The Pump House Restaurant Fairbanks

My first and probably only time to visit as I was in Fairbanks as part of an pre-voyage land excursion through Denali. Set on the banks of the Chena River, the Pump House is off the main road. Better make reservations because it gets busy after 6:30 and for good reason. Meals in general as well as just about everything in Fairbanks is a bit pricy. At the recommendation from a local, I had the Elk meatloaf while my wife had grilled Halibut. The service was excellent and food came out quick and both were exceptional. I highly recommend the fish chowder. Don’t think I’ve had it better than anywhere else. The inside of the restaurant was well done with unique antique. With Two glasses of wine, a beer plus tip we spent $120. For the area and quality, it was spot on.

This was a great meal and the staff were friendly too. The restaurant is right on the water and has some great scenery on the outside. They have great Alaska style dishes and the inside of the facility is reminiscent of a 1900s upscale eatery. It was a little bit pricey, but I would come here again. The place is pretty busy so I would encourage reservations.

The filet mignon was on point, tender and full of flavor. Deserts are baked daily in house and delicious. The deep dish apple pie was incredible. They serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzle caramel over both. I recommend reservations but not always necessary. Atmosphere was old saloon but food and service was 5 star.

This was a great experience! The food was excellent, our server Wesley, was great, and the atmosphere is aeesome! The whole place is historical, it used to be an old pump house. Walls are covered with memorabilia from the early 1900's, including photos and big game mounts. 8 foot grizzly as you enter. We had an appetizer of shrimp and crab rangoons which were most definitely freshly made in-house, very good!. I had the seafood risotto, stuffed full of seafood and my wife had a the salmon dish. We also had an oreo cheescake that was delucious. We went in at 5pm and was not crowded but, by the time we left at 7:30pm, it was packed. Reservations highly recommended. The bill was pretty high, but on par with the quality of food that came out of the kitchen. With our food plus 4 drinks came to about $90 per person inc tip.

Very good experience! Elk a bit overdone, but taken care of by management. Blackened shrimp appetizer tasty, but just a tad too spicy. Delicious oysters! Robust crab. And the best part was the wonderful service that we got from Christa!

Stopped by for dinner on a weeknight but told it would be a 2 hour wait for a table so went online and made reservations for an hour later. Came back in an hour and our party was sat down immediately. Our waiter was great, juggled several tables and still took good care of us. I had a seafood combo and it was great but missing the halibut. I didn’t even realize it till later. My wife had a salad and it was fresh and flavorful. Desert was great too! Lava cake is always a good meal ender! Overall, we had a great experience and highly recommend the Pump House!

I had a great experience at The Pump House! The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, and the service was excellent. I ordered the salmon, and it was absolutely delicious. The rest of the menu looked just as tempting, and I’ll definitely be coming back to try more. A must-visit spot in Fairbanks if you’re looking for great food and a relaxing dining experience.

We went to The Pump House on a Sunday. They weren't doing on menu ordering as they were having a buffet that day. We didn't know they were doing a buffet and there was no indication on the website. The food was pretty good but there weren't a lot of options to choose from and the buffet had a lot of empty spots that seemed to take a while to fill. At one point several people were standing around waiting for plates because there were none. The desserts were good and the service was great. Our drinks were refilled quickly and the waitress was nice but I don't think I would recommend the buffet. Regular dinner service might be fine but our experience was lacking especially considering the price we paid.

While traveling through Fairbanks, we kept asking locals where to eat and everyone said The Pump House, so we had to give it a try. SERVICE: 5/5 Locals also suggested making a reservation through Google, which we did. We were seated right away, and the service was excellent from start to finish. Our server checked in frequently without being intrusive, which made the experience feel relaxed and well taken care of. FOOD: 4/5 We ordered the grilled halibut and the grilled salmon. Both dishes were outstanding in their own ways. The halibut was the star for me. It was perfectly cooked, not fishy at all, and full of great flavor. The salmon had a unique sweet honey glaze that made it memorable and delicious. AMBIANCE: 4/5 The atmosphere had cozy, rustic cabin vibes, and since we visited in November, the fall-themed decor made it feel extra warm and inviting. Overall, The Pump House absolutely lived up to the hype. Highly recommend!

Beautiful restaurant. A lot of historic photos and it gave an awesome cabin/outdoors vibe. The food was a little pricey for it to just be mediocre. The medium steak I ordered was more medium well, and it was a very thick cut. Wasn't too bad. Pastas were bland. Service was cool. The front receptionist woman could have been a little nicer. We got there right when they opened, no reservation but she still got a little snarky when asked if it was ok to wait indoors. Again, nothing major, but due to the weather conditions (which weren't used to) she could've been kinder. Overall, it was an ok experience.

This place was absolutely top tier! Coming from California, it's the closest I've experienced to a true five-star dining experience. The vibe is rustic, so no need to stress about a strict dress code. I made reservations two days in advance, arrived a bit early, and they seated us right away. There's plenty of parking, and the deck is gorgeous. I'm still bummed I didn't get a photo while the sun was out. The food was delicious, and my nephew loved his seafood risotto (not pictured). The prices were far better than what you'd pay in California. Highly recommend!

This was our first restaurant of the trip. We were surprised to see all of the food options. The seafood chowder was delicious and flavorful. The seafood pasta was also very good. It had a good ratio of seafood to pasta and the prices there were very fair. Service was very friendly and the ambiance is very homey... especially after coming from the cold. This place was recommended to us by many people and we were not disappointed.

Damn. Best halibut " blackened halibut " In the country. And I eat a lot of halibut being an Alaska native. Order it. I promise. It's the bomb.

Great local restaurant with an old town, historic feel. It's almost like traveling back in time to the gold rush era. Such friendly service. We ordered the scallop appetizer, seafood chowder, grilled halibut and burgers for the kids. There may have been a bit more pesto on the halibut for our taste and I was surprised the kids felt the burgers tasted plain. That's usually how they prepare it for kids but other all thought the seafood was pretty good. Definitely recommend trying!

Love the decor! The service and food were the best we had on our 2 weeks in Alaska! The shrimp and crab Rangoon was so good. The elk medallions were cooked perfectly, the roasted potatoes were nice, broccolini and carrots were warm, but crisp. Loved the bacon wrapped scallops! The halibut, salmon, and black and bleu burger got rave reviews too. Save room for dessert. The table favorite was the peanut butter pie. We also had the chocolate mousse pie and te carrot cake (which was more of a spice cake). Oh the key lime martini was delicious. Make a reservation and go!

Stellar service, excellent food, rustic ambience! When you enter, you are greeted by a grizzly bear! Decor is reminiscent of the gold miner days. If you plan on coming here, I recommend that you make reservations. We thoroughly loved dining here!

My server was Kendal and my root beer was on draft. Both were sweet and bubbly. My grilled halibut plate looked small didn't think I'd get full but the potatoes were a nice touch. Hold the cheese please. Wish I had more veggies but at least the fish was good. I had the scallops wrapped a bacon as an appetizer. These are a must, I like that they were not too sweet. And my dessert was a Rhubarb cobbler, nice and hot with cold vanilla ice cream on top. So good!

I can here on vacation in November. It was so cold! That being said, have pretty much only good things to say. First of all, Joshua was our server and super friendly and helpful! He recommended some dishes which was great. Highly recommend following recommendations. We had the grilled salmon which hwas delicious. The maple syrup and black berry glaze on the salmon ended up on the potato wedges which elevated them to a whole other degree. My partner was absolutely in love with it. I personally loved the seafood chowder because it was thick and perfect. The bread was delicious and complex in flavor without being too much. The only thing that wasn't absolutely amazing was the crab mac. We also had the elk meatloaf which my partner loved. I personally found it too salty but that is more because I don't put a lot of salt in my food. The decor was SO cute. I loved that they say us on a couch which just made the dinner that much more cozy. I certainly recommend and, having seen reviews, would love to come back in good weather too!

A must for Sunday brunch! Talk about having it all and everything being top notch! If you ever visit Fairbanks Alaska you will be doing yourself a huge disservice by skipping the Pump House. Be sure to check out the River view from the back porch too.

When we first walked in the ambiance was nice and welcoming. Also the service and staff were very nice and helpful but not overwhelming. I got the fried seafood combination and it was ok but it tasted like the oil hadn't been changed in a while. The seafood Alfredo was good and everything was cooked well it was just a little bland. The pump house premium burger was good but not a 20$ burger good. We also got the shrimp and crab Rangoons that were very good, overall a good place to eat just more on the expensive side.

Best seafood we had in the whole trip to Alaska. And really liked the setup there. Strongly recommended.

This place is very popular and make sure you have advance reservations. And if u aren't prepared, like us, you can show up at 4pm to be seated at the bar. First come first serve at the bar. And honestly, their bar seating actually has a lot of regular tables/chairs, not at the actual bar. They have many food selections but all taste average. We ordered a lot of different dishes to try, and our favorite is actually the seafood pasta! Lamb racks are a little too burnt and nothing too impressive Strawberry cobbler is super sour, make sure you like the sour jam before u order Seafood chowder is okay. Steamed clams and reindeer sausage is really good!! Highly recommend! They no longer have reindeer medallions but they offer elk medallions if you wanna give it a try Bacon wrapped scallop, not my favorite.

Tonight, we went to the Pump House (since 1933) for dinner. We ate our dinner in the saloon area. My wife had the salmon with a maple/blackberry glaze and I had the seafood risotto (crab, scallops and shrimp). Everything was good, but we thought that quality of our meals did not quite match the atmosphere of the place. Rustic interior with mounted wildlife, etc. Service was excellent.

The staff were friendly and .food was great! The place is beautiful, ally to see and look at while waiting for your table.

Impressed! I understand that they got the head chef from Lavelle's and they've upped their game! We started with Alaska Scallops wrapped in Maple Bacon they were excellent!. Our friend who with my wife and I got the Halibut Fish and Chips and we both got the Blackened Halibut. So tasty! What a great head chef can bring to an establishment is truly edible art! We decided to split a desert a lava brownie cake A'la Mode. It was good but not great. I'd work on some better deserts. Main courses are fantastic!

When in Fairbanks, AK be sure to dine here. The restaurant looks to be in an historic building with lots of antiques and historic memorabilia inside. Our waiter was very knowledgeable and friendly and helped us with our selections, which were halibut (mmm) and King Crab. I enjoyed the food and the decor and would eat here again.

We have been to Fairbanks 5 times 2006, 2015, 2018, 2021, and 2025 and have eaten in the Pump House every time, twice in 2018. We took friends in 2015. Every time the food, service, and atmosphere have been top notch. The dining room has the comfortable old time feel of the gold rush from the upside down sled dog team suspended from the ceiling to the giant brown bear in the glass case. My wife and I both had the blackened halibut with pesto on polenta and it is perhaps the best we have ever eaten. There are a lot of good restaurants in Seattle that do a wonderful halibut preparation for $50 or $60 but this was the best and it was only $36.95. A basket of fresh sourdough bread was offered at no extra charge. A generous pour of house wine was under $10. The desert tray offered such a fabulous selection that my wife and I each ordered desert instead of splitting just one as we usually do. Kendall B gave us great service. We split a dinner salad, had 2 glasses of wine, 2 entrees and 2 desserts for $135.90 before tip, a bargain relative to Seattle prices and Alaska has no sales tax on the food and only 5% on drinks. If you have a choice of where to eat in Fairbanks,

Went for Sunday brunch. Food selection was outstanding. Service was spot on and the atmosphere was full of historical items well displayed. Highly recommend the Sunday brunch. The price was reasonable too. Best brunch ever!

Great NYE date-night place located on the frozen banks of the Chena River in Fairbanks, Alaska. Our server, Blaine, was very attentive and friendly and did a sensational job taking care of our table and the others around us. The food was delicious and i highly recommend their seafood chowder and shrimp and crab rangoons! Best I've ever had!

Food was excellent The service is dependent on your server The menu is five star The bar- It has lost its ambience a long time ago When sitting at the bar, in the bar area; you feel like you are at a service station. Dirty glassware throughout the bar I believe it is their washing station for the entire restaurant. Left side of the bar has been turned into an oyster bar with cheap marker board and fried food to go containers clustering bar. Long lost are the days of sitting at an old Alaskan bar. Now you will be tripping over one and two year olds with other kids sitting throughout the tables in the bar area with their questionably parental skilled parents in attendance More mid class to lower class. Long gone are the days of exclusivity here. Good family dining, with an above average dining pricing. Bar tables were dirty when I sat down. Never cleaned. Live Piano music a +

Recommended by a local and the menu solidified our dinner decision. A short drive past the Fairbanks airport is an incredible location, even in the winter. The dining room and bar have so much character that they have a pamphlet to tell you about it. The food was delicious!! I had the salmon with a blueberry syrup glaze (not too sweet) and my mom had the seafood risotto. She had pre than she could eat, so she picked out the good stuff to save room for the massive dessert options. We split the chocolate mousse pie with Oreo crust and nothing was left... Great spot for family, date night, summer on the patio overlooking the river, good food. All of the staff was great making sure we had what we needed without being overwhelming.

Made a reservation for 7pm to sit outside 2 weeks ago. Arrived and the hostess said there were no outside tables available even though that's what I'd reserved and empty tables were visible outside with "reserved"signs. She said they were all reserved and had been for a long time. Then said they were from 5pm reservations. Nonsense. Was sat at a crummy table inside. Got up and left, very disappointed in the experience.

I was here with a large party. The majority loved their food and drinks. I ordered from a preselected menu. I ordered the salmon and it was overcooked. I asked our waiter (Vlad) if I could order something else. I opted for the halibut. Unfortunately, that came out overcooked as well. I wish they would have taken the time to cook my food correctly. Perhaps they felt overwhelmed with our large party? Who knows? I don't think I'd go back if I was visiting AK again.

Generous portion sizes and great flavor overall. I ordered the Buttermilk Fried Chicken Mac & Cheese. The cheese was very rich, though it slightly overpowered the other elements of the dish. Still a satisfying meal.

It's highly recommended on several places. We came in when there aren't too many people inside. We ordered the seafood combo, scallops, salmon, and the chocolate cake. They are all delicious. My favorite was the chocolate cake and ice cream. The combination of hot fudge and cold ice cream really made my tongue happy. The seafood plate is not cheap, but I would say it's worthy it. You can taste the freshness of them, and the delicious sauces. The scallops wrapped with bacon are also so flavorful. The grilled sensation and soft texture is scoliosis are the truly winner. I liked this place a lot.

The brunch buffet is fresh and delicious. They keep it covered and heated to retain the moisture and flavor keep it delicious throughout the entire brunch service. It's the cleanest buffet I've ever experienced. Every item tastes personally made fresh and served at the correct temperature. The staff is spot on attentive and courteous. The place has museum quality decor that is cozy, and elegant at the same time. Definitely a must visit if you are in the area.

Excellent local option for dinner. Top notch. I'd highly recommend for Fairbanks area.

Restaurant had a Sunday buffet and so we made reservations to try it. The restaurant was beautiful and we got to sit on the deck which was fantastic. Our waitress was very kind and did a great job! However, the buffet was a hot mess! It offered prime rib (when it was available or not coming out rare) and we waited over 25 min for the peel and eat shrimp to be replenished. They had a small salad bar and again, you were scrapping the bottom of the containers for scraps to make a salad. The food was also very bland. A family called the manager over to complain and she made the comment "let me walk around and see what's needed", question is why wasn't someone monitoring this before all the food was empty. I overheard several people leaving that were upset for what was offered and the price.

Beautiful, warm Alaska interior with a large, inviting bar area with tons of activity and energy, along with a cozy game room area with pool, darts and bar shuffle board at $8/hr and traditional dining area space as well. The property also has a very nice, expansive deck open in the summer. Don't bring your dog to the deck though, your dog will not be welcome. Food is good, for what it is. The highlight of this destination is the lovely interior for sure!

Literally the best meal I've ever had in my life! (I ordered the halibut) Awesome atmosphere channeling old Alaska. Loved the whole experience.

Delicious dinner at the Pump House to end our Fairbanks trip. The service was very good, our waitress was very attentive. The kitchen was backed up, and she apologized multiple times and even offered us a complimentary soup or salad while we waited. There was plenty to look at around the restaurant to keep us busy while waiting. The decorations are a uniquely Alaskan! We started with the Alaskan bacon wrapped scallops, you could taste the wood fire char, they were delicious. The coleslaw and rice was a pass. I had the blackened halibut which was the highlight of the meal! The risotto paired perfectly with the slightly spicy halibut. The balsamic glaze was a very nice compliment. My wife ordered the ribeye, which was slightly over the medium she ordered, but still tender. The Demi glaze was very good.

This is an awesome place so nice inside like going to someone old house. The witness was so kind and helpful. I was told by 2 different uber driver to order this dish. So I did order this very delicious dish Blackened Alaskas Halibut with Truffle Risotto and roasted tomatoes. Now I usually don't eat tomatoes but this was delicious so sweet it reminded me of the tomatoes preserves my Mother used to make. My husband ordered the Seafood Pasta and he also loved it. If I ever come back to Fairbanks I will come back to this restaurant.

We stopped here on the last night of a Cruise/Land Tour vacation. It was a Monday night, and we got our group of 9 in for a 6pm dinner. The historical building was best described as rugged Alaskan, with interesting historical artifacts displayed. The menu had lots of variety. Both land and sea choices. And some nice desserts. I had the Elk Medallions. They were great. The portions were large. Our server was great, but there was a long time between our order and when our food was served. an overall very good local dining experience.

Service was excellent. Food was pretty good. We sat in the bar area, a little too close to the piano player, who was great, but too loud for the room size, so it was hard to talk over. Try the Elk meatloaf, it was great! Super bar service!

So the Airbnb owner recommended The Pump House and reservations were hard to come by. Nothing was available yesterday and we could only get an 8:30 pm for today so we took it. The staff are really good and the grounds are pretty as it sits right in front of the Chena River. By all means, have a drink and enjoy the scenery. However the food is lackluster. We ordered half a dozen oysters and they were OK, but the person who shucked them didn't release them from the shell. I suppose that's not horrible but I can't remember the last time that happened to me. Their seafood chowder was really good. Lots of salmon and other seafood bits. However the salmon main was over done. We ordered the reindeer tenderloin and they substituted it with elk. This was fine but we asked for medium and it was a bit under. Neither of the entrees were particularly hot and tasted just ok. The veggies needed more cook time. You needed the serrated knife to cut the broccolini although the carrots were tender. A bit of a mixed bag with this one. I eyed other food that came out and some looked good (might have been steak and/or meatloaf and definitely the Mac and cheese looked good). Probably wouldn't come back again. I'm rating them a 3 but I'd lean more towards a 2.5.

Came in at 9pm, an hour before closing we know, but we had just finished our schedules for the day and wanted a good meal. The hosts were less than excited to see us and took their time to even acknowledge us but it was late so benefit of the doubt. They don't seat anyone in the main dinning area after 9 so they directed us to the pub area which is first come first serve with a smaller menu. The food is always reliable here. The calamari was delicious with the tartar sauce. The chowder is on the saltier side that would be perfect with a side of bread but alas it only comes with soup, and the burger and fries were excellent. Lovely ambience, they even have billiards, shuffleboard, and darts. Would recommend!

Food: phenomenal (when it finally arrived) Service: the worst I've had possibly ever at a restaurant. Our reservation was at 6:30, and we were seated at 6:40. Our waitress didn't arrive until about 30 minutes later and after taking our drink orders (only an ice tea and root beer) we were still without any drinks or food AN HOUR after being seated. It took an hour and 20 minutes to get our food and we got zero drink refills and our waitress never checked on us. Definitely won't be returning after this

Got there late so only had the bar menu but was fairly good. Service was friendly and location is a cool vibe

Service was great. The poor waiter had to come tell us four (4) times to apologize and say our food was going to arrive soon... over the course of 1hr 10min. I made reservations (7:30pm), so they knew we were coming. It's was a Thursday night... busy as usual. All that is completely normal so not sure what the problem was getting our food cooked but waiting over an hour is unacceptable. I first went to the Pump House in the 80's and had a great experience and when I moved from Fairbanks, I would occasionally visit and continued to have a good experience at the Pump House. This year my family decided to have a reunion in Fairbanks and the PH was the big dinner out. Not sure how we all made it to 8:40pm, especially my 89 year old mom. The food was a mix... halibut was very dry, old oil was used to fry. The coleslaw is a game-changer! Don't get me started on desserts. Average to below ave. I hope things are not this way and just an anomaly, either way, someone higher up should've made it right instead of leaving us with a bad taste.

The Pump House just served me the best ribeye steak I've ever had. The atmosphere is wonderful and the service is extremely friendly, this is definitely a place you need to visit when you come to Fairbanks Alaska!

Got a last minute reservation for 9 on a brightly lit weekday 'evening'. The outdoor patio wasn't open. The decor is reminiscent of Gaston's Pub with more varied animals. Service was prompt, and attentive. The food was largely A+++. We particularly enjoyed the chowder, crab legs, elk meatloaf, blackened halibut, calimari and bacon wrapped scallops. The crab legs and chowder in particular were alstandouts. The reason it's not a 5 star review is they were sold out of the elk medallions and my sister didn't like the chicken Mac n cheese. Good spot for good food.

Leaving this review from a visitor's perspective, so I can't speak on how this restaurant compares to other fine dining in the area. We're glad we had a dinner reservation since it seemed pretty crowded. My partner and I arrived early and enjoyed the rustic ambiance. We spent our time at the separate bar area enjoying drinks until our reservation time. I recommend the Strawberry Lemon Drop Martini if you're craving a sweet, fruity cocktail (that is, if you're typically a fan of strawberry lemonade.) Foodwise, we opted for the Seafood Sampler for Two to be able to get a taste of different foods. The portion was in fact enough for two people. The great service was the highlight of our experience! We were on a time crunch due to our flight later that evening, and the staff was able to get our food out extremely quickly for us. Our server was so friendly, and we're really appreciative of them being able to accommodate us.

The Elk medallions and the halibut were great. The salads, both Caesar and the mixed greens were also good. The salmon was overcooked and the desert was dry.

The steaks were great, and a larger portion than I expected! I actually couldn't finish mine. Loved the antiques on the walls and the service was very good, considering how busy they were.

The service was minimal and the food was disappointing. The soup and the halibut basket were cold.

Wow! We found the perfect Sunday brunch spot! My sister called for reservations on the deck, closest to the river. Our table was ready and we were seated immediately. After coffees and conversation. We cruised the brunch offerings to find my favorite foods: two kinds of smoked salmon, grilled vegetables and perfectly prepared halibut. Honestly, everything looked good from the French toast and whipped cream and fresh berries to the many styles of eggs and sausages to the charcuterie board. This is a special place, and my family had much to celebrate. I'm so glad we gathered here on a stunning July morning.

My family and I had dinner reservations on a Friday night. When we arrived we got seated immediately, the restaurant was very busy and we still got great service! The restaurant was clean and felt cozy, decor was a representation of Alaska for sure. The food was delicious, fresh and high quality. My husband ordered the seafood risotto, he loved it. My daughter got the calamari and the filet mignon, the meat was tender and she loved the airy mashed potatoes that is paired with the filet, the calamari was fresh and the breading was crispy, my daughter didn't like the strong Parmesan after taste but I loved it. I had the Alaskan scallops wrapped in bacon, best scallops I've ever eaten, you can taste the freshness and quality, I recommend them if you love scallops!