12 Best Restaurants in The Bush, Alaska

This little coffee shop, in a repurposed old A-frame house, is an adorable place and the perfect spot for a breakfast sandwich or midday coffee. Tasty beverages and delicious homemade scones, cinnamon rolls, cupcakes, and muffins are a welcome respite from Nome's wind and the industrial surroundings. The homey atmosphere is helped along by soft benches, stained glass lamps, local art, original wood floors, and bookshelves full of magazines, books, and games.

This brightly colored all-day café next door to the Safeway has something for everyone, with enormous portions of breakfast fare, burgers, sandwiches, Asian options, house-made milkshakes, and Mexican dishes. Strands of beads hang from the ceiling, and various other kitschy items cover the walls. You can watch the TVs if you want, or find a window seat for a nice view of the Bering Sea.

Open to guests and nonguests, the dining room at Brooks Lodge serves both buffets and plated meals. It also offers beer, wine, and a small selection of cocktails. Though you can't get groceries at the lodge, its gift shop sells small food items such as candy, trail mix, and bottled beverages.

This newer restaurant offers barbeque and Korean dishes, with plenty of pork and other meat options on the menu. Choices include Hawaiian favorites, lunch bowls, fusion specials, and rolls from morning to night, with breakfast offered all day.

This basic but cozy eatery offers a range of food from morning to night. The menu includes pizza, burgers, omelets, wraps, nacho burritos, milkshakes, barbeque, Asian fusion dishes, and even packaged candy to go.

This restaurant within the Top of the World Hotel offers a range of American food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, including reindeer sausage scrambles, chicken fajita salads, Philly cheesesteaks, and various burgers, along with entrées like steak and halibut. For a good start to the day, try the well-prepared egg dishes for breakfast, with diner-style hash browns. Be sure to get a window seat.

Open early for breakfast and into the afternoon, Pingo serves up freshly made bread and fresh seafood meals Wednesday through Sunday. The menu changes daily, with items like seafood omelets, waffles, breakfast sandwiches, and burritos often making an appearance, along with sandwiches, soups, noodles, and pizza, plus an assortment of fresh pastries. They have gluten-free items on the menu, and can also cater to special diets.

If diner fare with a side of true Nome life is what you're after, this is the spot. Traditional hearty breakfast options are served all day, plus steak, chili, a modest salad bar, and unexpectedly delicious burgers, with everything clearly made to order. A fairly economical soup-and-sandwich special is also offered daily. It's the type of place where old-timers gather for coffee or lunch at the same time, same table each day. While you eat, get the complete Nome experience: endless views of the vast Bering Sea while local radio plays in the background.

You can get coffee here, of course, but you'll also find Dutch huevos rancheros, pancakes, chicken-fried steak, and an array of breakfast and lunch fare from 7 am to 6 pm every day. They also offer smoothies and milkshakes, and some quick bites and drinks.

Located next to the Long House Hotel, Red Basket offers an incredibly diverse menu. Options range from Mongolian beef, yakisoba, fettuccine Alfredo, and king crab to pancakes, omelets, and club sandwiches.

Whether you're up early or late, Sam and Lee's has got you covered. They start with an excellent breakfast menu and stay open late with mostly Chinese fare, such as kung pao beef, almond chicken, and Szechwan chow mein. Locals rave about the kimchee too.

This restaurant within the Nullagvik Hotel serves classic American food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Choose from a decent selection of pizzas, sandwiches, burgers, and appetizers, along with dishes like caribou stew and goulash. There are great views of the sound and Wi-Fi, too.