SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT Maria Benner checks out a new restaurant in McCarthy: The Great St. Elias Station.
On the final night of our latest trip to our cabin in McCarthy, we decided to check out the area’s newest spot for food and drinks: The Great St. Elias Station, which opened at the end of July. The property features several high-end cabins and a main hall where guests can gather for conversation and meals.
We made a date night of it, beginning with pre-dinner drinks at The Potato. The place was bustling with visitors celebrating epic adventures and locals catching up with one another. From there, we rode our bikes a short distance toward Kennicott before ducking onto the Wagon Trail, which parallels the road. We soon reached a clearly marked turnoff for The Great St. Elias Station.
The Station sits near the terminus of the Kennicott Glacier, in an area locals call “the Toe.” The views of Mount Blackburn, Donoho Peak, Gates Glacier, Root Glacier and the Stairway Icefall are absolutely stunning. It’s not a million-dollar view, it’s a billion-dollar view with today’s inflation.
The main hall makes the most of the setting, with enormous windows and a spacious deck offering an unobstructed panorama. Because it was a beautiful sunny evening, we chose to dine al fresco.
The menu is limited and appears to change as items sell out. An Instagram post that morning featured a brisket plate, veggie kebabs and two kinds of burgers. By the time we arrived around 7 p.m., the Adventure Burger and Classic Burger remained, along with three dessert options.
We chose the Adventure Burger: two brisket patties topped with goat cheese, lettuce, roasted red pepper and special sauce on a brioche bun, served with coleslaw and steak fries. It was delicious, and plenty for the two of us to share. The drinks menu is robust, with craft beer on draft and by the bottle, high-end wines and mixed drinks. The Station has a full liquor license.
As we were leaving, we stopped to chat with an employee who commented that there’s no such thing as date night in McCarthy, because you always run into someone you know and end up talking to them. So true, as we enjoyed the company of a local newlywed couple who invited us to join them at their table.
On the bike ride home, we stopped for a nightcap at the Golden Saloon and talked with more locals on the deck. By the time we reached our cabin, the night was no longer young, and we needed to rest up for an early start back to Anchorage.
I think date night in McCarthy may have to become a new last-night-at-the-cabin tradition.
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