SanDiego1K

Where do you recommend eating in Juneau? I'll be there one night only. It happens to be a Sunday night in September, which I mention in case some restaurants close once the summer tourist rush is over.

jackal

Well, everyone raves about the Fiddlehead Restaurant, which is supposedly Juneau's best restaurant, but my mom, who's been to the Fiddlehead twice and is a fairly good food critic, said that it isn't nearly what it's cracked up to be (I think she said it was downright bad after the second visit). I think I ate there several years ago on my only trip to Juneau (thanks to the secluded location of our wonderful state capital, which is too expensive to be accessible by mere mortals like me), but if I did, it was unmemorable.

I'm sure some Juneauites will be around shortly to either contradict this post or to agree with it and present an alternate restaurant that is much better.

For better or for worse, the Alaskan food scene is fairly concentrated in Anchorage, although I believe a couple of people around here have claimed that the best restaurant in the state is in Sitka. Juneau may or may not have very much to offer.

Chugach

I think the best place in Juneau is The Twisted Fish.

Agreed with Jackal that Anchorage has the best overall dining options in the state, but Fairbanks has some great restaurants, especially for being a relatively small city.

lawchild

The Fiddlehead closed last spring.

I'd recommend Chan's Thai Kitchen out in Auke Bay, except it's closed on Sundays.

Twisted Fish is perfectly fine.

If you are okay with just burgers & sandwiches, I'd check on the Douglas Cafe across the bridge. Yum!

Also, Pelmeni downtown makes delicious pierogies, but nothing else.

ghillier

I lived in Juneau for several years and the Baranoff Hotel downtown near the Capitol had great food in the dining room

SanDiego1K

These are all interesting suggestions. I'm very intrigued by pierogies, so that sounds like a must to stop by. It's our first night north of San Diego, and I expect we'll be eager to try local seafood which Twisted Fish offers. And who knows, we might want to grab food enroute to the ferry terminal, so the Douglas Cafe could fit in there.

lawchild

Just to clarify, the Douglas Cafe is in downtown Douglas, which is just across the main harbor from downtown Juneau. The ferry terminal is 12 miles north of downtown in Auke Bay.

If you are looking for something up toward the ferry terminal, there is an excellent halibut fish & chips place whose name escapes me at the moment- turn left of the highway just after you cross the Mendenhall River.

Stay far away from the Baranof dining room. There is a nice little diner in the Baranof if you want to get breakfast or something.