Exploring Juneau in Five Bites
For a small city of just over 30,000, Juneau, Alaska, is big on flavor. Restaurants here cater to cruise ship passengers, glacier chasers, and locals. With no roads in or out to bring in fresh food, chefs rely on seasonal foraging and carefully planned gardens. Despite these challenges, Juneau’s restaurant scene thrives.
Seafood is the backbone of Juneau dining; king crab, halibut, salmon, and rockfish dominate menus. Chefs stir up meals to tempt every palate. Here are five dining spots you can’t miss in Juneau, all within walking distance of downtown.
The Rookery Café
Established in 2010, The Rookery Café, a bustling downtown coffee shop and restaurant, serves breakfast and lunch from Monday to Saturday. Dark wood tables, a maroon-colored accent wall and soft lighting create a cozy, welcoming space. Paintings by local artists add color to the neutral walls.
The menu includes full breakfasts, sandwiches, six varieties of fried chicken, burgers, salads, and quesadillas. The French toast is a work of art: two thick slices of vanilla cream–battered, freshly made bread with house maple butter, topped with strawberry compote and whipped cream. I bought a cruffin, a cross between a muffin and a croissant, for a snack.
Location: 111 Seward Street
Tracy’s King Crab Shack
Tracy’s King Crab Shack began when founder Tracy LaBarge joked that she could sell crab legs on the waterfront. In 2006, she started serving crab from a refurbished hot dog cart on the Juneau docks. Today, Tracy’s has two locations with communal seating and dockside views.
It was my last day in Juneau, and I almost missed this spot, but my companion Kristi insisted I try it. I ordered the crab shack combo: a cup of rib-sticking tomato-based bisque, four mini crab cakes, a king crab leg, rolls and butter. It was messy and delicious.
Locations: 432 S. Franklin Street and 300 Whittier Street (open seasonally)
In Bocca al Lupo
In Bocca al Lupo, known for its hand-built wood-fired oven, handmade pastas and hyper-local Alaska ingredients – earned a spot on the New York Times list of “The 50 Restaurants That Excite Us Most Right Now” in 2023. Executive Chef Beau Schooler has six James Beard Award nominations, four of them for his work at Lupo, and was a finalist in 2023.
I love cheddar cheese and ordered the Shells & Cheese, a creamy, comforting bowl layered with smoked salmon, crème fraîche, Beecher’s cheddar, dill and chive breadcrumbs. The briny lift of the dill counterbalanced the cheddar’s richness.
Location: 120 2nd Street, Suite B
Deckhand Dave’s Food Truck
I wandered over to Deckhand Dave’s before dark to take in the live indie-rock music and couples of all ages gliding across the dance floor under fairy lights. Owner David McCasland, a former commercial fisherman, regularly cooked meals for his crew before founding Deckhand Dave’s and later developing Juneau’s first food-truck park.
I ordered the rockfish tacos with red cabbage slaw and fresh pico de gallo, drizzled with a cilantro sour cream sauce. My advice: sit at a table with someone you don’t know and learn about life in Juneau.
Location: 139 S. Franklin Street
Taku Lodge Flightseeing Tour
I gripped the sides of my seat on the Wings Airways de Havilland Otter floatplane as it careened sideways toward the Taku River. I peeked under the wing at the glaciers below – patterns of white and black brushstrokes tinged with blue. The plane landed in front of Taku Lodge.
Outside the lodge, wild salmon was baking over an alderwood fire in a mixture of brown sugar, white wine and lemon juice. Inside, I filled my plate with salmon, baked beans, coleslaw and a herb biscuit, and sat at a communal table. We learned about the history of Mary Joyce, who ran the lodge and completed a 1,000-mile dogsled trip from Southeast Alaska to Fairbanks in 1935–36.
Here’s the recipe for the salmon bake.
Scarface Special-Salmon Baste
Ingredients
1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. dry white wine
8 10-12 oz. Fillets
Preparation:
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
Stir in brown sugar until dissolved.
Add lemon juice and wine.
Stir and heat through, about 5 minutes.
Place fillets in a well-greased grill basket. Grill on an uncovered grill directly over medium coals (Taku Glacier Lodge uses alderwood) for 4 to 6 minutes per ½ inch thickness, or until fish flakes when tested with a fork. Turn often, basting with each turn.
Note: To experience the full flavor, you must do what’s called “Taku Lodge Combat Cooking.” This means holding back a bear until they are done cooking and the salmon is served to the guests!
Location: Wings Airways Seadrome Dock, 2 Marine Way
If You Go
Take a Hike with Alaska Forest and Feast
Cindee Brown-Mills, owner of Alaska Forest and Feast, leads mindful walks through the Tongass National Forest’s Rainforest Trail, one of her favorite quiet corners of Juneau. We moved slowly, paying attention to each footfall, and she shared how nature can steady the mind and help you notice the small moments that matter.
Savor Local Snacks with Juneau Food Tours
At Lena Beach, Midgi Moore of Juneau Food Tours sets a candlelit picnic table filled with locally made treats. The creamy smoked salmon spread, a beloved Juneau staple, is worth the trip to Jerry’s Meats and Seafood and makes an excellent gift to bring home. After tasting so many local specialties, I couldn’t choose a favorite; each one felt like a window into Juneau’s food culture.
Spot Some Whales with Juneau Lighthouse Tours
Juneau Lighthouse Tours offers a three-hour whale-watching trip that goes well beyond spotting wildlife. The route includes Sentinel Island Lighthouse, built in the early 1900s to protect ships navigating the area’s treacherous waters. The boat is designed for comfort, with captain’s chairs, USB ports and two bathrooms, and the longer itinerary gives captains time to travel farther in search of whales.
Grab a Coffee at Sacred Grounds Café
Sacred Grounds serves excellent coffee and highlights Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian carvers, weavers, jewelry-makers and more, certified through the Sealaska Heritage Institute. The café offers a warm introduction to Southeast Alaska’s Indigenous cultures through both art and atmosphere.
I thoroughly enjoyed my five days in Juneau and the chance to try the fantastic fare. Going beyond the cruise crowds, I learned how residents live and eat in this rugged, mountainous state. Here you’re almost guaranteed to see whales, spot bald eagles sunning themselves on electrical poles, and may even see some baby bears, as I did.
Let’s Have a Conversation:
Have you been to Alaska? What impressed you the most? What is your favorite local food?
