Restaurants in Fairbanks
Quick Treats Unique to Fairbanks
A shop that makes its own delicious natural ice cream started near the university and sells its creations in good restaurants all over Alaska. Hot Licks Homemade Ice Cream, at 3453 College Rd. (tel. 907/479-7813; www.hotlicks.net), has all the standard flavors, plus some of their own, including blueberry and cranberry made in season with local wild berries. If you have children, their joy will be completed by a visit to the playground behind the Radio Shack next door. Right across from Hot Licks on College Road, summer only, a travel trailer in the parking lot of a sporting goods store contains a bakery called Bun on the Run, which turns out fantastic cinnamon rolls and other baked treats, as well as hearty sandwiches.
Within Driving Distance
Besides the restaurants listed here, consider the salmon bake at Pioneer Park and the restaurant at Sophie Station Hotel.
Fairbanks has every flavor of fast food, many of them along the commercial strip of Airport Way, and many a greasy spoon diner as well. Among the best burgers and shakes can be had at two Brewsters restaurants: 3578 Airport Way (tel. 907/456-2538) and 354 Old Steese Hwy. (tel. 907/374-9663).
Some of the best pizza in town comes from College Town Pizzeria, near the intersection of College and University roads (tel. 907/457-2200), an East Coast, order-at-the-counter family place. The crust is wonderful -- crisp yet chewy -- and they prepare it either in the American style or as Italian gourmet pizza with pesto instead of tomato sauce and toppings such as spinach and chicken. A 16-inch combo is $25. They also serve beer and wine. The pizzeria is open from 11:30am to 9pm and closed Sundays and holidays.
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9 Results
- Ice Cream
Hot Licks Homemade Ice Cream & Bun on the Run
As cold as Fairbanks gets in the winter, summers can be downright steamy, with temperatures in the 90s for days on end. It's perfect ice cream weather, in other words, and Hot Licks is the place to go to make the most of it. It serves cones, sundaes, shakes, banana splits, fountain…$Around Town - American
Pump House Restaurant & Saloon
If you’ve floated to one of Fairbanks’s best restaurants in your kayak, you might as well stop in for a drink or a meal. A restaurant in a historic, corrugated tin building on the riverside might be expected to be touristy, but the food here is award-winning and locals love the…$$West Side The Bakery
A greasy spoon occupying an old Jack in the Box, The Bakery dishes up the best sourdough pancakes in town, for my money (just in case you’ve been craving that). Kids can be themselves around the motherly waitstaff, who call everyone—from little tykes to burly miners—'sweetie" or…$Around Town- Pizza
College Town Pizzeria
Every campus needs a great pizzeria nearby, and this super-casual, order-at-the-counter place (just across the road) fits the bill. The crust is crispy, the toppings varied, and you can get regular American pizza or Italian gourmet-style.$Around Town - Italian
Gambardella’s Pasta Bella
Locals love to go out for leisurely Italian meals at Gambardellas. It began with just a kitchen and a single room in a building occupied by multiple tenants. The kitchen grew, as did the number of dining rooms over the years until all of the neighbors were displaced and the…$$Around Town - Bistro
Lavelle’s Bistro
E.T. Barnette, the founder of Fairbanks, got booted off the riverboat “Lavelle Young” and, with no other place to go, founded the town. The large, sleek dining room, in the base of the Marriott SpringHill Suites, is named for that ship, and it, too, has precious cargo: it was the…$$Around Town - Steak/seafood
Pike’s Landing Riverside Dining
The somewhat dated dining room at Pike's Landing overlooks the Chena River; tiered levels in the room assure views for everyone. Menu stand-outs include the spicy crab-stuffed mushrooms appetizer and the salmon Caesar salad. Portions are huge. For a casual meal, go for a burger or…$$Near the airport - Thai
Thai House
Fairbanks has a surprising number of authentic Thai restaurants. This one is centrally located, very good, and quite inexpensive. Formally attired servers advise diners on the food and how spicy to order it, and meals come quickly, done to a turn and featuring all the classics (pad…$Around Town - American
The Turtle Club
North of Fairbanks, in a nondescript, windowless building, no one is trying to lure in tourists. Instead, they slap down truckers portion's of prime rib, king crab, lobster, or prawns (that’s the entire menu), and no one worries about loud voices or spilled beer. The Miner’s Cut of…$$Fox
