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    The Asylum

    4.6 (147 reviews)
    InexpensivePubs
    Closed 8:00 am - 2:00 AM (Next day)

    The Asylum Photos

    THE ASYLUM ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - The Asylum

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    Bar

    We SO enjoyed our time at this bar. They ordered food from the burger place next door for us. All worked out great. (Go next door & tip the burger guys) This place was the favorite part of our shore adventures in Ketchikan. Cannot recommend it highly enough!

    Grapefruit IPA and asylum duck fart
    Diana G.

    4th time in Ketchikan and we decided not to do an excursion for once. As we were walking around from the cruise ship, we stumbled upon this place. Great place to grab a drink with your friends and just enjoy your time. Drink prices are reasonable and the drinks were great. The vibes were chill. Met some kind people. Definitely recommend giving this place a try when in Ketchikan. We know we'll be back again one day.

    Wendy, I'm home... with a cold one in hand.
    Chris G.

    Cool little spot right on Water Street. I only had beers, but the selection was good and everything was cold and fresh. The atmosphere is fun and relaxed, and it's an easy place to hang out for a drink. Friendly service and worth a stop if you're looking for a casual bar in Ketchikan.

    Andie G.

    If you're looking for a wild and quirky stop in Ketchikan, The Asylum is it! We wandered in while exploring on a cruise stop, and let's just say we might've left a little 'mad' for this place! The drinks are fun, the snacks hit the spot, and the whole place has this wonderfully offbeat vibe that's perfect for escaping reality (or joining the 'asylum' crew, your choice!). The decor and atmosphere make you feel like you've entered a fun, slightly unhinged escape in the best way. Highly recommend for anyone who loves a good laugh, great drinks, and a one-of-a-kind experience!

    Rob P.

    The Asylum is an awesome way to embed yourself in the landscape while enjoying a cold one. Or two. Or more. The back area of the building is carved into the side of the mountain. When the weather is nice, sit outside and stay a while. There's a lot more room here than it first appears from the outside. Drink prices are reasonable. Besides a full bar, they have a nice compliment of beers, including Alaskan beers (of course). As much as it hits all the notes of a bar, what sets it apart is the personality of the staff, particularly the owner. The man never stopped moving, setting up chairs, filling drinks, replacing souvenir shirts for my pain in the ass family who couldn't make up their mind about the design and size. And yet, he kept a sense of humor throughout. Everyone else was cheerful with a lot of "no problem" and "thank you honey". I wish we had more time here, but this will definitely be a place to stop through town.

    Super fun bar to stop in and grab a beer. Sat at the bar and enjoyed talking with the bar tender and others while I waited on food. Ordered fried halibut and fries and AMAZING. I didn't expect to get the best fish on my trip from here but I did.

    Outside view from dock
    Carl R.

    Beers are really cheap! Get a premium beer for the same price as a cheap beer. Great place to get a beer and recommended. Unfortunately, there is no food. However, you can go next door and order a burger and bring it to the bar. The bartender even has a menu for the burger stand next door. There are 2 levels of seating, and also a patio. It's also not too far from the cruise ships.

    fish and chips - the best ever!!!
    Ariana L.

    this hidden gem is frickin AWESOME. if you're not looking for it, you might miss it, so I'd def google maps it out. the beer prices are unbelievable--$3.50 for a heavy pour--and there are so many beers on draft to choose from! the vibe is extremely casual - the owner (?) treats you like family. I love the sassy decor thrown around everywhere. The halibut and chips were the best fish and chips I've ever had and I truly don't know when I'll stop thinking about them. Unfortunately I live in literally the opposite end of the country but I'm considering making the trek back to Alaska just for this!!!

    Patio party
    Carlos G.

    Definitely a great little bar literally across the street from the cruise docks...outside of our 3 hour kayak excursion we spent the entire day here... Carlos the owner was a great host and personally took care of us ...He's a huge Buffalo Bills fan like my buddy so they became buddies pretty quick ..even exchanged shirts..lol.. we sat outside on the patio...the weather was perfect and we could see our ship so no worries as to getting back on time...we look forward to getting back to Ketchikan for a land trip and hitting the Asylum again! Thanks Carlos

    Met new friends
    Naomi K.

    This was the perfect place to watch football when our cruise ship had a stop. Lots of TVs and heavy pours. Carlos made it fun. He wasn't serving food that Sundaybut we could bring food in or have it delivered. Be prepared for him to scream at the Bills whether winning or losing. lol. We would definitely go back if ever in the area again.

    The Asylum

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    2 months ago

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    24 days ago

    My to go to bar when in port. Friendly bar keeps and patrons (locals and tourists). Reasonably priced beers. A good time is had by all.

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    1 year ago

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    3 months ago

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    2 months ago

    Great experience. Carlos and Courtney are great!!!! Cheers on steroids. Wish we could stay. Enjoy, engage and quack quack throw it back!!!!

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

    $3.50 drafts? What's not to love! Tell the owner you're a Fighting Irish fan and you get a free beer...tomorrow.

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    2 years ago

    Awesome little dive bar next to the port. Owner was very friendly and even gave us a free shot. Great merchandise too.

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    3 years ago

    Bar service is amazing. Carlos is an awesome bartender. Amenities are solid. Food is available next door and can brought over.

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    7 years ago

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    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - The Asylum

    Review Highlights - The Asylum

    Had an early all aboard, but we're having so much fun we missed the shuttle so Carlos delivered us to the cruise!

    Mentioned in 25 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Jeremiah's Pub

    Jeremiah's Pub

    2.7(40 reviews)
    1.8 mi
    $$

    Everything needs to be improved! The food did not come for a…read morelong time, then it was cold and not edible . The service was OK, but I did have to chase her down for sweetener. & lemon that was for our ice tea and never brought or offered. I remember coming here prior to this and it was so good that I was proud to bring people here. Something changed!!! Don't eat here! Drive the extra mile, it will be worth it! My daughter had a Halibut wrap, so she paid $25. For something that was not eatable!

    We've been here a few times before and it's always just been average. Tonight however was awful. We…read morecame on a Tuesday night around 6. It was busy but no one was waiting. I ordered the Vegetarian Penne. It says on the menu that it's made with wine and olive oil, but it was literally swimming in it! My husband ordered the fried chicken with a baked potato. It also came with steamed veggies. The chicken pieces were SO tiny it was like it was parts of a Cornish game hen. He said the drumsticks were more like the shoulder pieces of the wing. His veggies were mush. The waitress asked us how our dinner was. We hesitated and I said that was A LOT of oil! She just smiled slightly took my plate and asked if we wanted anything else. She didn't check in with us until after we were done. Not sure we will ever come back.

    Photos
    Jeremiah's Pub - Monte cristo and crab stuffed mushrooms.

    Monte cristo and crab stuffed mushrooms.

    Jeremiah's Pub - Salmon chowder & an Alaskan Stout. #happy

    Salmon chowder & an Alaskan Stout. #happy

    Jeremiah's Pub - Potato skins.

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    Potato skins.

    Uncharted Alaska Distillery - Distilling area

    Uncharted Alaska Distillery

    4.8(55 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    I have been to this distillery in past trips to Ketchican where I have done their tasting flights…read moreand had some of their craft cocktails as well Which I always liked. The distillery tour, which is the focus of this updated review, was 2.5 hours long and was an absolute pleasure to attend. Travis, one of the two co-owners, did a great job of mixing in the historical aspects of his distillery, with the science of how the distilling process works while mixing in his own down home humor to make for an excellent excursion. As part of this tour you get to taste all the products Uncharted make, which includes numerous Gin, Vodka, Agave and whiskey products while Travis is giving his presentation. Upon completion of his presentation we went upstairs to the "lab" to make our own personalized bottle of liquor where I ended up making an orange colander Agave. Such fun! If you have any interest in the distilling process and have ever wondered how liquor is made you should definitely give this excursion some strong consideration as you will not be disappointed. As Travis added so much to this experience, I would strongly suggest you try to coordinate the tour when he is available. Definitely worth the price of admission (:

    This was on my list because I knew the line for the Fire Department vending machine (T-shirts)…read morewould be long and I read this was an alternate for finding those t-shirts and I knew of a Ketchikan local who authored children's books and cookbooks were also on sale there. I was also hoping for a tasting flight, because if you have been to my house, you know I have an extensive bar and most of my bottles are from small batch distilleries. No flights- so we had morning cocktails! It's vacation, no judging~ I had a very strong old fashioned, John enjoyed his gin cocktail and he also tried their on tap root beer! Loved the atmosphere! And yes, I bought LaDonna's book for my grandbabies!

    Photos
    Uncharted Alaska Distillery - 9/30/25 FYI. Cool.

    9/30/25 FYI. Cool.

    Uncharted Alaska Distillery - Cocktail

    Cocktail

    Uncharted Alaska Distillery

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    Sourdough Cocktail Bar - Part of the pub crawl

    Sourdough Cocktail Bar

    4.4(38 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    There's a number of reasons to visit this unique bar in Ketchikan. Its history comes from the…read morefamily that owns it. You can read about that history on their website. They have a big collection of old ship and shipwreck photos decorating the walls. I also saw what looked like an antique painting of gamblers in the Gold Rush period, as well as some old historical memorabilia. It was like walking into a different time period with all the décor and wood paneling. We had a choice of a beer or a cocktail. We chose the Sourdough Mule. Apparently, tequila and ginger pair well together. It was good, but I liked the Bear Skat shot the best. Who knew that Blueberry Vodka would make such a big difference in the flavor? My husband really liked the Butt Hole shot. I didn't get to try it, but he said it was pretty good. We didn't get to stay long. It was our last pub crawl stop. By that point, we were all a little buzzed before heading back to Ward Cove. Thankfully our tour operator was our designated driver. It was a great time spent in Downtown Ketchikan!

    We stopped in off our cruise for some shopping power drinks to have a beer and duck fart. Service…read morewas spectacular and Sherlin was so friendly and fun !! No food but a great assortment of jerky and chips ! Totally be back when in Ketchikan a super fun bar !!

    Photos
    Sourdough Cocktail Bar - Inside of bar

    Inside of bar

    Sourdough Cocktail Bar - A cool mural in the back

    A cool mural in the back

    Sourdough Cocktail Bar - The Bear Scat with Anchorage Distillery's blueberry vodka. Yum!

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    The Bear Scat with Anchorage Distillery's blueberry vodka. Yum!

    The Asylum - pubs - Updated September 2026

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