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October 2023 by kijanailis
Love to stop here. Friendly, great pies and fantastic views when the weather cooperates!
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September 2023 by Tim Davis
Locations is good and you’ll have a great view of Denali if the weather is good.Sadly they keep the exterior lights on at the hotel so you must walk away from the hotel if you want a chance to photograph stars or the northern lights.Not something everyone wants to do when they are in unfamiliar bear country when they could have a great view from outside of their door.
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September 2023 by R. Davenport
Outdated room with terrible set up, a front room with couch/chairs (but handy hooks on wall), a bathroom in middle separated these rooms, then a tiny bedroom with a full and twin bed. Needs upgraded combining the front room and bedroom or provide a tv in the front room bc this setup sucked. The tv was small, not hd or smart with only black, white, and green colors. No in room wifi. In room coffee was terrible. No plugs unless you moved the nightstand and unplugged something else. Had to take a shuttle to breakfast at Karstens which was overpriced for the food choices. The scenery was the only good thing about this place.
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September 2023 by Valerie G.
Cozy and a nice place to stop for a hot meal. Not anything fancy, but a great cozy place with lots of admirable history. Mary Carey's story lives on here.
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August 2023 by Bryan Kirby
The location on a sunny day can not be beat great views. Food and service have always been outstanding.
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August 2023 by Thom P.
Lunch time at Mary's for my wife and I while traveling to Denali National Park! The place as a kind of timeless look for a place which has been here for awhile. The interior was a homey rustic place. The server greeted us warmly and we seated ourselves. She brought us waters and menus. She was very friendly, outgoing, and downright homey! I chose the burger w/all the fixings and my wife the patty melt. We both asked for side salads. My wife had the balsamic vinaigrette and I the Caesar salad. Our food came in a very reasonable amount of time. The burger was definitely Alaska sized. And tasted delicious, perfectly done too. The Caesar salad was plentiful and delicious. My wife's patty melt too was great, with plenty of salad.Our server checked on us regularly without being overbearing. My wife wanted a dessert when our meal was over and chose Cherry pie with Ice Cream. It too was really delicious. As advertised the meal was filling and didn't skimp on amounts.As we were leaving our server once again was pleasant and wished us a wonderful day!! This employee really made us feel at home and welcomed. This person is someone who can make or break a restaurant. For us she made it a delightful event and meal!
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August 2023 by Kyle Colby
Amazing staff and good food. A great alternative to the Mckinley Princess restaurants. Locally owned and operated for decades, the staff are always welcoming. The gift shop staff in particular are awesome! Be sure to ask about the history of the establishment and their personal stories. Pick up a few books and art pieces made localally. Oh yeah, and the deck view is awesome!Noteworthy details: Historical Marker: the homestead of Mary Carey
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August 2023 by John & Kristi Head
The rooms are minimal, but comfortable. No AC or TV. The staff are great, very accommodating! And the cinnamon rolls in the cafe are fantastic!!!
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August 2023 by Ja
Love love love this spot. Love the history behind it and views of Denali (if she's out). Nice restroom and lunch/snack stop.
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July 2023 by Sarah A.
Note, this review is for the LODGE, not the CAFE. When researching, we saw the avg. 4-star rating and thought it was for the lodge, so this review is to tell you about the lodge: the cafe was fine--diner-style food and friendly staff.Staff: Meets expectations - Welcoming and assisted in canceling the third night of our booking when we realized the state of the lodge.Basics/amenities: Generally substandard: - No wi-fi and very little cell service- Unpaved path to rooms- Dingy carpet (and no boot tray to save carpet by removing shoes at the door)- No overhead lights (only 1 lamp for entire room)- Only 1 bedside table for a queen-sized bed with an old mattress/frame- Bathroom vanity was not large enough for toiletries- No hairdryer (and when I inquired at the cafe if there was one available, since the lodge doesn't have a "reception desk," I was met with a "no," that's all) or shower cap- Ants on the floor of bathroom and spiders in most corners of all rooms- No towel rack in the toilet/shower room- No trash can in the toilet/shower room- Cracks around the shower surround (likely location of mold)- No air conditioning (or fan), only heat- Walls and floors so thin that we heard someone upstairs pee (i.e., the entire stream, with slight pause in the middle!) and then flush the toilet as well as every footstep and child's cry
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July 2023 by Meenakshi Singh
A very cute place to stay right next to the creek! The rooms as clean & a microwave/fridge within the room are much appreciated. The creekside facing view is beautiful and relaxing! Their cafe has the best food in the area.
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June 2023 by Bill Jackson
Great Lunch. Great Service. Great Sandwich. Way better than the Princess lodge down the street.Food & drinks: Great Sandwich. Fast Service
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June 2023 by Mark Evans
Wonderful wayside Cafe. The bacon cheeseburger and spicy chicken soup were sublime. The server was adorable. It was a pleasurable respite from rain while traveling by motorcycle.
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June 2023 by Christine C.
We loved this stop. I had the Reuben and a cup of the beef barley and they were both delicious. My sister had the enchilada soup and the spinach goat cheese salad. Everything was great. The restaurant wants everyone to know that if there's a tour bus out front, don't be concerned. Their kitchen isn't big enough to serve the buses lunch or dinner so you can still come in and be waited on. The groups are getting premade stuff and taking selfies.
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June 2023 by Susan R.
I cannot count the number of times I've passed Mary's while driving between my family home in Fairbanks and our adopted home in Anchorage. Wrong side of the road, kids asleep, closed for the winter, too late at night, too early in the morning; you name it, we just kept missing it. I promised myself as I drove by once again, on my way north for a really quick trip to a birthday party that I WOULD stop on my way home the next day.I'm delighted that I did. I'm a lifelong Alaskan and the Alaska Range still stops my breath. Denali was partially out most of the drive but the summit had disappeared by the time I pulled into the parking lot. Even so, the view from the diner of the entire range is still spectacular.Fortunately, the service is attentive and the food is good, as well! I had the Yeti, a grilled turkey and cheddar on sourdough with jalapenos and tomato. My only suggestion is to add more peppers - it might even be better with pickled jalapenos - just something to consider. The potato salad was not insipid and mayonnaise-y - it was bright yellow with mustard. I am a real potato lover so would have enjoyed it more with a bit less mustard in order to let the potato flavor shine, but at least it made a statement.The only disappointment was the peach pie I took home and had as a midnight snack, but I'm not writing it off completely - It did spend several hours in a pasteboard box and slid around a bit. So, I promise to try again on my next trip and maybe just go straight to the pie.
