Gwennie's Old Alaska Restaurant

A must visit. Fox News is on. The bartender was the best. She made me feel welcome and was just a gem! Order breakfast- it is the way to go. All other guests were locals so their conversation was so fun to listen to. Highly recommend for a true old school Alaskan experience. I know they voted for the idiot in power and I still ate there- bringing the true diversity this place needed. The only way we can change is to talk. And that is what I did here. Great place!

I really really wanted to love this place. But ultimately it’s meh. Let’s start with pros. The menu does have a lot of options allowing picky eaters to find their groove. The staff was very kind and the decor was nice to look at especially while waiting. I did Ike that they had a nice sized waiting area especially with it being cold. The food was not bad and the coffeee was good!! No the cons… the building was not in the best shape some areas looked as though it was falling apart. The food was very bland with not much flavor at all. It was very very similar to ihop actually. The burger was the best thing we had.

Quick, friendly service. Food came out hot. I got the special with 2 eggs, bacon, and French toast. It was all really good. The atmosphere is great.

What a breakfast! The cool Alaska theme with history throughout is really cool, and the people working there are impressively nice. Our server was on point and knew the menu cold. The food came out fast, and it was all very, VERY good. 5 people were no problem for her to seat, serve, and maintain. I really regret not coming here sooner.

We are in town visiting from WA and wanted a breakfast place and Gwennies was suggested several times. The food was so good! I had the crab Benedict and it was the best I have rated with big chunks of crab. Our server was amazing and the food came quickly.

A little pricey. Really good food! Steak was cooked way passed medium and the food needed quite a bit of salt. But other than that it was really good. Good portion sizes! Service was awesome!

Interesting little spot we visited where the breakfast is all day long and rated well! Spent lunch there and had the reindeer sausage breakfast and the lunch special - corned beef. The food was good, nothing to complain about and as you would expect. The service was good - knowledgeable staff that know a lot of the regulars! The atmosphere is extremely old school kind of like a western saloon/tavern. There is a dining area and a small bar area. Prices were reasonable. There is plenty of parking and public transit outside.

Stopped in for breakfast and was immediately impressed with the entire experience. The decor, the staff, the food, the congeniality of the other patrons…all amazing. Our kids are already asking to stop back in on our way back to the airport!

Quaint looking establishment that has obviously been a local landmark probably longer than I have been alive. Service was great, our server was friendly and oh so welcoming. The food was good, I had an omelet with home fries. Portions are large, be prepared to either be overly stuffed or ready to take some home with you.

Gwennie's was a nice place to enjoy a breakfast with the family. The service was good. We were seated upstairs, thankfully there was a restroom upstairs. I felt for the servers that have to traipse up the stairs with heavy plates. My pancakes and bacon and eggs were great. My husband got steak, eggs and country potatoes. I will say the potatoes did not look appetizing in the least. The steak was ok and the eggs were cooked good. My daughter's French Toast was good. The coffee was good. We'll be back.

I came in the door here and was immediately warmly greeted by Lacey. This was my first meal here in Anchorage and I was a generous portion and tasty. The grits are the real deal. The omelette had sooo much bacon and the eggs were perfect. I would definitely have breakfast here again.

Gwennie's is the kind of place where you want to study the walls, there is so much to see. This quaint 2 story restaurant had me seated quickly upstairs. The waitress left me a pot of coffee which I love! I ordered the chicken fried steak, eggs over medium, home potatoes and an English muffin. It was a pile of food and I really had my work cut out for me!! I finished the steak, 1 egg and the muffin and ate a few bites of potatoes!! This platter could feed 2 people no problem! Everything was hot and delicious!!

Came with my husband and 3 children for brunch on Monday. We were seated promptly, despite how busy the place seemed, at a cute table upstairs near the restrooms. I feel terrible, as our server's name has escaped me, but she was lovely and we really appreciated her interaction/engagement with our kids! We had the Bacon & Tomato omelette, Chicken fried Steak & eggs , and the girls had pigs in a blanket. All 3 dishes were crowd pleasers, prepared splendidly and presented to us nice and hot! We just moved back from bouncing around the contiguous US for the past 15 years (husband is military), and are living relatively close by, so we will absolutely be making Gwennie's a regular breakfast spot!

The bullet points of a breakfast with 36 people: Breakfast menu smaller than I imagined. Just one page. Benedict's look high level. Reindeer sausage breakfast is well portioned and is probably the most filling item on the menu. The upstairs seats an entire tour bus and then some. And the servers were prepared and undaunted by the large group. The real type of home fries. Sort of shaved potatoes with skin pieces intermingled. Biscuits - these were not great. Dry and chewy. Butter and jam helped a little. Good, well-stocked jam selection. Blackberry, grape, strawberry, and, I think, orange marmalade. Corned beef hash was good. Poached eggs to mix in were clutch. Coffee is brought in a pot. It means each person can refill as needed. This was a good thing. However, the pots are old and there are some flavors of old stale coffee permeating throughout. For ease and convenience, service 5 stars. Menu, overall quality, coffee, 3 stars.

My family and I, use to love this place. We always took family and friends here when they came to visit. We decided to give it a try, but upon walking to the door, a sign told us all we needed to know. Now i saw someone else's post about the grade if the food now, and how it's gone down hill. Now, I know why. The sign in question said they don't follow regulatory rules, IE mask because of Covid. It was rude and down right hateful. Now it said more than that, but I won't spread hate unlike them. The smell has never gone away, so much that you smell it walking up to the door. After seeing that sign posted, we have decided to never visit this place again. We have a lot of good breakfast places in town, and they don't use canned green beans!

Definite local delight. When you think of a spot that is a must visit when visiting Anchorage, Gwennies is amongst the top. This spot has been its original form for over 30 years. This landmark is a must visit. So many memories and stories are within these walls. It's a local favorite & tourists must visit. The service was beyond welcoming. It was warm & just simply friendly. Our server was on top of the service, attentive, helpful & friendly. I tried the crab Benedict since it's really not something I see often on menus. It was delicious. The crab was fresh & the sauce was just right. Loved it!

Used to live in Anchorage and this was a favorite so when I went back I really wanted to take a step back in time. Looks the same, exactly the same, and there the resemblance stops. Used to have an extensive breakfast menu which is now sadly relegated to the back page. Not much choice at all. Both my friend opted for omelettes, she got ham and cheese and I got avocado and cheese. We both got grits, she got a biscuit and I had sourdough toast. Not much filling, tons of guess it was American cheese, almost like velveeta. Her biscuit was dry and my sourdough toast, i've had better in the lower 48. The grits were lumpy and not very warm when they appeared. Guess you really can't revisit your youth.

Food service and ambiance was fresh. Very Alaskan in decor.. food was excellent. . Poached eggs cooked to perfection. My friends loved thier waffles and French toast.. my pancakes were yummy too ! Passing through Anchorage this is a must !

Gwennie's hostesses work their asses off and always have a smile on their faces. I love American First because they are very upbeat.

Love this place not liking the fact that yelp makes you have to write 85 characters just to post a review

Food is unappetizing. Chicken fried steak is ok. Home fries are just thinly sliced potatoes, nothing special. The eggs in the omelette are not yummy, they seemed like premixed eggs you get in a carton. The cheese on top of the omelette is cheap American cheese slices or something similar. Biscuits are soft and taste good but seem like the cheap premade ones you can buy at a grocery store. Gravy is okay, a little watery but still tastes good. Cream for coffee and pitchers of ice water sit out on tables until someone is seated which I thought was kind of gross. Mainly the cream sitting out. VERY overpriced for the quality. Other cafés and restaurants in the area have had much fresher and higher quality food and are much less expensive. (It's $12 for a SIDE of sausage or bacon.) This place is like a much better decorated, more expensive, worse quality Denny's. I will say that our server and the staff were very friendly and polite! Thank you guys for good service. Ambiance of restaurant is neat; there are lots of facts and history to read about. I would not recommend eating here.

Good down home style food with great service. Note 1/2 order of biscuits and gravy is enough food by itself. Corned beef hash was flavorful and sourdough toast was Texas toast sized. Best breakfast I have had in Alaska.

Portions are huge, bacon super crispy, service on a Thursday 11am very good, food came quickly, tasted as hope for true to the menu. Homefries had skin on cut into rounds that included crispy pan scrapings like Uncle Bill made. For a simple, pretty delicious downhome cooked meal, stop here.

Food is great!service is awesome! And ambiance has that nice classic country feel that makes you feel welcomed!

It had been years since I was last at this restaurant. The place just fell off my radar. I was totally surprised at how much I like it for breakfast. The portions are large, hot and fresh. Coffee is good too. Waitresses are quick and attentive. Clean up is fast. Ambiance, is well, Alaskan. And even when busy, there's plenty of seating. I've been back now a couple of times and I have come to appreciate the place again. Be aware, they are only open for breakfast and lunch. Thanks Gwennie's for being there.

The food had my jaw dropping and my belly doing front flips! My husband had the reindeer sausage breakfast & i had the crab omelette with home fries and we both shared some biscuits & gravy and holy moly the portions were meant to be for us highly recommend this spot its a hole in the wall spot and the service here is unmatched

Reindeer Sausage And Eggs are so good! First time having reindeer sausage and it didn't disappoint. Hope to come back here again before my trip is over. Amazing staff and service. Thank you!

So disappointed in the Monday July 26th lunch special. Frozen meatballs, canned gravy, canned green beans over dry rice. $15.50. It wasn't even very warm! Why did I even order this? The steak sandwich $20.00 would have been a much better choice. My daughter complained of the moldy/mildewy smell of the restaurant. So, don't order anything that may come out of a can. But, wouldn't that be true everywhere?

Always a great restaurant to visit. Food is yummy, the staff is friendly and the atmosphere is cool.

Currently during COVID-19 there are only open for breakfast and lunch. This place was on my list before I even came to Alaska and it didn't disappoint. It's a big old fun charming restaurant that has good food in big portions and full of smiling and chatty local. My crab omelette was full of crab and the potatoes were crisp and it came with a giant pieces of toast. My only thing I would add would be they maybe need a sauce with the crab omelette. Parking is out front and the bathrooms were in great shape. Lots of fun stuff to look at and hopefully you get sat upstairs.

The coffee was cold. The eggs tasted like puffy rubber (ordered a Denver omelet) - there was no peppers in the omelet. The corned beef tasted canned - it was gross. The wait staff were so rude.

This was a great breakfast to wrap up our trip. Food was delicious and the coffee was good, and the best part is that they didn't bring us cup, they brought us a pot of coffee, score! Looking forward to coming back when I come back.

I visited Gwennie's for breakfast during a recent trip to anchorage from LA. The reviews seemed mixed but most people called their food "authentically Alaskan" so we went and gave it a try. It was a great decision! The breakfast menu is small but the options are tasty. We ordered the reindeer sausage with eggs and home fries and the crab Benedict with grits. The flavors were so rich and the food tasted fresh. It felt like we were eating home cooked meals. We also tried their Oreo pie which was gone in seconds! It was perfect. Service was okay they were pretty busy but our waitress took our orders and got our plates to the table so I can't complain. I would definitely recommend this place.

Very loud. Unable to hold a conversation at the table. Hash with over easy eggs tasty. Grits really cold, but brought us new ones. Server was nice. Cream sitting in a big pot on the table for coffee or hot cereal a bit creepy.

The reindeer sausage and eggs were delicious. We were charged for a large OJ & Coke. We had coffee & hot tea. Hmmm? Service was great. Their stuffed bear wore a mask that said something like " the mask that he is wearing is a useless as Joe Biden". Hmmm? Doesn't seem very smart if you're in the restaurant business unless you only want right wingers as your patrons.

When I lived in Anchorage in the 80's, we used to like coming here for a meal, so this was a nostalgia trip, too. I was passing thru on my way to airport and I had a chance to slip in before the 3: PM closing time. I had the reindeer Philly with fries. Imagine a cheese stake sandwich, with a split reindeer sausage instead of the beef. It was good, as were the fries. Warning--they don't have malt vinegar for the fries, so you'll have to make do with ketchup, green Tabasco, or some other substitute. I'm only a tourist, but the prices looked pretty much like everybody else's. Wait staff were very friendly and patient in answering my questions! They didn't rush me through the meal so they could close up. In fact, It was if they weren't closing at all. Thank you guys for good service.

I absolutely love this place. This was my second visit but I will definitely be a return customer each time I visit Anchorage.

First of all, you better be hungry because they give you A LOT of food. We came here for breakfast and thought we were famished, but we left a lot of food behind because we just couldn't finish it. I ordered the reindeer sausage, scrambled eggs, and country potatoes. Yes, it's really reindeer and yes, it's awesome! Try it, you'll like it. My friend ordered a half order of biscuits and gravy and bacon. She only ate half of her biscuits and gravy and half the bacon - we NEVER leave bacon, but just couldn't finish it. A side of bacon was 6 large, slices. Angela was awesome, she even fixed us drinks to go. Prices reasonable and food outstanding. Highly recommend you stop by when in Anchorage. Fun atmosphere to boot.

If you want to eat something uniquely Alaskan, some might say salmon, but the first thing that pops in my head is Reindeer Sausage, and Gwennies Old Alaska Restaurant has that. Gwennies is located on Spenard Road, right across from the Harley-Davidson. As I was going through the menu, the thing that caught my eye was a section for chili. 'Our Famous Hot Chili'. I like it when a place is bold and sure with itself to say something like that, so of course I was gonna try some chili. It was a hearty cup serving with some saltines. None of the chili's ingredients really stood out, but that's a great thing because everything blended harmoniously. The right amount of spicy. You simply have to try a some and see what you think, you won't be disappointed. Now on to the mains, a Reindeer Philly with a side salad. The closest way I can describe to you what reindeer sausage tastes like, I would say it's like a fat free lean pork. But even then, it's got it's own unique flavor that you would want to experience. The Reindeer Philly has some cheese, peppers, and grilled onions. I like how none of these stood in the way of the flavor of the reindeer sausage and I appreciate that. The salad was nice, nothing to write home about, but you're here for some reindeer sausage. Gwennies has a big selection of Alaska beer, so if you are unsure of which one to try, give their sampler paddle a try! Gwennies is an Alaskan experience and you can't go wrong with having lunch here. Stop by here!

Came here for a late breakfast and our food arrived pretty fast. I had the reindeer sausage with eggs and toast. It was pretty delicious and they give good size portions. Plenty of parking and they don't require you to wear masks.

Been a minute since I was there, but they haven't lost a step, the right smells, the right flavors, good visuals. The decor is just what you want from an Alaskan restaurant, the menu is great for an Alaskan restaurant. I really don't know how they manage to keep that menu up. The reindeer sausage is good , just a little heat, the off menu chili cheese omelette was good. The potatoes were made right and cooked thru and the rest of the party had similar experience with their food. Water pitcher and coffee pitcher were on table, condiments were stocked and clean, staff was present but not hovering, and they didn't rush us out the door when we were done. Good place for lunch and dinner, probably a good date night spot, and if you are just in Anchorage for day, definitely the place to have at least one meal. Just do it, you can thank me later.

I searched all the top rated breakfast places and this was a great find. Easy parking and highly recommended from locals

Had a great experience with this place, a few of us from outta state had breakfast. Food was great service was even better. I would recommend.

Excellent restaurant for the best breakfast in Anchorage!!! The unique building and friendly staff makes it a fun place while in AK!!!! Our grandchildren look forward to going out when we visit!

Service: great Food: ok Atmosphere during a global pandemic: if you like local establishments that try to seem cool by wearing their politics on their sleeve that tries to claim that they're smarter than any doctor, this is the place for you! They don't believe in masks...they have waffles to cook. Or whatever. Omicron was raging but the pancake place knows better. Anyway, go someplace else if fewer germs are important when deciding on where to eat.

A friend recommended this place and OH MY GOSH it's a must-eat in Anchorage. We left blissfully stuffed. Don't forget the reindeer sausage!

Perfect place to come if you're visiting from out of town. It's walking distance to several hotels and about 10 minutes away from the airport. Every inch of the place has something unique, eclectic and reflective of "Old Alaska". I opted to try something unique myself and chose the reindeer Philly. While I can't say Its up my alley and would have it again, the food wasn't bad and got to enjoy it over some good coffee. Overall, def would highly recommend, especially if you're staying close by.

Their restaurant is absolutely amazing!!!! The service is wonderful! The food it plentiful!! Plan on leftovers! Irene was our waitress and she was such a wonderful person. She was a friend by time we were done eating!

We go to Anchorage about 4 times a year and I always make sure to have breakfast here - Grits!! Hard to get them outside the South!

Easily the worst I've had in Anchorage. Ordered the patty melt -- I think I have food poisoning. A quarter pounder at McDs would've been the better option. The onions were falling out of the batter, coffee was bad, grits were inedible, and pancakes were ok. Also, 1/3 of the menu is not available because of staffing issues? The waitress was clearly busy, but was rather curt with us. She was argumentative and was rushing to take our menus away from us.

A few friends told us to stop here during our visit and I have no idea why. Everything from the food to the service to the decor was terrible. Hands down the worst place we ate at during our trip.

Super friendly staff and great home cooked food. Come for breakfast and stay for the beer and atmosphere and a chat with the locals.

I bookmarked this place after reading about it in foodnetwork's best breakfast places across 50 states list. It definitely did not disappoint me. As we entered, we were welcomed by friendly staff and a had a very relaxed-homely vibe. We ordered coffee and it was a nice surprise that they left the whole pot of coffee for the table. We ordered reindeer sausage with grits (cause where else would you get reindeer) and avocado-cheese omelette for breakfast. Grits came with a very generous serving of butter, so did the cheese in the omelette. Portions were very large as well. Come here for a relaxed and hearty breakfast and leave all your health consciousness out the door when you enter and you'll have a good time.

This is classic diner food. Would have given it four stars if our food had been hot. We had the eggs Benedict and the corned beef hash, both with home fries and the hash came with biscuits. The biscuits we cold and the home fries were cold. The home fries were a bit more like fried boiled potatoes than the home fries were used to getting. I'm sure they would have been good if they'd been hot.

Reindeer sausage omelette was incredible. Yummy cheese sauce. This was a Kitschy little Alaskan joint. Worth a stop as a tourist for sure

Good food, and friendly staff. We were upstairs, and our food still came out quickly and was very well cooked. The service was quick and friendly.

We were staying down the road and attempted to go to another local restaurant that ended up being closed, so we saw Gwennies and decided to give it a try. The motif is decidedly casual - kind of a Perkins meets the Alaskan outdoors. That said, the food, drink, and service were all great! I ordered a martini and it was expertly crafted. My wife ordered an Alaskan beer, and we moved on to our food orders. They arrived very quickly with my wife getting the daily special - salmon, soup or salad, corn, and choice of potato. The salmon was fresh as you might expect in Alaska, and it was very tasty and delicious. The quantity of food was very generous and the price reasonable. I got the Reindeer Philly, because 'when in Rome...'. It was great! Nicely spiced and tasty reindeer sausage links with cheese, onions and peppers on a great, soft bun and served with a huge mound of french fries. Our server was friendly, fun, and very attentive and the prices are very reasonable. There was a mix of couples, families, and solo diners. It definitely exceeded my expectations - recommend you try it if you're in the area!

About 30 years ago...yes, 30...I had a minor unpleasant experience at Gwennie's Old Fashioned Restaurant. This only needs noting now because it was enough to keep me from going back since then and to get me telling others about it rather loudly. I had had a lesson about grudges recently, and today, when I decided I wanted to go somewhere for my first post-vaccine breakfast out, I decided to check back to Gwennie's. And I learned, again, just how stupid grudges are! My dining experience was nothing short of delightful. Start with the large landmark-quality feel to the building's exterior, complete with mural and an old-time feel and really cool outside decorations. Next, upon entry, one experiences the rustic ambiance with rock walls that look appropriate for a well-appointed cabin or a gold mine, themed decorations, floor and lighting-level, and chairs and tables from some real-life western saloon...or so it seems. Next we come to the service. I'm sorry I didn't catch the name of the woman who greeted me and took me to my table. Her smile...which did indeed show brightly all over and around her mask...along with her friendly manner whisked me into the restaurant quickly and as if I was a long-time regular customer. The crowing jewel of the experience was JJ. She was my waitress-extraordinaire. JJ has that rare knack of knowing her restaurant and its offerings, mingling in the most friendly manner with her charges, and still keeping everything flowing without delay. My favorite way to go to a restaurant is with good friends. However, many times I go with a book as a companion. This time it was "Jester" by Patterson and Gross, so I was especially glad not to feel pressured as I enjoyed the rather intense goings-on between its covers. JJ and the greeter checked on me occasionally, only giving the impression they really wanted me to be enjoying myself, and not that they wanted me to hurry up and leave. Then we come to the food. I don't usually order it, but I felt like steak and eggs, and got it with cheddar grits, biscuits, orange juice and coffee. First, the orange juice was perfect. I often don't order OJ out because it comes either watered down (usually) or thick and gloppy (sometimes). I don't know whether this was somehow made their or poured from some container...tasted like the former...but whatever way they got it to serve, I say keep on doing it just like that. When I order steak and they ask how I want it, I've learned that I need to say, "on the rare side of medium-rare" to get what I want. When it came, it was perfect! All the portions were generous. Some people recently have seemed to have a problem with generous portions at today's restaurants, but I never have a problem paying once and having at least two meals from it. Especially when the price is as reasonable as mine was for this meal. The grits came with exactly the correct amount of shredded cheddar on them. The eggs were just the right sunny-side-up, with nice and runny yolks begging to be blended in each bite with either steak or grits or both. My one note for room for improvement for the experience was the coffee. I like mine somewhat stronger. If it is prepared that way, folks can add things to weaken it, but it can't be made stronger after the fact. Since the number of stars on this review reflects the size of my smile during the experience, it doesn't warrant a lower rating. All in all, and in every detail, I really loved my grand return to Gwennie's. And I feel a bit wiser as I'm committed to limiting my grudges, at least to fewer than ten years. And last of all, I say, with a much friendlier voice and manner than Arnold, "I'll be back!"