Part of the 3-2-1 rule is 2 meals a day. You need to eat if you're going to party into the night at the raves and still make the morning My Little Pony panel (I won't tell anyone of you don't) and do it all over again for 4 more nights.
Where does one get such vital sustenance at Dragon*Con? We've detailed the options below.
Protein bars are the easiest and cheapest way to fuel your metabolism through con, but chances are you'll probably tire of them pretty quickly. Mini-fridges are few and far between, so think of other non-perishables:
Another option is to bring a cooler, or if you're traveling by plane, purchase one once you arrive in Atlanta (the disposable Styrofoam kind might be your cheapest option, albeit not environmentally friendly.) Ice is generally free at any hotel.
Electric coolers are also available, mainly at truck stops and Coleman stores. See the Tips and Tricks article on the best way to make this work. Almost all will run on 12v, some will have 120v capability built-in. Adapters are available.
Located inside Peachtree Center, between the Marriott and the Hyatt, and accessible by the habitrail. Standard fast food fare, standard fast food prices. See the Peachtree Center Wiki article for recent list.
A food Court is also available in the Suntrust building. A current list of options is not available. A list of what was available in 2008 is available through the D*C Restaurant Guide (hosted via LJ here)
Keep in mind if you have disabilities that make it hard to stand, you will not easily get a seat in the food court. People do sit on the steps, but the security guards vary on how much of that they will permit for safety reasons. Important: if you are a wheelchair user, you may want to skip the food court altogether or ask someone to make a run for you. There is a wheelchair lift, but there is not always an operator on immediate availability.
The Hyatt, Marriott and Hilton hotels each contain cafés where coffee and food can be bought, but they are all more expensive than the food court. There are also a range of sit-down restaurants.
Restaurant Details from Official site
Restaurant details from Official site
Restaurant details from Official site
Restaurant details from Official site
Westin (TBD)
2-3 block radius around the con hotels.
NoWait
NoWait is an app that will let you get in line at a busy restaurant without being there, and let you know how many people are in front of you, and how long the wait is expected to be. It will text you updates and advise when your table is ready.
Within 1 mile of the con hotels.
DragonCon hotels have started selling snacks, drinks, and pizza in most of the main hotels and the AmericasMart dealer room areas. They charge through the nose for them, as you might expect... And they can run out until more is brought up. But if you're in a hurry for a panel, they're quick and convenient.
You can also order delivery from restaurants in the area with the following apps. They will let you know the time your order can be expected to arrive. Usually you will meet the delivery person at the concierge desk to pick up your order when it arrives.
Grubhub.com is their website, and they offer apps for iPhone and Android both. The app scans for restaurants that deliver based on your location and will tell you how long the wait will be for your order to arrive. You can also order in advance to pick up your food at the restaurant itself. They tend to overestimate to err on the side of caution. Most of the restaurants have an order minimum for delivery. Some have a small delivery fee as well.
The app takes cash, credit/debit card and PayPal and lets you add a tip via all payment methods.
Grubhub has an 800 number and a Twitter so you can contact customer service easily if anything goes wrong. Their customer service people are friendly and polite. One of your Wiki editors experienced a problem at DragonCon 2015 and they were very prompt about making it right.
Yelp Eat 24
An app from the makers of Yelp which allows you to order food for delivery or pickup.
Beyond the Menu
Another app for ordering delivery or pickup.
Doordash
Another app for ordering delivery or pickup. http://doordash.com. This one does offer a surcharge per item ordered but they are fast, and the page offers real time updates so you know when to expect your order. One of your Wiki editors used this service and found their estimated wait time accurate, their dasher (delivery person) friendly, and the food hot when it arrived. Now accepting Android Pay.
Another delivery alternative from the travel app.
IMPORTANT: make sure the restaurant you want to order from is open late enough to accommodate your order. You will also want to give explicit directions so the delivery person knows where to meet you during a busy, crowded time in the hotel.
These places both have apps and tend to have similar discounts for the same places but if you have transportation you can find good deals on food and less crowded restaurants because they're not right in the radius of the con.
See Also
Advanced Nutritions and Nommings