Dinner in Fairbanks?

[Macy Jean]

We get into Fairbanks on Monday July 19 around 5:00 PM after we get to the hotel we would like to kick our vacation off with a nice dinner. Where would you go?

Thanks

[Budget Queen]

Will you have a car??? I like the Turtle Club in Fox. The Pump House is also top notch.

[PharmacyRx]

We ate at Pikes' Landing and the food was wonderful ( prime rib and king crab) and the service was great!

[denali1]

I second all the above.

[rnjoel]

We ate at the Pump House and the Turtle Club two weeks ago after reading Budget Queen's recommendations. They were both wonderful! Don't miss the seafood chowder at the Pump House, and be prepared for the HUGE prime rib at the Turtle Club!

 

Happy Sailings!

[stephenandrew]

Hi--Does anybody know how far the Pump House is from the Fairbanks' Princess Lodge? Menu look great, and was wondering how I could get there--I am assuming I can catch a cab? Thanks.

[tinydancer21]

The Pump House is about a 10 minute drive from Fairbanks Princess Lodge. It is actuall just across the river but you have to drive up and around.

I personally don't like the Pump House, the atmosphere is cool but I think the food is touch and go. I would recommend the Turtle Club above all others, it is about a 20 minute drive from Fairbanks Princess but it is worth the cab fare if you don't have a rental car.

I would also recommend getting a rental car if your going to be here for a few days, everything in Fairbanks is a drive from Fairbanks Princess, it's not out in the boonies by any means but it is out by the Airport and is about a five minute drive to any sort of activity.

 

**OK before anybody fires back at me about the Pump House here is my reason why I don't like it, first off I've lived in Fairbanks my whole life, in fact I'm second generation Fairbankian, so I've ate there a lot, dinner, Sunday Brunch, snacks and drinks on Kareoke night you name it, sometimes the food is great other times it sucks, I personally prefer a resturant where you always know the food is good before I will recommend it. The other reason is this, I used to work at the Fairbanks Princess and one time this guy came back from the Pump House, which I did not recommend he go to, but started yelling at me because the food sucked, so he's yelling and yelling and his face is geting purple and red so finally he leaves and goes back to his room, not five minutes later his wife calls in a panic, he's had a heart attack and died! Not that I think the food did it to him, obviously he was a jerk because his wife prepared the body and sent it home, we offered to fly her home but she said no, just fly her to Anchorage so she can continue on with her tour! Anway, that whole experience taught me to never recommend a place where I don't feel the food is good everytime.

 

So my recommendations for resturantants in Fairbanks are:

Turtle Club (THE BEST CHOICE) or Pikes for good meat and seafood (both are fine dinning, Pikes is walking distance from Fairbanks Princess)

Gamberdella's or Geraldo's (Italian)

 

*Oh, one more thing ANY place in Fairbanks the dress is casual, not just resort casual but T-shirt and jeans causal, we don't get exited about much here! haha ;)

Siam Dishes (Thai)

[Bruin Steve]

Are any of these anywhere near Sophie Station?

What would you recommend for a family of four? Reasonably priced? Good value? Most important: Casual atmosphere? Thanks...

[tinydancer21]

The only casual resturant within walking distance from Sophies is Brewsters, they serve beer but it is a good burgers and fries place and kids would feel welcome there. A super great Pizza Place that is about four miles or so from Sophies is College Town Pizza, it is a small little resturant but the Pizza is fabulous! It is quite a walk but close enough that the bellperson at Sophies will probebly drive you in the hotel van, it would be like a five mintue drive.

 

I think College Town is the second best Pizza Place in Alaska (from what I've tried) the best Pizza Place in Alaska is in Homer, it's called Starvin Marvin's! ;)

[stephenandrew]

Thanks Tinydancer!