If you’re in for a nice drive and some take-out Thai food from a beloved local favorite, Sam’s Taste of Thai on Sheep Creek Road near the junction with Ester Dome Road is just the ticket. It’s more of a tiny drive-through shack than a full restaurant, but it’s easily one of the most popular places on the west end of town. The menu focuses on the greatest hits of Thai cuisine in America, but the flavors are spot on and the portions large. There will almost certainly be a line of cars as patrons grab dinner on their way home, but it’s worth the wait. Call ahead, then pick it up and enjoy. The spring rolls are first-rate, as is the pad gra prao.

The Pump House started its life in 1933 as an industrial water pumping station that sent water from the Chena River to gold dredging operations in the nearby town of Ester. In 1978 it was refurbished into a fine dining restaurant featuring upscale Victorian gold rush décor. The bar is one of the best in town for both food and cocktails; it’s full of dark wood, polished brass, and antique furniture and pool tables from the 1890s, and is a great place for a quiet, intimate conversation over a whiskey. The corrugated tin walls  add to the ambiance, but it’s the outdoor deck facing the river that really makes the place. It’s a perfect spot on a sunny summer afternoon to drink and eat and watch the water roll by. The deep-fried halibut cheeks appetizer is a must, and the mains are just as good. Their 16-ounce ribeye steak is reliably perfectly cooked, and the bacon-wrapped Alaska scallops are nothing short of divine. You definitely won’t go away hungry.

For a city of its size, Fairbanks is flush with Thai restaurants — a fact that has become part of the city’s identity. But all roads lead, ultimately, to Lemongrass. It’s a little hard to find, tucked away in a nondescript strip mall off Old Chena Pump Road, but it is absolutely worth the effort. It wasn’t the first Thai place in town, but over the years it’s become a Fairbanks institution, especially with the university crowd. Like a lot of Thai restaurants in Alaska, the menu covers the spread between northern and southern Thailand, but they also offer some lesser known regional dishes that you don’t often find in North America. Try the panang curry, the pad plick khing, or the moo yang ribs. Better yet, order all three.

What used to be the northernmost Dairy Queen in the U.S. is now a bar and grill that offers, among other things, one of the best breakfasts in Fairbanks. Both the eggs Benedict and the biscuits and gravy are culinary triumphs, and the full bar can supply you with that 11 a.m. bloody Mary you crave. The Oasis also does a fine lunch and dinner service — burgers, steaks, curly fries, that sort of thing. It can get a little crowded and loud on the weekends, so plan accordingly.

Fairbanks has the usual assortment of pizza joints you’d expect in a town its size, but one of the big standouts is College Town Pizza. It has the feel of a hometown round-the-corner hangout, with simple white walls, low-back booths, and a few tables that look out onto College Road. It’s the perfect place to come on a Tuesday night, order a large pie and a pitcher or two of local beer, and park it for the long haul. They have thirteen vegetarian pizza combo options, and nearly twice that many with animal protein. It’s all classic New York style. They also offer calzones, strombolis, and house-made cannoli.

This & That Grill makes no pretense of being anything other than what it is: a cheesesteak and hamburger shack. The food is phenomenally delicious and served up quick. Hot dogs, ribeye steak sandwiches, BLTs, Cubans, and Reubens are all on the menu; if it comes between two toasted buns with a pile of onion rings or french fries, they probably have it.

Don’t be put off by the long line; the staff at this beloved falafel shop keep things moving at a brisk pace. This is at least in part because falafel is the one and only thing on the menu. You can choose white or whole wheat pita, and spicy or mild, but beyond that it’s best to surrender yourself to chef-owner’s Nadav Weiss’ culinary talents. There’s a charming indoor dining area and some covered picnic tables outside. If you arrive on a bicycle, you get a free drink.

If you stop a Fairbanks local on the street and ask them what the nicest restaurant in town is, chances are they’ll say Lavelle’s Bistro downtown on Second Avenue. It’s a very chill fine dining house serving some of the finest plates in all of Alaska. The waiters wear ties (a decided rarity in Fairbanks), the wine selection is probably the best one for a couple hundred miles in any direction, and the menu uses as much Alaska-grown produce as possible. Both the lollipop pork chop and the roasted duck are worth every penny, and diners can expect plenty of solid vegetarian and gluten-free options as well. Look for it on the ground floor of the Marriott Hotel.

Crepes are all they do at The Crepery, and the menu runs wild with both sweet and savory options. Try one filled with cheesesteak, chicken caprese, or a sweeter mix of brie, figs, and honey. Mimosas, beer, and espresso are available to wash it down, and the vegetarian and vegan offerings are also worth serious consideration. The restaurant occupies a funky refurbished old downtown retail building, and if you choose the right seat you can watch the crepe makers at work on their large griddles. There’s outdoor seating too in the warmer months.

The food at this acclaimed bistro is decidedly Latin, with dishes mostly inspired by the cuisines of Cuba and Puerto Rico. Think bistec Cubano and shrimp with laguna sauce. They also do a Cuban sandwich that is probably the best in Alaska. There’s live music most nights, big and small acts, featuring Latin jazz beats. If you crave arroz con pollo with congas and a horn section, you’ll dig Jazz Bistro. Reservations are highly encouraged.