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Most restaurants fly in fresh salmon and halibut from the coast. Meat-and-potatoes main courses, pastas and pizzas, and pub fare dominate most menus, but an increasing number of both ethnic restaurants and establishments serving healthier fare have opened in and around Fairbanks in recent years. The food isn't the only thing full of local flavor: Alaskan pride runs strong, so expect to see snowshoes, bear hides, the state flag, and historic photos incorporated into restaurant decor. As for attire, even in the most elegant establishments Alaskans sometimes wear sweats or Carhartts.
This crepes-all-day spot is the place to be on summer mornings, specifically if you can nab a seat on the expansive patio. Located in the center of downtown, the Crepery offers a lengthy menu of sweet and savory crepes stuffed with ingredients from brie and pear to salmon and crab.
With its tasty treats and eclectic artwork from around the world, this hangout is so popular that a line often curls out the door. It's a worthy stop either for a to-go lunch to bring on a hike or a well-made espresso and a cookie, a scone, or a muffin to savor inside. The kitchen also serves up breakfast burritos, quiche, soup, and sandwiches, along with pizzas cooked in a wood-burning oven. Desserts include tiramisu and cheesecake. The "roasting" in the shop name isn't just for looks—all the beans brewed here are also roasted here.
Rocket scientists from the nearby Poker Flat Research Range gather for hearty pub grub at this cedar lodge, as do mushers, snowmachiners, and local families (including the owners, who expanded the bar so much it consumed their cabin). The eclecticism of the clientele is matched by the decor, which includes bear skins, exercise bikes, and a John Wayne memorabilia wall. It's a great place for a burger or a bowl of chili after a long drive, and it offers simple overnight accommodations too. The rooms generally have a double and single bed, a sink, a television, and Wi-Fi. The toilets and showers are down the hall. Most of the thousands of Christmas lights at the lodge stay up year-round.
It's hard to believe the forever-in-motion staffers at the Cookie Jar can squeeze in the time to provide such friendly service, but they do. Don't miss the French toast made from sliced cinnamon rolls, but if you're not in a breakfast mood, don't worry: the menu includes everything from salads to coq au vin.
Not the greasy fast-food joint its name might suggest, this relaxing place serves surprisingly interesting cuisine. Portions are sizable—that prime rib dinner will induce a nap—and the variety provides welcome relief from the roadhouse burgers served by most Alaska Highway restaurants (though there are plenty of burgers here, too).
This casual bakery serves well-crafted espresso drinks, excellent baked goods, over-stuffed sandwiches, and some of the best bagels in the city. The well-lit dining is a locals' favorite spot to meet up with friends, read the newspaper, or watch the bakers knead fresh dough through a viewing window from the dining area.
This spot could get away with a so-so menu in a town with few dining alternatives. Instead, the menu includes gems like the family-recipe herb bread, baked each morning and used in the restaurant's popular breakfast sandwiches that are served until the restaurant closes at 3 pm. Other menu items range from deep-fried halibut to steaks. The decor is classic Alaska, all burled wood and carved bears. The brews, including an excellent Hefeweizen and root beer, are only available here.
