The Best Restaurant in Fairbanks, the Yukon, and the Interior, Alaska

Background Illustration for Restaurants

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.

Rough Woods Inn & Cafe

$$

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.

2nd and A Sts., Nenana, AK, 99760, USA
907-832–5299
Known For
  • Small-batch microbrews
  • Homemade cinnamon rolls
  • Nenana's only year-round eatery
Restaurant Details
Closed Sun. No dinner

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