Nowhere is the pioneer \u201cmake do\u201d spirit more evident than in Alaska\u2019s small towns, where the oh-so-Alaskan habit of repurposing vehicles and buildings has made its way into the food scene. In fact, some of the best food you\u2019ll find in Alaska comes from restaurants that cook and\/or serve out of repurposed buses, train cars, and in one case even a yacht.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s nothing broken about the \u201cTrain Wreck Complex\u201d in Seward. Situated just off the harbor docks and a short stroll from the cruise ship terminal, this collection of retired railroad cars has been repurposed into a clever micro-hotel on one side and a restaurant \u2014 the Smoke Shack \u2014 on the other.<\/p>\n
Known for its killer breakfasts, the Smoke Shack is \u201ccozy\u201d \u2014 there are only a few booths inside \u2014 and they don\u2019t take reservations. So, if the train car is full and the often-rainy Seward weather isn\u2019t cooperating for outdoor dining, you may have a long wait ahead. But the casual, creative fare and reasonable pricing are well worth it.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re hungry for bountiful garlic fries, an old-fashioned milkshake and one of the best burgers in the state, look no further than the old red school bus parked on Van Buren Street in Seward.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the kitchen for Red\u2019s Burgers, a seasonal May-to-September restaurant that draws a steady stream of enthusiastic visitors (and rave reviews) from all around the world. You can take your food to go, eat outside and admire the mountain views, or you can stay and eat inside another remodeled bus with four-top tables. Heads up: Red\u2019s only takes cash, but there\u2019s an ATM on-site if you need it.<\/p>\n
Red\u2019s has some competition: The Burger Bus in Kenai, a mere hundred road miles away, draws its share of burger-related accolades, too. The Burger Bus is almost its own neighborhood, with a small shelter in front of the bus door and an outdoor dining area nearby. And while it may not look like much, locals and visitors alike rave about the great food and friendly service.<\/p>\n
Of all the unlikely places where school buses turn up in Alaska, the tiny town of Hyder may be the most remote. Hyder\u2019s year-round population is less than one hundred people, but summer tourists come in droves to watch black and grizzly bears at nearby Fish Creek \u2014 and to enjoy stellar fresh seafood from \u201cThe Bus.\u201d There\u2019s limited indoor seating nearby or, if the weather\u2019s nice and there are no bears around, you can chow down at a few outdoor tables.<\/p>\n
Seafood doesn\u2019t get any fresher than what you\u2019ll find in Alaska\u2019s isolated seaside communities, and the seafood tacos don\u2019t come any better than those you\u2019ll be served at Baja Taco in Cordova. This unexpected little restaurant is yet another sterling example of turning a school bus into a kitchen, although its seating options \u2014 the shelter of an adjacent building or out on the deck \u2014 are nicer than most.<\/p>\n
Buses aren\u2019t the only stationary road vehicles Alaskans have turned into unconventional eateries. Payo\u2019s Thai Kitchen in Talkeetna is based in an old camper trailer with an open-air dining shelter just outside, so you have a place to eat if it rains.<\/p>\n
If your cruise ship, ferry or plane takes you to the island community of Kodiak, get ready for the most luxurious \u201cvehicle restaurant\u201d you\u2019ll ever experience. Book far enough in advance, and the husband-and-wife team behind Galley Gourmet will take you out for a dinner cruise like no other. You\u2019ll dine on just-harvested seafood and garden vegetables with Kodiak\u2019s lush green shores and a medley of eagles, sea lions, seabirds and sometimes even whales as the backdrop to your meal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Nowhere is the pioneer \u201cmake do\u201d spirit more evident than in Alaska\u2019s small towns, where the oh-so-Alaskan habit of repurposing vehicles and buildings has made its way into the food […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":10400,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[278],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10397","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-americas"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n