The Black Bear — Restaurant in Alaska

The coffee here was great. The biscuits and gravy were delicious. The wait staff were wildly rude. Like... Blatantly. As an Alaskan, I know what it feels like at the end of the tourists season. You're worn out, but you still have to treat people kindly.

A woman next to us had a small child, and a glass of water was knocked over. The woman didn't have any napkins on her table, so we gave her all of ours. She did the best she could with what she had. Still, it was not enough to dry the floor. She reluctantly asked an employee for assistance with cleaning it up by bringing a mop (it was a lot of water!), and the employee asked the woman if she would like more napkins to clean it up herself. Not kidding.

I was at a very, very small table with 3 adults and an infant. The table was entirely too small for our food, coffee, and waters much less our small personal items. We took turns in eating, passing the infant around as needed, and in the shuffle of such a tiny space, a facemask fell onto the silver metal napkin holder (now empty by the way). No... Not ideal. Also not intentional. A waitress came over and unkindly told us how inappropriate it was too put facemasks on communally used objects, removing the empty napkin holders and leaving. Is she right, yes. We should have put masks away in pockets, but we had just been awake all night, freezing from camping in Denali with unexpectedly low nighttime temperatures. We were bleary-eyed, exhausted, and cold, but not importantly, we are just human beings capable of mistakes.

The wait staff also seemed annoyed that they had to deliver food? I'm sorry I tipped when I ordered. I obviously won't...

Do yourself a favor and come here during your Denali visit. I fell in love with their pastry case -- it's dairy/gluten friendly, ingredient minimalist, and overall very attractive and interesting options. The raspberry oat bar and apple cake were both excellent, well-balanced flavors and textures, not overly sweet, and allowed the fresh fruit to stand out. The trail mix cookie wasn't my favorite. They have a coffee shop quality menu, and my basic oat milk latte was pretty much perfection. The brunch menu looks good; everything they were bringing outlooked amazing. I only tried the biscuits and gravy -- thick, buttery biscuit, flavors on the plate were pretty mild, but twas a good portion and enjoyable dish. This is a very popular spot and there's a line as soon as they open. They move pretty efficiently, and there seems to always be a free seat or two indoors or outdoors. I didn't eat my way through Denali by any means, but I feel confident saying you'll get much better food and coffee here than at any of the lodges. Their WiFi was also better than lodge I was staying at. This place is...

Came her for lunch after spending the morning in Denali. It was crowded, but line was moving quickly and tables were clearing out quickly. You place your order at the register and they bring it out to your table. Service was very friendly and helpful.

Ordered The Denali Platter, Breakfast Sandwich, Biscuits and Gravy, and the Bohemian. Also, ordered a slice of banana bread and a cookie. Everything was brought out to the table within 10 minutes made fresh and hot. It was a simple breakfast, but everything tasted great with homemade and natural ingredients. Midway through the meal, the cashier stopped by the table to tell me they refunded me a meal as they accidentally charged me twice. With the many orders, I didn't even notice, but definitely appreciated the honesty. Once done, they ask you bus your table and return the dishes to one of the stations. It made things more efficient and also a home feeling.

Nice place to come for a meal while visiting Denali. Good food...