Every traveler knows that food can make or break a vacation. In fact, you can find many people who will take a trip just to tickle their taste buds. The culinary experience just one mile outside of the entrance to Denali National Park is as unique and majestic as the area itself.
Whether you arrive by train, bus, or rented car, you will notice very few stand alone eateries. All the hotels have a restaurant or two, which are absolutely fabulous, but take special note of the visually unappealing, rustic restaurants. Do not be dismayed by their appearances - they provide the best food at the most reasonable prices in all the area.
Your first stop should be at the Denali Salmon Bake. They do offer lodging, though it seems like the lodging behind the restaurant is offered as an afterthought, with the restaurant given priority. Don't be fooled by its fabulously rustic exterior (and interior).
Though it can seat well over 200 people, its seating is spread throughout different rooms and cozy corners. This restaurant with its upstairs cantina (the only cantina open past 11 p.m.) is reasonably priced.You can choose to eat at the bar, outside in the covered patio, or find a table near a pot belly stove if the weather is cool. They offer great steak, halibut, salmon, fish n' chips, chicken, BBQ, burgers, fries, and pie a la mode that melts away any hesitation or apprehension you may have felt upon first arriving. Here, you can rub shoulders with all sorts of adventurers stopping in at the bar or getting a bite to eat.
If you long for a more sports bar atmosphere, stop by Lynx Creek Pizza. They offer their own specialty pizza that is unique to the restaurant. This eatery has a hometown feel that you can't ignore. Lynx Creek Pizza is bustling, with two areas to dine in. The restaurant carries a sports bar feel and maintains its own culture that makes you feel like a friend in the neighborhood. This probably can be attributed to the restaurant being a favorite hotspot for locals and the park's employees, where people call out to each other by name. This is a great place to go if you are a visitor because you will get to meet more residents here and learn of their stories than at most other eateries.
If you are looking for a place that is very reasonable, but offers the flavors native to Alaska, you can't miss The Great Alaska Fish & Chip Company. You will find their calamari, chowder, and fish n' chips (of course) to be fantastic. It is one of the best places to eat when the weather starts cooling off at the end of the season due to their excellent chowder. The dining is most casual and, again, offers the atmosphere and price that the locals prefer.
You can never fail to find a place to eat at any one of the hotels or resorts located just outside the entrance to Denali National Park. However, if you want to hear stories and meet residents of the area, go to the privately owned restaurants along the highway, just outside of the park's entrance, versus within the resorts. You will find that the residents of Alaska add greatly to the experience you are looking for.
For insider secrets of the trade, and to discover firsthand how to save bundles of cash when you are traveling to Alaska, click on the link below to grab your free report and I will show you how to make that happen.
Denali Vacations - Rustic Restaurants One Mile From the Park Entrance