If you ever find yourself in Kotzebue and in need of a meal, the Bayside Inn and Restaurant on Shore Avenue is an easy, comfortable stop with enough menu selections to satisfy just about any hankering.
The Bayside Restaurant serves Chinese-American fare and overlooks Kotzebue Sound, a small arm of the Chukchi Sea. Hit it at the right time and you may be able to secure one of the window tables with an ocean view.
I had the opportunity to eat there twice recently, once for breakfast and another time for lunch.
On my first introduction to the place, I arrived by taxi after a flight from Anchorage well before sunrise and with luggage in tow to find the place packed with table loads of hunters. Lucky for me, a group of them allowed me to join their table, offering me a place to sit and relax, get a bite to eat and grab my bearings.
Hot coffee flowed frequently and the eggs and bacon were cooked perfectly to order.
A bonus at the restaurant is its wireless connection. Bring a laptop and you have free Internet access while you dine. One warning, though -- there is very nice, quiet upper-level lounge with space to spread out, but it's off limits unless you are a guest at the Bayside Inn, something I discovered the hard way. A fellow diner had told me about the upper sitting area and, in need of a place to sit for a bit and check my e-mail later in the day, I came back to check it out. Unfortunately for me, a very concerned and annoyed hotel staffer swiftly chased me back downstairs.
Eviction aside, I will say that the restaurant was very accommodating with my baggage. I had arrived in Kotzebue with no place to stay, and most of the hotels were full with hunters. Restaurant staff allowed me to set my bag in an out-of-the-way corner and return to collect it a few hours later. It was kind of them to do, and a big help for this somewhat scattered traveler.
A few days later as I was passing back through, I stopped in for lunch. This time, there was no hustle and bustle and the restaurant was far less crowded. I ordered a Reuben sandwich and fries, both of which I'd classify as average. The meal was served quickly and the food was hot, but the sandwich was fairly basic, almost bordering on overly plain, and in my opinion not particularly memorable. And unlike my breakfast experience with the free-flowing coffee, no refills were offered on this second visit and the service seemed unusually inattentive.
Despite the lackluster lunch, I'd definitely return to the Bayside Restaurant on my next trip through Kotzebue. Numerous people, including my taxi drivers, told me it's a reliable, favorite spot for quick, decent food. But next time, I'll nix the Reuben and go for something different.
Bayside Restaurant is about a $6 taxi ride from the airport.
Sun. | 8 a.m.-10 p.m.