Soapy Smith's Pioneer

Really cool, local place! The owner actually is the Son of the first Governor of Alaska and he gave us a nice history lesson of the state and his family, however the service was ridiculously slow!! The waitress was so lost she and obviously wasn’t good at her job and our wait was over 45 minutes (the restaurant was less than half full… so 3 stars is definitely generous! Oh, the food…the halibut was decent but very small serving for $24…? Anyway, glad we went to a locally owned restaurant in Fairbanks but would love to see them be better!

A must stop when in downtown Fairbanks. We were lucky enough to wander into it. The owner was in as well and was super enthusiastic about people stopping in and he loved telling about the business and his family history in Alaska. I had the spicy reindeer sausage with fries, pricey but good!

Fun atmosphere with many cool artifacts on the wall. The owner is present and passionate. Great canned local beer selections. Had their infamous king crab burger and the clam chowder. As someone who's finicky about crab cakes, it's just OK (and given the price of king crab, I can understand why). The chowder has a yummy base, but I wish there were more clams in it. All that said, it's a fun place to go.

Food was OK, what sparing portion was served. I ordered a Cobb salad and it barely filled up the plate. There was a sprinkle of bacon and cheese as well as four thin slices (mostly brown) of avocado. Service was eh and the place was chilly. Can't say it's worth the price or food was great enough to warrant a return visit. Sad, too because I was looking forward to a great salad for lunch.

Didn't have food as the prices seemed a bit much. $22 for a hotdog. We did come in for the vibe, but it was ruined by the desperation of the owner who accosted us on the sidewalk when we already were planning on going in. When we got in, he wouldn't move for my husband to sit down as he talked to the rest of the group about his history. We all got some local beers and it was OK. No cocktails, wish we would've stopped at a different bar honestly

Had the King Crab Burger which was disappointing. Small, hardly any lettuce on the burger and just a little bit of tomato. Had to put my house salad on the burger to make it appealing. The crab patty did have a lot of crab in it and had a good crab flavor which was it's only saving grace. Lots of history and friendly owner, but food is lacking in value. The inside atmosphere could be improved with more lighting and some old time piano music would really bring this place to life. From the outside it's hard to tell if it's even open when it's open. Too bad because it has a lot of potential with a few simple changes, but for me it just misses the mark so I cannot recommend it as much as I would have liked to.

Had a nice lunch of Chowder and Alaskan King Crab burger, both were Alaskan size, beating Texas size by 2x!! 😊 The owner was busy introducing the stories of his grandpa Mike Stepovich and his dad Mike Stepovich II, once the territory’s governor in 1958-1959 before Alaska became the 49th State. A little lunch history lesson 😊😊

Smallish portion. Food was just ok. Decor was very dated. Could use some updating.

There's not much in downtown Fairbanks, so we took a chance. The owner came out and invited us in. It was 75 degrees and a cold Alaskan beer sounded good. The mugs were cold and frosty. After a few minutes we decided to split the king crab sandwich and salad. It was good, not great 2 beers 8 each, sandwich and 2 sides of salad 49.00. Yup a bit high but you are in Alaska. I wouldn't come here again, but if you needed lunch downtown it will definitely work.

Selected this place since the menu had more seafood options compared to other nearby restaurants. Enjoyed the King Crab Burger! It was delicious with good flavors. This is a very casual place with a friendly owner. Service was prompt and attentive.

The staff was really friendly. I ordered the Cobb salad and for 19.00 I expected it to be a little more substantial, two slices of tomato, a cup of iceberg lettuce, Tbsp of avocado and bacon and half of a chicken breast. The real reason to come in would be the decor. The place is a little bit of a museum filled with fun memorabilia from the golden heart's heyday. It's cute and quaint.

I was told I needed to try this place, but it closes before I get off work. Today I got off a little early and seen the open sign was on. I came in and asked if I was too late. The owner gracefully said we are open for you. Very pleasant experience. Owner was a very nice man. I had their Alaskan king crab burger. It was pretty dang good. I am hoping to be able to try everything on his menu now. Thank you Nick for allowing me to enjoy a great experience.

Terrible place to eat. We were on a tour, and most places were closed. We ended up at Soapys because the line at Crepery was 15-20 deep. We should have waited in line. The service at Soapys was terrible, and the food didn't make up for the lack of attention. After a 15-minute wait to be seated, the waiter took more than 10 minutes before coming to take our order. We ordered water with lemon to drink. Our water was served without lemon, and I had to ask the waiter on 4 separate occasions for lemon. Our lunch took another 30 minutes for our lunch. We ordered Fried Cod, a Cheeseburger, a Reuben, and a Grilled Chicken sandwich. The cod was previously frozen and came out of a box, and the salad was very plain with a few wilted leaves. The grilled chicken sandwich was dry, and the fries were still cold in the center from previously being frozen. The Reuben was lacking protein also with the same cold fries. The cheeseburger was bland and lacked flavor. The waiter never came by to check on us, and I had to get up and look for ketchup. Even after that, the waiter didn't come by. The only time we saw him again was when he bought us our bill. When I went to the counter to pay, I was surprised to see that there was a 3% credit card fee. When I asked about this fee, and told them that it wasn't posted anywhere, I was told the waiter should have told us. This restaurant needs a completely new manager, cooks, and staff. The price point does not match up to the food quality or customer service.

Worst clam chowder ever. Had to hunt for the clams. Should be called watery potatoe and celery soup

Nothing special. Had the crab burger and the clam chowder. Bland and not a lot of substance Would not recommend.

Good Food and wonderful service . If you want the small town feeling . Swing on by and hear the family story

just had lunch today , thought no one could need up a salad , wrong. Had oil and vinega, oil rancid , bad !!! waiting for 45 minutes to get drinks. wife had soup, took one bite and couldn't eat it. No service to even complain. NOT GOOD!!!!!!

This is definitely a "one-time visit" tourist spot. Our tour guide kind of warned us that the service can be slow; but since it was an iconic place, it looked interesting, and we were tourists; we decided to give it a try. The "owner" is the host, and the minute we poked our heads inside, unsure if we even wanted to eat here, he had us walking to a table. He was spouting off all kinds of colorful stories, "mom had 13 kids," "she had the hardest job of all," "granddad the governor," "here's a photo of my dad," and so on. We actually heard those lines each time new customers walked in and we heard another couple say, "I guess this means we're eating here,?" In a humorous tone as the owner seated them briskly too, without them making that decision on their own. There are old photos and memorabilia all around. It was fun to see things like moose antlers, an old musher's sled, (the owner insisted I get on it,) and lots of old signs and photos. A waiter approached quickly because it was fairly empty on a Wednesday. Since we heard the service could be slow, we ordered quickly. I ordered the "Klondike" which was turkey, bacon, and cheddar on sourdough. My husband ordered the crab burger, a specialty, both came with fries. The waiter didn't seem to know what the "Klondike" was so I showed it to him on the menu. He was pleasant, got us our drinks quickly, and brought us waters upon request. The "Klondike" was good, but not as good as it had sounded. The turkey was a tad dry, and I don't think it was actually sourdough bread. Fries were good though. My husband said the crab burger was quite tasty, but looked like it may have come frozen/premade because of its perfect shape. He liked the fries too. As the restaurant started to fill up people were seated pretty close to us on both sides. The waiter was starting to get overwhelmed, and the owner announced to all the diners that they only had 1 waiter, and he was going to step in and take orders; however he spent most of his time repeating the same loud stories to everyone around. (He's quite a character.). He also suggested everyone order from the express menu, but it was too late for me since I'd already ordered. My food came out in a normal amount of time, but it did take a really long time to get our bill. (Others who came in after us were gone before we got our bill.). We left cash on the table with enough for a tip because we figured it would be a really long time if we needed to use a credit card or get change. Soapy Smith's is definitely a very interesting place but definitely somewhere you only need to visit once. (But if you poke your head in for even a second; the owner will have you seated before you know it!)

Service was Great! I had the Big Crab cake Sandwich. It was very good. When I was there the ambiance was great too.

Good service, food and very personable owner. Food menu good and facility clean. Nice place.

Overpriced & Nasty. The crabcake burger tasted like a frozen, reheated patty. The salmon salad was inedible. We gave it 2 stars because the young waiters from Bulgaria were very sweet.

Really liked the decor over there. A lot of old photos and posters - feels historic and culture. Food was okay. We got sandwiches and chowder.

A restaurant and museum all rolled into one! Lots of old photos and posters to look at while visiting and of course no meal in the winter would be complete without chicken noodle soup along with pastrami sandwiches Food was quality and our waiter was a grumpy guy who had been around a long time. He was great fun to talk to a real nice guy and great food server too!

overpriced bad food. Halibut was comparable to frozen fish sticks. Soup was cold and tasted like Campbells soup. Owner was disrespectful to employees.

Nick, the owner, is very welcoming. He speaks of his family who pioneered AK. He has photos and newspaper clippings about the history. Ive cold beer, AK halibut and cod, and a king crab crabby patty burger. Dressings are homemade. Warm, welcoming family restaurant. Nick makes the difference.

Man, it's tough to do this, but I must. Service: 5+ stars Our waiter was funny, sweet, quirky, and charming. Super nice guy, packed with local knowledge and general concern. Ambiance: 4 stars Great, authentic, old-timey Alaska feel. Lots of old stuff on the walls to gawk at. Food: 1.5 stars Very plain, very pedestrian, and very expensive. Both of our meals tasted like they were frozen and then re-heated in a microwave. My ribs and my corn had "cold spots" in them. So did my dining partner's veggies. Very unimpressive (though not offensive) food that felt more TV dinner than dining out. Maybe we got the wrong things, but we were pretty puzzled by the Yelp reviews here. If the food were under 10 bucks it would be excusable, but for 20ish...it's unreal. Maybe folks were blinded by the exceptional service? By being on vacation in Alaska? I don't know. I probably won't be coming back though, unfortunately.

I had the chowder and omg I am a New Englander and it was fantastic. My girlfriend had the Klondike sandwich and she enjoyed it as well. The wait staff were friendly as was the owner. He w asked the floor inviting us to take pictures the inside is almost a museum very nice place to stop I. For a quick bite.

Really. We should have gone off the earlier reviews. A waste of $55 plus tip for one beer and two frozen fish and gross vegetable dinners. Should have known when we walked in and we were the ONLY ones in the entire restaurant on a Friday night. My gut said leave but I felt bad and decided to stay. Regrets.

I saw this restaurant from my window at the Spring Hill Suites (it is located directly behind the hotel), and got all excited because I was hungry, the onsite restaurant was not scheduled to open until 4pm and I did not want to walk far for lunch. I found out they were closed on Sundays, which drove me cray-cray! The sign on the door said they had a great crabcake sandwich, so I decided to go back the next day. The crabcake sandwich was good, but not nearly all it was hyped up to be. There are other places in Alaska that serve better King crab cakes. The honey-battered fried chicken was good too; the portion was small, which I didn't mind because I really should be eating small portions of fried food. The small size of the chicken was also a heartening reassurance (or at least I took it to be so) that it had not been treated with steriods or growth hormones! The service is friendly and attentive. Will I be back? Hmmm... well, I have been back a couple of times and probably will be back again, just because of the convenient location in relation to the hotel I normally stay at, and I really had no complaints about the food or service; all good but not outstanding (I don't always need outstanding food every single time I am hungry; simply good food will work just fine every now and again).

The owner and our waiter got into an argument. In the kitchen. And the owner walked out( yes that is right the owner). The food was ok

Great lunch experience. Just reopened post Covid and owner was a great host. Food was great and awesome service.

All the bad reviews are right. Over priced for two small pieces of fish. Service and hospitality are great, but not worth the overall $$$$$

We had the best server here! Can't remember his name but he was a tall bald man and was so sweet! Their fried chicken tasted super fresh and they had very good french fries! A great experience overall and would return here!

Avoid this ripoff of a restaurant. Let me describe my meal to you: 5 lettuce leaves and ten shreds of carrot = "salad" Basic ¼ lb chicken patty (pre frozen) on a cheap sesame with a slice of tomato and a 6th lettuce leaf = sandwich Baked potato was a baked potato at least, but the fries are frozen McCains that are bombed out in the fryer until they're barely potatoes. The menu claims "best in Fairbanks". That can only be true if literally everyone else in Fairbanks uses frozen crinkle cuts. All this... for $17. Back home this meal would be about $8. I could believe $12 this far north. $16 for an unsatisfying meal one step above McDonald's. My friend paid $21 for a crab cake sandwich that underwhelmed even his modest expectations. One waiter had the whole restaurant and he was... interesting. It is what it is. Ambiance is nice. Good local beer selection (no tap). There are desserts - was not motivated to risk it. My friend said "this is the worst meal experience I've had in years." My other friend said "this is amusing..." The kicker: The bill did not match the menu for any of the prices. That made this a one star experience. Moral: don't let non-foodies choose your restaurant.

This place has a lot of history in it. The owner is a long time resident of Fairbanks and former State legislator. He has a lot of great stories to share. The food was pretty good. The crab burger recommendation really is good. The prime rib cheesesteak was amazing. If you're in the area, give them a try.

Old cabin atmosphere with a historic charm gives this place its uniqueness. Friendly staff made us feel at home. They provide our toddler with toys which made it easy for us parents to enjoy our food. Loved everything about this place. I can truly say that this place is one of the kind. Must visit, especially If you want to experience Alaska in its true form.

The waiter was super funny and nice. Food was pretty good would definitely return. Rustic cabin inside feel with lots of fun things on the walls to look at.

This was our first meal in Fairbanks after getting some sleep after a late night flight and breakfast at the cabin we were staying at. I'm surprised to read such terrible reviews, especially since I'm pretty sure we had the very same server that's mentioned in a few of them. I had the Swiss and mushroom burger, my husband had the crab cake burger. We were both happy with the quality of the food and the speed in which it arrived. We were both full at the end and couldn't dream of dessert. We enjoyed the friendly, sometimes sassy, banter with our server, which included some chatter about the Golden Days celebration happening the next day. All in all, a good experience. If we find ourselves in Fairbanks again, we'll be back.

All 3 in my party ordered the crab burger and all of us loved it, even the picky eaters. The water tastes like chlorine maybe it's a Fairbanks thing idk. Other than that Bill was a great server even though he was the only server there for about 20 people. Our food came quickly and he even took a few minutes to give us tips for chasing the aurora.

Great Service, good food and one good experience: Alaskan Crab cake was delicious (a lil oily though) Salmon Sandwich was ok - salmon was a lil dry Fries are really good They have toys for Kids/babies - loved it!

Don't come here unless you have a sense of humor! Our server was absolutely amazing and hilarious he made our first stop in Fairbanks totally wonderful. The food here was good, it's mostly sandwiches, soups and salads. I had the Ruben on the homemade bread the bread was so soft and warm it was like nothing I've ever had before. I ordered a salad instead of fries and was pleased to find out all the dressings are made in house. The salad was fresh and the 1000 islands dressing was delicious. We finished the meal with apple pie and strawberry rhubarb pie a la mode. The pie was the best I've ever had. We plan on going back for more pie before we leave! It was reasonably priced and like I said the service was amazing. I would definitely recommend this place to visitors

What a fun atmosphere while enjoying a good meal. We were fortunate to have the owner, Soapy, walking around in his Aloha shirt, shorts and flip flops, entertaining the guests and taking their photos. The local beer selection was fabulous while the food was very good, nothing spectacular, but not bad at all. The sandwiches are good and there is a good variety of entrees to choose from, including seafood dishes. If you're just visiting, it's worth eating there once or twice, for sure. I guess Soapy has a great influence on the staff because our server kept us smiling the entire time. Go have some fun and brighten your day.

Contrary to what others said: Excellent service and delicious food! We had a fresh salmon from the Copper river, a crab burger and a rhubarb pie ("a la mode"). Prices were very reasonable and our server Bill was adorable. The decor is really nice, the ambiance too :) At the end of the day this was our best lunch option during our stay in Fairbanks. Tip: try their local beer Coldfoot Pilsner

Seems weird that one guy is handling everything front of house. He was super busy. His service was as good as it gets with just one person. +1 star I was unfortunately fed raw fish and chips, it was really bad. We also got the crab cake burger. It tasted like your average high school chicken sandwich. the Clam chowder was okay. Overall was not satisfied.

Hubby and I almost had the place to ourselves at 7pm Saturday night when the place across the street had a wait list. Ordered overpriced fish and chips, one of the cheapest items on the menu at $19.95 and both the cod and the fries looked like they went from Safeway's freezer to their deep fryer. Tasted okay but very disappointing. Then the waiter tried to charge $24.95 and was very apologetic when I pointed out it should be $19.95. Frankly, I'd go without before going back.

Quaint local establishment with a lot of charm DT Fairbanks. I had the Baked Salmon Sandwich with potato salad and it was wonderful. I would recommend it if you are up in this neck of the woods!

Ill admit it. I was dithering between 3 n 4 stars. But with a name like this about a character from Alaska's history and a waiter with a personality that was bigger than the state of texas, well, I gave them the bump up. I had a late lunch here with the munchkin and my parents. The food was a pretty good, but not great. The price was reasonable for Alaska. The waiter was fun but we didn't need quite the spotlight he tried to shine on everything all the time. The restaurant is all tables, no booths, with a raised dias in the back near the kitchen. The menu was limited, but that works in what is primarily a sandwich and burger joint. The munchkin got ribs which the bones fell out of as she was trying to pick them up. I had a grilled ham and cheese which was pretty average. My mom had a salad and my stepdad had a Rueben. He really enjoyed his sammy and my mom thought her lunch was good too. The fries were so so and I snuck a bite of my daughters ribs, which were average saucy ribs, but they were definitely falling off the bone and then some. Its worth stopping at for lunch, but I don't think I would make this a dinner option if I was in the area to return. Overall it did its job and filled us up without quite breaking the bank. Swing on by if you dare...

The restaurant came highly recommend by locals. It was a pleasant atmosphere and waiter was friendly but by himself for lunch with only 1 cook. Had crab cake burger and my wife a bacon burger. They were ok. Fries ok. Side salad ok. Both bathrooms out of order... homeless guy loitering in hall and asking me for money and food. Wasn't a good part of our experience.

I waited until I reached Alaska to have salmon, looking forward to fresh offerings. We ate at Soapy's for lunch and I ordered the salmon salad. There was probably less than a 1/2 cup of greens laid in one layer on the plate with about a dozen 3/4" sized nuggets of dry and not tasty salmon scattered over the top. Such a disappointment. My sister ordered the crabcake sandwich which she said was good, but her french fries were not warm. I wanted to love this place, but it wasn't to be. Service was good, but unfortunately, all his hustling did not make up for the mediocre food served.

I was in town for work and had not had the chance to do any touristy kinds of things or sightseeing. Eating here I was finally able to get some good photos. Wander around the restaurant and it's a history of Fairbanks. An amazing little building full of history and photos and artifacts a vacation in itself. I was alone but ended up speaking with several locals who seem to eat there all the time and have stories of Their Own. Made for an enjoyable lunch. Oh yes and I had the crab Burger and it was okay.

WOW! Where do I start? Basic food, subpar clam chowder (claiming to be the best), out of two items that we tried to order and self inflated egotistical owner that wants to talk about himself. I felt like I was held hostage while he talked about himself and Alaska. A group of two came in AFTER us and our order was put on hold because there was less of them than us. They had their food before our orders were even taken. One of our party members was shamed for ordering a Corona and Denali beer was pushed like his paycheck depended on it. Save your time head somewhere else. We paid over 13.50 for a smoothie and a beer. Thanks for the game of Scrabble the only redeeming quality.

I'm 100% certain you guys hear this all the time but Bill is a goddamn saint. Instead of giving me a list of all the beers the restaurant had available he asked me my favor profile, I was a little nervous that I didn't know what I was getting into exactly, but he brought me a new favorite beer (I went out and bought a six pack of it). Not only was he a good, fast, attentive waiter who shared some very interesting contemporary state history with me and my old man, but we even caught a glimpse of his personal life when a local stumbled in needing help and Bill immediately jumped to her aid. Like I said, the man is a saint, try your best to time your visit with his shift and you'll be as charmed as me.

Great place. The clam chowder was one of the best I have had. The small bowl was huge. The salad with homemade ranch was wonderful: the personality of the guy was great.I got tea and they give you s huge selection. The ranch dressing was wonderful . I like joking with the people: he needs a little help but I feek it would take away from the charm. He has a great personality and the veggie burger my hubby had was great.

Yum! The TGI Friday's of Fairbanks and locally owned! Service is always amazing. I forget his name but tall skinny guy is always clean and happy giving the best service (and view, his words lol) love this place! Plenty of seating for all. Homestyle good cooking. Fresh everything. Salads are great! Im a vegetarian and they have several options. The ranch is homemade and tastes delicious.

Bad service, food over cooked and high prices. Never saw the bill till requested while leaving

We were on vacation when we ate here. The owner greeted us and he was very nice. Had some great stories about his family history. The history is also all over the walls of the restaurant. It was a great place to eat to experience Fairbanks. The food was delicious. I see the waiter had several bad reviews and if you are a sensitive person I can see how you may be offended by him. He is blunt and serious but he took care of us and we enjoyed our dinner at this restaurant.

Not good ...food was below average over priced waiter didn't bring our chowder out at all...wish I had eaten elsewhere