Midnight Sun Brewing Co. — Restaurant in Alaska

Good atmosphere, great beer, and amazing food, but not welcoming to families. I'm on a bit of a mission to visit every brewery in the world, and have been knocking Anchorage's offerings off my list this month. I'm no beer connoisseur, but I REALLY like Midnight Sun's beers. So far, they seem to be the best I've had in Alaska. And the atmosphere of this tasting room/pub is way up there. It has that "hidden gem" feel that I enjoy so much, where you're driving down some industrial road and parking in a back lot where you start to question if it's even really open to the public. But then you wind your way up the stairs and find a delightful little pub. You order your food, and when it comes it blows you away. It's just so much better than you would expect from a brewpub, and a decent value to boot (for Alaska, anyway). But, it gets four stars for a menu and staff that weren't very welcoming to families with children. I realize some people think breweries are no place for children, but that just isn't the case these days, especially in the PNW. This is literally the first dining establishment I've ever taken my kids to that didn't have crayons and a paper menu for them to color on. They don't even have a kids menu. Every other brew pub in town (or that I've ever been to around the nation) has these simple things to help placate the little ones. The manager was very polite, but seemed a bit awkward around our table because we had kids. Another family of four (all adults) sat at the six-top next to us, and he asked them to move to a four-top. I've never seen that before either. To his credit, a party of six came in shortly thereafter and sat at that table, but still....open seating usually means you let people take whatever table they like. If you're strapped for space, don't allow open seating. So...I'll definitely come back, but I won't bring the kids, which is a shame because they actually loved the food we ordered for them. Also...like nearly every other brewery I've been to in Alaska, they were out of the T-shirt I wanted in my size. Us XL guys must be plentiful in the AK craft beer-drinking circles (no surprise...

I used to enjoy visiting this brewery, but the beers have gotten less spectacular over time and the service of the employees has degraded severely. I was with a group and another member of my party asked a waitress about a menu item regarding an item they could not have due to allergies, and the waitress (I assume mistakenly) said the item in question was fine for this person to eat, when it was not okay. After getting sick, this person then asked to be helped and was ignored, and presumably the woman serving us no longer wanted to deal with us and someone else showed up to our table until we left, which we left almost immediately afterwards. It is one thing to make a mistake, it is another to spurn the people you wronged because of that mistake rather than politely owning up to it. I ask the waitress in question and readers to put themselves in my shoes for a moment; if you were going out and prepared to spend 100 dollars or more of your money in one sitting on an evening out, would you expect to be treated like this? I understand if one were in a factory, the military, or prison, to be shuffled along at chow time, but we paid for the privilege to be treated like this.

We were not comped for this sandwich mistake and we will never come back to this brewery, buy their products, nor recommend to anyone to be a patron of this company anymore.

In truth, the beer, while it is not as good as it used to be (in comparison to competitors), was not the driving force for this one star review, it was the fact that we got treated poorly after pointing out that a mistake was made with food which resulted in one member of my party getting sick to their stomach, then being treated poorly after pointing this out.

If you are an employee of the service staff at Midnight Sun and you are reading this, I hope you understand that the issue is not personal, it is simply that we spent a good deal of money and had a pretty bad outcome in response. I work in the service industry too, and I know that it's expensive to go...

As Anchorage's oldest brewery and the second oldest brewery in Alaska, Midnight Sun Beer Co. has earned its place as one of the state's greatest. With nearly three decades of brewing excellence, Midnight Sun continues to impress with its creative and flavorful beers.

Our favorite beer at Midnight Sun was the cult classic, "Fallen Angel" Belgian Strong. Originally brewed on 06-06-06, its intriguing apple and pear flavors have garnered a cult following, and its annual release is highly anticipated by beer enthusiasts. This beer's unique profile and storied past make it a must-try if it's available during your visit.

Our runner-up was the "Great Northern Chicken" double dry-hopped DIPA brewed in collaboration with "Chicken Phil" from Stillfire Brewing Company in Georgia. Hopped with Centennial and Chinook, this DIPA delivers a bold and hoppy punch, balanced by a smooth finish. The name might catch your attention, but the flavor earns it a must taste beer.

Midnight Sun Beer Co. is located in the back of an industrial park on the second floor, giving it a hidden gem vibe. The taproom and kitchen provide a cozy and inviting space to enjoy with a small group of friends. In addition to their impressive beer selection, Midnight Sun serves lunch and brunch, making it a great spot for a mid-day meal. They also brew their own sodas, which are available on tap, offering a refreshing alternative for non-beer drinkers.

Having first sampled their beers back in 2015, it was a surprise to see some of the same beers and labels still on tap or bottled and in use! It was a sureal experience recognizing beer names and bottles that we haven't had in...