Food: There are many places to eat and drink in Anchorage and a variety of world cuisines. Anchorage is a foodie’s city and its not uncommon to see people out enjoying what Anchorage has to offer any night of the week. In fact, there are too many great places to list. A few fan favorites are listed below.
- Snow City Café (1034 W 4th Ave) – One of the best breakfasts in town, best hash browns (possibly) in the world. Opens at 7:30 am, and even on a weekday, there might be a wait.
- 49th State Brewing Company (17 W 3rd Ave) – A downtown spot with a big menu including venison and yak burgers, wood-fired pizzas, and local microbrews.
- Middle Way Café (1200 W Northern Lights Blvd) – Located in Spenard, great spot for soups, salads, sandwiches, and breakfasts. Local ingredients, great coffee, fresh pastries. The pizza place next door (Hearth) is owned by the same people and does wood-fired pizzas for dinner.
- Spenard Roadhouse (1049 W Northern Lights Blvd) – Located in Spenard, think comfort food and cocktail bar. Great menu for dietary concerns, with lots of vegetarian and gluten-free options.
- Beartooth Grill (1230 W 27th Ave) – Attached to the Bear Tooth Theatrepub, the grill features mainly Mexican fusion cuisine with cocktail bar and local microbrews. The fish tacos are excellent. Great menu for dietary concerns, such as vegetarian or gluten-free.
- Moose’s Tooth Pub & Pizzeria (3300 Old Seward Hwy) – The best local pizzas, numerous beers brewed on site, including homemade root beer and cream soda. This place is everyone’s favorite, and I’ve never waited less than 20 minutes for a table even at off-peak hours. You often wait longer. Fair warning. Pro tip: the Bear Tooth Teatrepub has the exact same pizza with almost no wait.
- South Restaurant and Coffeehouse (11124 Old Seward Hwy) – Located in south Anchorage. Tapas, small plates, and larger entrees, plus a cocktail bar. Very good food.
- Kaladi Brother’s Coffee – The local coffee, as ubiquitous in Anchorage as Starbuck’s is elsewhere. Numerous locations all over town.
- Simon & Seaforts Saloon & Grill (420 L Street) – Located downtown. A local favorite with great atmosphere and views of the inlet. A favorite place for sunset.
- Fire Island Rustic Bakeshop (multiple locations including downtown) – A local favorite. Crusty, traditional breads, sweet and savory croissants and scones, hearty muffins, fresh baked cookies, frosted cakes, tarts, multi-grain granola, a variety of daily sandwiches, and holiday specialties.
Activities & Places of Interest: Anchorage has a variety of outdoor, cultural and performing arts activities to offer with something for everyone.
- Beartooth Theatrepub (1230 W 27th Ave) – cheap tickets on indie and second-run movies, and a full-service restaurant right in the theater. Pizza and Mexican fusion cuisine, and they bring it to you while you watch the movie. Check out their website for movie listings.
- Tony Knowles Coastal Trail – Follows Cook Inlet along the edge of downtown, great for a scenic walk or run. Bike rentals available in the summer.
- Anchorage Museum (625 C St) – Just what it sounds like, located right downtown. There is an interactive children’s museum, permanent displays of Alaska and Alaska Native art, and traveling exhibits. The restaurant attached to the museum, Muse, it pretty good as well.
- William Jack Hernandez Sport Fish Hatchery (N Reeve Blvd) – Because the fish need to be kept in tightly controlled environments, there is some cool mechanical and electrical engineering that went into this facility, and we do tours with students sometimes. It’s also a 1% for art facility, so there is some beautiful fish-based art by local artists. There is a walk-through space that’s open to the public between 8 am and 4 pm.
- Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center – This one is a bit of a drive, located in Portage Valley, which is about 40 minutes south of town, but worth it if you want to see some amazing wildlife.
- Alaska Zoo – The only zoo under the Midnight Sun is a non-profit focused on Arctic, sub-Arctic and like climate species.
- Alaska Native Heritage Center – The Alaska Native Heritage Center (ANHC) is a living cultural center that promotes active observance of Alaska Native culture and traditions.
- Anchorage Botanical Garden
- Earthquake Park
- Kincaid Park
- Alaska Center for Performing Arts
Shopping
- Alaska Fur Exchange (4417 Old Seward Hwy) – traditional crafts and other gifts made by Alaska artists. Many of the same craftspeople whose soapstone carvings are sold downtown are featured, but without the downtown markup.
- 4th Avenue, downtown – The main drag for all the delightfully kitschy souvenirs you could desire! Also some nice galleries and coffee shops.
- 1200 W Northern Lights Blvd – A strip in Spenard with Middle Way Café, Kaladi Brother’s Coffee (the local coffee), Title Wave Books (fun second-hand bookstore), a fair trade store (Grassroots) and one of those sushi restaurants where everything runs by on little conveyor belts (OEC).