Welcome to Alaska’s capital city—where towering mountains meet the sea and taste buds go wild!
If you’re cruising in via ship or flying into this charming town, there’s a delicious food adventure waiting for you around every corner.
From fine dining and craft distilleries to food trucks and cozy coffee shops, Juneau’s abundance of seafood and unique local ingredients make it a paradise for food lovers.
Here’s your guide to some of the top picks for Alaskan cuisine as well as unique tasty finds we didn’t expect to experience in Juneau.
Tracy’s King Crab Shack
A true Juneau institution and practically a rite of passage for visitors.
Tracy’s King Crab Shack’s crab bisque and buttery sweet Alaskan King Crab legs are famous for a reason.
Tracy’s even earned a spot on an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives and has also been featured on Top Chef!
Grab a seat on Juneau’s waterfront, roll up your sleeves, and dive in.
Choose the type of crab you’d like and order it by the pound.
We opted for the Alaskan Red King Crab, the type of crab that was made famous by the television show “Deadliest Catch”.
The three pound bucket of crab was made up of six huge crab legs that were almost the length of our entire arm.
Without embellishing, we can confidently say this was the best crab we’ve ever tasted.
If you can’t shell out a few hundred bucks for a bucket of seafood, order the bisque soup instead. It’s rich, flavorful and good to the last drop.
They entered their bisque in a famous chowder competition in the northeast and it became a legend when an Alaskan chowder beat out the typical northeastern chowders.
Insiders tip: The main location is in the heart of downtown near the cruise ships, but if you can walk for 5-10 extra minutes, opt to dine at Tracy’s #2 location.
Tracy’s #2 location has the most incredible waterfront view, without any cruise ships blocking the water.
The Jorgenson House
If you’re looking for elevated dining or the nicest place to stay in Juneau, head to the Jorgenson House. This luxurious-yet-cozy bed and breakfast is the perfect place for all culinary aficionados.
For an immersive food experience, book a cooking class with chef Amara Enciso.
We fileted Alaskan salmon, seasoned the fish with a special spice blend featuring foraged Alaskan spruce tips, and learned some fish cooking tips along the way.
You will learn how to cook your salmon perfectly at home while enjoying one of Alaska’s most famous bounties.
Even if you’re not booking a room at the hotel. Contact them for a reservation for a delicious meal from brunch to dinner.
We had the opportunity to experience breakfast at the Jorgenson House and it was mind blowing.
The dining room is surrounded with windows in order to bring the breathtaking Juneau mountains to life during your picturesque meal.
We started with coffee, tea, and orange juice along with the best homemade berry scones we’ve had outside of Europe.
The pastries featured local berries that the chef foraged.
For our second course we had a beautiful plate of yogurt, fruit, and granola, which was plated with flare.
Finally, the main course arrived and we were in awe of the fresh dungeness crab and caviar topping the perfectly cooked omelette.
Your stomachs will leave The Jorgenson House stuffed and delighted.
Forno Rosso Alaska Pizzeria
We went to Forno Rosso Alaska Pizzeria and got their Reinbeer Pizza, aka reindeer pizza, and you should too.
This wood-oven pizza truck is located outside of the main Alaskan Brewing Co. location, and they even incorporate Alaskan beer in their sauces.
This reindeer pizza has an Alaskan Amber white sauce, Indian Valley Reindeer Sausage, red onions, Jarlsberg cheese, and fresh mozzarella baked to perfection.
The handmade sourdough crust is cooked in an authentic wood-fired oven.
It was even featured in Diners, Drive-ins & Dives!
Deckhand Dave’s
A local favorite known for some of the tastiest food in town.
Deckhand Dave’s serves up amazing rockfish tacos, salmon tater tots, and beer-battered Alaskan halibut straight from a food truck in the summer.
The friendly staff and fresh Alaska seafood are always direct from the source and can’t get any fresher.
A new addition to the Deckhand Dave’s outdoor compound is the oyster and champagne stand. Located in a glam oyster shack, you can find the best super-fresh Alaskan oysters.
Pair them with the highest quality sparkling wine selection in all of Juneau.
We had never had Alaskan oysters before, and we’re officially obsessed with these cold water delicacies.
Alaskan oysters are on the smaller side compared to the gulf oysters of the south, but they’re some of the highest quality we’ve had in the US.
You can get your oysters raw or grilled, and they offer a large variety of accompaniments.
Our favorite oyster toppers were their homemade cocktail sauce and the local bullwhip hot sauce made by Barnacle Foods.
In Bocca Al Lupo
In Bocca Al Lupo is a fine dining gem that specializes in house-made pasta, pizza, and fresh ingredients.
Expect high-end Italian inspired by the rugged spirit of Alaska.
It’s also run by an award-winning and James Beard nominated chef who loves showcasing the region’s local ingredients.
We went after a full day of eating so unfortunately we did have stomach space to taste more of the menu, but our favorite dish was their Alaskan crab fresh gnocchi.
It was sweet, flavorful, and elegant.
The Rookery Cafe
A stylish café in the heart of downtown Juneau offering fresh baked goods, fresh-brewed coffee, and creative meals crafted with local produce.
The Rookery Café is the casual sister restaurant of In Bocca Al Lupo, it’s a top pick for elevated comfort food.
We devoured their version of loco moco, which was served with their homemade fried chicken instead of a hamburger patty. The chicken was crisp, juicy, and full of flavor.
Taku Glacier Lodge Feast
Fly in on a floatplane to this perfect place for a remote wild Alaskan salmon grill.
There are so many amazing things to experience in Juneau, and this may be the most memorable meal you could plan.
You can see the local glaciers by boat (and we totally recommend booking one of those trips) but seeing the glaciers, mountains, and Alaskan scenery from a floatplane is bucket list worthy.
Once you land after your scenic 20 minute flight you get the feeling of being in a fully remote forest and away from all city life civilization.
The lodge has the only direct views of the Hole-in-the-Wall Glacier and is placed in the forest across the water.
As you take your seat in the lodge they start grilling wild Alaskan salmon over an outdoor alderwood fire grill, and you get to enjoy a drink served with actual glacier ice that they fish out of the water.
Everything at the lodge is made from scratch.
Outside of the salmon, they have chicken as an alternative for your main, 24 hour roasted baked beans that taste like grandma made it, baked apples, Alaskan sourdough bread, and savory herb biscuits.
For dessert, enjoy a massive pile of their famous Taku Lodge ginger cookies.
After the meal you have the option to enjoy the lodge and outdoors on your own, or you can take a guided easy hike with the lodge staff to a waterfall and more glacier views.
The Alaskan Brewing Company
The Alaskan Brewing Company are pioneers of craft breweries in Alaska.
Tour their Lemon Creek-based brewery and try adventurous ales unique only to the original brewery like Smoked Porter or Spruce Double IPA.
At their downtown port-side depot and public house location you can find a full menu restaurant with bites and even king crab buckets to pair with their traditional beer selection.
Amalga Distillery
The first distillery of Juneau – Amalga Distillery is a gem for gin lovers.
Try a cocktail featuring locally foraged botanicals and hang with the owners.
Craft distilleries like this are Juneau gold.
They also have single malt whiskey, but it’s limited so try it if they have any in stock.
Try one of their creative cocktails which feature local ingredients like spruce tips, an Alaskan staple that is foraged off of new growth on spruce trees, it adds a touch of citrus and herbaceousness!
The Sandbar & Grill
A Juneau valley restaurant known for its handcrafted hamburgers and potentially the world’s best halibut fish and chips.
The Sandbar & Grill is a Juneau staple far from the crowds but beloved by locals.
The photos you find online will never do this restaurant justice, trust us if you love fish and chips you need to make your way to Sandbar.
Pel’meni
Pel’meni is a quirky spot serving up Russian dumplings filled with beef or potatoes.
Topped with sour cream, curry powder or hot sauce, it’s the perfect affordable late-night fix and totally walkable from any downtown hotel.
We typically love potato Russian dumplings, but for this location we were obsessed with the beef dumplings with curry and butter on top.
This institution is open well past bar close, typically closing around 1:30 AM.
The Narrows Bar
Known for craft cocktails and a speakeasy vibe, The Narrows Bar is a sophisticated stop for something shaken or stirred after dinner.
If you ask any Juneau local, without question they will tell you that this is their favorite place for a cocktail in town.
Our favorite cocktail of theirs was their unique take on an espresso martini where they used an egg white to make it extra creamy.
Hot tip: They have a special freezer for actual iceberg ice in the back that you have to ask for. Believe us, you want a cocktail with this ice that could be over 1000 years old.
Jellyfish Donuts
This local, female-owned funky donut shop is churning out freshly made donuts, dumplings, and Korean corn dogs.
Jellyfish Donuts features fun donuts with cereal and local fruit flavors, but the donut that stopped us in our tracks is their Alaskan salmon donut.
If you look at the image of the salmon donut you may feel grossed out, but this should be a breakfast or brunch order you get while in Juneau.
The Alaskan salmon donut is like bagels and lox, but the savory donut is much fluffier and lighter than a bagel.
Filipino Food Trucks
Keep your eyes peeled for Bernadette’s and Carrillo’s, two busy Filipino food carts right outside of the cruise ship docking area.
One of the biggest surprises we had from Juneau was their amazing Asian food scene, specifically the made-from-scratch Filipino food.
Juneau has a deep history of Filipino food since the gold rush era, and it continues as a large number of cruise ship employees are Filipino.
When the ships are in, both stands almost always have a quick moving line as the employees are getting an amazing taste of home in Juneau.
We went to Carrillo’s twice, as it was so good. They’re most known for pork and chicken skewers with incredible sauces and skinny crispy lumpia aka the Filipino egg rolls.
On the sweet side they have Filipino donut holes on a skewer and banana sweet rolls: a perfect sweet treat!
Juneau Food Tours
Let a local guide your belly around town with Juneau Food Tours.
Juneau Food Tours introduces you to hidden gems, historic tidbits, and a variety of delicious options—all within walking distance of your cruise ship or hotel.
What’s also great about doing their food tour is that they work with other tour companies so if you only have a day on a cruise in Juneau you can still go whale watching as well.
We won’t spoil the tour, but in a walkable area of town you’ll have multiple drinks, a ton of bites, and the famous local Alaskan seafood served for you in different ways.
You know the seafood you’ll be getting is the best because the owner of the tour company is the wife of a fisherman.
Red Dog Saloon
Open year round, one of the most historic drinking establishments in all of Juneau is the Red Dog Saloon.
Famous historic icons like Wyatt Earp (whose gun is still on display above the bar) and Roy Rogers have frequented the bar that gives you the feeling of stepping into a Wild West movie.
Now in the bar’s modern age it’s known for its famous bar shot called the duck fart.
This shot has become so legendary that there’s now a fart “passport” around Juneau at other bars where you can try it with slight adjustments to the recipe and actually get a stamped card.
Local food products to eat and drink while in Juneau and bring home
Barnacle Foods
Looking to bring Alaska home? Barnacle Foods is a local company that turns local produce like bull kelp into award-winning sauces and salsas.
It’s not a restaurant, but a stop at their shop is a must.
Outside of the spicy originals they also make biscuit cookies made with local spruce tips.
We were obsessed with their Bullwhip hot sauce and bought three bottles to take home.
This hot sauce deserves to be named the best tasting hot sauce in America. It sounds crazy but it’s a hot sauce made with healthy Alaskan kelp and peri peri seasonings.
Taku Smokeries
Located in the heart of the cruise ship docking area you can buy all things Alaskan seafood at the Taku Smokeries.
At Taku we bought their smoked white king salmon which they said was 100 times more rare than the normal premium king salmon.
They even have dried fish skin treats for dogs that our pup Louie is obsessed with.
Jerry’s Meats and Seafood
Jerry’s Meats and Seafood may be the most local food shop in all of Juneau.
They are a smokery and fish packer where you can have them process fish and wild game from your hunt and ship them to your home anywhere in the US.
But, what they’re most known for is their smoked salmon dip and crab dip.
We were told by locals that if someone in Juneau is throwing a house party and they don’t have Jerry’s it’s not actually a party.
Harbor Tea & Spice
Harbor Tea & Spice is a soothing oasis for tea lovers.
Grab unique blends like spruce tip green tea and browse a variety of fair trade spices and salts.
If you take the Juneau food tour, you’ll be able to sample their Alaskan made ice cave blue tea with some cookies.
Now go eat like an Alaskan!
Whether you’re warming up with a latte and pastry, digging into crab claws, or toasting with cold Alaskan beer after a long day exploring the Gastineau Channel, Juneau’s restaurants bring together the fresh seafood, friendly staff, and the local flavor of Juneau.
With so many delicious places to eat, this capital city delivers a truly delicious food journey—one meal at a time.
For support planning your trip, be sure to check out all the resources from Travel Juneau.
Don’t miss our post on 15 Amazing Things to Do in Juneau, Alaska!
No Comments