Guest Author - Kimi Ross

If you are driving from Anchorage to Tok and on to Canada, you will drive through the town of Glennallen. About 175 miles northeast of Anchorage, it is the first (and only) major town between Anchorage and Tok. All major services of interest to a road traveler can be found in Glennallen: food, gas, lodging, mechanics (including for RVs), grocery store, and a medical clinic.

In the summer season, there are a number of dining choices available to the traveler. While many of these close down during the long winter season, the Caribou Café remains open year round, seven days a week. It is conveniently located right off the main highway through Glennallen, the Richardson. The entire complex includes a small log cabin gift shop (open in summer) as well as a hotel.

This family operated restaurant offers typical café fare. Breakfast selections (served from 7 am – 11:30 am) include a variety of eggs, hashbrowns, toast and meat combos, as well as omelets, hot cakes, waffles and French toast. The lunch menu (served from 11 am) consists of burgers and hot or cold sandwiches, served with a choice of fries or salad. Dinner is served from 5 pm until closing and includes a selection of beef, pork, fish, and chicken entrees. During the summer salmon run, they serve fresh Copper River Red Salmon from local waters.

On a recent visit to the Caribou, I had a burger with fries. Generously sized, it was quite good, though a tad on the greasy side. The fries were nothing special – in fact, they were rather bland and soft, and while there were plenty of them on my plate, they were not tempting enough to finish off. The restaurant itself is rather old, with well used furniture and booths. It is clean, though, and presents a relaxed, casual Alaskan atmosphere. The service was prompt and friendly.

The Caribou Café is not the cheapest restaurant in town. Breakfast ranges from $8-14, burgers and sandwiches average $10, and dinner prices are in the $15-20 range. Still, it is fairly average as far as Alaska restaurant prices go. While the Caribou Café is not my first choice of eateries in the Glennallen area (Copper Center Lodge claims that place), it is an acceptable choice if I’m on my way to Anchorage or back and need to get a bite to eat.

The Caribou Café is open from 7 am to 10 pm in the summer and 7 am to 9 pm in the winter.