Besides those places reviewed, don't miss the Chart Room at Land's End.
Our current favorite in Homer for a quick, casual meal is Cosmic Kitchen (tel. 907/235-6355; www.cosmickitchenalaska.com), a cheerful place on Pioneer Avenue producing Mexican lunches and breakfasts, especially large burritos stuffed with fresh, high-quality ingredients along with rice and other side items in disposable baskets. An enormous meal comes in at under $9 per person. Limited indoor seating is supplemented by a pleasant deck out front protected from the wind by glass, but during peak hours the place is jammed and taking away your meal would be advisable. A new location with the same menu recently opened on Homer Spit near the Salty Dawg Saloon.
For fresh local halibut and cod, salmon, burgers, chicken, and milkshakes in an attractive beachfront dining room, try Boardwalk Fish and Chips (tel. 907/235-7749), on the boardwalk across from the harbormaster's office on the spit. It's relaxed fast food, but the place is clean and grown-up and serves beer on tap. Duncan House Diner, downtown at 125 E. Pioneer Ave. (tel. 907/235-5344), is a nice, traditional place for a casual meal in a friendly atmosphere. You can eat at a counter or in booths. It is open for breakfast and lunch daily. You can get good sandwiches to eat in or take away at Maura's Cafe & Delicatessen, next to the Bunnell Gallery at 106 W. Bunnell St. (tel. 907/235-1555). It is open Monday through Saturday 11am to 6pm and does not take credit cards.
Dining Across the Bay -- In a lovely dining room and bar with vaulted ceilings, wood and tile floors, and extraordinary views of wooded Eldridge Passage, you can order draft beer or a delicious halibut or steak dinner or simpler meals. But you can't get there without a boat. That turns out to be okay because the ride to Otter Cove Resort (tel. 800/426-6212 or 907/235-7770; www.ottercoveresort.com) is one of the best parts of dining there. The owner, Homer Ocean Charters, carries passengers across for only $20 in the evening. For $60, daytime guests can take a narrated cruise to Gull Island, which includes lunch at the resort. It's the cheapest way to get out on the water. They offer inexpensive cabins, too.
