We absolutely love coming here! The food is amazing, the service is outstanding, and the atmosphere…read moreis beautiful. We had Roman as our server twice during our stay, and he was incredible--super friendly, funny, attentive, and made every meal so enjoyable. The lodge itself is wonderful, and all of the girls were so kind, welcoming, and attentive. Everyone here truly makes you feel like family from the moment you arrive. Of course, the owners, Derrick and Janine, are some of the kindest, most genuine people you'll meet. Their warmth and hospitality shine through in every part of the experience. This is such a family-friendly place filled with happiness, laughter, and positive energy. It's a beautiful place to relax, make memories, and enjoy amazing food with people who genuinely care. We always love being here and can't wait to come back!

We loved this place! While it's one of the only choices in Hope, it was very yummy and diverse…read moremenu. Service was awesome, everyone super friendly and welcoming. Cool bar with great draft beers. After hiking hope point, a good burger was much needed!

The only bartender was working her butt off and the live music was good. A lot of the locals come…read morehere and I was able to mingle with them. It was a great to just chill at this place. I do recommend this place. They did provide hotdogs & chips for those need a bite to eat. I will be back.

It's okay on a weekday. If you're going to get parts to start up your day then let this begin the…read moreend of your night.

I've been coming here a bit now for the Saturday Blues Jam Session they offer…read more It is very laid back, very personal and not crowded. Music is 8 - 12 I believe... They don't have table service (or at least the few times I've been there) we just ordered from the bar. Very nice atmosphere and friendly bartender. I really enjoy the live music and laid-backness this venue has to offer. Side note, it is attached to the Aviator Hotel

The food gets 5 stars. The service gets 1. Their "barista services" get 2 stars…read more The breakfast I ordered two days in a row was delicious. The first day it came with toast and ketchup and jelly. The second day, I only got the main event, reindeer sausage scrambled with eggs and served with crispy, savory home fries. The menu described the food differently, but it was so tasty that I didn't care. The girls at the counter are a mess, some more than others. They are polite and kind, but I really prefer proficiency (I guess it's a NY thing). The only quick experience was ordering a coffee Saturday night, it was made very well, very quickly, and it was from a third person I hadn't seen. Previously, I'd waited 15 minutes for a hot chocolate, and the second time I ordered one it was made with water, and remade with half a cup of milk, for which I was still charged full price for. Obviously, if you're staying in the hotel it's attached too, you pretty much have this and the vending machines, so you're not going to have many options...but they could do a little more. The space is clean and ample and again, everyone is quite kind but focused on their phones, getting over meth addictions, and maybe one girl has her stuff together. And whoever's in the kitchen makes good food, but isn't consistent on what goes on the plate.

"True Dive Bar Vibes in Anchorage"…read more October 2023 - Van's Dive Bar really puts the dive in dive bar -- and I mean that in the best (and sometimes worst) way possible. It's small, dark, and a little sketchy, with writing covering nearly every wall and a tiny stage where local bands play -- some decent, some not so much. The drinks are very reasonably priced, and the service is friendly and quick, which goes a long way here. You'll find regulars who clearly know each other, and the atmosphere is exactly what you'd expect from a true neighborhood watering hole. If you're looking for something polished or upscale, this isn't it. But if you want a no-frills local spot in Anchorage with cheap drinks, good service, and a ton of character, Van's Dive Bar is absolutely your place.

Trivia: What brass instrument is unique due to its slide feature?…read more The parking might be the first thing that stumps you. If you don't park in the front, you might wonder, like I did, whether the side of the building is an okay place to park. Then you'll wonder if you should park sideways, angles, or straight on. By then you'll be to the back of the place and down a short hill and trying to figure out where to park or where to turn around. You may even decide to just leave. But don't. Vans is a cozy spot. Due to the hum of the ice machine, and the friendly conversations, you'll not be able to hear any of the street noise so close to the entrance. Five beers on tap, and probably 30-40 cans and bottles in the cooler. Plenty of liquor, though they didn't have any scotch I would want to drink. Maybe four bottles? As advertised, a dive bar. Both in look and smell (which wasn't bad, per se). There was a blue grass group starting to jam a little after I got there. The patron next to me said they were part entertainment, part jam session. Which sounded pretty darn cool to me. Basically everyone in the place was there to hang and/or play. I was asked if I was a musician. Not since high school. When I played it was the answer to the trivia question.

I came here to watch Hamilton on a weekday as I was in town and staying nearby…read more The concert hall isn't that big compared to other theaters in Chicago but performance was great. Restroom: The lines get really long during intermission so if you get out there late, you may miss part of the show/musical. The water fountain near the women's restroom doesn't work well and there will be a line for the water fountain near the men's restroom because it works. :( small inconveniences here..

Surprised by the negative reviews for the Atwood. Anchorage is lucky to have a theater this nice!…read more This is the largest venue in the Alaska Center (for the performing arts). I usually go here at least once a year for the December Arctic Entries. Acoustics are great, getting in-and-out is easy, there aren't many bad seats in the house. The space is beautifully maintained (probably partially because no food or drink besides water is allowed inside) and ushers are always friendly.

S Lounge is a bit of a surprise. It's attached to the most notorious and shady motel in town (bum…read morebum BUUUUM!!!! Travel Inn). At the bequest of a friend, we bopped around town and this was one of his requisite stops. When I realized where we were, I shuddered. Truly, the Travel Inn makes motels in the 3rd world look luxurious. I was not optimisitic about the bar. I was surprised that the S Lounge is a moderatley pleasant dive bar/concert hall. The bar has a smallish stage and dance floor for live music events. There's a cover charge, so that keeps the rif-raf that abound in the neighborhood out. The crowd was mostly goofy but well behaved college kids. Drinks were okay, snacks were okay, the bar was clean enough. Although I REALLY wanted to complain (because did I mention how horrible and ashamed the Travel Inn should be of itself? It's a scourge to humanity!) but I really couldn't. I'd go back if the right band was playing. We happened in on a women's empowerment fundraiser thingie, so it was mostly angry lesbians singing badly. But it was a novel experience and we enjoyed ourselves well enough. I'm going to have to revisit this place to see how it stacks up over time. Check it out. Post a review. I'm really interested to know what other people's experiences will be.

This place is a dive bar, but if you like dive bars, it's a pretty solid one. I've been there…read moreprobably a dozen times for shows, and consistently enjoyed the venue. It's relatively clean, staff is pretty friendly, and the drinks are reasonably priced. They've had some pretty interesting shows there, and a good crowd usually turns out. While it is in an area of town frequented by some pretty shady characters, the people I've encountered in the bar have mostly been regular non-shady Anchorage folks.

Is there such a thing as the quintessential "Dive Bar?" If so, Koots fits the bill. A dark maze…read moreof fun-filled rooms, a sassy bartendress and a brooding crowd. (Chef's kiss )

This place was very interesting. I spent 4 years of my life in Anchorage before visiting koots. I…read morefeel like Koots is somewhat of an institution to the town so I was definitely curious about the bar. I'm glad I went to check it out, but outside of going there for a show I don't see myself going back. Seriously gave me college bar/frat house basement party vibes. Considering I went to a Big 10 school in the middle of Illinois I'm very well versed in that type of establishment/vibe. It's not exactly the kind of place I want to go to as a 30 something year old. I went there for a burlesque show. Shout out to Pulse Dance Company! The show was amazing and tons of fun. The bar itself I don't think has had any updates since like maybe 1995, and that estimate is probably generous. This bar was probably the place to be when it first opened, but now it's kind of just tired and sad. It could probably be better if they took the time & money to renovate it, but they don't really have an incentive since people go there regardless. Koot's kind of just exists, but considering Anchorage is the biggest metropolitan area Alaska has it's a confusing type of establishment to find here. If you're looking to party though it seems to be the spot!

For over a decade, I lived a block from Besr Tooth. Honestly, I don't know how I took this…read morecommunity icon for granted. Its three distinct places in one building, a moderately fancy restaurant, a pizza and Mexican-American restaurant, and a Theater the plays amazing retro movies and presents topics of interest with the community, nation and world. Their pizza is not pizza. It is a realm of its own. As a girl from NJ, pizza is a conversation fighting point that can get violent. But I can tell you that what they make is totally unique ans delicious. There is something for almost everyone. I love 2 of their chicken pizzas- Spicy Thai (with peanut sauce) and Amazing Apricot (with Cilantro). They defy definition and are in a space all their own. The place is always SWAMPED with business because all 3 of their locations are wildly popular. My most recent visit with my adult children was not exception. As such, the service always leaves something to be desired. But the wait is worth it.

Support local places. Bear tooth theater pub get big movies and independent ones. Great prices…read more After seeing one, we walked next door to thier semi-attached restaurant and had a nice dinner. I wanted a little more zip from my firecracker shrimp bowl and the Salmon cakes Appetizer is HUGE in portion, and should be an entree, but we liked those a lot too. And the soup (cant remember what it was)

Williwaw Social feels like the physical embodiment of "all style, no substance." Walking in, I was…read moregenuinely impressed. It's a gorgeous venue in the heart of downtown Anchorage, sitting in the middle of so many memories for my brother and me. We were back in Alaska after so many years and wanted one last night out before leaving the state again, so we thought this place would be perfect for a final hurrah. At first, it felt refreshing to see something new instead of the usual old Anchorage staples like Koot's. Rough around the edges, sure, but at least there you can usually get acknowledged by a bartender without having to perform an interpretive dance for attention. That excitement evaporated the second we went to order drinks near the stage. My brother stood in line waiting to buy us drinks, only to be repeatedly ignored while the bartender served people who walked up after. Not once. Multiple times. He tried politely flagging someone down like a confused NPC in a video game with broken programming, and still nothing. The cherry on top? The same bartender who refused to serve him had absolutely no issue continuing to serve two girls who were visibly beyond drunk, stumbling around, nearly falling over, and spilling their shots all over the bar like a deleted scene from a low budget reality show. Watching that happen immediately after being ignored was honestly mind blowing. Not only was it rude and unprofessional, it felt wildly irresponsible. Overserving people who can barely stand is not "good vibes nightlife," it's a liability waiting to happen and something that should genuinely be looked into. What makes it even more frustrating is that both my brother and I work in the service industry. He's a restaurant manager and I'm a cook, so we fully understand how stressful and chaotic these environments can get. We know what it's like to be slammed, exhausted, and juggling multiple people at once. This wasn't that. This was just flat out dismissive and uncalled for. We finally gave up and went to the food side, where the service was actually fantastic. The bartender over there treated us like human beings, so we tipped well because competence deserves recognition these days. Honestly, the only reason I'm giving this place two stars instead of one is because of the service on the food side. Without them, this would have easily been a one star experience. And that's what makes this place so frustrating. Williwaw has so much potential. It's the kind of venue Anchorage desperately needs. Lively, modern, full of energy, in a location that could genuinely become iconic. But the rude, dismissive service drags it down like combat boots in wet cement. A beautiful bar staffed with the customer service equivalent of an eye roll. What a shame.

This was me a wife's first time ever at this bar and I can honestly say it'll be our last. Besides…read morethe $20 entrance fee and SUPER expensive drinks ($25 for a vodka Red Bull) I was extremely uncomfortable and honestly felt violated when the bouncers came into the bathroom and told me I had to leave while I was peeing. They proceeded to push me towards/out the door and wouldn't tell me why. All they told me was that the bartender had cut me off but I had only purchased two drinks so I was extremely confused. I would understand if I was falling all over the place or making a scene but I wasn't. There were people throwing up in the bathroom and shaking ass on the dance floor yet for some reason me and my wife got thrown out. Save your money and go somewhere else it's not worth paying all that money to get "randomly selected" to get thrown out.

Very dive-bar but food is great! Went for breakfast and had the "breakfast of champions" which was…read morea couple eggs, toast, bacon, fried potatoes & 2 pancakes. Everything was cooked perfectly, and I especially liked the pancakes which were light fluffy and delicious. I do wish they'd added butter to the side of the pancakes however. The server was very nice and prompt. There is an espresso menu so maybe next time I would try something from there. They've also got a bar in there so if you feel like an adult beverage they've got you covered. I will be back for more of their pancakes in the future.

This is a cozy spot in downtown Girdwood that serves up wonderful breakfast and lunch…read more Wu Tang Bowl ($16) with Steak ($6) was fresh and awesome. Everyone else's food looked wonderful too. The staff are warm and welcoming.