When we pulled into the parking lot of this suburban eatery south of downtown Anchorage, I was skeptical. It’s located in a nondescript commercial district, across from a strip shopping center that’s anchored by a wig shop and a consignment store. The restaurant looks like...an aging diner (think: old Big Boy), and it’s name seems like a play on big chains such as Texas Roadhouse or Logan’s Roadhouse. But make no mistake: Spenard Roadhouse is its own creature, and, for my money, better and far more interesting than those rubber-stamp chains. There’s the incredible diversity of the menu, for one thing. What are you in the mood for? How about pizza — say, reindeer & roasted peppers, or maybe prosciutto fig? Or perhaps three carnitas tacos or Alaskan seafood ravioli or spicy red curry or Korean rice bowl? Or maybe a New York strip or a fried chicken dinner or berry balsamic salad or a simple grilled salmon? Our party of four opted for 1) three little bacon-of-the-month tacos, 2) grilled cheese (cheddar and havarti on sourdough with apple and bacon) 3) a salmon burger and 4) jambalaya with Alaskan salmon, wild-caught shrimp and reindeer sausage. Everyone agreed their dishes were stupendous. (I ordered the salmon burger, and appreciated its mango salsa and chipotle aioli; I like a sandwich that bites back a little!) There’s also a full drink menu that includes a nice selection of Kentucky bourbon, craft beer, cider, wine and specialty cocktails such as the Rhubarbra Streisand. (I opted for the Bartender’s Manhattan in which you select the whiskey — I chose Knob Creek 9-year-old bourbon — while the bartender picked the vermouth and bitters. Excellent!) So, the food was delicious, the drinks delectable. But then there is the vibe of the place. I kept thinking of the diner in “Pulp Fiction,” but much less menacing. It has a fun, relaxed feel with good music in the background. Our waitress was very cool, and it’s a great place for people watching — it draws an interesting collection of patrons who all seem to be very happy to be there. Over the years, I suppose we’ve been to hundreds of restaurants — some excellent, a few dreadful, many forgettable. But Spenard Roadhouse absolutely stands out as a joint — and I mean that in the very best sense of the term — where the food and drink are terrific, the service is friendly and spot-on, and the experience, well … it’s something to recommend to one’s friends. It ain’t fancy, it ain’t white linen, it ain’t haughty-taughty. But it’s dang good and a lot of fun, and I hope to go back.More
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