Port Specific Foodie Recs

[djshagadellic]

Going end of July beginning of August and wondering if any of my ports are especially known for one or more of these items:

 

Dungeness crab

King crab

Halibut

Salmon (all varieties)

Fish & Chips

Seafood Chowders

 

My ports are Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), Juneau, and Ketchikan.  So basically are all ports about the same or is one better than others for specific items.

 

Much Appreciated

[Elaine5715]

Following...

[zestyzorra]

Juneau is your best bet for food. Tracy's Crab Shack is along the main dock. They have king crab legs (though if available, they are extremely expensive). They also have a tasty crab bisque.  It is convenient and very popular. My favorite place is actually a food truck called Deckhand Dave's.  It is very close to the dock, about a 5-7 min walk. They sometimes have chowder but it is ALL about the fish and chips. They have 3 kinds of fish, typically rockfish, salmon and halibut.  You can mix and match or get 1 kind. The fries are amaaaaaazing as well, as is the homemade tartar sauce. They also serve excellent fish tacos, too. Though it is a food truck, there are tons of tables (some covered by a tent in case of rain). There's also an oyster and champagne bar, an old boat converted into a bar with Alaskan beer on tap, and a crepe place as well. I love Deckhand Dave's so much, I'm planning to eat there twice when I visit in July. (Our port time is 11am to 10pm or something similar). 

 

I haven't found anywhere amazing in Ketchikan recently.  There was a place 10 years ago with amazing fish and chips but they closed, sadly. Next time, I'm planning to try Ketchikan Crab and Grille. Ketchikan is a fantastic place to buy salmon, however.  Both canned and smoked are everywhere. 

 

Haven't been to Icy Strait Point yet, though the restaurants near the dock have poor reviews.  The Fisherman's Daughter looks promising but you'd have to make the 1 mile walk into Hoonah to get there, unless you had an excursion in town. I'm planning on doing whale watching when I visit next month, so I won't have time but I'd love to hear if anyone else who went thought it was worth the effort. 

[zestyzorra]

Forgot to add that there's also the Gold Creek Salmon Bake in Juneau.  It was expensive and not the best but I still really enjoyed myself. The salmon was overcooked and covered in a sweet brown sugar glaze (which was optional), the sides were plentiful but mediocre, as were the desserts (Blueberry buckle and roasted marshmallows). They could have used more rain protection, and you couldn't escape without reeking like a campfire. That being said, there's a stunning waterfall at the end of a brief trail included with your AYCE buffet.  It wa lovely being outdoors, surrounded by the gorgeous trees and smelling the alderwood fire (I just hate smelling like it later). It was hokey but also felt like a real Alaskan experience. I'm conflicted, but I'd go again.

[Ashland]

Ketchikan...The Alaska Fish House...amazing fish-n-chips next to the Lumberjack show !!! Their open.

[rkacruiser]

Juneau, there is flightseeing excursion that takes guests to Taku Lodge for a delicious grilled salmon dinner.  The flights to and from the Lodge allow one to see 5 different glaciers.  It's an excellent excursion.

 

In Juneau, my favorite is the Alaska Fish & Chips Company located in the green building at the head of the cruise ship docks.  There outside and inside seating that provides a great view of the harbor and the float plane activity.  Their Halibut & Chips are the best I have eaten.  

[djshagadellic]

19 hours ago, zestyzorra said:

Juneau is your best bet for food. Tracy's Crab Shack is along the main dock. They have king crab legs (though if available, they are extremely expensive). They also have a tasty crab bisque.  It is convenient and very popular. My favorite place is actually a food truck called Deckhand Dave's.  It is very close to the dock, about a 5-7 min walk. They sometimes have chowder but it is ALL about the fish and chips. They have 3 kinds of fish, typically rockfish, salmon and halibut.  You can mix and match or get 1 kind. The fries are amaaaaaazing as well, as is the homemade tartar sauce. They also serve excellent fish tacos, too. Though it is a food truck, there are tons of tables (some covered by a tent in case of rain). There's also an oyster and champagne bar, an old boat converted into a bar with Alaskan beer on tap, and a crepe place as well. I love Deckhand Dave's so much, I'm planning to eat there twice when I visit in July. (Our port time is 11am to 10pm or something similar). 

 

I haven't found anywhere amazing in Ketchikan recently.  There was a place 10 years ago with amazing fish and chips but they closed, sadly. Next time, I'm planning to try Ketchikan Crab and Grille. Ketchikan is a fantastic place to buy salmon, however.  Both canned and smoked are everywhere. 

 

Haven't been to Icy Strait Point yet, though the restaurants near the dock have poor reviews.  The Fisherman's Daughter looks promising but you'd have to make the 1 mile walk into Hoonah to get there, unless you had an excursion in town. I'm planning on doing whale watching when I visit next month, so I won't have time but I'd love to hear if anyone else who went thought it was worth the effort. 

Thank you very much for the detailed reply. You’ve sold me on Deckhand Dave’s!

[djshagadellic]

10 hours ago, Ashland said:

Ketchikan...The Alaska Fish House...amazing fish-n-chips next to the Lumberjack show !!! Their open.

Thanks!

[rj59]

Icy Strait is just a manufactured tourist trap, and Hoonah is a depressed fishing town outside of it, so you're only option is the tourist restaurants there. I'd skip the tourist trap restaurants like Tracy's Crab Shack and the Saloon in Juneau, and search out places that locals would like. The same is true in Ketchikan. I'd use Yelp and look for reviews from locals, not on here. I'm a craft beer guy, so I know that Juneau and Ketchikan have some great breweries, so they also should have good foodie options as well. One huge problem is labor--inflation and living costs are sky-high there, and many businesses shut down during cruise shutdown, and remaining businesses have to compete with the sudden huge demand for excursions, which is why Princess and HAL are cutting out land portions of cruises.