Restaurant Prices BQ, CanCanCase, Anyone???

[agabbymama]

You seem to be the folks in the know on Alaska questions. I tried looking on the Internet but don't find specific answers. I did find the menu for the train, so know approximately what meals are going to cost there, but as for other restaurants, don't find much.

 

My cruisetour starts in Skagway, we visit Whitehorse, Dawson City, Eagle, Tok, Fairbanks, Denali and Anchorage. I opted not to pay $300 for 12 meals through HAL. I felt I could eat cheaper than $25 pp per meal. I know we will be a captive audience with limited access to other than hotel restaurants, but am I wrong in thinking I could grab a sandwich or hamburger for less than $25 pp per meal? I don't mean a steak dinner or lobster dinner. I'm talking simple food. Or even McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hut? You keep saying this is the United States, so are these chains found all around Alaska? Even the small towns?? I don't recall seeing them in '99 when I cruised the Inside Passage, but then I wasn't really looking for them because we knew we could eat on the ship. This time with the cruisetour, we are on our own for a lot of the meals. We get lunch on a couple of days and that's about it. I have booked a couple of tours that include dinner, so breakfast is my main concern.

 

Thanks for taking the time to answer the myriad of questions we all throw at you.:p

[CanCanCase]

(sorry for the rushed reply. School bells are ringing and my 3 y/o is wrestling with the dog!)

 

There are 2 McDonald's in Juneau... pricing is +/- $1.00 from what you'd expect in "the lower 48"... Subway stores in Juneau, Sitka (Is there one in KTN now? I'm not sure.)

 

Otherwise, for regular restaurant dining, most entrees (burger, sandwich, wrap, etc.) are in the $10-$12 range at lunch (with a side). Dinners will vary widely - $13 to $25, depending on what you're eating. Seafood, of course will be more spendy. I know the Red Dog Saloon and Hangar (in Juneau) do quite a bit at $15, $20 and $25 during the winter, but many menus scale down and just do sandwiches and appetizers in the summer because of the higher volume of business (that, and you all seem to want to cram SO many excursions into your port calls, there's not as much time for a full sit-down meal!) :)

 

Of course, what gets many folks' dinner tab up is drinks and sometimes desserts. A pint of Alaskan Amber will run anywhere from $4.50 to $6.00 depending on establishment. 2 rounds of Ambers for a party of 4 will run another $50 up on the bill...

 

I guess if I was on a very tight budget, I could average things out to $15 per meal and be content (I don't usually eat breakfast anyway.) If you watch Food Network, Rachel Ray's $40 per day show is a good indicator. Think Vail, Hawaii, Palm Springs, etc... not quite the variety here, but that will at least put you in the right price range.

 

-Case

 

PS: not that extremely thrifty food can't be had either... I'm just speaking in general terms here. Don't forget to try some of the street-cart vendors for lunch also.

[agabbymama]

Case,

 

Thanks so much for the info. Think I made the right choice. I'm sure we'll be fine. We aren't fancy eaters, and we aren't drinkers either so don't have to worry about the alcohol adding to the food tab.

 

Anxious to see what the street cart vendors have, and to try some of the local cuisine. I noticed on the train menu they have reindeer stew. Wonder if that will taste similar to deer or antelope? My husband is much more adventurous than I am, he even had kangaroo steak in Australia. I tasted it, but just couldn't get past that "cute little animal I had petted" vision.

 

Trying not to get too anxious, still have 6 months to go, but I am looking forward to returning to Alaska. I thoroughly enjoyed Sitka, Juneau and Ketchikan when we did the Inside Passage cruise in '99. I'm not much for sea days, but I sure did love strolling around the port towns, even in the pouring rain.:p

[Budget Queen]

You have been to Alaska before????? I recommend budgeting 50% more than you would at home.

 

Whitehorse has fast food, but not Dawson City, Eagle or Tok. Outlaying area- hamburger ran about $8 in 2005, expect increases. But no way do I go to the "fast food" chains in Alaska, there are excellent local resturants and my goal is to get my fill of their excellent fish, which I eat just about every day. :)

[agabbymama]

You have been to Alaska before????? I recommend budgeting 50% more than you would at home.

 

Whitehorse has fast food, but not Dawson City, Eagle or Tok. Outlaying area- hamburger ran about $8 in 2005, expect increases. But no way do I go to the "fast food" chains in Alaska, there are excellent local resturants and my goal is to get my fill of their excellent fish, which I eat just about every day. :)

 

Yes BQ I have been to Alaska before, but I wasn't worried about eating on shore, as we returned to the ship to eat even though we were in a port. It was pouring down rain, so we did a couple of little tours, did some shopping, but then headed back to the ship. I couldn't even tell you now if I saw a McDonalds in Juneau, Ketchikan or Sitka. And didn't see much of Anchorage at all as we flew in, got on a bus and drove to Seward. saw lots of wildlife on the trip down. The only reason I would eat at a chain like McDonalds, Burger King or Pizza Hut would be price. Sometimes a nice restaurant would be double the price. If we can find some local eateries that don't cost an arm and a leg, then that's where my husband will opt to eat. He likes Salmon (which I don't). About the only fish I eat is cod or halibut, and not even that too often. I'm from Michigan and my Mom used to tell me she couldn't de-bone the fish my Dad caught fast enough. I was a regular little piggy. Guess I got my fill of it because I don't care for the smell, texture or taste of fresh fish now.

 

Thanks again for all the input. I'm sure we'll do just fine. If it ends up I made a mistake not purchasing the meal plan, so be it. In Italy my husband and I even went into the grocery store and bought salami, cheese, bread, chips, sodas, water and had picnics by the roadside.

I'm sure we won't starve.:p

[Timousy]

You seem to be the folks in the know on Alaska questions. I tried looking on the Internet but don't find specific answers. I did find the menu for the train, so know approximately what meals are going to cost there, but as for other restaurants, don't find much.

 

 

Can I ask where you found the menu for the train? I have about given up the search.

[agabbymama]

Can I ask where you found the menu for the train? I have about given up the search.

 

I'm not sure if the menu I found will be available, because it says 2006, and it's the Railroad menu, not HAL menu. But I would think it would be similar.

 

Try this link, then towards the bottom it tells the different lines.

http://www.alaskarailroad.com/arrc17.html

 

Good luck and have a great trip!

[mytime53]

Your main problem in keeping your cost/meal down might be where your lodging is located in Anchorage or Fairbanks. If you have to take a taxi to get where you want to eat, that could get expensive. But there is no way you will be spending $25/person/meal on food alone unless you really splurge every dinner (it's pretty much impossible to spend that much on breakfast or lunch unless it's a champagne Sunday brunch with caviar). In Anchorage or Fairbanks you could always have pizza delivered (local, not chain!), and there are other restaurants where you could have delivery service to your hotel, too.

Examples of prices: Yesterday at our favorite local cafe we spent $9.25 each for a hamburger, but that is a large hamburger, with lots of french fries, avocado, bacon, tomato, lettuce, etc., definitely not McDonalds. A few nights ago, we had a 12 oz. Black Angus top sirloin steak with baked potato and salad for less than $20. At local upscale restaurants, you'll pay $15 - $35 for dinner (more if you need filet and lobster tail!).