We were boondocking locally, and it's Memorial Day, and there didn't appear to be anywhere open in…read moreGirdwood, so husband suggested that Alyeska Resort definitely would have some available options. We decided to go to Forte, I've lived in Anchorage 14 years, and never tried it. It's a beautiful, sophisticated dining room, the booths are gorgeous, and the colour scheme is classy. The silverware is heavyweight - to me that matters, because I am silently judging you on your cutlery. The heavier, the better. And there are fabric napkins, which is also a point in their favour. There are gigantic picture windows looking out over a little pond with ducks, and lots of gigantic firs. I imagine it's a spectacular winter view too. Anyway, it's breakfast time, we were presented with menus promptly, and our server also mentioned a breakfast buffet, which isn't shown on the menu. I told husband to go and inspect it, to see if it would meet my (stringent) standards. If it was a continental buffet I'd have gone for something from the menu, however, husband returned and pronounced that I'd be happy with the offerings. So we go and choose some items, there are little crustless quiche egg bites, sausage patties, reindeer sausage, scrambled egg, pancakes, home fries, however the bacon was empty. So those were the hot dishes. There was lox, and some cheese and cold meats. Obviously cereals, and oatmeal, fruits, salad, and bread items such as bagels, three types of bread to toast, waffles, donuts, croissants, bear claws and Danish. Really, quite a good selection. We both got coffee, some people might say that the coffee isn't quite hot enough, but for myself, I like to guzzle it down in one go, so the temperature was perfect for me. It was good coffee. The food was very good, it was just such a pleasant experience - beautiful sunny morning, perfect views, nice food, and our server was fun, and chatted with me, I did not feel at all like she wanted to rush and serve someone else, and believe me, I'm a talker. She was from Arkansas, and I didn't see her name, but excellent service. I definitely felt like I was in a upper class establishment, it was a most pleasurable experience, and I'd love to go back again.

Really disappointing food and service for the price…read more Under-seasoned steak. Requested medium rare, received medium. Rosemary butter undetectable. Was offered salt, pepper, and garlic salt 20 min after we asked for a remedy. Over-salted arugula on the prosciutto and melon appetizer. Panzanella salad was okay; more burrata would have been nice. Mushroom-less mushroom pasta. There were a few tiny pieces, but if you are ordering this dish because you love mushrooms, would not recommend. Server forgot about us a couple of times. The saving grace was the quality of the raw ingredients. You could taste that the steak was a nice cut, and that the veggies were fresh. I really tried to like this place. What a let down.

My wife brought home a deep dish pizza. Veggie. Not my…read morefavorite. It was awefully good. But not as good as my last personal visit. We froze 1/2 of it to perk me up with a beer later while mowing in the summer heat.

Short version - Worst food and service in Alaska. Go somewhere in Girdwood…read more Long version - I went to dinner with my family (6 of us). I ordered the game burger and added an additional patty. The waitress (I think her name was Zoey) acknowledged this request. My burger came out first but was missing the extra patty. Shortly thereafter, the meals for 4 people in my party were served. They had forgotten my son's cheeseburger. I let the woman who dropped off our food that I was missing a patty and my son didn't get his cheeseburger. "Well it wasn't written on the ticket,"she said. "OK. But we ordered it." I replied. "Alright. We'll get those out shortly," she stated. Shortly?!?! Everyone the table finished their entire meals before my son's cheeseburger was served and he finished his meal before my extra patty was served. My young children were getting impatient and my wife took them outside to play. At this point the first patty was cold and I was left to eat my overcooked burger by myself. My father-in-law came back inside as I was finishing up my uninspired meal and asked our server if he could get a separate bill for he and his wife. "We don't split bills for parties of 6 or more people AND there's an automatic 20% gratuity . What a racket. The food sucked, the service was worse, and our server was automatically over tipped. Worst Father's Day dinner I have ever had. PS - I looked at their website when writing this review. It states that parties of 6 or more will have an automatic 15% gratuity. So the server is bad at her job AND a liar?

If you are in the area, The Bake Shop is a Must for Breakfast or Lunch…read more We had Pancakes, and the French Toast was Stupid Good. I left my Green Aussie Hat there; working on getting it shipped back home. Wonderful environment and excellent service.

Rude Staff, Bad Atmosphere, Bland Food…read more My dad had gone to the restaurant 20 years ago and was excited to come back with his family. I was immediately impressed to see that most of the employees were high school students and after ordering we left a generous tip. They brought out the bottomless soup 10 minutes before the rest of our food and before we even sat down. My dad gave my mom and brother a spoonful. When he went back to get another bowl the employee told him that because my mother and brother had tasted the soup he could not get another one. After discussing this with a manager he said that our actions did not warrant that kind of a response. When the waitress brought the bowl she slammed it on the table and rolled her eyes as she left. It was a horrible experience and was not worth our time and money.

Good ambience. Service is a crap shoot, especially if it's busy. Food is meh. I will say their hand…read morecut fries BY ITSELF (not the fish and chips) is pretty good. Everything else is mid to subpar. Even the chicken wings are precooked/flash frozen crap that's reheated. I know because some pieces are cold as ice but it's clearly cooked. The drinks are pretty decent. Try the cocktail fuyu if you like ginger and zest.

I'll be separating my review between service and food. I'm noting this down to bring both my…read morecompliments and criticisms. The food was phenomenal. If food alone was what I'm rating, this place would be a 3 or 4. I, myself, ordered the French toast breakfast with poached eggs and bacon. The food was fitting and definitely delicious. Price is a little iffy for the amount given, but the quality of the food was amazing. My family liked their food as well. However, removing the food aspect from the equation, the service was a bit off putting. From a simple glance around the room, there was a CLEAR difference how our table was treated in contrast to other tables from the way we were spoken to, checked on, and assisted, and I am sad to say it was not in a good way. I hope that this is a one time thing where the woman who assisted us was having a bad day, but with her showing kindness to other tables, but appearing as if we were a drag to assist throughout the whole meal, it's quite a disheartening feeling. I may try out this place again (maybe not for breakfast) but at the time being, this place is not somewhere I'd recommend.

best restaurant in girlwood :) (in order of…read morerecommendations) - clams - pork - bouillabaisse - shrimp and grits - scallops everything was incredible and Jody with a Y was the best server in the world

Spoonline Bistro will go down in history as the best restaurant in Girdwood, Alaska, and possibly…read morethe entire world. They should remain a staple in Girdwood and WILL remain a staple in our hearts. Jodie provided amazing service throughout the night to our group of 9. Thank you, Jodie. Jodie's charm and care was a highlight not just of the night, but of our entire time in Alaska. Thank you for a delightful evening with memories to cherish. Ps. -The espresso crème brûlée was the smoothest, most delicate dessert I've had in years. We ordered all the desserts they had and not a single one of them missed the mark. -"Must dine at Spoonline. PERIOD" -a memory to last a lifetime. THANK YOU JODIE AND TEAM. It is not often that you bring together a large group of foodies who delight in every single dish that is brought out. Spoonline is a place that satisfies all pallets and warms our bellies and hearts.

Came twice so far on this Girdwood trip, it's been a few years since I've been here. I have still…read morebeen very impressed with the food here. We've tried the seaweed salad, a couple of their sushi rolls, and an assortment of other items. My new favorite thing might be the crispy spicy ahi bites. Each bite a perfect size, so crunchy and with a thin slice of Jalapeño on top. I also enjoyed the steamed pork gyoza, each one super succulent and tasty. My husband tried the fried chicken thigh with tartar sauce, which was delicious. The chicken was super flavorful and the tartar sauce was like egg salad but worked with the flavors which was a nice surprise. We like splitting a large 22 oz bottle of Sapporo, but we have also liked ordering a small bottle of sake to share in lieu of dessert. The last time we went I got the gluten-free chocolate cake which was pretty good but laughably tiny in size ($10). Wait times can vary depending on the day you go and time, we've been seated immediately (party of 2) as well as waited an hour for a table. Speaking of which, you may be seated at their largest table which they also seat other parties, so it feels a bit communal as opposed to private. Sakura has maintained their quality in food over the years and their waitstaff are excellent each time we go. I always look forward to time spent here and you can't go wrong with anything you choose on the menu.

I'll start this review by saying the food at Sakura is really good. If you're in the mood for…read moresushi, you certainly won't be disappointed. The food comes out as it is ready, so it's always fresh, albeit it becomes difficult to remember what you've ordered and pace and appropriate amount of food. We could barely eat by the time our final rolls came out. Only docking a star for the service/organization. It's a very small restaurant, so a large table is certainly a challenge, but we felt like we basically had to organize our seating ourselves, even though we'd had a conversation with the hostess about it about 30 minutes before our group showed up. When we came back with our group, it was like that conversation hadn't happened.

The people leaving one star reviews here seem to be quite picky, which I can understand form the…read morehigh price tag of this place... But... If you're in the area, DO NOT SKIP THIS GEM. Genuinely some of the best fried halibut in all of Alaska, better than anything you can find in Homer! Their steaks are also amazing! The peppercorn steak is pretty good, but the filet is out of this world, massive serving sizes too! Super amazing atmosphere tucked away down a logging road between several mountains, inside feels like a small hunting lodge! Expert great service but a long wait. Came here on a Wednesday night and waited nearly 4 hours at the bar for a table for my family. Was well worth it, best filet and halibut we've ever had. Even better than our own! We try to visit every time we're in the area. Don't miss this hidden gem!

I filled up on the appetizers, they were so freaking good. The halibut bites were served piping hot…read moreand very tasty. Loved the pepper steak bites and the fried coconut salmon as well. I had the king crab as my entrée, served with clarified butter and lemon. (takes a deep breath)....this is the absolutely.... positively..... incredibly.... The best king crab I've ever had. I had high hopes for Alaskan King Crab....in Alaska, and it delivered. They scored the shell all the way down, so super easy to eat. Typically, knuckle meat in king crab is my least favorite....not here, it was my favorite part, sweet and tender without any hint of fishy or gamey taste. Service here was mostly very good. Very attentive and friendly, a couple of small miss steps, but accidental. I liked the atmosphere here, very unique and in my opinion Jimmy Buffett meets Cajun bayou mixed with Alaskan flair. That's the oddest combination ever, but it worked.

Nice place. We had to wait about 30 minutes for our table…read moreeven though we had a reservation. Very beautiful atmosphere! I recommend visiting.

If I could give less than one star, I would…read more Yes, the views from Seven Glaciers are beautiful--but this is Alaska. Spectacular scenery is everywhere, so don't expect the view alone to justify the cost. Our dinner was one of the biggest disappointments of our entire trip. We were celebrating our friends' 30th wedding anniversary, making the evening especially meaningful. Our bill was over $1,700 for our group, and not one person at our table said they even liked their meal. Several dishes were barely edible. My scallop soup contained one scallop that was not fully cooked and a tiny piece of cracker. The gazpacho was overwhelmingly spicy. The beet salad was served over scattered drops of horseradish that weren't even applied consistently from one plate to another, making the dish feel careless and unbalanced. The main courses were average at best. Some people didn't even finish their filet mignon, which should be one of the easiest dishes for a restaurant of this caliber to get right. The desserts were just as disappointing. No one finished theirs, and no one had anything positive to say about them. The service was equally unacceptable. Before dinner even began, one of our friends quietly asked the waiter if he could please bring a candle with the anniversary dessert to help celebrate the couple's 30th wedding anniversary. It was the very first request made after we were seated, yet it was completely overlooked. The desserts arrived with no candle, no acknowledgment of the occasion, and no apology. It may seem like a small detail, but it reflected the lack of attentiveness we experienced throughout the evening. Our waiter repeatedly reached across guests instead of serving properly, refused to clear plates himself because he wanted the bus staff to do it, and the overall service felt slow, awkward, and very unprofessional. Even though the restaurant wasn't busy, every part of the meal seemed to take far longer than it should have. What really confirmed that it wasn't just us was talking to the family seated next to us--a group of 14--who felt exactly the same way about both the food and the service. I consider myself a true foodie. I love trying new restaurants and cuisines, and I'm far from being a picky eater. I almost never write negative reviews, but this experience was simply unacceptable. I had heard this restaurant was a "must-do" while visiting the area, which made the experience even more disappointing. In my opinion, it's simply not worth the money. I wouldn't even recommend paying to ride the tram just to dine here, because you'll find breathtaking scenery all over Alaska without spending hundreds of dollars on a meal that falls far short of expectations. I sincerely hope this review helps other travelers avoid making the same very expensive mistake we did.