11 Best Restaurants in Prince William Sound, The Kenai Peninsula and Southcentral Alaska

The epicurean heart of Whittier for more than two decades, Swiftwater offers delightful surprises like its famed calamari-steak sandwich—squid tenderized and fried in a secret batter. Other menu items include burgers, homemade chowders, rockfish, halibut, and salmon.

A fisherman's bar, the Anchor is built for appetites and not ambience. There's a great deck outside overlooking the water, though, and the burgers and sandwiches—enormous, delicious, and made with fresh bread —are all the rage in Cordova.

A funky bus turned food stand with an attached dining room, Baja Taco serves creative Tex-Mex dishes. Some come with a little added Alaska pizzazz, like the halibut-cheek tacos or the fish of the day. In addition to lunch and dinner, Baja serves breakfast—and possibly the only migas (Spanish scrambled eggs) for many a mile. There's also an espresso bar and plenty of room to eat out of the rain.

This classic Chinese restaurant features local seafood and amazingly fresh vegetables. The grilled halibut is fantastic, and for nonfish lovers, the Mongolian beef and kung pao chicken are excellent choices.

Amid the summer shops and docks, this little café offers warm drinks and soups, sandwiches, and fresh-baked pastries, along with an Alaskan favorite, soft-serve ice cream. The busy shop has only a couple of indoor seats, but there's outdoor seating overlooking the harbor, which is quite pleasant on sunny days. They also sell box lunches for those embarking on a cruise or day hike.

Not every burger is created equal, and the cooks at Old Town are dead set to prove it with its collection of Hawaiian burgers, mushroom burgers, and cheeseburgers. This restaurant favored by locals also serves up food for those seeking Alaska-specific fare such as halibut sandwiches, halibut and chips, and fried salmon (perhaps the only place in the state where you can find that). Old Town opens at 5 am for breakfast but stops serving at 10 pm.

This cozy little converted house overlooks the harbor and is a local go-to place in summer. Whether it's for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, this place has mastered the potato—be sure to try the potatohead burrito or the spuds with gravy. They also offer terrific salads, wraps, sandwiches, and pizzas.

This restaurant is about the closest thing to fine dining in Cordova, and it's generally packed with tourists, fishermen, and locals who appreciate both the food and the drinks. Each summer, the chef blows the menu up with something new and fabulous, but you're guaranteed to find a number of excellent fish dishes always fresh and right off the fishing boats.

For a quarter century, this downtown natural foods store has been serving Valdez and its visitors espresso and organic coffees, delicious fresh-baked goods, and fruit smoothies. There's also a sandwich bar for paninis and soups made from scratch.

This cozy café with rustic wooden benches and tables and a patio is only a few years old but is already a favorite summer eatery in town. It's a short walk for cruise ship passengers, and it serves outstanding burgers, plus hefty sandwiches, reindeer chili, seafood chowder, and other hearty dishes.