11 Best Restaurants in Mat-Su Valley and Beyond, The Kenai Peninsula and Southcentral Alaska

A remote town with only 50 year-round residents seems an unlikely place to find a five-star meal, but that's exactly what the chefs here deliver, creatively assembling dishes using ingredients grown, caught, and raised in the region. The changing menu might include local yak, red angus, Kenny Lake pork, or Copper River salmon—all paired with fantastic wines. Unless you were a guest at Ma Johnson's hotel, it used to be impossible dine here without making a reservation weeks in advance, but it's a little easier now: the addition of outdoor seating has increased the table count from 10 to 20.

Hearty fare fills the menu at this diner-style café, including homemade pies, juicy burgers, burritos, pasta dishes, and pizzas turned out of a wood-fired oven. The owner describes the decor as "Alaska minimalist," but the booths are plush and comfortable, and hand-rubbed wood is evident.

Like every good brewery, Denali Brewing Company has a large outdoor porch for sunny days, and a menu of savory items to soak up the beer. Burgers, fish-and-chips, and a host of appetizers pack their menu. Denali Brewing is also home to Alaska Meadery, Alaska Ciderworks, and Denali Spirits.

Flatbreads, pizzas, calzones, and an excellent array of salads and garlic-filled dishes are the reasons locals congregate at this laid-back downtown eatery all year long. The calzones are true works of art.

A hot meeting place in the old train depot, Palmer City echoes with the sound of local chatter. Though it doesn't provide much of a romantic dining experience, it has a great ambience, and the standard pub fare—salads, pizzas made in a firebrick oven, and handmade burgers—are better than average. With 45 beers on tap, there's a flavor to suit just about everyone's taste.

This iconic food truck is known for its highly popular cheesy spinach bread and also serves breakfast and rotating daily specials, like Thai curry, Ethiopian beans and rice, and a Hawaiian poke bowl. Just look for the shiny metal trailer with a long line of people waiting for their favorite meal. It's worth the wait, and don't forget to grab some Brazilian limeade to wash it all down.

With a menu that ebbs and flows with the seasons yet consistently delivers fantastic dishes, try The Grape Tap. This 60-seat restaurant and European wine cellar is set in a 1930s pioneer home that's been renovated with contemporary colors and style. The Grape Tap is hailed by many as the best fine dining in Wasilla.

What started as a food truck with an indoor-order bar is now a full-blown restaurant. This is where locals come for tasty comfort food, live music, and a super laid-back vibe.

Originally a large purple bus parked next to the gas station in the town's crossroads, this window-service eatery is by far the best place in town. It serves surprisingly fresh vegetables and delightfully spicy dishes. If you like it spicy, be sure to ask for a side of the spicy sauce. The pad Thai with vegetables or chicken is excellent.

The folks at this aroma-filled spot serve up fresh and tasty pastries, quiches, wraps, salads, panini and other sandwiches, and espresso drinks. A convivial setting for meetings, board games, and pleasant conversation by day, Vagabond is a popular venue for touring musical acts several times a month. There's Wi-Fi here, too.