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The best way to describe the hospitality industry in Alaska is "informal," and this applies all over the state—even in Anchorage. Don't worry if you still have your hiking clothes on when you go out to eat. Every kind of food is available, especially in larger towns, but options decline considerably from mid-September through April.
Open at 7 am, this place is a perfect stop before a day of fishing, but lunch is an equally fulfilling experience. La Baleine serves fantastic breakfast sandwiches on fresh ciabatta rolls—complimentary cup of locally roasted coffee included. Owner and renowned chef Kirsten Dixon and her daughter Mandy, both of them graduates of Le Cordon Bleu, Paris cooking school, create simple, highly pleasing meals such as the noodle bowl: fresh ramen with homemade broth, local vegetables, and seasonal fish. All the wild seafood dishes here are tremendously flavorful.
This hot spot draws crowds from all over the world, despite the fact it's too small to fit them all (reservations are essential). The emphasis here is on local ingredients, each bite making Homer feel a little more like home. Popular starters include fish tacos, sliders made with Alaska-grown beef, and Halibut Cove blue mussels. The entrées change often but might include fish-and-chips, wild prawns, and beef tenderloin. A surefire bet is the Hot Stone Bowl, made a different way each day with mostly local fish and vegetables.
A remote town with only 50 year-round residents seems an unlikely place to find a five-star meal, but that's exactly what the chefs here deliver, creatively assembling dishes using ingredients grown, caught, and raised in the region. The changing menu might include local yak, red angus, Kenny Lake pork, or Copper River salmon—all paired with fantastic wines. Unless you were a guest at Ma Johnson's hotel, it used to be impossible dine here without making a reservation weeks in advance, but it's a little easier now: the addition of outdoor seating has increased the table count from 10 to 20.
This roadhouse diner is a great place to grab a bite and a libation and soak up the sun (when it makes an appearance) on the outside deck; you might even catch a show at the Acres, the adjacent outdoor music and events venue. The café offers an array of dishes, but they're particularly known for their spicy crispy chicken sandwich and their excellent variety of burgers. Breakfast is served on weekends, and the country-fried steak is out of this world. Also on weekends, you'll find the Acres hosting bands from all over the country (in the winter, acoustic music is performed indoors).
Like every good brewery, Denali Brewing Company has a large outdoor porch for sunny days, and a menu of savory items to soak up the beer. Burgers, fish-and-chips, and a host of appetizers pack their menu. Denali Brewing is also home to Alaska Meadery, Alaska Ciderworks, and Denali Spirits.
This restaurant and acoustic music venue (adjacent to Bear Creek Lodge) prides itself on epic meals with a twist, like two-layer crab cakes and deep-fried cheesy rice and Alaska sausage. The food is delicious, but the interior, with its one wall that opens up to let the delightful summer outdoors in, really makes this a terrific place to dine, drink, and enjoy great music.
A big, boisterous, friendly place near the small-boat harbor, Henry's has a menu that's equally big. There's fresh local seafood, of course, but also everything from barbecue and rack of lamb to gourmet salads, pastas, and even some Cajun dishes. Get started with one of the many appetizers (the smoked salmon is always a good choice), and finish up with one of their tasty desserts.
With a back side that faces Kenai Lake and offers splendid views, and food equally worth your attention, this unassuming roadhouse is the place to stop in Cooper Landing. The halibut crab cakes with an excellent homemade tartar sauce come highly recommended, and there are always great fish options at the peak of the season. Musicians from all over entertain in the evenings.
With a great outdoor deck and a heap of local company, the Linwood emphasizes its "bar" side at night and serves up hearty grilled burgers, pizzas, and seafood by day and into the early evening. Musicians from all over the state take the boat over to perform for Seldovians here.
As its name suggests, Louie's specializes in steak and Alaska seafood, but they have a number of other alternatives on the menu as well. The clam chowder gets quite the rave reviews, and the clam and mussel appetizer is outstanding. On the weekend, the breakfast menu offers a bountiful amount of food. The decor is not for everyone, but for those not bothered by the sight of taxidermied animals, it's a chance to see just about every creature that roams the state.
This food truck is like no other: not only is everything made from scratch, but because it's situated so far from the main road system, the chef has no choice but to rely heavily on locally sourced ingredients. Be sure to try the Copper River salmon cakes and the slow-cooked Kenny Lake pork tacos.
A warm and inviting wood-paneled restaurant and Victorian lounge inside Hotel Seward, Ms. Gene's is one of the town's only fine dining establishments, serving breakfast and dinner year-round. The dinner menu changes often, but dishes such as seared ahi tuna, filet mignon, and halibut cheeks appear with frequency and are revered. There is limited seating so be sure to book a table in advance.
A hot meeting place in the old train depot, Palmer City echoes with the sound of local chatter. Though it doesn't provide much of a romantic dining experience, it has a great ambience, and the standard pub fare—salads, pizzas made in a firebrick oven, and handmade burgers—are better than average. With 45 beers on tap, there's a flavor to suit just about everyone's taste.
A shanty roadhouse of sorts, Rendezvous serves drinks all night and caters to locals with great grub and live music from artists that hail from all over the country. And every afternoon (except Monday), the locals and tourists show up in droves to fill their bellies with the tastiest eats on the island. The clam chowder, halibut sandwich, and fish tacos are enough to make anyone fall deeper in love with Alaska—but get there before the 7:30 pm witching hour, when the menu turns back to liquid-only.
Part of Seward Windsong Lodge, the Roadhouse offers locally sourced food and a deck that overlooks the Resurrection River and the surrounding mountains. Standard Alaska seafood fare fills the menu, along with multiple Alaska-brewed beers on tap. The bar and restaurant have different menus; ask to see both, and then decide where to sit.
This cozy little converted house overlooks the harbor and is the go-to place for locals in the summer. Whether it's for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, they're all about the potato—be sure to try the potatohead burrito or the spuds with gravy.
With its rusty roof set against a breathtaking inlet and mountain backdrop, the Seaview is one of the original buildings in Hope at nearly 120 years old. It serves terrific seafood chowder and halibut-and-chips as well as one of the best Reuben sandwiches in Alaska. There's also live music every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
This two-story microbrewery serves up diverse and wildly unusual pub grub prepared with locally sourced ingredients. The restaurant's interior and exterior design blends rustic-chic, modern deco, and industrial elements, with two highlights being the high ceilings and enormous copper fish welded by a local artist.
Everything at St. Elias is homemade: the beer, the Neapolitan-style stone-fired rustic pizza, the sandwiches, and even the desserts. The calzones are to die for, and the Mt. Redoubt chocolate cake with a molten center is simply divine. This is a good place to check out the locals; the patrons are just as friendly as the staff, and in summer local live music is a big draw.
The owners of this cheerful little restaurant on the shore of Kenai Lake call it a "backwoods bistro." The very reasonably priced menu includes excellent breakfast foods, homemade soups and chowders, wraps and vegetarian items, and hand-grated french fries. Dinners often feature fresh Alaska fish, and they also have a late-night menu for the pub. There's even a spotting scope in the parking lot for spying on the Dall sheep and mountain goats in the surrounding peaks. The bar here hosts live music on most Saturdays in summer, and the deck outside is great when the weather's warm. The Inn also offers 10 rooms to spend the night and an RV site.
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