9 Best Restaurants in Mat-Su Valley and Beyond, The Kenai Peninsula and Southcentral Alaska

Like every good brewery, Denali Brewing Company has a large outdoor porch for sunny days, and a menu of savory items to soak up the beer. Burgers, fish-and-chips, and a host of appetizers pack their menu. Denali Brewing is also home to Alaska Meadery, Alaska Ciderworks, and Denali Spirits.

Head just south of town to this cozy and convivial family-owned bakery to start your day with a dish of blueberry-barley hot cereal or avocado–smoked salmon toast, or consider one of the healthy and hearty sandwiches as lunch. There's also a nice selection of pastries and cookies.

A rarity in the 49th State, this colorfully decorated newcomer to downtown Talkeetna specializes in Southern cuisine, although with a nod to Alaska. The addictive crab hushpuppies feature locally sourced barley, cornmeal, and crab, and among the mains, the rich scallops and grits, seafood gumbo pie, and smoked-wild-mushroom hoppin' John all feature Alaskan ingredients. Save room for the rotating array of pies and cobblers. 

Located downtown Wasilla in the old clock tower, Meta & Rose serves gastropub fare from an eclectic menu, including brie-and-pear salads, chicken-fried chicken, lemon-garlic halibut, and rib-eye steaks. On the weekends, they host live music. Reservations are recommended.

Flatbreads, pizzas, calzones, and an excellent array of salads and garlic-filled dishes are the reasons locals congregate at this laid-back downtown eatery all year long. The calzones are true works of art.

A favorite meeting place in the old train depot, Palmer City echoes with the sound of local chatter. It has a great ambience, and the standard pub fare—salads, tacos, pizzas baked in a firebrick oven, and handmade burgers—is reliably good. With more than 40 beers on tap and crafty craft cocktails, there's enough libation diversity to suit just about every taste. The Alehouse hosts live music in the summer months.

This iconic food truck is known for its highly popular cheesy spinach bread and also serves breakfast and rotating daily specials, like Thai curry, Ethiopian beans and rice, and a Hawaiian poke bowl. Just look for the shiny metal trailer with a long line of people waiting for their favorite meal. It's worth the wait, and don't forget to grab some Brazilian limeade to wash it all down.

Originally a large purple bus parked next to the gas station at the town's crossroads, this window-service eatery is by far the best eatery in town. It serves fresh vegetables and delightfully spicy dishes (ask for a side of the spicy sauce, if you're a fan of heat).

The folks at this aroma-filled bakery café serve up fresh and tasty pastries, quiches, wraps, salads, panini and other sandwiches, and espresso drinks. A convivial setting for meetings, board games, and pleasant conversation by day, Vagabond is a popular hangout. There's Wi-Fi, too.