A round-up of excellent eateries
THE CITY OF ANCHORAGE IS OFTEN A JUMPING-OFF POINT FOR ALASKAN ADVENTURE, and most tours involve a couple days there. Whether you’re getting your body adjusted to a new time zone or doing your last bit of shopping before heading home, you can also treat yourself to some of the best bites in the state. Here’s a list of eateries that will entice your taste buds, from sumptuous seafood to the sweetest treats in town. (Most locations are downtown, and others are a short taxi, Uber, or Lyft ride away.)
For the best breakfast in town, go to Snow City Café. Fans rave about their delicious eggs Benedict, and French toast connoisseurs will love their classic and stuffed versions. Or try the yummy sticky buns that President Obama bought when he visited Alaska in 2015.
For the best seafood, Simon and Seafort’s offers excellent fish and shellfish, plus meat and poultry dishes like their classic oven-roasted chicken Dijon. You can’t find a better view of Cook Inlet. is is a perfect place for a romantic meal with that special someone.
Sometimes appearances can be deceptive. Although the exterior of Club Paris is humble, the steaks there are good enough to write home about. Th e filet mignon is extra tender, and their Teriyaki hamburger is a lunchtime tradition. For gourmet food, The Marx Bros. Café has contemporary cuisine and classics like Van’s Caesar salad, the best in town. The scallops will melt in your mouth, and the wine pairings enhance your meal beautifully.
For a more playful menu, Kinley’s Restaurant serves great creations like halibut BLT sandwiches and chow mein noodlecrusted crab cakes, along with more classic dishes. Their mocha bourbon pecan torte is as beautiful to look at as it is delicious. We also have our share of international and ethnic fare, thanks to Anchorage’s large percentage of immigrants and world travelers. Here’s a handful:
ORSO (named for the Italian word for bear) combines classic Italian cuisine with fresh Alaskan ingredients. The mellow vibe will make you linger over your tiramisu. They also have glutenfree and vegetarian menus.
Roscoe’s Catfish and Barbecue promises “love at 1st bite.” Their southern fried catfish fillets are regulars’ favorites, and the Alaska seafood gumbo is also delicious.
The most traditional Mexican restaurant is Mexico in Alaska. My favorite meal is the pollo en mole dinner, but there’s plenty to choose from. There are vegetarian choices as well. And the tortillas are like the ones Mom would have made—you should take a dozen to go.
If you prefer Tex Mex style, La Cabaña is a local downtown favorite.
The best Thai restaurant in town is Pho Lena—so popular it has three locations in Anchorage. They have an extensive menu of “exotic Lao, Thai, and Vietnamese cuisine” with lots of options, from savory to spicy. Their pho warms you up on a chilly day or night.
Kumagoro Fine Japanese Dining and Sushi Bar lives up to its name. They serve classic Japanese fare and sushi right in the heart of downtown.
Hula Hands Island Cuisine gives you a little taste of the tropics in Alaska. From poke to loco mocos, you’ll get tasty dishes that make you feel like you’re much farther south.
Antonio’s Greek Bakery and Café has the best Greek meals in town, with authentic and savory specialties. Plus, the bakery is divine. You’ll want to take some baklava or cookies to go, too.
Got a sweet tooth? Try hand-crafted Alaskan ice cream at Wild Scoops. They use local ingredients in innovative ways, from mint brownie (with fresh mint from Seeds of Change & Vang Family Farm) to Yukon gold (sweet cream + homemade fudge + Alaska Chip Company potato chip toffee).
Or, for the best old-fashioned donuts in Anchorage, check out the cafe in the back of The Kobuk for a cup of coffee or tea and a donut—voted “one of the best dozen donuts in America” in Huffington Post in 2015. Stop at the store on the way out to get some coffee beans or loose-leaf tea to take home and savor your memories of Alaska.
With all these places to choose from, you may want to extend your stay in Anchorage. Bon appetit!
Lynn Lovegreen recently celebrated her 50th anniversary of arriving in southcentral Alaska. Her article about the creation of Denali National Park and Preserve was published in Alaska magazine in 2016, and she writes young adult historical fiction set in Alaska.
