13 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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.