The Richardson Highway has its sweet crude oil. The Glenn Highway has its sweet, sweet pie.
Driving the Glenn is already a treat, with rolling ridges, creeks and rivers, and mountains perfectly framed by pavement. But it’s also home to some top-tier Alaska pie. Tighten your seat belt and loosen your belt buckle— we’re going on a road trip down the Trans-Alaska Pie Line.
Hit the gas and immediately pull over; your first stop is just one half-mile from the start of the Glenn near downtown Anchorage.
Peggy’s has been slinging pies since 1945. Colorful tiles and wood paneling adorn the dining area, which features two long U-shaped bars. It’s surprisingly quiet, considering its location across from buzzing Merrill Field. Owner Nancy Burley is the chief piemaker, and it’s no wonder this place has so many regulars. She’s immediately welcoming, willing to let a complete stranger take photos of all those pies.
Staff members prepare more than a dozen pie varieties each day in a separate kitchen above the restaurant. This is the most prolific pie menu on the Glenn, so order wildly. Try the blueberry with a cream cheese base, or the classic key lime. The tart gooseberry balances well with a lavish slab of vanilla ice cream.
Long Rifle’s loyal dog doorman, Higgins, greets guests on arrival in the gravel lot. Inside, the lodge offers a taxidermy menagerie with lynx in the rafters and musk ox in the lobby. But the real showstopper is the view of Matanuska Glacier. Several tables sit next to big picture windows inside with two-seaters available outside on the sheltered porch.
The building is easy to blast past, but most Alaskans know when to turn. “Word of mouth is amazing,” said Russell Riddles, manager and chief piemaker. Folks from Glennallen stop for cookies, he said, and visitors from Valdez scoop up cinnamon rolls. But everyone likes the pies. Riddles grew up here in Glacier View, but the world comes to him (there’s a wall of international currency behind the register).
The lodge serves classic pies, with crinkle-cut dough strips thatched over mountains of berries. Order the rhubarb, a custardy creation using ingredients from the garden outside.
There’s a lot going on at this bustling lodge. But forget the glacier tours; the pie is divine. It’s $7 a slice, and worth it. The apple has a toasted crumble top, and the rhubarb is immense. There’s no wrestling with over-crispy crust here; your fork glides into the dish as into hot butter. The pies share billing on the menu with triple-berry crisp, ranked by Food Network as the best baked good in Alaska.
Owner Mark Fleenor does everything from washing dishes to flying the helicopter. Running a rural business has its challenges, he said. One of his first investments was a refrigerated truck to gain control of the supply chain. Otherwise, he noted, “You have no idea what you’re going to be out of until the truck pulls up.”
Staffing is also an issue, especially this past summer. Tourism returned, but the global workforce didn’t. Without the usual pool of international applicants, big players in the tourism scene battled the smaller lodges for local staff.
Regardless, the lodge stays busy. In a typical summer, it’s not uncommon to wait more than an hour for a table. But with trails out back and a Volvo graveyard next door, there’s plenty here to keep you occupied.
Perched on the Glenn’s highest point, Eureka Lodge has served hot food and hospitality since 1936. The original log cabin is still on site, but the business has expanded to include a hotel, bar, and—vitally—a gas station.
This spot has a classic diner vibe, with booths, barstools, and a constant flow of coffee (still served for just 25 cents). The clientele is 75 percent regulars, but the region draws all kinds of adventurers. Hunting is the shortest and busiest season (herds of migrating caribou pass through the foothills out back). The adjacent lake draws summer birders, and Nelchina Glacier—visible to the south—is a prime spot for snowmachining.
But we’re here to talk pies. Owner Darla Fimpel’s been making them for 25 years using a recipe from the lodge’s prior proprietor, her mother-in-law. “I could make them in my sleep,” she said. There are six permanent pie flavors and several seasonals, all on display in a four-tier case behind the counter. Each pie is cut into fifths and the slices are massive. Try the banana cream, with banana slices swirled in the custard, or coconut cream, topped with toasted coconut flakes.
Eureka Lodge has a steadfast staff. One cook has been here seven years, another server for 11. They know the area, they know their customers, and they know their pies. They served up 164 slices on a recent Fourth of July.
The road ends in Glennallen. Is there pie here? Yes, sure, probably. But at this point, we’re more interested in beer.
Stick to the theme and pick up a pie-berry-flavored beer from Gakona Brewing Company, a secretive spot down an unmarked road 14 miles north of Glennallen. Owners Eddie and Lorrie Miner brew raspberry, blackberry, and blueberry wheats here on a bluff over the braided Copper River. Guests can sip beers in the brewery’s backyard with sweeping views of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve; it’s the best brewery view in Alaska. Gakona’s brews are also on tap at Trapper’s Den, a summer-only log cabin bar a mile down the road.
Spend the night at Gakona Lodge. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this is one of the last remaining roadhouses open to guests. Grab a bunk or a cabin and prepare for tomorrow. Next door, the Carriage House restaurant has pie to start your morning.
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