24 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.

Go to Arctic for good pies and huge calzones, plus Mexican and Italian entrées. Everything is made to order, and the wait is worth it. While you wait, enjoy great people watching and the view.

In the local debate over who makes the best pizza, Baba regularly lands on top. In addition, it offers satisfying and filling American food like calzones, burgers, sandwiches, salads, and milkshakes. Burgers start under $10 and pizzas at around $20.

This old bar with a good selection of beers serves up seafood, steak, noodles, rolls, and sides ranging from onion rings to kimchi. It’s a great place to sip wine or beer while enjoying fantastic views 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 casual bar off the main lobby of the Grand Aleutian Hotel is the perfect spot to grab a bite to eat and a cold beer after a long day exploring. The menu features crab, steaks, burgers, salads, and sandwiches, and the bar has a surprisingly good selection of beers. Many of the patrons are locals, mostly deckhands and boat captains, looking for a tasty meal in a quiet, laid-back atmosphere. On Friday nights in summer they have cookouts out on the porch.

By far the fanciest restaurant in Unalaska, the Chart Room serves food that very nearly parallels its spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and Margaret Bay. On most nights it's not difficult to grab a table, but consider planning ahead and making a reservation for the famous Wednesday-night seafood buffet or the Sunday brunch buffet. The regular menu offers some interesting fish and crab creations, along with such standard fare as halibut and chips with delicious homemade tartar sauce.

Try the tamales and flan at this eatery specializing in authentic Mexican fare. The owners were born in Cuba and Mexico, met in Utqiaġvik, and teamed up to make the food they grew up eating. The menu includes an array of dishes like camarones rancheros, enchiladas verdes, tacos, and choices for vegetarians as well as meat and seafood lovers. They've got great fresh baked goods and desserts, too.

Look for mostly Thai, Chinese, and American dishes at this spot along the shore. It offers a simple but filling selection of tempura, rolls, burgers, and more, along with fast and friendly service.

This pizza, burger, and sandwich eatery has tables and bar space for dining in, or you can order for pickup using online ordering. You can choose from a nice selection of beer and wine along with an ample menu of calzones, pizzas, burgers, pastas, sandwiches, and jumbo wings. It's about 15 bucks for a cheeseburger, 22 for an entree.

This sushi spot features wild-caught Alaska salmon and the usual selection of rolls and sashimi, with vegetarian choices and the usual sides. They also offer pork, beef, and chicken bowls and salads with or without ahi tuna or sockeye salmon.

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 popular Front Street restaurant has a casual atmosphere and offers dine-in service as well as takeout from midmorning to late. They serve pizzas with a wide assortment of toppings, along with steak dinners and Japanese (including sushi), Korean, and Italian food. One side of the restaurant has an Italian theme and the other a Japanese style.

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 longtime Chinese and American restaurant is known for its rice and noodle dishes. Look for udon and egg foo yong, along with fried food baskets, sandwiches, and family dinner specials like the burger packs, which include four burgers with fries and soda.

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.

A longstanding Bethel eatery, Tundra focuses on Chinese, Korean, and American food. Choose from a range of rice and noodles dishes or mix it up with bento boxes and lunch or dinner combos.