After leaving Anchorage for a short time for college, I've come to realize that not every city has the amazing restaurant culture that Anchorage does. With my options limited to late night taquerias and gas station pizzas, I've come to appreciate the diversity and culture that Anchorage restaurants provide, I've come up with this list of five of my favorite local spots in my neighborhood on the West side!
1. Pho Lena – Located on the corner of Spenard and Boniface, across from REI, this little family restaurant prides itself on its homemade Asian cuisine, featuring a huge menu that contains diverse dishes from Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. The building itself is quite small, but plays nicely to the overall feel of the restaurant in giving its guests a tight quartered, intimate experience. More importantly, Pho Lena offers a lunch special Monday through Friday from 11 AM to 3 PM with an eggroll, fresh roll or salad, a cup of the house soup of the day and the entrée of your liking for only $9.95!
2. Organic Oasis – This Restaurant and Juice Bar is located at 2610 Spenard Rd. across from the old La Mex building (R.I.P.) and in the same strip mall as the old Bosco’s store front. Owner and operator Steve Plante opened Organic Oasis on Earth Day in 1999 in an attempt to “help others learn how to use food as a weapon against disease” Plante does this each day by providing Anchorage residents with a multitude of healthy options including vegan and vegetarian dishes, burgers, wraps, sandwiches, pizzas, wheat grass shots, smoothies and organic beers & wines. The Oasis also has a small stage for local musicians to jam while you chow down.
3. Arctic Roadrunner – This classic Anchorage spot focuses on homemade American favorites, more specifically, burgers, onion rings and thick milkshakes. Inside the location on Fireweed and Arctic Blvd. is a quaint, Alaskana filled dining room. Arctic Roadrunner’s walls are lined with photographs and newspaper clippings from a much older Anchorage and set the scene for an almost historic experience. The Attu burger and marshmallow milkshake is a highschool lunchtime favorite for many of the Westside homies.
4. Tommy’s Burger Stop – This compact burger joint located in the heart of Spenard, on the Boniface corner, sits between a pawn shop and a liquor store known to sell to minors. Opened on 4/20 of 2002, Tommy’s Burger Stop is one of Anchorage’s most beloved gems, serving up some amazing burgers, po-boys and cheesesteaks. In 2014 Anchorage residents voted Tommy’s the “Best Burger in Anchorage” in Press Picks. Not only does the crew at Tommy’s crank out juicy burgers and crunchy seasoned fries, they keep the atmosphere pretty gnarly in there by bumping only the best tunes and plastering the walls with Star Wars memorabilia, band posters and historic snowboarding photography. The Papa D Burger, with grilled jalapenos, pepperoncini’s, bell papers and jack cheese is unrivaled as far as specialty burgers go in Anchorage, this burger even helped me ask a girl to prom in highschool, but that’s a whole other story.
5. Sweet Basil Café – This humble sandwich shop lies in the shadows of Taco Bell and Spenard Roadhouse on Northern Lights Blvd. Sweet basil features an open kitchen where guests can keep an eye on the highly animated chef, Tanya, while she pairs as much locally sourced food as possible with her fresh house-made breads for some amazing pastas, sandwiches and wraps. This, combined with the simple and light interior provides guests a homey and integrated eating experience. Most dishes are served with a side of Alaska pasta company Fusilli and wasabi vinaigrette dressing. The “Damn Good Sandwich” is my personal favorite. It’s named that for a reason. What more do you need to know? After you finish up your sandwich or wrap, head over to the display case and pick out a delicious homemade desert!
