Good Mexican Food in Anchorage

[vivian02]

I will be visiting Anchorage for the first time in 26 years. There use to be a Mexican Food resturant in Mountainview years ago that served "Great Mexican Food" I think I have zeroed in on the new locations of this place from years ago. Am I right? There is one out on Spenard Rd.? Please let me know if I am on the right track. Thanks Tim

[AkSusan]

Yeah, La Mex still exists. No longer in Mt. View but you're right there is one in Spenard, just closed the one downtown and one in South Anchorage off of Dimond. Love their grandes.

 

Susan in Anchorage :)

[vivian02]

AKsusan,

Thank you so much for your feed back. Looks like my huch was right. Last week I talked to a friend in Phoenix who was stationed with us at Elmedorf years ago and when he found out we were going to Anchorage this summer the first thing he said was "Are you going up there for the Mexican Food?". I told him I thought the place was still in business but it wasn't in the same location. It will be nice to see the sights again. Thanks...Tim

[AkSusan]

Tim,

 

My Dad was stationed at Elmendorf 3 times, so I was here twice before I moved back for good and I remember going to LaMex in Mt. View and then when they opened their place downtown and then of course when I returned and was able to drink spent many a Friday night drinking grandes at the Spenard one and now frequent the one off of Dimond as it's the closest to get home too after the grandes and the good food.

 

Anchorage sure has grown. I remember the first overpass going in, the first McDonalds (that was our second tour) and now we have WalMart, had KMart, and a lot of the restaurant chains have moved in too but we still have the great local restaurants too.

 

Enjoy your visit!

 

Susan in Anchorage :)

[wrp96]

My Mom remembers people bringing their McDonalds bags onto the plane with them on the way back from Seattle. When I left, there was no Wal-Mart, K-Mart, etc. Our favorite Mexican place, Carlos's, was a little hole in the wall down on the Old Seward south of Dimond. It's funny because it's only been in the last couple of years that where I live now has gotten as good of Mexican food as Anchorage.

[AkSusan]

And Carlos is still there too. I've actually never tried it but every time I drive by of an evening it's closed.

 

Here now it's people bringing Crispy Kremes us in cartons of 10 for fund raising from Seattle on the planes. Rumor has it someone has the franchise and they were scouting for locations. Heard a couple of years ago Olive Garden was moving it but that hasn't happened yet.

 

Susan in Anchorage :)

[GloriaF]

Susan, my husband LOVES Mexican food! We will be staying in the Clarion Suites downtown on May 18th - is there a Mexican place within walking distance?

 

We've eaten Mexican all across the US, it's kind of a tradition to compare them with the little place around the corner from us. We walk there, have the margaritas and 32 oz Dos Equis and then don't have to worry about driving home :D

[Gardyloo]

Is Mexico in Alaska still there? If so, worth a trip down the Old Seward Hwy for what IMO has been the best Mexican food in Anc. for 30 years or so.

 

If you like other foreign foods, I think Aladdin's (Middle Eastern) in a strip mall also on the Old Seward Hwy has got to be one of the best places of its kind in the western US, never mind Alaska. Really great food.

 

La Mex's Grandes were the main reason to go there, not the food.

[AkSusan]

Susan, my husband LOVES Mexican food! We will be staying in the Clarion Suites downtown on May 18th - is there a Mexican place within walking distance?

 

We've eaten Mexican all across the US, it's kind of a tradition to compare them with the little place around the corner from us. We walk there, have the margaritas and 32 oz Dos Equis and then don't have to worry about driving home :D

 

GloriaF,

 

Had to pick my brain, the one we used to go to downtown closed this winter, but then I remembered LaCabana. I haven't eaten there but people in the office do. Did a Mapquest and it's a little over 1/2 mile. You'll be at 325 W. 8th and it's at 312 E. 4th Ave. So actually it wouldn't be a bad walk or a short cab ride.

 

Susan in Anchorage :)

[AkSusan]

Is Mexico in Alaska still there? If so, worth a trip down the Old Seward Hwy for what IMO has been the best Mexican food in Anc. for 30 years or so.

 

If you like other foreign foods, I think Aladdin's (Middle Eastern) in a strip mall also on the Old Seward Hwy has got to be one of the best places of its kind in the western US, never mind Alaska. Really great food.

 

La Mex's Grandes were the main reason to go there, not the food.

 

Gardyloo,

 

Mexico in Alaska is still there.

 

You're right it's the grandes at LaMex. We have another place in town Gallo's. The food is actually better than LaMex's. We figured if you could have Gallo's food and the margaritas from LaMex, you'd have the "best" mexican restaurant in Anchorage :D

 

Susan in Anchorage :)

[GloriaF]

Thanks, Susan! After flying all day, a little walk will do us good. I'm off to mapquest for directions to take with.

[AkSusan]

No problem Gloria F.

 

Know how it is about traveling all day. Left my hotel at Disneyworld last week at 12:40 a.m. my time and finally got home 4:35 p.m. my time. Nothing like traveling all day :eek:

 

Susan in Anchorage :)

[vivian02]

I do remember a taco bell down on 4th street many years ago. I really don't call that Mexico in Anchorage. Speaking of department stores I remember alot of people way back shopped (1977) at FredMires? There was Sears, and JC Pennies downtown. The one thing I do remember was the Bakery at Safeway in Mountainview where the bakers went of strike. The reason I remember it was because the picketers were hiring non union contract people to walk their picket time. Safeway after 11 months just closed down the bakery. I'm sure Anchorage has growen along with the moose population. I can remember many a time traveling down Commerial Ave in the morning and at one of the stops I would see Mr. Moose Just grazing like it was a normal morning. Boy those animals sure are big. Not bright but big! Tim

[wrp96]

We did the Krispy Kreme fundraising thing here in Little Rock until about a year ago when we got one of our own. I drove 8 hours back from Houston with 12 dozen on my back seat once after we oversold the ones we'd ordered for a fundraiser. The smell drove me bonkers.

 

Personally, I don't think you're missing anything with the no Olive Garden situation (have had not so great service and food at more than one across the country). Give me homemade italian food any day. Our favorite growing up was Michelangelo's but last I remember he had moved out to Wasilla.

 

I remember eating at Mexico in Alaska too, but Carlos's was always our favorite back when it was a little hole in the wall.

 

We shopped at Fred Meyer, PayNSave, Longs Drug, Carr's Grocery, and always went to JCPenny's for clothes, although Sear's is where our Christmas toys were bought.

 

As to moose, my memory is of the moose sticking his head through our open dining room window as we were eating. He was eating the berries off the bushes below the window and his big head just popped right on through.

[AkSusan]

I do remember a taco bell down on 4th street many years ago. I really don't call that Mexico in Anchorage. Speaking of department stores I remember alot of people way back shopped (1977) at FredMires? There was Sears, and JC Pennies downtown. The one thing I do remember was the Bakery at Safeway in Mountainview where the bakers went of strike. The reason I remember it was because the picketers were hiring non union contract people to walk their picket time. Safeway after 11 months just closed down the bakery. I'm sure Anchorage has growen along with the moose population. I can remember many a time traveling down Commerial Ave in the morning and at one of the stops I would see Mr. Moose Just grazing like it was a normal morning. Boy those animals sure are big. Not bright but big! Tim

 

Tim,

 

The Taco Bell on 5th Avenue is now an art gallery. Fred Meyers has expanded, the Carrs grocery stores were taken over by Safeway, KMart (moved in and then left with the bankruptcy filing), WalMart, Home Depot, Lowes and the list just goes on.

 

We're a big city with a moose and bear population :D

 

Susan in Anchorage :)

[AkSusan]

We did the Krispy Kreme fundraising thing here in Little Rock until about a year ago when we got one of our own. I drove 8 hours back from Houston with 12 dozen on my back seat once after we oversold the ones we'd ordered for a fundraiser. The smell drove me bonkers.

 

Personally, I don't think you're missing anything with the no Olive Garden situation (have had not so great service and food at more than one across the country). Give me homemade italian food any day. Our favorite growing up was Michelangelo's but last I remember he had moved out to Wasilla.

 

I remember eating at Mexico in Alaska too, but Carlos's was always our favorite back when it was a little hole in the wall.

 

We shopped at Fred Meyer, PayNSave, Longs Drug, Carr's Grocery, and always went to JCPenny's for clothes, although Sear's is where our Christmas toys were bought.

 

As to moose, my memory is of the moose sticking his head through our open dining room window as we were eating. He was eating the berries off the bushes below the window and his big head just popped right on through.

 

PayNSave and Longs are now gone.

 

We're always running into moose in the neighborhood. Not so much this past winter because we didn't have a whole lot of snow. The moose and I have an on going battle with them wanting to eat my crabapple tree and me not wanting them too.

 

No heads in windows yet but had a cow and calf take residence in the front yard one day and couldn't leave the house for 2 1/2 hours because the calf was on one side of the driveway and she was on the other and the big rule, never get between a cow and her calf.

 

Susan in Anchorage :)

[wrp96]

PayNSave No heads in windows yet but had a cow and calf take residence in the front yard one day and couldn't leave the house for 2 1/2 hours because the calf was on one side of the driveway and she was on the other and the big rule, never get between a cow and her calf.

 

Susan in Anchorage :)

 

My brother tried that maneuver only once. Moose may look large and slow but they sure move fast when they are protecting their babies.

[dodieh]

Vivian02..........While you are in Spenard eating Mexican food, don't forget to go see Mr. WhiteKeys!!........Since you have lived in Anchorage in the past, you will "get" the jokes...this is a place I always like to go to when I get up there to visit my daughter. You can feast on Spam at Mr WhiteKeys, also!;) Funny funny music and comedy.

His place used to be where the Millenium Hotel is on the lake before it moved to the Spenard area. An Anchorage resident can correct me if I am wrong...but

I think that is the name of the hotel.

[AkSusan]

Vivian02..........While you are in Spenard eating Mexican food, don't forget to go see Mr. WhiteKeys!!........Since you have lived in Anchorage in the past, you will "get" the jokes...this is a place I always like to go to when I get up there to visit my daughter. You can feast on Spam at Mr WhiteKeys, also!;) Funny funny music and comedy.

His place used to be where the Millenium Hotel is on the lake before it moved to the Spenard area. An Anchorage resident can correct me if I am wrong...but

I think that is the name of the hotel.

 

You're right the Fly by Night used to be on the current site of the Millenium, which opened as the Clarion and then it was the Regal and finally the Millenium.

 

Big shakeup at the Fly by Night. 2 of the main performers for years left and are going to do their own show downtown this summer. It was a money issue. So Mr. Whitekeys is having to break in new personnel this year.

 

Susan in Anchorage :)

[dodieh]

I was just up there (May 1 to see daughter get her Master's degree at U of A graduation) and I read about that change at Mr. White Keys.....I always liked the whole group, but I imagine the replacements will also be very good....too much at stake not to be. So now, I will have to see both shows when I am up there in July!!