It was a sweet surprise to find gluten free dairy free treats in Denali! The sweet potato gingerbread was so good! The staff was very kind and accommodating when asked about item ingredients. What a cozy and welcoming atmosphere!
Visited this very well reviewed place sometime back on our way to Denali Park. They are owned by Michael and Maya. Here is the summary of my review and experience there.
1) Ambiance 5/5: The ambiance is not your typical one that you would see in any other restaurant. This place is very different and you could see the thought and culture on display. Even the restrooms are well though out. It has a very rustic vibe with Serbian themes.
2) Service 5/5: The people and the owners are super nice and they really make you feel special here. Everyone is super helpful and explains everything delightfully. They have some of the most incredible stories to tell you. It was so great that I would like to thank everyone by name - Gary was our server who was very helpful. Peter helped with drink. Polina hlped with some hiking suggestions. Elizabeth was at the back of the kitchen.
3) Food 3/5: This is where I was the most disappointed. Although everything else was great, the food was not the best. I feel the food was a let down to their amazing hospitality and decor. Here is the summary of what we had:
a) Pilici Pilav: It is chicken rice which tasted bland. It was like Indian Chicken Khichdi but with much less flavor. Not a fan and didnt not like the chicken in it.
b) Meze Platter: This was good. I am not a fan of Pork but this was good and crispy. The Rgussian salad was ood.
c) Grandmother's chocolate cake: The cake was meh with more oats than chocolate and it was peanut butter in it which I am not a fan of.
d) Vegan Dessert: We were confused about the cheesecake of this vegan dessert and asked the server. They insisted on this and said this is their best seller. It was such a let down. He said we wont know it was vegan and gluten free - Oh we knew it in every bite. We ate less than 25% of it, packd it and then ultimately had to throw it away. I so wish we had not listened to him and had the cheesecake.
4) Value for Money 2/5: The service and decor are great but the soul aka the food is kinda let down plus they are pricey. So not the best. Even though the place looks like a hole in the wall place, it is costly.
The good:
i) The decor
ii) Service
iii) People
Not so Good:
1) Food
2) Price
3) Vegan Dessert
Accommodating Gluten-Free