Anchorage Restaurant Recommendation

[CMcG]

We will be renting a car in Anchorage to drive to Denali after our cruise. When we return to Anchorage to fly home we have a 11:30pm flight. I assume we'll have to return the car around 9pm to have enough time to get through security at the airport.

 

Any recommendations for reasonable restaurants? Looking for one that wouldn't be a mob scene on a Saturday night around 6:30 or 7pm - I hope that should give us enough time for dinner and then deal with car return & airport security.

 

I rarely fly so don't have much of a clue about time required for anything at any airport - and have no experience with Alaska yet.

 

Appreciate any help - thanks!

[Chenega]

Allow yourself about 2 hours at the Anchorage airport. Late night/early am flights are the busiest time and security lines can be long. Many restaurants here accept reservations plus there are several good restaurants outside the downtown area. For more, check out http://www.anchorage.net You can get good restaurant advice at http://www.tripadvisor.com

[Northern Aurora]

While Glacier Brewhouse is mentioned frequently on this board, in the summer I find it rather noisy. Downtown I like Fletchers, which is located in the Captain Cook Hotel. It serves bistro style meals. Another casual option downtown is Humpy's (as in humpback salmon).

[CMcG]

Allow yourself about 2 hours at the Anchorage airport. Late night/early am flights are the busiest time and security lines can be long. Many restaurants here accept reservations plus there are several good restaurants outside the downtown area. For more, check out www.anchorage.net You can get good restaurant advice at www.tripadvisor.com

 

So would my plan of returning the car around 9pm work or will it take more than 1/2 hour to return a car?

 

Any particular restaurant you like or dislike?

[CMcG]

While Glacier Brewhouse is mentioned frequently on this board, in the summer I find it rather noisy. Downtown I like Fletchers, which is located in the Captain Cook Hotel. It serves bistro style meals. Another casual option downtown is Humpy's (as in humpback salmon).

 

Thanks! We didn't much care for noisy when we were younger and now we really don't tolerate noisy very well - we're crotchety old people at 52 & 60! :eek: So we may have to put Glacier Brewhouse near the bottom of the list. I'll check out Fletchers & Humpy's - I try to give my husband 3 or 4 options. He lets me do most of the advance research and then we discuss and make a plan.

[Chenega]

If your car is rented right at the airport, it should be quick and easy. The rentals are downstairs; if it is an off-airport rental, you should add another half hour for a shuttle transfer.

 

I really like Simon and Seaforts downtown on L Street between 4th and 5th avenue; you can park at the Captain Cook Hotel garage. From there, it's a direct shot down L street/Minnesota (the name changes but the road is the change) to International Airport Road and the airport. Should take no more than twenty minutes.

 

Out of the downtown area you can find Sea Galley on C Street between 36th and Tudor Road. Love the king crab bucket and they have a great salad bar too.

[CMcG]

If your car is rented right at the airport, it should be quick and easy. The rentals are downstairs; if it is an off-airport rental, you should add another half hour for a shuttle transfer.

 

I really like Simon and Seaforts downtown on L Street between 4th and 5th avenue; you can park at the Captain Cook Hotel garage. From there, it's a direct shot down L street/Minnesota (the name changes but the road is the change) to International Airport Road and the airport. Should take no more than twenty minutes.

 

Out of the downtown area you can find Sea Galley on C Street between 36th and Tudor Road. Love the king crab bucket and they have a great salad bar too.

 

Thanks - appreciate the help with timing - I'm not always so good about judging how long to allow. :o

 

I have a feeling I'm going to have too many choices for food. :D

[Chenega]

We really have some good restaurant choices up here. I like Simons for the way they prepare fresh caught wild Alaska salmon. They're also consistently good and are one of the few restaurants with a view of Cook Inlet.

 

We're even joining the rest of the "lower 48" - our first Olive Garden opened a few months ago and it has been jammed :).

[CMcG]

We really have some good restaurant choices up here. I like Simons for the way they prepare fresh caught wild Alaska salmon. They're also consistently good and are one of the few restaurants with a view of Cook Inlet.

 

We're even joining the rest of the "lower 48" - our first Olive Garden opened a few months ago and it has been jammed :).

 

Glad to hear it is jammed - we print for Darden & if the restaurants are busy that is good for us - lots of training manuals, new employee packets and new menu rollout information! And that means I can afford my cruise. :D

 

I've been getting great restaurant ideas both for Anchorage & for Vancouver - wish I had more time to eat in both cities! I'm so glad local people respond on CC - feels much more personal than a TripAdvisor review from a year ago.

 

Thanks again for all your help.

[dabear]

We'll be staying in midtown Anc b4 our car rental trip to Denali. Any recommendations in Midtown area?

[mytime53]

We'll be staying in midtown Anc b4 our car rental trip to Denali. Any recommendations in Midtown area?

Midtown is a large area...do you have a car, want to walk, take a taxi? Do you know which hotel yet?

[GenericUserID]

Glacier Brewhouse

Orso

Moose's Tooth

Amsterdam Cafe

Cafe Del Mundo

[sr12345]

Your Achilles heel is the Saturday night...everything will be crowded, unless you can get a reservation, or plan to eat early (like 5PM).

 

FYI, Humpy's is a bar, and has only a so-so menu.

 

Kincaid Grill is very nice, and close to the airport. High end cuisine, and will take reservations.

Simon and Seaforts is good, just a block or two from downtown, and also takes reservations.

Moose's Tooth is legendary pizza, with a wait to match--first come, first served.

Olive Garden (Tikhatnu Plaza on the northeast side of town) and Buffalo Wild Wings (in Midtown) are relatively new, and still insanely popular novelties with locals. Expect long waits there.

The Double Musky in Girdwood (about 45 minutes outside of Anchorage) has great food...since you'll have a car.

[CMcG]

Your Achilles heel is the Saturday night...everything will be crowded, unless you can get a reservation, or plan to eat early (like 5PM).

 

FYI, Humpy's is a bar, and has only a so-so menu.

 

Kincaid Grill is very nice, and close to the airport. High end cuisine, and will take reservations.

Simon and Seaforts is good, just a block or two from downtown, and also takes reservations.

Moose's Tooth is legendary pizza, with a wait to match--first come, first served.

Olive Garden (Tikhatnu Plaza on the northeast side of town) and Buffalo Wild Wings (in Midtown) are relatively new, and still insanely popular novelties with locals. Expect long waits there.

The Double Musky in Girdwood (about 45 minutes outside of Anchorage) has great food...since you'll have a car.

 

I was afraid Saturday would pose additional trouble so thank you for including that sort of info. I'll just have to compile one more list - restaurants that take reservations with phone numbers and type of food and we'll have to call from the road & make a reservation - thank God for cell phones!

 

Like I said - glad The Olive Garden is busy - but I see enough of that at the office.:D Simon & Seaforts is sounding good - I love salmon! Not sure I want to deal with "high end cuisine" after a long day on the road - so Kincaid Grill might not work. The Double Musky might work if we just eat a late breakfast and have dinner early as we come into town.

 

Appreciate all the help!

[Gardyloo]

Oh fer Pete's sake... a Kodiak Islander and a side of onion "rings" (not) at the Arctic Roadrunner. Sit down by the creek and maybe a salmon will commit suicide in front of you. ;)

 

http://www.lastfrontier.org/morsel_apr_2008.htm

[Chenega]

Oh fer Pete's sake... a Kodiak Islander and a side of onion "rings" (not) at the Arctic Roadrunner. Sit down by the creek and maybe a salmon will commit suicide in front of you. ;)

 

http://www.lastfrontier.org/morsel_apr_2008.htm

 

Oh, there's an idea. This is a local favorite and their onion pieces are awesome. Don't know if I'd want to eat them before flying on a plane :)

 

Two other "local" places are Gwennies on Spenard Road and The Lucky Wishbone as you come into town on 5th Avenue. Always busy.

 

Still, for good salmon, go to Simons.

[Northern Aurora]

Your Achilles heel is the Saturday night...everything will be crowded, unless you can get a reservation, or plan to eat early (like 5PM).

 

FYI, Humpy's is a bar, and has only a so-so menu.

 

 

 

Humpy's is non smoking, and its menu is posted on their website. Since I love halibut I love their fish and chips, halibut tacos and salads with halibut.

 

While we enjoy the Double Musky, we generally dine their when we are staying at Alyeska Resort. The Double Musky doesn't take reservations and can be packed and loud on the weekends. We have also observed groups of folks from Anchorage taking limos down to the Musky to do some serious drinking.

 

I was working in Anchorage in 1978 when Simon and Seaforts opened and remember eating there for the first time just after the formal opening. Quite frankly, I am of the opinion that they were better in the 1980s than they are now, but then I am not much of a beef eater.

 

Another Anchorage restaurant we enjoy is Aladdin's on the Old Seward Highway. It is family owned with the owners frequently there. I have no idea if their menus are posted on a website but the food has a mediterranean touch.

[basser]

Phyllys's is downtown on 4th or 5th street I think. Amazing all you can eat crab legs.

[Alaskanb]

Anyone familiar with the Snow Goose brew/restaurant on 3rd St. We have a 8:30 pm flight so we will be eating early. How are the restaurants at the airport?

[Alaskanb]

I was afraid Saturday would pose additional trouble so thank you for including that sort of info. I'll just have to compile one more list - restaurants that take reservations with phone numbers and type of food and we'll have to call from the road & make a reservation - thank God for cell phones!

I've made a 5:00 pm Saturday reservation using Open Table for the Glacier Brewhouse --can always be changed if we need to. Does anyone know how long it will take to complete a meal there at that time of evening?

[Gardyloo]

Another Anchorage restaurant we enjoy is Aladdin's on the Old Seward Highway. It is family owned with the owners frequently there. I have no idea if their menus are posted on a website but the food has a mediterranean touch.

One of the best Middle Eastern restaurants we've been to anywhere. Rabah is a great guy who cooks great food. Worth the effort to get there.

 

http://www.aladdinsalaska.com/

[CMcG]

One of the best Middle Eastern restaurants we've been to anywhere. Rabah is a great guy who cooks great food. Worth the effort to get there.

 

http://www.aladdinsalaska.com/

 

That looks wonderful - do you know if they take reservations? I didn't see that info on the website (but is was very late & wine was involved). If they don't take reservations does anyone know how crowded they might get on the first Saturday in June? We probably need to be done & headed to the airport by 8:30pm (have an 11:30pm flight & need to return car).

[dabear]

Midtown is a large area...do you have a car, want to walk, take a taxi? Do you know which hotel yet?

 

Hilton Garden Inn on a Monday night. We don't get our car until the next morning so we're w/o a car that 1st evening.

[Gardyloo]

That looks wonderful - do you know if they take reservations? I didn't see that info on the website (but is was very late & wine was involved). If they don't take reservations does anyone know how crowded they might get on the first Saturday in June? We probably need to be done & headed to the airport by 8:30pm (have an 11:30pm flight & need to return car).

I'm sure they'll take a reservation for you - use the email link on their page. But I doubt they'd be too full if you're arriving early-ish in the dinner hour. But better safe than sorry I suppose.

 

From Aladdin's it's a straight shot down Tudor to Minnesota and the airport - maybe 15 min. max.

[quiltsnh]

We are arriving at about 5:30 and staying at Captain Cook... anything nearby for dinner?

We will not have a car.