21 Best Restaurants in Juneau, the Inside Passage, and Southeast Alaska, Alaska

A former park in the middle of downtown Juneau has been transformed into a vibrant outdoor food court thanks to Deckhand Dave, a commercial fisherman who has acquired a loyal local following for his foodtruck-prepared rockfish and halibut tacos. The backyard patio atmosphere includes tents, heat lamps, firepits, and a ship-shaped bar. If fish tacos aren't your thing, visit Dave's neighbor, the Crepe Escape.

Pop culture meets greasy spoon in this unassuming coffee shop with red-vinyl booths that has been in the same family for more than 50 years. The menu doesn't cater to light appetites—it includes sandwiches, burgers, fried chicken, chili, and halibut fish-and-chips—but the place really is at its best for an all-American breakfast (available until 2 pm).

A 10-minute walk from the cruise-ship docks, this friendly eatery is a good stop for a cheese biscuit and coffee in the morning or soup and a sandwich in the afternoon. You'll also find sweet treats such as muffins, tortes, and cakes.

This little roadside restaurant in Hoonah doesn't look like much from the outside, but it comes highly recommended by the locals. The salmon tacos garner particularly high praise. Hours can be variable, especially in the off-season.

This busy little seafood deli in the heart of Petersburg is a great place for a quick bite en route to your next adventure. Live or cooked crab is available for takeout, and the shop can process your sport-caught fish.

Take a break from salmon saturation at this Old Town Ketchikan spot on historic Stedman Street. The café serves hearty Filipino cuisine beloved both of locals and cruise-ship staffers hungry for a taste of home, and the linoleum-and-tile 1950s interior is a wonderful time warp.

Inside a gallery that features work by local and regional artists, this café at Four Corners offers light fare such as crepes, pastries, and cookies, as well as milkshakes and specialty espresso drinks and teas. The café's drive-up window is groundbreaking for Gustavus (but if you're a visitor, you'll want to go in to see the art and crafts).

A local hang-out, this coffeehouse offers a wide range of breakfast options to accompany your morning joe, and nearly everything on the menu is made on-site. Customers can cool down with a Mango Madness or Blueberry Blues smoothie year round and with soft-serve ice cream in summer.

Locals flock to this cheery spot for lunch; it's the closest thing to home cooking Petersburg has to offer, and most days it's open from 8:30 to 4, even in winter. Helse also doubles as an ice cream and espresso stand.

Established in 1974, Heritage Coffee serves locally roasted coffees, along with gelato, fresh pastries, and a variety of sandwiches. The flagship store sits on the corner of Front and Seward Streets, while other locations include smaller cafés at 230 South Franklin and 124 South Franklin (inside the Baranof Hotel), a branch inside Foodland IGA market, the Glacier Cafe in the Mendenhall Valley, and a kiosk at the University of Alaska Southeast.

Locally sourced ingredients—including Southeast seafood and organic produce—are at the heart of casual Inga's menu. The dishes at this local favorite, a glorified food cart with picnic tables, change "with season, availability, and mood," and most go superbly well with the Baranof Island Brewery beers poured here (there's also wine).

Fast service, a full bar, views of Gastineau Channel, and occasional live music have turned this Douglas pub into an area hot spot, but the real draw is pizza: thin, 13-inch focaccia crusts prepared fresh daily, topped with creative ingredients, and baked in a copper wood-fired oven. If you don't get too full, try a dessert pizza—bizarre, but surprisingly good.

Meet the locals over espresso, brewed from fresh-roasted beans, and a fresh-baked pastry at this busy corner natural-foods store, deli, café, wine-and-spirits shop, de facto meeting hall, and hitching post. Mountain Market is great for lunchtime sandwiches, wraps, soups, pizza, and salads.

This oft-crowded restaurant specializes in pizza, Italian sandwiches, tortilla wraps, and ice cream. Traditional pizzas are on the menu but also ones with fanciful add-ons, such as barbecued chicken. To avoid waiting in line for takeout, order online.

This crunchy natural foods market with a weekday buffet offers an ever-changing selection of hot entrées, salads, soups, and pizza, along with self-serve coffee and freshly baked breads. Check their website for a daily menu, and arrive at 11 am for the best choices; a few tables are available inside.

A tiny coffee shop and bakery, Sweet Mermaids is a great choice for breakfast. If you're here for lunch, try the salmon chowder—the perfect antidote for a rainy afternoon.

Down the boardwalk from the port you'll find the Landing Zone. Larger and a bit more upscale than the Cookhouse, the Landing gets its name from its location at the end of the ZipRider zip line; those who remained on the ground can watch their braver friends fly through the air on live-stream video monitors while sipping an Alaskan-brewed beer at the bar. The Landing's half-dozen menu items include salmon prepared at an outdoor grill, beef brisket, and reindeer sausage.

This busy and bright café in the Aak'w Village District, about a five-minute walk from the center of town, is a popular destination for brunch on weekends. It's also a good choice for lunch if you're visiting the state museum, as it's less than a block away.

Housed in a former gas station, this year-round restaurant is known for its comfort-food specials. The huge calzones are stuffed and served piping hot with sides of house marinara and ranch dressing—build your own or choose one of the chef's creations.

With its bright red tables and tall wooden booths, this informal pizza spot serves beer on tap and is a fun place to come with a group. As is typical in this part of the world, your experience will be vastly improved if you're not in a hurry—Zat's is known for its friendly service, but not necessarily its speed.