Railroad Dining Options

Dining Options

Scrumptious food and beverages including beer, wine, and cocktails are available for purchase on every route and class of service. Passengers who upgrade to the Alaska Railroad GoldStar Dome service enjoy all-inclusive meals onboard, otherwise food is for purchase. Note that all trains are cashless, so be sure to bring a credit or debit card.

Adventure Class passengers have access to the Wilderness Café, a grab-and-go cafe offering a selection of simpler fare. The cafe is available on all routes and is the only dining option on the Glacier Discovery. You’ll find sandwiches, salads, hearty warm fare like pasta and curry bowls,  snacks, sweet treats, and a wide selection of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages. You can enjoy your grab-and-go items in the shared lounge car or back at your seat.

Passengers in the GoldStar service enjoy all-inclusive meals in the dome car lower-level dining room. Tables accommodate four, and small parties are typically combined with others during busy meal service. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served on both the northbound and southbound trains, with your specific meals dependent on the time of day you’re traveling. All meals include an entrée and beverages. Lunch is served with a soup, while dinner includes soup or salad as well as a dessert.

GoldStar Dome guests can also purchase grab-and-go food from the Wilderness Café in the Adventure Class cars.

See a sample of GoldStar menu on the Denali Star route (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and the Coastal Classic route menu (breakfast and dinner).

GoldStar Meals by route

Passengers on the Wilderness Express service between Anchorage, Talkeetna, Denali, or Fairbanks have access to a private dining room located on the lower level of their car. Along with freshly made meals featuring local ingredients, you’ll also find a nice selection of premium wines, Alaskan beers, and specialty cocktails. Be sure to save some room for a dessert like a Brownie Extraordinaire, or an after-dinner drink like the Moose Kiss which offers the perfect balance of Irish cream, Kahlua, and coffee.

Here is a sample of the Wilderness Express menu.

The McKinley Explorer offers service between Anchorage, Talkeetna, and Denali Park on a separate train with a different schedule than the Denali Star. Like the GoldStar and Wilderness Express, McKinley Explorer cars features a dining room on the lower level. You will note that dinner is not served since the McKinley Explorer train concludes service in the late afternoon, though snacks and small plates are available in upper level dome after 1:00 PM.

See a sample of the McKinley Explorer menu.