Fairbanks restaurants

[brian1]

Hi,are there any cheaper restaurants within walking distance of Princess lodge.The GBP has took a massive hit so we are trying to economise where possible,cheers,Brian.

[brian1]

Hi,we leave in 2 weeks by the way,cheers,Brian.

[gpb11]

I am unsure specifically since we were at the Westmark a fair ways away. We at at Thai House "downtown" on 5th Ave and it was good. We also ate at Sam's Sourdough Cafe and it wasn't terribly expensive relatively speaking. They may be a bit further than you wish to travel. Also remember that Fairbanks is not exactly a low cost place. ;)

 

I do suggest checking something like Yelp if you don't get much in the way of suggestions here.

Edited August 17, 2016 by gpb11

[Cruisen Elf]

Like you, we will be visiting Fairbanks for the first time in a couple of weeks. According to the notes I've scribbled while researching this cruisetour, there is a restaurant called Pike's Landing that is around the corner from the Princess Riverside Lodge. Here is a link to the menus posted on its website: http://www.pikes-landing.com/pl-gallery.html

 

Here are links for the Princess lodge menus: https://www.princesslodges.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Riverview_2016_FINAL_5.5.16_nomarks.pdf

 

https://www.princesslodges.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Trackers-Bar-Grill_2016_FINAL_5.5.16_nomarks.pdf

 

https://www.princesslodges.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Edgewater_Breakfast_FINAL_5.5.16_nomarks.pdf

 

https://www.princesslodges.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Edgewater_Dinner_FINAL_5.5.16_nomarks.pdf

 

It doesn't seem like the Princess prices are out of line compared to Pike's Landing. (Everything is more expensive in Alaska, I've read!)

 

Other restaurants I've jotted down include Brewsters, Sam's Sourdough Cafe, Wolf Run, Pump House, Turtle Club, and the Cookie Jar. I don't know where they are in relation to the Princess lodge, but you could check their location on Google maps. Someone else mentioned an Open Table app that is used to find places to eat in Fairbanks. Haven't downloaded it yet, so can't comment on its effectiveness.

 

We are facing the same dilemma, but look forward to the challenge! Hope this info helps, and good luck!

[brian1]

Like you, we will be visiting Fairbanks for the first time in a couple of weeks. According to the notes I've scribbled while researching this cruisetour, there is a restaurant called Pike's Landing that is around the corner from the Princess Riverside Lodge. Here is a link to the menus posted on its website: http://www.pikes-landing.com/pl-gallery.html

 

Here are links for the Princess lodge menus: https://www.princesslodges.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Riverview_2016_FINAL_5.5.16_nomarks.pdf

 

https://www.princesslodges.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Trackers-Bar-Grill_2016_FINAL_5.5.16_nomarks.pdf

 

https://www.princesslodges.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Edgewater_Breakfast_FINAL_5.5.16_nomarks.pdf

 

https://www.princesslodges.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Edgewater_Dinner_FINAL_5.5.16_nomarks.pdf

 

It doesn't seem like the Princess prices are out of line compared to Pike's Landing. (Everything is more expensive in Alaska, I've read!)

 

Other restaurants I've jotted down include Brewsters, Sam's Sourdough Cafe, Wolf Run, Pump House, Turtle Club, and the Cookie Jar. I don't know where they are in relation to the Princess lodge, but you could check their location on Google maps. Someone else mentioned an Open Table app that is used to find places to eat in Fairbanks. Haven't downloaded it yet, so can't comment on its effectiveness.

 

We are facing the same dilemma, but look forward to the challenge! Hope this info helps, and good luck!

Hi,thanks for that and gpb.We arrive in the early hours of the 3rd sept so will see how it goes.Are you a Brit also by the way?Cheers,Brian.

[Glaciers]

There is a large grocery store, Fred Meyer, with a deli that has a variety of food that would be less expensive than a restaurant that’s about a 30 minute walk from your hotel. Maybe the hotel has a shuttle?

[Sequim88]

Everything is more expensive in Alaska, I've read!

 

It sure is. I have a theory that you can tell how far you are from Mobile, AL by checking the price of bananas. Bananas were twice as much in Anchorage as Seattle which was twice Minneapolis which was twice the price of New Orleans. Remoteness has a price. At least for anything perishable and not grown locally. Frozen and canned items are less affected. In Barrow (about as remote as you can get) a salad cost more than a steak (previously frozen).

Edited August 17, 2016 by Sequim88

[GranJean]

There is a large grocery store, Fred Meyer, with a deli that has a variety of food that would be less expensive than a restaurant that’s about a 30 minute walk from your hotel. Maybe the hotel has a shuttle?

 

It seems that Fairbanks has a public transportation bus that stops near the Princess Hotel and at the Fred Meyer. We plan on giving it a try to stock up on nibblies for the land cruise.

[gpb11]

Also, they have a bicycle-share program as an option to consider, though I don't know if there's a location near your hotel. See fairbikes.com for more info.

[Cruisen Elf]

Hi,thanks for that and gpb.We arrive in the early hours of the 3rd sept so will see how it goes.Are you a Brit also by the way?Cheers,Brian.

 

Sorry, not a Brit, but do have British ancestry, along with several other countries. And I love British Blend tea if that helps! Are you doing cruisetour EB4 by any chance? We depart Fairbanks 9/4 and arrive at Whittier on 9/7 to board the Island Princess. Maybe we'll see you along the way!

[Cruisen Elf]

There is a large grocery store, Fred Meyer, with a deli that has a variety of food that would be less expensive than a restaurant that’s about a 30 minute walk from your hotel. Maybe the hotel has a shuttle?

 

Thanks for the tip! I called the hotel directly, and they do have a shuttle service which costs $5.00 per person per day. They said complete details would be available at the tour desk in the hotel.

[alwaysfrantic]

What is walkable from the HAL hotel, the westmark? I have a car reserved at this point for the day. I'll have to return it and taxi back to the hotel the night of official start.

 

Car is cheap but I'd like to know where the hotel is in relation to downtown. The map looked like it was in center of everything

[CMM]

What is walkable from the HAL hotel, the westmark? I have a car reserved at this point for the day. I'll have to return it and taxi back to the hotel the night of official start.

 

Car is cheap but I'd like to know where the hotel is in relation to downtown. The map looked like it was in center of everything

 

I have a car rental from Avis and they said they would shuttle me back when I returned the car.

I am renting the car from the airport staying at the Westmark one night then the Princcess Fairbanks lodge the next night which is the official start of our land tour. So our rental will be to get to the from the airport to the Westmark, touring Fairbanks the next day and then return the car to the airport and have Avis take us to the Princess lodge. (we had wanted to stay 2 nights in the same location, but everything was booked up) Maybe you too won't need to pay a taxi???

[gpb11]

What is walkable from the HAL hotel, the west mark?

I mentioned Thai House on 5th earlier, we ate there and it was very good. It's a fairly close distance. There are some others also within a block or two of there. Check out Yelp for descriptions, reviews, and locations. Use Google Street View to go up Noble to 2nd and 3rd streets and down those to Barnette. You'll see what I mean.

 

The on-property restaurants were good too and not out of line with the other options. Don't automatically assume them away as a possibility.

 

Also - there's not really a "HAL" property and "Princess" property since both companies are divisions of Carnival and jointly operate the land tours/properties under the "Holland America Princess" company.

 

I'd like to know where the hotel is in relation to downtown. The map looked like it was in center of everything

See https://goo.gl/maps/wXn83As5gMz

 

The Westmark is a little bit southeast of what one might consider "downtown", but there's also not a lot there in "downtown". Fairbanks seems very spread out and not concentrated into a central downtown area based on what I saw.

 

The above is based on two nights at the Westmark in June this year and our wandering/driving around.

Edited August 18, 2016 by gpb11

[Northern Aurora]

Thanks for the tip! I called the hotel directly, and they do have a shuttle service which costs $5.00 per person per day. They said complete details would be available at the tour desk in the hotel.

 

This Princess shuttle appears to be new this summer, and also seems to be in response to some lobbying from our Convention and Visitor's Center board of directors. I don't know the route but do know that it goes to Pioneer Park (PP) three times a day. While I find the Pioneer Park Salmon Bake over-priced for what they offer some tourists seem to enjoy it. The PP Salmon Bake actually has to offer $5.00 per adult discounts off meals to those with local driver's licenses to get any locals to go there, and is the only restaurant in Fairbanks (or for that case, in the entire state) which has one price for non-residents and a "secret" price for locals. But PP also has several small other places which offers limited food. And PP is within walking distance to a Denny's (national diner-type food), Asiana and a Pizza Hut.

 

While food is subjective, the Fairbanks Princess Lodge has had lousy food in the past. Pike's Landing Restaurant, the stand-alone log restaurant associated with Pike's Waterfront Lodge is within easy walking distance; it is on the same frontage road as the Princess (you drive past Pike's Waterfront to reach the Princess complex). Pike's has both a casual dining venue in their bar and on their deck along the Chena River, and also a nicer restaurant with more upscale offerings.

 

Also Chena's Grill, the stand-alone restaurant associated with River's Edge Resort, is also within easy walking distance but you will need to ask for directions from the lodge staff. In the past Chena's was excellent, but the last two years the quality has declined significantly. We haven't even bothered to go this summer at all.

[Cruisen Elf]

Northern Aurora ~ Thanks for all the great insider information!

[alwaysfrantic]

I have a car rental from Avis and they said they would shuttle me back when I returned the car.

I am renting the car from the airport staying at the Westmark one night then the Princcess Fairbanks lodge the next night which is the official start of our land tour. So our rental will be to get to the from the airport to the Westmark, touring Fairbanks the next day and then return the car to the airport and have Avis take us to the Princess lodge. (we had wanted to stay 2 nights in the same location, but everything was booked up) Maybe you too won't need to pay a taxi???

 

Excellent information! I had not even thought about that possibility. I will pull up my reservation and ask about their service. Thank you so much!