Two Rivers Restaurant

Overlooking the peaks of Wrangell St Elias National Park, this restaurant serves Alaska seafood dinners and hearty breakfasts in a relaxed atmosphere. It’s the nicest restaurant within 100 miles, with a dedication to fresh Alaska foods—including seasonal produce and meat from local farms. Yet the dining room maintains a casual ambience, making it a great place to start or finish your day. Fuel up for a day of sport fishing or hiking with the Alaska breakfast—two eggs, reindeer sausage, potatoes, and toast. Or settle into a fine dinner of Copper River salmon, trucked in fresh from Valdez.

The high-quality menu draws locals and travelers to the Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge. Locals celebrate birthdays and anniversaries here, while travelers enjoy a break from fried food and burgers. For a major lodge, the dining area is fairly small and intimate, so most of the tables and booths have views. In late summer, you can catch sunrise over the snow-covered peaks at breakfast, while dinner guests can watch pink alpine glow light those same peaks in the evening.

Chef Colin Burrows has assembled the menus; he focuses on Alaska seafood and meats, as well as local produce when possible. And since the restaurant is within walking distance of the Copper River—it’s named for the confluence of the Copper and Klutina Rivers—you know they’re going to serve Copper River salmon. The restaurant also serves rockfish, Bering Sea King crab, Kodiak snow crab, and shrimp (when available). Your waiter can recommend a wine or Alaska beer to accompany your meal, and you can finish it off with a delicious dessert.

The restaurant also serves hearty egg and potato breakfasts, as well as light items like oatmeal or yogurt parfait with wild berries. To fuel up for a day’s adventure, try the Alaska breakfast: blueberry pancakes or a smoked salmon omelet with rosemary Yukon gold potatoes and a buttermilk biscuit. The house coffee is Anchorage roasted Kaladi brothers, and you’ll find espresso drinks as well. Servers are used to getting people in and out in the morning, but you can linger over your food if you’d like. If you’re in a real hurry or starting your day early, stop by the “Dragonfly Espresso” (open at 6 a.m.) for coffee and to-go food.