Fairbanks Dining & Nightlife
For a city in the middle of Alaska, Fairbanks offers a wide variety of cuisines. From exquisite fine dining establishments to Italian trattorias, sizzling BBQ joints, and a bounty of fresh Alaskan seafood, the culinary scene offers something to satisfy every palate.
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Dining and Nightlife
With its warm atmosphere, lush setting and elegantly rendered Alaskan cuisine, it’s not hard to see why this hotel-based restaurant attracts locals and travelers alike.
Ursa Major was one of the first distilleries in Alaska and the first legal distillery in Fairbanks. Today they’re dedicated to the fine craft of small-batch spirits, and you can enjoy their akavit, rum, vodka, gin, canned cocktails, and seasonal releases of whiskey. Visit the tasting room, join a tour, or take a mixology class!
Located in the Westmark Fairbanks Hotel, the Red Lantern serves delicious meals with fresh ingredients and has one of the best steaks in town.
Casual, fun and happening, this bar and restaurant inside the Fairbanks Princess Lodge is a great spot with a deck overlooking the Chena River. Open seasonally, May — September.
This is one of Fairbank’s nicest restaurants, in the heart of downtown. With its open kitchen, modern art on the walls, great food and 4,000 bottle wine list, locals say they forget they’re in Alaska. It’s an expensive restaurant, but if you want to splurge for a night of fine dining, this is the best fine dining in Fairbanks. Locals often order appetizers and drinks to make a night out more affordable. Their seafood and rack of lamb are… ...more
Originally the Fox Roadhouse, this old-style building has been renovated to house a brewery and brew pub. Ten miles from Fairbanks, the brewery has at least a dozen house-made beers on tap, and a huge selection of bottled brews, many of which can’t be found anywhere else in town. There’s a large, open beer garden out back, ideal for summer nights. And the food’s great.
This place is 100 percent Greek! Greek music, Greek columns out front and Greek Food. The owner, a first generation immigrant, has created a great menu not found elsewhere in Fairbanks. He does great moussaka and spanikopita, as well as pizza, gyros and roasted lamb. The portions are huge, it’s delicious and the wine list is good. And the restaurant itself is big, with an open, airy atmosphere. There’s both smoking and non smoking sections.… ...more
The Food Network featured this place in its “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” show, mostly for being a bit of a dive — it’s dark with a big bar and pool table. But it’s always upbeat and happening, and you can count on having a good time. The food gets mixed reviews: they serve good pizza, but the steak and seafood can be hit or miss. And skip the salad bar.
Overlook the kitschy décor; Pagoda offers surprisingly good Chinese food. You’ll find generous portions, food cooked just right, and good tea. Just know that your order may take a while if the place gets crowded, since the kitchen is usually awash in takeout orders as well.
Ten miles out of town in Fox, this place still has a full parking lot mid-winter when it’s 40 degrees below. That’s because it’s the spot for meat and potatoes in Fairbanks. But since it’s Alaska, meat not only means prime rib but king crab, halibut, shrimp and lobster. They don’t have an extensive menu, but a huge salad bar accompanies these hearty selections, which they do perfectly. If you’re looking for a serious feed, order “Miner” cuts… ...more
This is where the hippies hang. It’s small, little basement bar located just off college campus. There’s live music almost every night, including favorite local groups and bands on tour. It’s a typical hole, smelling of sweat, patchoulie oil, and cigarette smoke. But it packs them in, and the crowd gets down. There are usually a few good beers on tap and a decent bottled selection. There’s no food at the bar, but a hot dog shop above the bar.… ...more
You can buy a hunk of raw hamburger and grill it yourself at this funky, Alaskan hideout. You can’t beat the atmosphere at the Golden Eagle Saloon. It’s not in Fairbanks, but in the quirky, small Alaskan town of Ester.
Located on the river, this is where Fairbanks goes to enjoy sunny afternoons and good food. The atmosphere is fun and festive, with people arriving by boat or canoe or snowmachine in winter. Their big deck is packed on nice afternoons. Chef Gabrielle Brooks is a local celebrity and produces consistently good food, specializing in fresh Alaska seafood: cedar plank salmon, fish and chips. The bar is a bit of a dive, but the restaurant and deck… ...more
Outside of Fairbanks in the Goldstream Valley (20 minutes), is this classic Italian Place. It’s been around since the 1970s and serves traditional Italian dishes from parmesans to diablos to oreganattos. But, they also have great steaks, seafood and pizza — it’s the closest to New York style you’ll find in town. The atmosphere is old world, with live piano on the weekends and a comfortable, laid-back sophistication. If you’re looking for a long ...more
For many guests, this may be their first or last Alaskan meal (the Fairbanks Princess Lodge is the northernmost destination on many Princess Tours), and the Edgewater is a great place to begin or end an Alaskan adventure. The menu features fresh Alaskan seafood and select meats, served with fresh produce from local, organic farms. And the Edgewater staff takes pride in creating memorable meals in this semi-upscale dining environment… ...more
This place is definitely BIG. It’s one huge room containing both the restaurant and bar, with TVs everywhere. It gets loud, but it can be fun in that busy sort of way. And it’s good for a big feed. They serve house-made barbeque – pulled pork, brisket, ribs, chicken. All the sandwiches are dry, and they give you a choice of sauces to add. It’s not the south, but it’s good barbecue. And they have great specials, like 99 cent wing and $1.25 ribs.… ...more
This place is famous throughout Alaska for it’s fun, quirky atmosphere. The walls are covered with strange clippings and news stories, and Yankee paraphernalia (the owner’s a diehard fan). And the marquis sign advertises free parking and anchovies for 99 cents a can — which are available in the attached liquor store. It’s the kind of welcoming, weird place Alaskans love. Plus, there’s great beer, with local and Alaskan beers on tap and a good… ...more