Can't wait for Mary Carey's to open up for the summer season. Great causal food, delicious pies…read moreand on a sunny day an awesome view of Denali!

Mary Carey's is part of Mary's McKinley View Lodge. It was a great stopping point on our way out to…read moreDenali. We wanted a fast breakfast, so we grabbed some cinnamon rolls, coffees, and tea. The cinnamon rolls were tasty but honestly nothing overly special. The coffee was basic self serve coffee and got the job done of caffeinating us. My dad raved about the tea. He said it reminded him of old school black tea and wished he had bought a couple extra packets for the rest of our trip. The staff were very friendly and happy to help us. The view off the patio was very serene and I'm sure if it was a little less cloudy we would have been able to see more of the Denali mountain range.

Service was excellent! Friendly, welcoming! I enjoyed the chocolate chip granola bar thing that had…read morea massive amount of cinnamon in it... unique taste!

One of the few coffee shops open at the end of the season right in the main square of Talkeetna…read more Large selection of food and drinks and the London fog I ordered with raspberry syrup was good. Could have been hotter, but it was served quickly and kept my hands warm enough lol. Cute seating both inside and out--loved the table!

I. Talkeetna I walked by a few times and finally today decided to stop in even though I've been…read morebbq'd out the last couple of days. Brisket Sandwich and the slaw were excellent and loaded with brisket, pickles , onions and of course the sauce. Highly recommended.

Stopped here on a whim leaving Talkeetna…read more The pulled pork and brisket were delicious! No sauce was needed. Super moist and flavorful all by itself! The portions were fair. You order at the window and then wait in your car (or outside) while your order is being prepared. It was raining when we stopped by so we waited in our car. Looking back now I see the prices aren't listed on the photos I took! Bummer!

Oh dear. What's happened to West Rib? I used to LOVE coming here, when i was a mere stripling of a…read moretourist way back in 2010, and i have returned many times. I organized an overnight camping trip JUST so i could have dinner at West Rib again, man, what a disappointment. Was the place always this run down, and shabby? Did the sun get in my eyes and blind me? Well anyway, so after me demanding we go to West Rib, yet seeing most other eateries in town absolutely BULGING with tourists, i was a little taken aback by the solo diner in the outside space at West Rib. Gamely i ploughed on with my choice, thinking "maybe i should have gone somewhere else" The server was a nice enough young girl, and she bowed each time she visited the table, and i have absolutely no issues with her - very polite and nice. When she brought the menu, i was shocked. I am sure, i am positive it used to be fatter, had many more choices, every other time I've been here. I distinctly remember a certain sauce or dip i used to order that had a funky name, and was sort of like a schmear but runnier. Now there's only a single page to order from. I wanted to leave. I honestly was on the verge of getting up and going. Anyway, I ordered the Stubbs Burger - hadn't realized he was the Mayor Cat dude, nor that the burger was named after him. Husband ordered the special which was a Brisket Sandwich, and some Jalapeno Poppers to start. The food was fairly fast to come out, and the Poppers were hot, and came with a cool, creamy sauce, maybe ranch? They were ok, taste like every other Jalapeno Popper I've had, I'm not that keen on them to be honest. Then the entrees came out very quickly after that, so i just got started on my burger. Well - see I've been off potatoes in all their glorious forms since February, but these beer-battered fries looked so appetizing, that i grabbed a handful and distributed them evenly across my burger. And i must say - the burger was perfect. I like a well-done, no-pink burger. This was absolutely exactly how i would have asked for it to be cooked if given the choice, i had to take off the onion and the tomato off (they give me stomachache) but of course the 10 fries i put in there filled the gap nicely. And the cheese was oozing very beautifully and dripping out of the bottom. It was gorgeous. He said his Brisket Sandwich was really good too, so despite the place's shabby, and rundown appearance, and slimmer menu - what they cook, they do it very well. I did hear disquieting rumours regarding West Rib, from people around town when i said i was going there for dinner, so whatever they've done, has gotten them a bad reputation in town, which is quite sad really. It holds fond memories for me, due to it being one of the first places my husband took me when we weren't married yet, and i hadn't moved here.

I can't recommend this place anymore. They say they will be open when you talk to them (in person-…read morethey also run tbe grocery store), then they aren't. They told me they are having a hard time finding staff this year. Every time I've stayed in Talkeetna they've been closed, even when they told me they planned to be open. They aren't updating their website or voice-mail either. The place is dilapidated and run down as well. Such a shame.

The seafood chowder and lodge salad were both fantastic. Our waiter was professional and friendly.read more

We ate here twice during our one night stay on our Celebrity Alaskan cruise tour…read more Dinner the first night and breakfast the following morning. We had a late dinner as we were returning from an optional excursion. The seafood chowder was excellent. Plenty of seafood in a creamy broth. And my salmon was cooked perfectly. The next morning there was a choice of the breakfast buffet $28 or à la carte. Hubby & daughter ordered the breakfast special while I had the buffet. Typical breakfast fare.

Some of the best ice cream I have had…read more All of the ice cream is made by Shirley. There are some outside seats.

We really wanted to try fireweed ice cream while we were in the Denali area. Just down the block…read morefrom Salmon Spot in Downtown Talkeetna was Shirley's, know for their fireweed ice cream. Fireweed are those magenta blooms along the drive to and from Denali during the mid-summer months but unlike rose or lavender, fireweed tastes more like berries than floral. They have a variety of other flavors for those less adventurous but if you want something you wouldn't get anywhere else, go for that fireweed.

The absolutely best taco I have ever had. Halibut, a bit pricey, but worth every $ (see picture)…read more Hubby got the beef taco. They also had donuts and turnovers. Highly recommended to us and we highly recommend. Located across from train station in Talkeetna.

Eat there regularly. Delicious beef, chicken, salmon, and shrimp tacos! Wonderful ice cream and…read morecookies! Shirley and her staff are fantastic people!

Struck out for lunch with 2 spots I wanted to try for lunch closed Monday/Labor Day and am glad I…read morecould find lunch at the market on the way to a hike. A THICK footlong comes stacked with 2 cheeses, 2 meats, 3 veg, 2 condiments for just $15. They've gotta be losing money on these sandwiches - there's like 2 lbs of meat and cheese in there! This is not a Subway footlong - completely different species. Probably should have stuck with a 6" but I didn't know any better and now have another 1-2 meals left, not a bad problem to have. I really appreciated the veggie options to choose from as well as how much they piled on. Typically these subs are super bread-heavy but this bread is barely containing the fillings - like they're just there as a finger hold. Rock climbing a super sub here. Ladies were super nice too. They also have great daily lunch specials in it looks like (today was Mexican - choice of enchilada and 2 sides for like $11?) and a nacho bar. Probably the best grocery selections around. I found lots of Greek yogurt options for a little protein/dessert boost - picked one up before I saw how massive the sandwich was gonna be.

We had delicious sandwiches from their deli. They were really good and made to order. Generous…read moreportions at a great price. Get a sandwich as you're heading to your next hike.