’s lunch.
SECOND HELPING
We liked Betty & Theo’s so much that we returned with the Herald’s marketing & social coordinator Sumiran Nigam, who came to document the experience.
Sue Misao, an ex-Herald comrade, also joined us. She ordered a Coke and nearly choked when it rang up at $4.40, plus tax.
Then Everett happened.
A couple hurrying to catch a flight offered us six cans of mini-Sprite they couldn’t take through security.
Free soda pop?
We’ll take it.
Sue only wished they’d appeared before she bought that $5 Coke.
She also ordered the $13 kale Caesar salad with herbed bread crumbs and shaved Parmesan. It arrived in a sturdy brown box that made it a snap to eat there or to go. It was fresh and crunchy with enough to serve two. Sue offered to share it with us. We declined because the pastry case was calling our names.
Want to customize your salad with tomato or avocado?
Just ask.
Craving something that’s not on the menu — say, a BLT?
“We can probably fix you up,” said Dawn Randall, the deli’s general manager.
DON’T DILLY-DALLY
Get your parking ticket validated at the deli for one hour of free parking with a purchase.
Stay longer like we did and it’s $6 an hour.
There went our cinnamon-roll budget.
IF YOU GO
Theo & Betty’s is located before security, between ticketing and baggage claim at Paine Field.
Hours: 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.
Don’t leave without checking out the grab-and-go snacks — gummy worms, trail mix and pistachios. Grab a Theo & Betty tote bag, one of the airport’s best bargains for only $2, and you’re golden.
Have dining recommendations for What the Fork? Contact writers Andrea Brown at reporterbrown@gmail.com and Janice Podsada at jpod2024@gmail.com.
