Williwaw Social feels like the physical embodiment of "all style, no substance." Walking in, I was genuinely 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. read more

This was me a wife's first time ever at this bar and I can honestly say it'll be our last. Besides the $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. read more

lousy communication.............no one covers the phones!!!! poor business manners. guess ill miss the fund raiser today for the village

This place has one cool appeal, it's kind of a hidden speakeasy. Other than that, it's got expensive drinks. The drinks aren't very good. The service is horrendous. They charged us for drinks that we didn't order and take forever. If you come, get one drinks close our immediately. Otherwise it will take forever to get out of this place. read more

Williwaw - Two cocktails - New American Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

I do not ever think to come to Williwaw for food on my own. We stopped here for an evening event on a Tuesday and ordered some food with the entertainment going on. The table service was very friendly, and the food was so so. I think the drinks are little pricy, and it's really loud. We were here around 8pm and the bouncer had to keep sending certain people out, and then they kept sneaking back in. I know it's not there fault, but it put a damper on our experience. read more

See all

The best takos I have ever had in Alaska hands down 10-10 recommendations open Tuesday-Sunday 4-close read more

See all

We've been twice now, and I don't think the third time will be the charm, unfortunately. The first time we came the weekend prior to Halloween as part of a bar crawl. We came relatively early into the night so it wasn't super crowded, but between the cover charge and drinks, it did get quite expensive, and the energy just wasn't there so we did end up leaving pretty early as well. The second time we came was New Year's Eve as we were invited out by friends. We weren't able to buy tickets online (due to their website having issues) so we we open to buying at the door, after all what could it cost? 20, 25 bucks? Try forty dollars per person. Between my and my partner, we paid eighty (eight-zero!) dollars just to get in the door. That was the first red flag of the night (especially considering we tried to buy online, which my friend relayed to me later cost her about 15 dollars a ticket). Whatever, we already paid, so we went in. The music was deafeningly loud, and because of the way the place is built, there is just not a spot in the building where you could have a conversation or actually hear the people you came with. We decided to get drinks and at least try to enjoy the night. The drinks were overpriced (which we expected since we were out on a holiday weekend, so that is whatever) and VERY strong. I ordered a green tea shot (which you would expect to be a single shot) and was given some amalgam of those ingredients in a regular glass. I would guess about 3-4 shots worth. I'm guessing the bartender was just overwhelmed and didn't have the time to really measure everything out, which I understand. But when I order one shot, I'm not asking you for 3-4 of them. I'm sure that might sound like a plus, but I had my reasons for only ordering one in the first place, and ended up having to pawn the rest of my drink off on someone else in our group. The atmosphere in the club itself was not great. Massively overcrowded (not helped by the fact that they NEVER stopped letting people in throughout the night, even during times where nobody was leaving). We ended up on the floor and couldn't even leave as we were being physically pushed against the walls for long periods of time, to the point where I was genuinely concerned about crowd crush. I have never been to a club where they actively encouraged people to do this. They continued to let more and more people in, and did nothing about people who were clearly too intoxicated to be mindful of others safety, such as pushing, shoving, throwing things, etc. we eventually were able to leave as the crowd started to file out after midnight, and we did not stick around after the chance to leave presented itself. Overall, I can't in good conscience recommend coming here for a night out. This has the makings of a trendy spot to go on a night out, but the issues are major and miss the mark. read more

This place doesn't care about patron safety at all. Totally irresponsible. Not my fave place pre pandemic, but I was willing to go if I was seeing friends or a band. Their irresponsibility is just so gross that I won't ever be back. read more

Williwaw - Carelessness in a pandemic - New American Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

The owners of this place kicks people out for no reason. They don't explain anything while doing it either! They are completely find with throwing people to the street on the middle of winter, without their belongings. I do not recommend going to events here. If I could give less than 1 star I would. Worst customer service I've ever received in my life. Waste of my money and time. F you williwaw. read more

I ordered food for delivery, which can be difficult to review sometimes. The food arrived cold, which probably isn't the restaurants fault. However, I ordered two burgers (one well-done and one medium-well) and both were burnt and chewy. Literally my jaw hurt after eating it. The upside of my burger was the bbq sauce was really good. My fiancé commented that his burger patty was very small and not filling. The fries were fine, not great, not terrible. I probably won't be giving this place another chance. read more

Threw out a disabled person with a spinal injury who was sitting on a couch with a friend minding her own business. Yanked her out of the seat. Literally would not let her use the elevator and dragged her down the stairs causing severe pain. She informed them multiple times she will walk out but the female manager was threatening her trying to grab her and had bouncers drag her down the stairs and not the elevator. All because she was "stumbling". Breaking ADA and laws regarding bouncers. read more

What a fun little place downtown! I'd say little but it's actually multi-story bar. Grabbed a drink rooftop to finish my trip to Alaska and it was lovely. read more

Williwaw - Blueberry Mojito - New American Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

Our party of 7 ordered around 5:45pm. . . . we started eating around 6:45. Despite requesting water, it wasn't provided until just before we paid. This was a busy Fur Rendezvous weekend, but watching two tables seated after us receive their food 20 minutes before us was disappointing. One of our party went out to seek a server and that's how we got a round of drinks; from then on, one of our group served all the drinks on behalf of the inattentive staff. In the hour and a half we were there the server came by once to check on drinks. A couple beers, diet coke, and water shouldn't be so difficult. We should have left. Finally, when most of our food arrived (a burger was forgotten), it was obviously inconsistent. Three of us ordered a bowl of chili, two of which were supposed to have extra cheese and extra onion. When the chili came out, the one bowl that had extra cheese was handed to the wrong person, with the handle of the spoon already sitting in the chili. The one bowl that had extra cheese didn't have the onions as ordered, and the other two bowls of chili were obviously less full than the extra cheese bowl. Onions were nowhere to be found. When another person whom ordered chili asked why their bowl was less full than another person's, the server suggested those two people exchange bowls. That was shocking. The only reason I give Williwaw a star is because the reindeer chili is so good! It's delicious. . . . but I know now that Williwaw is not a place to go when on a schedule, or if you're trying to have fun with visitors. read more

Williwaw - My delicious bowl of reindeer chili, 45 minutes after ordering. - New American Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

Rooftop bar, live music, cold drinks and great people. Add this up equals great time. Hats off to those that worked the festival and went back to the homestead to keep it going. read more

the worst experience I had at an event. very unprofessional. my first time here was a nightmare and I did not have a welcoming experience. The music was not good and the drinks were not mixed at all and super expensive. Don't waste your money here. read more

Wow, so glad Anchorage has spot like this! There is nothing quite like it in town. If Bernies is Anchorage's back lawn BBQ, Willwaw is the party on the roof. You're on a roof, in the thick of downtown. They got firepits too. (the roof, the roof, the roof is on fiiiiiireeee!) Anyway, the place is brand new. It's from the folks that brought you Humpy's/Flattop/Subzero. Currently (8/17/2015) only the roof is open on a consistent basis (read: good weather), but there are two stories beneath it that will eventually open as well. I didn't have any food here (kitchen was already closed), but I did have a "Humpy's IPA". The bartender told me it's contract brewed by Denali Brewing/King Street with "their recipe". Anyway, it was outstanding. I'll definitely be back to try some food, and to check on the progress of the other levels. See you soon. read more

See all

Terrible experience. In from out of town and were the first table (just a 2 top) to order tonight. NINETY minutes later we still hadn't received our order despite other tables being done & we realized our server had been AWOL for some time. As the wait increased and we started observing more closely, we saw that servers were talking to one another as they realized they were taking food to the wrong tables. We think either our server gave our food away or didn't put in our order. When we finally complained we were told the kitchen was out of the food we ordered. Even more weird both the manager and our server said that the KITCHEN had screwed up. It was only a quesadilla and fries, not a 3-course meal. Ridiculous. read more

I like Williwaw for the atmosphere, drinks and entertainment, a solid 4 stars. Unfortunately the food on the roof was not satisfactory. The whole complex is divided in to a few different areas. There is the bar, stage/performing area, dining, cafe/bar, mezzanine lounge, speak easy and the roof top. Every location is roomy and pleasant to be in. I really like how they have it set up. My drink (a Bahama Mama) was delicious and very girly- just what I asked for! The live music was great but don't expect to be able to talk to your group when you're close. The mid floor lounge is furnished with comfortable leather sofas and chairs. It's very masculine but comfortable. The roof top is awesome. I like the fire pits and seating as well as the whole outdoorsy vibe. But the food sucked. My boyfriend and I shared the wings and Kobe sliders. The wings were mediocre and the chili sauce had little flavor if any at all. The sliders were bland, the buns were dry and the kobe was unappetizing. As my boyfriend said "you'd think they would try to perfect such a small menu." Yeah you would hope especially for what they're charging. I'll have to try the downstairs menu at some point. I would have loved to have another good place to go for apps/small bites and a drink but I don't think the roof top will be one unless they can improve their food. For the time being I'll leave Williwaw in charge of my drinks but i'll get food elsewhere. read more

See all

Who doesn't love a good rooftop? I love a good rooftop and Williwaw has one, it even had a fire pit! This review is only about the Williwaw rooftop service and food. On a recent sunny Friday night on that rooftop we had the best tacos we've had in Anchorage to date. Our server mentioned that Williwaw's food program on the rooftop had changed to Midnight Sun Brewing Company. I am a taco snob, so high five Midnight Sun! You get to pick a mix of three taco options. Steak, pork, or veggie (but imagine fancier names). We tried them all between the two of us and they were delicious. The steak and pork tacos were my favorite. We also got a side of guacamole for our tacos, which was fresh and well balanced. I regret writing this review because now I want some Williwaw tacos. Our server was amazing and super attentive, esp for how many tables she had. She was really aware of allergies and helped me switch out items to make things gluten free and dairy free. Our drinks were okay. I had the margarita and my husband had a sex on the beach. I really hope that Williwaw keeps this new food program going, I'm pretty obsessed. The Williwaw rooftop, come for the sunshine stay for the tacos. read more

Williwaw - New American Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

I would like to preface this review by saying I work as a barista and rely heavily on tips for income. It's infuriating when I make 5+ drinks and don't get a tip. But, that's the reality of the job sometimes. We had a really bad experience with a bartender who chewed us out for not tipping "enough" on our drinks. Mind you - we got blueberry mojitos in a can that the bartender had to pull out of a fridge and open them. He did not "make" us any drinks. We still tipped 10% but apparently that was not appreciated. He proceeded to tell us that we were pieces of s**t and to go to another f****** bar if we were going to tip so poorly. I understand times are hard but we tipped him to open a can and he was still a jerk. read more

I would give this a zero if i could. The first time i arrived the security lady was rude Af and she made me uncomfortable. The best time i came i entered with my friend and after we used the restroom they kicked her out. If that was the case why didn't they just not let her in instead of charging her $20!? read more

Speakeasy on the second floor of Williwaw. We ended up being the only ones at the bar and really had a good time. The bartender was nice and personable and she made the drinks well. I got the Washington heights. It was good but for the life of me I couldn't taste the mango. Wondering if it was pineapple juice instead. I tasted a few other drinks and liked those better. The atmosphere was cozy and dark despite being on the second floor instead of the basement. I would definitely come back here. read more

I'll give them a 3 instead of 2 since the servers on the floor during geeks who drink trivia seemed to be attentive and nice. But I ordered a beer at the bar and the bartender was just kind of standoffish and preferred me to close my tab and order through a server since I was going to sit at a table. I was by myself, bar would have made more sense. The menu they had available was minimal, a bit over priced, and boring. I've been told that humpy's across the street is much better for food. Also, I went to trivia the night before at 49th state and the place was full with 14 or so teams. Here, we had 7 teams (myself alone being one). It was dead and only a couple tables ordered food. They've obviously got some things to fix. They have 6, maybe 7, beers on tap and only a couple local..half of them IPAs. I'll be back for a concert, but I don't think I'll ever come here for a bite or drink. read more

Williwaw - New American Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

See all

NEED BETTER "SECURITY/STAFF" Idk if the security guys just need to pay better attention, or if they just like to kick people out at random for fun.. Went to a show here with my fiancé and friends. When it started clearing out some, one of the security guys randomly pulls us aside and tells my fiancé he needs to leave. Just him, no one else. And wouldn't answer us when we asked why. My fiancé was one of the most sober out of all of us and was just standing there bobbing his head to the music. Our last drinks were at least an hour and a half before this. I mean all of us looked at each other confused because we had no idea we did anything wrong. Also the guy wouldn't allow us to grab our DD that had went to the bathroom either, just made us leave and followed us to the door. So either the staff and security just like to randomly pick people to kick out for fun, or they weren't paying attention at all and got the wrong guy kicked out. Now I'm wondering if all the times I've seen people upset that they got kicked out, did they even do anything to get kicked out??. Also saw someone being inappropriate once at another show towards a woman, and was kicked out but made his way back in a minute later and the security said oh well. We have never had problems up until tonight. read more

My experience may not entirely be Williwaw Social's fault but that was the venue for a sip and paint event tonight. I bought tickets and received several confirmation emails. When we arrived 20 mins early, the place was dark. We finally found a server who told us the entire event had been cancelled. No notice. One member of our group drove from south anchorage on rough unplowed streets. No regard for our time, inconvenience or the money we paid. Very frustrated! read more

Place was amazing food wise after they 1st opened. Now they only have burgers, salads, or soup or one form of the 3 of those. I am disappointed because they don't see like they care about the quality of the food going out. I feel my meal was more disappointing than one I would get at McDonalds. This wouldn't be bad if the beer selection they advertise was actually in stock. Multiple visits for trivia night and they are out of this and this and this. The sever was nice enough to go get what they had in stock but it was almost 90% different than what was printed. Card against Humanity! AH I will not be back they change the rules each week and make it seem like its for the better but I hear more people boo and complain than times past. Take a hint! This isn't your stand up so change things back. - The host for Cards is amazing so I don't think its hi but more the establishment. read more

This review is for a catered private event. If you're looking for an amazing wedding venue then you've come to the right place. When we got engaged we knew we wanted to get married in downtown Anchorage, where we met. I checked out all of the hotels and other venues but nothing had everything that we wanted. I am so glad we went out of the box and chose Williwaw to host our ceremony and reception. I got everything had I wanted and so much more. Susynn, their event coordinator, is phenomenal. Very responsive and attentive. She worked with us to make sure everything would exceed our expectations. We got a much better deal than any of the hotels were offering. The Williwaw team did so much to ensure our day was perfect. Set up, break down and everything in between. They can accommodate any size party, have a ton of space. We had plenty of space for tables, dance floor, photo booth and so much more. We did a buffet dinner with prime rib and chicken for 90 people with small bites during cocktail hour. Our guest could not stop raving about how amazing the appetizers were, especially the bacon wrapped dates and coconut shrimp! And the prime rib, OMG THE PRIME RIB it was amazing. I was probably the most stress free bride ever because Williwaw took care of everything for me. They really went above and beyond for us. I cannot thank Susynn and her team enough. So if you're looking to host a private event of any kind please contact Williwaw. You will not be disappointed! read more

Williwaw - New American Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

See all

Came here with my friends. We paid our cover charge, part of the group grabbed us a table while 3 of us went to bar to grab drinks. We asked for 8 of the same drink. The Filipino bartender with a ponytail tossed his tablet down, crossed his arms, rolled his eyes, sighed, and said "only 2 drinks per person!!!" I said "you could've just said that nicely." My friends said he didn't need to be so rude. I grabbed a 4th member from our table and showed him "here's 8." He poured us the worst, 1/2 effort drinks he could. We got back to the table and the bouncers surrounded us. They "I'm sorry sir. You've done nothing wrong. But that bartender says you need to go." I felt like a jedi during order 66. We were inside for less than 10 minutes. We didn't get our money back. In the words of Kamala Harris "don't come... Don't come..." read more

Visited from out of town and saw the rooftop patio from a block away. We stopped by for some drinks upstairs and had a great time. Loved the Blueberry Mojito the bartender Michael suggested. We had no idea there would be live music but a bunch of people showed up and it got really lively. read more

I'm not really even sure how to rate Williwaw. Do I review it as a cocktail bar, a restaurant, a music and event venue? I like that they're trying to stand out from all the other downtown businesses, but at times it feels like Williwaw is trying to do too much. Identity crisis as other reviewers have said is an apt description. I've only been here a handful of times, all for different local events and shows. I've never been particularly impressed by the food or the drinks. However I do like the place as an event venue because it has a good amount of tables and seats that can be arrange in front of the stage. Whenever I order a mixed drink at the bar it either comes out too watery or, in the case of drinks mixed with fruit juice, way too sweet. Their wine and beer selection is decent enough. More often than not I have to wait several minutes just to order my drink because the bartender is elsewhere or talking to someone else. The servers are generally very nice and attentive considering how busy they are. However, the food takes FOREVER to arrive. I understand they get a lot of orders during large events, but I don't see why it should take nearly an hour for a basket of fries. Had I not been there primarily for something else I probably would have just left and gone to eat elsewhere. Last time I ordered a burger which was okay, but it came with a side of bagged potato chips, which struck me as odd. I am interested in the speakeasy and I will still come here for comedy shows or musical performances. But this isn't somewhere I would go just to eat. Personally I feel like Williwaw should narrow its focus and work on improving quality, not quantity, of its services. read more

Alright, I said I'd never go back but I did again and again and now I'm glad. It's a world of difference since Midnight Sun took over. The menus are great, service is way better, and food gets out faster. I attended for the sole purpose of "Geeks Who Drink" regularly for some time. I've sampled a few things from their menu, and I've never had a bad thing (EXCEPT the caramel on the cheesecake, it was nasty and spicy for some reason?! And the falafel plate was "meh.") A server secured me hot tea many times even though the adjoining cafe was closing for the evening. They have tons of beers on tap and you can do a flight. By far, my favorite thing is their key lime pie. Go just for that! It's perfect! read more

Williwaw - The charred, flavorless, gross "vegetable" sandwich. - New American Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

Women can get hit anytime and no one does anything I just got jumped by 4 different men for no reason? I bring my friend to my brother cuz she's real drunk and all the sudden I get my face kicked in. Don't go here if you plan on having fun cuz sure it seems like a good idea but once something serious happens no one cares read more

If ever in Anchorage, please do yourself a favor and stop by this spot. We were there for a pre-wedding event, and with a host of people asking for different orders, the staff was so patient and kind and helpful! Plus, the drinks are tasty and the views are awesome :) read more

Williwaw - Friends :) - New American Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

Wasn't rely impressed with the bar here. Over crowded. $5 cover for no reason. DJ was pretty horrible. Lines where super stupid long and bartenders made a weak drink. read more

Williwaw - a large group of people standing in a room - New American Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

Williwaw comes to our office 3-5 days a week with a variety of salads and sandwiches to choose from. Their prices seem expensive but you get a lot for the money! I generally get a salad and the portion is large enough that I divide it out for two days. So for $12.00 I eat for two days. The same go for their sandwiches. The salads are always crisp and fresh. I get the Berry salad and it's always fantastic! It's filled with blackberries, raspberries, blue berries, strawberries, craisins, apple slices, mandarin oranges, glazed walnuts, feta cheese, grilled chicken and a strawberry vinaigrette that's to DIE for in flavor. I highly recommend their salads and sandwiches and the fact they deliver to our office is fantastic. read more

Williwaw - Salad box - New American Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

See all

If I could give zero stars, I would. We waited in line at the rooftop bar for 45 minutes, while people cut and were served before us. When we finally got to the bar, the bartender (young blonde woman) continued to serve every other person at the bar except us. We waited at the front of the bar for another 20 minutes while new people came, got served, and went, while being completely ignored. The most atrocious service I have ever seen in any establishment in my life. read more

Some of the rudest bartenders in Anchorage work at williwaw. I've been here a few times and every time dealing with the bartenders is a nightmare. It's a shame since there is limited places to go in Anchorage. They really need to work on customer service. read more

It was a super fun night, me and my girlfriend were dancing and I went to the bathroom and came back out took a seat watched my girlfriend dance for a bit, security came over to me and told me I had to leave immediately. I asked why and they said, I had to leave. I had 4 beers over the course of 4 hours. I didn't do anything? The same guy had been watching me and my girlfriend half the night. I'm black and my girlfriend is white and it was a white guy that just asked me to leave not sure what he thought was going on. My girlfriend was dancing near a group of people who were extremely drunk and flailing about and nothing was said to them. I guess because they were white? This was outrageously racist and they should actually interview people they hire for security. read more

So last night was something else! I got there at 6:30 pm for trivia and ordered pretzel sticks.it was still pretty empty in there. Doubt the kitchen had many orders. It's super simple. 2 pretzel sticks. All they need to do is warm up basically. After three follow ups I finally went to the manager at 8:00 to demand my order. Seriously, an hour and a half for 2 pretzel sticks? No wonder they don't serve much real food. I can't imagine how long that would take. And the beer cheese is disgusting. Horrible experience. read more

Sadly the service was very slow and then when our food came the burgers we over well done not medium as recommended. They did refund our money but it doesn't refund an evening wasted. read more