So you’re heading to Alaska for the trip of a life time, and you want some adventure. Not the grizzly charging at you while your gun is laying twenty feet away adventure, but you want to really experience Alaska and not just the tourist route.
Fairbanks, smack dab in the part of the state known simply as “The Interior,” is a great city that is Alaska. The people are tough and boisterous, in the summer the sun never sets, and people enjoy having a good time. This city is literally in the middle of nowhere, and as someone who lived there for several years I can attest to the fact that even in that city you can get cabin fever in the middle of winter. It is wilderness.
If you’re the young bar-hopping type, then there are several great bars in and around Fairbanks that are must visits. Some will invariably get left off, but here are a list of five bars you simply should not miss if you are looking to have some fun and adventure in this Alaskan town.
First, visit
The Marlin. This bar is a “dive bar” that’s the basement of a building, but it has some great music on the weekends and generally a pretty rowdy (in the fun college sense of the word) crowd. They often have some of the better beers from local breweries. If you have a chance, see if they have “Up Kilt” beer or Alaskan Oatmeal Stout. Can’t go wrong with either. There’s a wide back room and a narrow front, and if you’re looking for the youth hostel, it’s the upstairs of the building. This bar is located near a good Thai place, right by the University of Fairbanks campus.
After a good day of partying, you’ll want some food.
The Oasis has some of the best bar food in all of Fairbanks, and their famous combo platter proves that you can deep fat fry anything. In addition, there’s enough fat to fill up three full sized college students. They make an excellent Philly cheese steak with jalapeños in for kick. There’s often great specialty beer here, as well, and they make very strong whiskey and cokes (referred to by many locals as “coke colored whiskey).
If you like the idea of frying your own burgers on a do it yourself grill, head to Ester, about 5-10 miles out, and go to
the Golden Eagle. As far as bars in cool looking buildings go, you’ll be hard pressed to ever top this one! Cheap Wisconsin beer, and a grill. You order a hamburger, you get a big raw handful to cook as you see fit. If the mood here doesn’t make you excited to be in Alaska, nothing will.
Ivory Jack’s is a favorite among many locals, being located about five miles out of town. The “Drinking Wall of Fame” will catch your attention, and this bar also has a great grill that’s nothing to sneeze at. A lot of writers like to meet here, and the ambiance is fantastic. Pictures of this place will definitely scream Alaska to anyone who looks at them, and if you try to get your picture on the Drinking Wall of Fame, good luck. You’re going to need it.
If there’s a large buzz around a band coming to town, or a special weekend show, you can be sure the gig’s at the
Blue Loon. About ten miles outside of town, this is a higher class bar, which in Alaska means you can still show up however you want, but the girls will be pretty and wear tight clothes and the whiskey will cost a lot more, but there are some amazing shows, from independent films to Seattle rock bands, and it’s a great place to look for a hook up, if that’s your thing.
Those are five of the best bars in the Fairbanks, Alaska, area. If you’re looking for adventure, this bar hopping guide will have you grinning ear to ear after an amazing week…and probably nursing one heck of a hangover as well!
in Alaska
