simon & seafort's saloon & grill

the only thing keeping this restaurant from a perfect score in my mind is their inability to handle their busy times efficiently. i was lucky and able to find a spot in the bar because the restaurant was packed. it's not even tourist season yet. thehalibutcheeks were some of the best i've ever had and the rest of the meal did not disappoint.

gritty clams. we went here for an anniversary dinner last year, and its clearly an overpriced tourist-oriented restaurant. thehalibutwe ordered was ok but not memorable, and the clams in broth were gritty with sand. i remember feeling that they trying too hard to be "fancy fine dining"; the waiters were all dolled up and "formal", which didn't fit the rest of the atmosphere.

wish the food and service lived up to the great ambiance, location, and atmosphere. the location and ambience of simon & seafort's are the best parts about this restaurant; the ambience is lively and you get a great view with your dinner. however, the service needs improvement. i went here for dinner with my fiance and we felt like our service was kind of snobby...we both felt like we were more of a burden than guests. my crab-stuffedhalibutwas good, (but it could have been better), and i was let down by my honey's etouffe- the presentation was really strange (sauce on the side??). overall, i like this restaurant, but better food and service can be found elsewhere..

was really looking forward to thehalibutcheeks and french onion soup and couldn't have been more disappointed. cheeks were so salty and dry they had to throw an entire batch out and the soup was delivered without broth. for a restaurant that is said to be a local favorite it delivered like a disappointing chain restaurant. very sad and certain we won't ever be back.

get thehalibutcheeks! when i first moved to alaska, some of my alaskan friends invited us out (their treat) to simon and seafort's. the waiter recommended thehalibutcheeks. i thought that sounded weird, but tried it anyway. wow! it was amazing, and nowhalibutis my favorite fish. sorry salmon, you're second now).

so so. i tried this place when in anchorage for work and ordered the crab bisque as an app and thenhalibutcheeks. this place is feels like a high end tourist restaurant. it's situated on the water and is the kind of place you'd want to take your family for an "upscale" event. it has a suspiciously corporate feel to it, though i'm not sure whether it is.

the food is just ok, especially considering how pricey it is. the bisque was relied on too much cream which overpowered any nuance in the stock. thehalibutcheeks were actually kind of gross. they are touted as a cross between crab andhalibutsince the meat is stringy and the flavor like halibut. like the soup the dish suffered from too much dairy since the cheeks are rolled in a bunch of cheese and then pan fried. i'm not a big fan of cheese and fish, and this dish convinced me they don't really pair very well. although they were cooked nicely with a crispy brown crust, they come off as too rich thanks to all the cheese & butter. the fish flavors end up overwhelmed and i felt stuffed after only 2/3 of the dish.

the wine list is poor.

better food is available in anchorage. i'd save my money next time and look elsewhere for seafood.

never a bad meal. i have been dining at s&s for 20 years and the quality of the food is consistant and terrific. favorite dish is the asiago crustedhalibutcheeks. well trained servers no the menu an no how to treat customers.

besthalibuti have had in alaska (resident).halibutcheeks are amazing. service is good most of time can be slow when busy. very friendly staff.

i flew into anchorage for the first time this past weekend and knew that i wanted something i couldn't get from back home (i'm from ohio). my husband and i got picked up by a cab and asked him to take us to the best seafood restaurant in anchorage, which he recommended simon and seaforts. the restaurant sits on the harbor and you can get a seat by the huge class window and watch the alaskan sunset. we ordered the calamari, the sampler and thehalibutcheeks. i cannot begin to describe how amazing thehalibutcheeks were. i continue to rant and rave about them! i would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone wanting good seafood and a beautiful view!

service was great, good fraught section.halibutwas ok, almost small. add on king crab was $12/leg, barely warm, mushy, and poorly split...eat at joe's does a better job. not on my list of gottagobacks.

fresh fresh seafood, pleasant staff, good service.. my first visit here was a flavorful treat. we were seated with views of cook inlet, nice even on an overcast day. the salad with raspberry vinaigrette, fresh berries, candied walnuts, crumbled blue cheese was divine. lots of restaurants do a version of this salad but this version had a vinaigrette to die for and the berries and walnuts were uber fresh. smoked salmon chowder would make you slap your mama (that mean is was aaa+ tasty). nothing but perfection. i went to sleep dreaming about flavor-smoky, smooth, creamy but not heavy with bits of salmon. smoked copper river salmon...salmon doesn't get any better than this. i love salmon and this is what that fish really is supposed to taste like-distinctly salmon, not fishy. an excellent piece of fish. on the table we also had thehalibutentree. sadly, the flaky and good flavoredhalibutwas hidden in the sauce and the potatoes. thehalibutwas stuff with a bit of spinach too but the crab was non-existent. not at all worth $36 or worthy of being voted the best entree (don't know what year that accolade was granted). we were piggies and shared the wild berry cobbler made with fresh berries. it can be served with vanilla ice-cream or fresh wild berry ice-cream; go for the latter it truly enhanced the dessert.

i dined at seafort's two other times and it was not consistent from visit to visit. the salmon on the last visit was not flavorful. on the middle visit, the waiter wasn't knowledgeable about the specials and he was not attentive.

dissapointed. food was definitely overrated, bland, unseasoned and overpriced. the "award winning" stuffedhalibutwas like eating a piece of paper! overall the food did not meet our expectations one bit!! i must say the service was great though!!!


-----21 jul, 2010-----

overrated. i just want to begin by saying that i do not mind spending anywhere from $150-$200 on a great delicious meal!! this place had all the hype for great food but lacked the "bang"! i got the "award winning" stuffedhalibutand it was so bland that it was like eating a plain piece of bread. the crab artichoke dip was overwhelming with an onion flavor and the kalmari was obviously frozen! my wife got the filet mignon for $25+ and it wasn't even seasoned! this place is way overrated for the price of the food and they robbed me for $170!!!

delicious and beautiful.. food was delicious, waitstaff was very attentive and polite, with a sense of humor. my husband hadhalibutcheeks, sooo delicious. a little expensive, but worth it. will definitely go back. and not to mention has a beautiful view.

try the brie. the macadamia crustedhalibutand the macadamia crusted brie with the balsamic reduction are fantasmico


-----26 feb, 2010-----

loooove it. amazing customer service....!!!!
i love this place. i like the food, but the customer service is out of this world!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i love their appetizer hour 4-6 and after 9.....soooooo yummy

the herb crustedhalibutis out of this world!