Pepe’s Turnagain House

Nice place for food. I especially love the drive out here. Such a beautiful, scenic view! Well worth the drive from Anchorage !

Great dinner! Had the Beer Battered Halut and chips, hubby had the Halibut Murrel. The Calamari was was good but needed seasoning– small critique! We enjoyed the hospitality that June gave us all through dinner! Prices are a little high for the location, but all in all, a very nice experience!

Unfortunately, we won’t be visiting this place again.
As many Anchoragites know, the Turnagain House was a mainstay in Southcentral for eating. For many years family and friends would gather on special occasions to eat here. Then the establishment was sold to Pepe. My husband and I hadn’t been there since then. However, with a special occasion, we decided to give it a try.
Driving up, there’s a big sign outside that proclaims the restaurant for sale. Ok, so we go in. Only to have Pepe boast to us as we are being seated that the place is for sale. Ok. I proceed to look at the wine menu. I really don’t think I’m a wine snob, but there was only «house» wine by the glass. I asked Pepe what brand that house wine was. His answer really turned me off: he said it was good and cheap and from California. Really, all I wanted was to know. When I asked if I could have a taste, he was kinda rude and proceeded to take my husband’s drink order. When my husband asked if he was going to bring he a taste, he said he would.
Ok, moving on. We ordered the special calamari lemon and caper appetizer. The bread came. Honestly, it was like eating day old bread that you make from a can. Our appetizer was ok, but not what we expected from a fine restaurant. Then came dinner. I ordered the special razer clams. Pepe said the clams come in «steak-​sized» portions. My husband ordered the bacon and blue cheese filet. Well, my razer clams were overcooked, tough and mostly breading. My mashed sweet potato was cold. Here’s a good news: my husband’s steak was very good.
Since it was a special occasion, we ordered bread pudding to share. There was something wrong with the bourbon sauce: it tasted kinda like maple syrup. Thank goodness we added ice cream.
At 9:15 we were the last patrons in the restaurant. Pepe left before we did. He said good night.
While I was getting up I snagged by hose on a sliver on the wooden chair!
Needless to say, no wonder Pepe’s is trying to sell. For the price, it’s not that great an experience!

First time there and expected better but it was poor. the paella was over priced and had NO flavor, I’ve had better paella in high school Spanish class! kids meal was really over priced especially $ 12 for 2 chicken strips and fries?! the service was really, really slow (owner and wife) and were forgetting things. neverrr coming back

I grew up visiting the Turnagain House and it was a family favorite. However, when I moved out of town seven years ago, the restaurant was purchased. Since then, things have certainly changed.
Visit #1: fall 2014. Went for the paella. Rice was seriously undercooked. Ordered oysters on the half shell and our server didn’t know where the oysters were from. We asked about a Spanish red wine option, were told they had a Tempranillo by the glass, and then watched the older, grumpy bartender (Jean? Jane?) tell our server that they did not, in fact, have a Tempranillo. Most of their by-​the-​glass offerings are Barefoot wines. Chocolate walnut pie was the only good part of the meal.
Visit #2: Dad’s birthday, April 2015. Decided to give them a second try. Took several minutes to be noticed. Pepe and Jean/​Jane were the only two people serving in the restaurant. While some people might find it charming, I found Pepe’s language to be somewhat offputting. At every visit to our table, he loudly exclaimed «goddamn» or «shit» completely unprompted, and once dropped the F-​bomb. I will admit to occasionally having a foul mouth of my own, but out to eat, particularly with tables this close together, is not the place for that.
Mom’s Ahi was disappointing. She said it was quite bland and asked for some wasabi to choke it down. It also appeared very overcooked to me. I ordered the duck a l’orange, and it was the driest duck I’ve ever eaten. Dad did back-​clean-​up on my plate and had no issue with it; said it had been cooked slowly so that it was less greasy. Perhaps that’s the case, but I’ve eaten many a duck and still prefer mine to be moist and flavorful. This wasn’t it.
Chocolate decadence was like fudge in a cake-​shaped wedge. Good, but needs more raspberry sauce.
On the way out, Pepe stopped by our table and informed us that the other lady serving had been married four or five times before she turned 25 and «has more mileage on her than the railroad.» Not quite sure how or why that was relevant.
Overall, an expensive and disappointing dinner. The drive is beautiful, but we won’t be back anymore.

My husband and I have driven by Pepe’s several times and decided to give it a try for our date night about a week and a half ago (3÷21÷15). My father took a trip to Spain last year and made a delicious tapas feast for us over the holidays, so we felt inspired to try some other Spanish dishes (supposedly the «best in AK»). We made reservations several days in advance and our excitement grew when we learned that the owner is from Spain.
Sadly, our time at Pepe’s was a major letdown. Despite a small dinner crowd, the hostess was nowhere to be found when we entered the waiting area, and it took almost 5 minutes for her to show up. She did not offer us anything to drink when we were seated (in seats that had crumbs all over them), and it was almost 10 minutes before our waiter was able to get to our table. We ordered the Tapas for Two, our drinks, and the Seafood Paella. I got my drink within a few minutes, but the hostess– who for some reason was also serving as a bartender– made my husband’s drink and left it at the bar. It had ice melting in it by the time we flagged our waitress over to grab it… The tapas were NOT something I would recommend to anyone: the salmon croquettes hardly had any salmon in them, they lacked seasoning, and they had a lackluster breading; the pork was mostly fat and gristle and needed salt; the Spanish potatoes were overcooked, lacked salt, and the only thing we could taste was an overdose of paprika; the Spanish tortilla was dry; and the gazpacho lacked flavor as well. Needless to say, we took a few bites and set them aside. Our waitress Beth was trying to make our night a good one and (thankfully) removed the tapas from our bill (and rightfully so). She is the ONLY staff member I can give a good review; she did her best to visit our table as often as possible, she was sweet and thoughtful, and she was really the only person serving the dining area.
I visited the ladies’ room while we were waiting for dinner and was horrified by what I saw: the toilet seat looked like someone used it instead of toilet paper. There is no way you could sit on it. I have worked in the restaurant industry for years and dirty bathrooms are never a good sign. That said, I regained my composure, rejoined my husband, and hoped for the best.
We had hope for the paella, but that quickly vanished. Despite a flashy delivery from the hostess, it was nothing to write home about. The rice was undercooked (there were literally crunchy pieces or rice in the mix), there was little to no flavor, and there was not much seafood in it. My husband and I picked at the seafood with growling stomachs and finally gave up. It was apparent after spending over an hour at Pepe’s that things were not going to improve. We politely paid our bill, tipped the waitress generously (it was not her fault that the hostess and food were shameful!), and headed back home to Anchorage for some popcorn to silence our bellies. We made the best of the evening, but I would not advise any of my family, friends, or otherwise to visit unless drastic improvements are made in all areas.

Wow! I can’t believe I’ve lived in Anchorage this long and have never tried this place. I can’t say enough good things. Everything was spectacular — the food, the service, the view, the ambiance. My husband and I split the calamari picatta as an app and it was REALLY good (it helps that I love both picatta and calamari). I had the rockfish special and he had the seared ahi tuna (both from the specials menu). We even went as far as to get dessert… he the flan (which really was the best we ever tasted) and me the blueberry crisp. The crisp was excellent — if a little on the too sweet side. Pepe, the owner, came over often to chat with us (he even took our food order) and the server (June?) was friendly as well. Really, I can’t wait to go back. Keep your eye on Groupon — they seem to have one every so often. Side note — If you live on the south side of Anchorage this place is easier to get to then downtown.

Service was excellent! Our server Beth was awesome. Jane the bartender was extremely nice. Atmosphere was warm and inviting. When I put my jacket over my shoulders because I was cold, they started a fire in the huge fireplace. No matter where you look there is something cool to see. Old photos and relics from days gone by. Steaks are made perfect to order. Bread is made fresh daily and oh so good! Service was prompt, courteous, friendly. Would definitely recommend for a date with your honey or large party with group of friends.

We hadn’t been to the Turnagain House for years but my wife saw a GroupOn deal and we thought «why not.» We are so glad we then made a reservation for this year’s anniversary dinner. To be honest, there weren’t many dinners. But, the welcome and service was warm and delightful. Chief Pepe came right to our table to discuss the day’s specials and help us select a complementary wine. Our waitress was just as helpful and pleasant. I had the seafood soup and my wife the surf and turf. Both excellent. The atmosphere was warm and cozy which was much appreciated that cold December night. Not sure if you’d get the same experience during the summer tourist season but the TH is definitely a good choice in the off season. We highly recommend you make a reservation if you’re planning a late night dinner this time if the year so they’ll keep the lights in for you.

Use to be a great place to go before Pepe took over ownership. Food is blah. It’s got great potential but they need a much better chef. Don’t waste your time going out there.

It was my birthday… rare to celebrate on time. My hubby made reservations and we had good food here in the past.
We had a Brie appetizer which was not great and our dinner came. I had shrimp and my husband ordered a steak. There was something off about the steak… it did not taste good and it was the wrong cut (t bone not ribeye). My husband sent it back thinking it was just over cooked. The chef came out a few minutes later with a piece of the steak telling us it was cooked correctly.
My husband tried to be gracious but the chef was angry… instead of asking what my husband would like, he told us we could leave. So we did… shocked silence backed to Anchorage.

Excellent service and lovely 4 course steak dinner. Busy valentine evening by reservations only. Very impressed with the tasty food, nice ambiance and friendly staff.

Neverrrrrrrrrrrrrr order their world famous paella againnnnnnnn! Service sucks! Paella was bland!!!

Came for my birthday (made sure my reservation said it was my birthday) and no one wished me a happy birthday! Got the pasta with red clam sauce and all I could taste was the burnt garlic. Hubs enjoyed his meal though.

The Paella rice was undercooked and not seasoned (no salt). The fish stew, which was highly touted recently in the Anchorage press, was not seasoned, and the veggies were under-​cooked. However, the fish was way over cooked. We changed our minds on the appetizer before the cook could have started our original choice, quickly stopped the waiter, and told him we would like oysters instead. He glowered at us and went to the kitchen door, where he shouted back into the kitchen, «They changed their minds AGAIN. They want Fried Oysters.»
Far too expensive of a restaurant for this kind of service and food.
Don’t bother!

I have to agree with another Unilocaler in that this joint is underwhelming at best. The husband and I went for our anniversary with a Groupon (what can I say, we’re classy) and as soon as we walked in we were asked if we had a coupon — odd? With the Groupon in hand we were ushered to the room with only one other couple, not the fun room with the bar and the people having a good time. Our Opie like waiter seemed very bored to be there and rattled off the specials to us, well, me (he never looked at my husband, just myself and the ceiling).
The husband ordered the ahi, which arrived barely seared, but mostly raw. We asked if it could be thrown back on the flat top for just a bit longer and our waiter was quite offended. I ordered the scallops and shrimp which was a special, and it arrived as a full pasta dish. I don’t mind that it was pasta, but the menu made no mention of it. The pasta itself had almost zero taste. I’m not even sure how you do that… but I had to salt and pepper it to death just to get it down.
After our meal, a new table was seated in the coupon room with us, and a different waiter went through the specials list. There were perhaps 5 more dishes mentioned in his rendition, and he actually explained the sides (which Opie did not). We were pretty bummed as we would have gone for one or two of the apps and skipped the pasta, etc.
I’m not going back. For the $ 85 we spent, I would much rather have gone to a more famous and far more delicious joint around the corner — The Double Musky — where you know the food is great and the portions are large enough to be lunch for the next day as well. Even with the Groupon I’m irked we gave them the money we did.

Used a groupon here on Friday. The groupon was supposed to include: a) minestrone or salad, b) a choice of 3 entrees (not found on the menu), c) cheesecake, and d) a glass of wine.
If you are coming here for dinner, make sure to give your self PLENTY of time.
When we walked in the door it literally took about 10 minutes for anyone to notice we were there. When they finally sat us, it was at a table in the middle of the dining room. Tables for four lined the windows and wall, and tables for two filled up the middle space… Needless to say it was not a quiet, romantic dinner. The table of four next to us was so loud we ended up listening to their conversation all night.
It took another 15 minutes to be greeted by our server (I am not embellishing). From the looks of it, our server had maybe 4 or 5 tables.
On to the food: Minestrone was not offered– it was clam chowder. It was a bit runny and sweet for my tastes. We both had the filet mignon with asparagus spears. I don’t think there could have been more than 4 oz of meat, but it was good. They did not have cheesecake (strange when it is included with the groupon and reservations are required) so instead my husband had a very runny apple «crisp” — no crisp involved. I had the bread pudding– tasted like a dry piece of french toast. My husband left hungry.
Our reservation was at 7:30 and we left as soon as we finished what we could of our dessert– at 9:45.
There is no way I would ever spend the «value» of the groupon here ($ 130) plus tip. If you want to go for a drive the Double Musky in Girdwood is awesome.

Ambiance:
The drive to Indian is always nice, and they have a great view if you have a party of four or more and are allowed to sit by the window. Nice soft music playing in the background.
Staff:
Young, but knowledgeable. Talked a little to loud which caused conversation to stop at my table when he was taking an order at another table.
Food:
I ordered the extra thick pork chop (I don’t remember the name from the menu) and it was smothered in a lovely mushroom, and sausage sauce. The pork was dry and hard to cut and it was 50% bone. The free appetizers were pretty bad. The stuffed mushroom appetizer was very good.
Prices: Very High
Stuffed mushroom appetizer, Halibut entrée, pork entrée, glass of tea, and 2 glass of white wine.
$ 92.00 + tip
I can’t say that I will go back since there are much better places right in here Anchorage.

Went for the paella with great expectations based on our friends’ recommendation. We had never been and and took the time to make the short drive from Anchorage, never again. We arrived at 7pm and were quickly seated, the place was empty so or waiter was a little too eager to get our dinner underway. We started with a nice bottle of a Spanish white with the fresh K-​Bay oysters and the halibut cheeks done in a lyonaise sauce. Both were good, but our server charged us the entrée fee for our halibut cheeks ($ 35). The five of us ordered the infamous paella, offered two ways: seafood only, or with chicken and pork. We opted for seafood only that included local mussels, butter clams, shrimp, and of course salmon. Let’s just say it looked amazing, but as the old adage goes…
The meal was seriously underwhelming. Not one of our clams had opened, not a good sign when every clam is dead. Our server seemed oblivious even as we all candidly spoke to him about our dish. I muddled through the rest of the saffroned rice which was so bland that all I ate was what seafood I could find. Ordered another bottle of wine and was offered another plate which I declined. The rest of my guests were still eating their entrée when our luring server immediately went into telling us about the dessert offerings, not even waiting for us finish our meal or wine. We all declined and decided it best to wrap up our 50 minute meal.
We promptly received the check which was $ 300 and were shocked to see a 20% gratuity already added. I have waited tables for more than 10 years and would never of thought of adding gratuity on any party smaller that six! We graciously paid it.
I am writing this review based on my one and only experience with the Turnigan House. I will be writing the management and hopefully they will be receptive and take this as a review of my experience, not an attack.

This place is a hidden gem on the side of a breathtaking highway. We had no idea the prices would be so high, but the food was very good.
I ordered the grilled Copper River Salmon prepared with capers, lemon, white wine and parsley (one of my favorite preparations), and came with a sauteed veggie slaw and asparagus. It was cooked to absolute perfection. If you’re going to Alaska, you must try the Copper River Salmon. It truly is the best in the world.
I would highly recommend you make a stop here for dinner if you’re coming back from the Portage Glacier. Downtown Anchorage restaurant prices are terribly high. At the Turnagain House, you’ll get a nice view and quality food to go with the pricetag… although it’s still a little bit overpriced.
I give it 3.5…but since half stars aren’t allowed, 3 it is.
Note: This place is called Pepe’s Turnagain House.