A nice place to come and just have a drink. Bartender looks like she just fought her best friend and takes it out on everybody.sept 29th 2023. Hope she is not the owner. We went across the street to the ( The Asylum ) met the bartender Adrian who welcomed us with open arms. I bought 2 rounds of drinks for everyone there and gave her a very large tip. read more

So you know, I do lots of positive reviews. This is only my 3rd 1 star review as I take giving a negative review very seriously. Walked in, thought "this will be fun"! (See pics)....Eclectic fun environment, history surrounds of this 1930's bar with outdoor seating overlooking the beautiful marina. Saw a school of pink salmon swimming below us. So cool! Sadly.... If I could give it a zero I would. After thinking we were going to have a couple great hours here.....Stood at the bar, after my man was served awhile before me.( I hadn't made up my mind yet on what I wanted)....but both ladies working became super rude as soon as I walked up. Kept serving men, friendly to them. Cleaned glasses the whole time right in front of me repeatedly, around stopping to serve others (men) but wouldn't give me eye contact so I could order. I was the only one at the bar for a moment and still continued to not "notice" me. Asked twice to order a drink "please". Response without eye contact "it'll be a few minutes". Me..."ok, thank you". Then serves another guy. I ask again. Again "it'll be a few minutes". Finally I walked away. Helped my decision to walk away as I watched the one woman (owner?) take one guys glass he had the previous drink in, used it to fill from the (clean?) ice bin instead of using an ice scoop to fill it up. All the while with the other hand holding his straw from the drinking end. I'm an RN, notice these things as sensitive to clean ways of doing things when it can effect our health. Went and told my husband I tried to order two times, don't want anything now from this place, he goes in anyway to see what they do, say and they tell him they were looking for something needed to make my drink.....I had not ordered specifically yet, just asked to order a drink (they were in front of me at the bar the whole time making a point to ignore me). Yeah, right. They were very welcoming and service oriented during the rush of people from the cruise ship. Heard her ask them to give good reviews on the Facebook page for other cruise people to see. Guess us people here for longer vacations don't matter. Also, FYI.... Heard people asking about price of t shirt, hat etc. Again, guess it's who you are. Heard $25 as an answer. Then $15 for the same item. Skip this place people!!!! We went across the street to the Asylum and had a great drink, time and friendly service. Go there!!! read more

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Went here to see the naughty bears outside and decided to go in. The front of the bar says they have food but they don't which I was very rudely told and then was proceeded by "our one and only purpose here is to get you drunk if you fall off the bar stool we are doing things right". As a bartender myself this Just asinine to work that way. Lastly they told me I could order food from across the street and have them bring it over. I told them my cell service doesn't work there and the woman who was already too close to me and Reeked of cigarettes said "then I guess you're shit out of luck" who does this when running a business. Do not go here!!!!! read more

After an excursion to the rainforest, we asked our tour guide for a recommendation for a bar to get a beer. Without hesitation she said "the Arctic Bar, the oldest bar in town". Since it was literally a block from where she dropped us off, we followed her advice. Good choice. Lots of character to the place. They had a guy playing blues music, who was fun to listen to. Good selection of local beers on draft, any of the Alaskan brand brews being the best choice. Had a lot of fun, then it was back off to the ship. read more

Local dive bar - great people. Brought our King Crab legs from Aleutian Ballad tour and they couldn't have been nicer.

Fun bar close to cruise ship docks. You can byo food in and wash it down with their cold drinks.

We had a great time before boarding our cruise ship. It was our last stop of the day and maybe the best one. Cheers.

Owner was amazing, and so are the duck farts! This is a must stop if you are in the area!

The best Bloody Mary I've had at a bar. Fun local type atmosphere with a great view of the marina from outside seating.

Me and a group of friends went to the Arctic to enjoy a good night out. And as we paid to play a song or two when the song played it was taken out immediately we asked why was our song removed and they said they don't want that kind of music there. It's crazy I think you could say something like that and just show no remorse or respect highly not recommended. read more

A staple for all USN Submariners. Highly recommend. Kinda staff and good prices. What more could you want.

I can only give this place one star for multiple reasons. The sign outside advertises $3.50 beers. With approximately 18 beers on tap we ordered an Alaskan white and Solstice IPA. We were surprised to find out that the beers were $6 each. We asked the bartender that we thought the beers were only $3.50 and she told us that only one of the 18 beers was $3.50. That shocked us. But also what shocked us is they allowed pot smoking on the back patio. We drank down our beers very quickly and got out of there. Tip, if you want $3.50 draft beers with 22 to choose from, head directly across the street to The Asylum. We always go to The Asylum when on a cruise, but thought we would try something different by going to The Artic Bar. We will stick to The Asylum! Figured it was good to post this review so that no other cruise passengers get baited and switched the way we did today. read more

If you come off the cruise ship or you find yourself wandering around town and need a cold beer, this is the spot to go to. It's the home of the "Happy Bears" aka bears humping each other lol This place recently went through a remodel, so it looks more visitor friendly. One of the highlights is the back patio that overlooks the water and cruise ships. The staff are great, visitors during the day, locals fill the place in the evening. Overall, a fun bar to just drink some cold beers and enjoy the views and smells of the ocean. read more

Arctic Bar - Business front - Pubs Near Me - Ketchikan, Alaska

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Great local bar in Alaska cruise stop - right on water and with very friendly owner and bartender. She grew up here and has all the local color and language - opinions on the cruise ship crews are a gas - they frequent the place as prices are local on tourist trap town. I had what she recommended and it was super - if you going local, this dive is for you !!! read more

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Great place. We popped in for a quick drink and had so much fun. Everyone was friendly and the bartender made us a great shot that went up in flames (intentionally). Lots of fun read more

Arctic Bar - Pubs Near Me - Ketchikan, Alaska

Dropped into Arctic Bar after beating our friends into port. Because it's the home of happy bears. Heard classic rock and was immediately happy. At least 80yrs old and has beautiful front row view of Ketchikan Harbor with a deck. LeAnn was an absolute hostess. We'll be bringing our friends back. read more

Great place to kick back and enjoy amazing food and drinks. Friendly staff great view, home of the happy bears

Had a few pints here during a cruise. Great spot to feel like a local and ask to talk with Paula, she makes you feel at home at the bar which has been around for 81 years. Great pours at this pub style bar. read more

Arctic Bar - Pubs Near Me - Ketchikan, Alaska

Stopped in for a quick drink and spent an hour there! What an amazing dive bar! If you're not easily offended you will LOVE IT!!! So much history and amazing people. The owner was amazing! Talking to us and telling us where we should head next! And she even turned me on to my new favorite drink. If you're going, you must stop by for at least one drink! If I'm ever back in alaska, I'll be back here! read more

After a day of bear watching we got back to the dock about an hour and a half before our ship was scheduled to leave. After checking out some souvenir shops we saw the Arctic Bar and felt this would be a good place to spend the rest of our day. The service was a bit slow but otherwise we had a great time. We had a few drinks and sat and talked with some locals. The bar had a pretty fair mix of tourists and locals. The drink prices were fair, especially considering the proximity to the ships. The inside was nice but we really loved sitting outside with a wonderful view of the cruise ships and the docks. We enjoyed people watching and seeing the crew getting the ship ready to sail. I recommended this bar if you are in town. read more

This is my favorite place in Ketchikan for a relaxing and comfy atmosphere. Paula the owner is the best of the best. Hands down only place I've loved in this town for a casual drink with a friend. read more

Just a dive bar with statue of a bears butt and balls hanging out. The beer was cold, and it was a nice pit stop. Nothing exciting. Like I said, just a dive bar. read more

Paula is what makes the ARTIC ! She is the owner who is always spending her time helping others! She is such a gift to us she's always raising money because someone she knows is in the hospital and it continues to go on and on! She is so special that I really need to stop my review now otherwise I could write a book on her and the ARTIC bar! read more

Just north of where the cruise ships dock is this fun dive bar, with a great theme. The home of the Happy Bears! Yes, get your t-shirt, and take a picture with the golden happy bears statue! Only minus one star when someone is smoking cigarettes inside - otherwise, perfect day drinking spot! Fair drink prices. read more

My brother, sister in law and I stopped here after an excursion from our Disney cruise. Yes we're tourist and we didn't want to get sucked into a tourist trap and wanted a real local bar. Good old Yelp pointed us i the right direction. Nice bar. Nothing fancy but not divy or skeevy. My brother had his Alaska beer he was seeking. I had my standard Mikes lemonade. We got some appetizers, fries with cheese, bacon, and pulled pork. Awesomely delicious. My SIL got clam chowder which was delicious too. We had a good time hanging out. The bartender was very friendly and helpful. Bathrooms were also decent which is a plus in any bar. read more

Arctic Bar - Funny logo - Pubs Near Me - Ketchikan, Alaska

Fun dive bar right by cruise ship terminal. Enjoyed it, but only miff was that the owner was using a bullhorn to entice cruise ship guests to come into their bar (which was kind of fun), saying that they have great service, but then later I went to the bar to order more drinks, and the same lady didn't wait on me (no one else was waiting), and when I finally said something, she told me to wait for a different bartender. read more

Where else can you get a hoodie with two humping bears on it that says, "Arctic Bar: Home of the Happy Bears"? That's right, nowhere. (Okay, so maybe you can on their Web site, arcticbar.com.) That hoodie is by far the best thing I brought home from Alaska. They have a few Alaskan beers on tap... if I remember correctly, they had the Amber and the Summer. My dad and I were thirsty before the Duck Tour, but we only had ten minutes to spare, so we had to put our Summer ales back pretty quickly. We didn't have much trouble, considering how deliciously fresh the beer was. They had the other typical crappy American taps, but I can't fathom why, if you had Alaskan Brewing beer available to you at all times, you would drink Budweiser or, dare I say, even Guinness? Who knows. Make sure you bring cash with you, since they don't take cards, but they also have an ATM just in case. read more

Our favorite place from our cruise stop at Ketchikan! We had the Alaskan Pilot series APA (love the selections of beers on tap) and small bloody marry.Both were very yummy. Miss Paula told a good story about how the happy bears got onto their costumed Tabasco mini bottles. We went home with their happy bear shot glasses for our drinking buddies and kept the Tabasco bottle for our collection. While we were there we noticed the mariners sign and someone played macklemore on the jukebox. The place feel like our home away from home. All the girls in the bar were extremely sweet, and I am addicted to the popular popcorn and beer combo in Alaska. Can't wait to visit again read more

Home of the Happy Bears! We were recommended this bar by our fishing guide. We were cold, wet, and hadn't caught a thing and the only thing we wanted was beer, so we hauled butt up the road till be came across the sign that definitely catches your eye (humping bears!). We walked into the warm, cozy bar with a view of the water and people coming and going from the cruise ships. There were some locals on one end of the bar and some cruise ship employees on the other so we plopped down in between. The bartender/owner (can't remember her name) was super welcoming and friendly. She just referred to us as Texas. They had a few Alaskan beers on tap and there is nothing like drinking an Alaskan white on a cold dreary day at a cozy bar in Alaska. We struck up a conversation with the locals and time flew by. You can order food from the place next door, but we stuck with the liquid goodness. Supposedly, they have great bloody Marys (the recipe is on the back of their business card) but again we stuck with the beer. We were sad to have to leave and head back to our ship, we could've and would've stayed there all evening! The owner sent us a away with some Arctic Bar survival keychains (there is a condom inside) and I made sure to get a couple of t's as souvenirs. Definitely give this place a try whenever in Ketchikan! read more

Arctic Bar - Cozy bar :-) - Pubs Near Me - Ketchikan, Alaska

Oh Arctic bar. Visible from the Cruise Ship terminal, this little dive bar has Alaskan Brewing Company on draft and a visible, but likable attitude. With two bears in the midst of having relations as a Mascot, what more do you expect? Prices are extremely cheap, and you can order food that the Burger Queen across the street will deliver so that you don't have to leave your draft beer behind. Perfect for a quick stop from souvenir shopping or if you are in a rush. They will even let you use their WiFi password if you have been stuck at sea without your internet access. read more

Fun atmosphere with nice deck on the water, good music, and tasty beer selection. As with most bars in Ketchikan, there is no kitchen, but you can order in food from nearby restaurants. read more

I can't believe the fun we had in this little local bar in Ketchikan. Great service from owner, Paula and her pal behind the bar, Willie. We enjoyed the cool weather sitting on the back patio watching the cruise passengers wander past. This visit found us on a stellar day where we witnessed a record 45 Bloody Mary's sold before 2pm. Wow. Lunch from across the street at Burger Queen was delicious as well. Freshly grilled burgers, fried halibut sandwiches, salty fries, and perfectly cooked onion rings. The jukebox is a steal of a deal with credits accumulating like crazy for our $5 bucks. Paula is a friendly hoot and the beer here is ice cold. Don't miss out!! read more

Although we were only here for about an hour, we had a lot of fun at Arctic Bar! We received a recommendation from a local to stop by here and try some Alaskan brews. It was a quick, easy walk from our dock. The beer was priced a lot better than I thought it'd be! We tried a couple different ones and the bartenders were nice and accommodating. Paula was hilarious and provided some great entertainment! read more

The atmosphere and location are awesome! Right off the cruise ship dock where you can drink great Alaskan beer! The owner is hillarious too! read more

Arctic Bar - Good Alaskan beer! - Pubs Near Me - Ketchikan, Alaska

This is the younger townie crowd. Not a bad thing if you like good music on the jukebox, good beers, and spunky bartenders. The atmosphere was fun, patio outside to take in the views, and a lot of room for those busy nights. I was there for a few beers, I was the first to play music on the jukebox and after that there were a lot of contributions by the others so there was no lull in the tunes. People were friendly and I appreciated the welcoming feeling while there. This was fun bar, even on a Sunday night. read more

Was recommended to go here by two different people prior to my cruise. Despite the cold wind and pouring rain we made our way in for a beer. Got their brew, Happy Bear I believe it was called, and grabbed a seat on the patio. At $7 for the two beers I was more than happy at the taste and price. Waitress was very happy and helpful as well and the environment rocked. This place is a must in Ketchikan if you ask me. read more

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Best bar in Ketchikan! The staff was extremely nice and down to earth! Close to cruise ships. Great prices. Good beer! Amazing view! read more

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This place is a riot. The owner is great, so friendly and fun. Good prices, great ambience, and the most fun atmosphere you could want in your dive bars. And then there's the logo... read more

Arctic Bar - View out the back - Pubs Near Me - Ketchikan, Alaska

Such a fun bar in Ketchikan walking distance to the cruise port. The happy bears are amusing outside & inside the bar. We stopped in for some drinks and lunch while in the area. While we loved the bar itself, our service was just okay. We thought we were going to have our orders taken right away when a waitress suggested we sit at a high top are on the wall, but then she disappeared not to be seen again. The bar was getting busier and busier so we ended up just going up to the bar to place our order. The beer selection is awesome, the house brew is really good, and they are served arctic cold. Enjoyable place to sit inside or outside on the water to enjoy the view. We will be back next time we are in town. read more

It's a very strategic point if you want to enjoy an Alaskan Amber before go to tourist the town or when you are coming back to the ship. Friendly service and good music. read more

Arctic Bar - Pubs Near Me - Ketchikan, Alaska