Snowgoose Restaurant & Pub / Sleeping Lady Brewing Company

Snowgoose Restaurant & Pub / Sleeping Lady Brewing CompanySnowgoose Restaurant & Pub / Sleeping Lady Brewing Company
Snowgoose Restaurant & Pub / Sleeping Lady Brewing CompanySnowgoose Restaurant & Pub / Sleeping Lady Brewing Company
Brewery, Bar, Eatery, Beer-to-go

717 W 3rd Ave
Anchorage, Alaska, 99501-2104
United States

// CLOSED //

Brewpub that opened October of 1995.

Note: as of October 2009 they are no longer open on Mondays.
BEER STATS
Average:
3.94
Beers:
13
Ratings:
89
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.78
Reviews:
13
Ratings:
24
pDev:
14.55%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by hydrox05:
Photo of hydrox05
Rated by hydrox05 from Alaska

3.84/5  rDev +1.6%

Aug 30, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of Buffaloplaid
Rated by Buffaloplaid from Virginia

3.68/5  rDev -2.6%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 2.75 | selection: 4.75 | food: 3
The best view in Anchorage, it's worth the trip on its own.
Jan 03, 2016
 
Rated: 3.8 by DSWeller from Iowa

Nov 09, 2015
 
Rated: 4.08 by jayhunter357 from Massachusetts

Oct 08, 2015
 
Rated: 3.94 by Cynic-ale from Texas

Feb 09, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by ksolekjr from Minnesota

Dec 05, 2014
 
Rated: 4.12 by xxxxxx from Oregon

Sep 28, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by PastorMeat from Pennsylvania

Jul 22, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by DucksFan16 from Tennessee

Jul 09, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by krome from Illinois

Mar 26, 2014
Photo of Brookegokeri
Reviewed by Brookegokeri from Alaska

1.45/5  rDev -61.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 1 | service: 1 | selection: 1 | food: 2
My husband reserved us a table, they gave us a tiny table in the back corner. It was our anniversary night so we were excited to try a new place. It also happened to be valentines day. We ordered an appetizer, it never came. We ordered drinks they never came. Our food eventually came (still no appetizer) we finished the food, then they gave us a bill CHARGING us for an appetizer we never got. My husband gave the waitress a 50$ bill, she assumed we didn't want change and never returned, OKAY. I would never go back here. We planned on spending a good amount of money on a special occasion but the service was horrible so we definitely went somewhere else afterwards. The couple next to us was given complimentary dessert. Wow that's a slap in the face! Won't ever go back there. Go to brew house!! It's worth the money and the wait.
Mar 14, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by blbarnett3 from Virginia

Oct 13, 2013
Photo of juzy
Reviewed by juzy from Alaska

3.76/5  rDev -0.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.75 | food: 4
Edit: Jan 2013 I have seen major improvements to this place. They have a new chef, a new menu, daily specials. The wait staff still is what it is, but things keep changing here for the better. I also think the prices have gone up, but that seems to be a local trend lately. Which is expected with current fuel prices, etc. I recently had their barleywine which I must say is one of the 3 best I've sampled from the local offerings so far this season! Keep up the good work, Snowgoose! People are noticing.

Edit: Jan 2011 I would like to mention that they have revamped their menu, they are working on their website. The beer selections and quality have gotten more interesting and service has improved, both waitstaff and management. They've done some redecorating to the upstairs pub. I am pleased with the positive changes so far and thought that it warranted mention on this review.

Edit: May 2009 I have to say that the beer here has seriously improved over the last year. I had a saison on tap that was phenomenal! I think the Fish On IPA has been reformulated, it is quite a bit better than I remember it being. And we haven't had any contaminated tap line issues for a while ;-) Even service has improved somewhat....either that or we're getting used to it ;-)

Edit May, 2008 - maybe I spoke too soon...sunny day, hit the deck of the SnowGoose. Ordered a sampler of special stuff on tap and made the mistake of ordering a full pint of a cream ale on nitro. Should've sampled that too. Of the 4 samples, the only one that was tollerable was the scotch ale. Aged in Lagavulin barrels. Not bad, but needed a bit more mouthfeel. The cream ales arrived, they look very enticing, but one drink and I was done. Bu-tter-ry! Ewwww. Obvious diacetyl problem here. Snowgoose has been known to have trouble with infected tap lines from time to time. I think this was one of those times. I can't imagine a brewer okaying this beer for public consumption.
Okay, adding to this, the waiter never asked why he was removing two full pints of cream ale from our table or why he was being asked to bring a bottle of Unibroue's Blanche de Chamblay. Disappointing.

Good waitstaff at a brew pub should be interested in knowing why two pints are being sent back. This takes me back to my original review of the Goose. Crappy service.

Edit December 12, 2007 - earlier in the year Sleeping Lady acquired a new head brewer. Since his arrival we have found many new, exciting, creative beers on the menu. We had an excellent Espresso Bock in October as well as a Colonial Pumpkin. I was very pleased with the Pumpkin, as it didn't invade with cloves and nutmeg like the usual Pumpkin ales. Instead it was very pleasant and smooth. I give the new brewer props for the latest special beers and I hope to see many more come of out Sleeping Lady. It's a relief to finally have something positive to say!

Edit January 30, 2007 - having frequented the Snowgoose several more times since my initial review I am happy to report that service has improved and seasonal beer selections have been exceptional in quality. They have also increased their selection of fine Belgian and other offerings. So I am raising some of the values that I originally selected for my first review.

June 2005 Our first visit: stopping in for apps and a few brews, not a lot of time. There is a main dining area downstairs, you can go upstairs to the pub area and off that there is an outside deck w/ a great view of Sleeping Lady, there is an additional deck on the very top roof, beverage service only. The lower deck serves food. Once we sat ourselves in the pub we waited, 10 minutes for someone to acknowledge us. Finally we are approached and given menus. We both order their IPA, another 10 minutes goes by, still no beer on our table. Okay we've been here 20 minutes now and no beer on our table. Not acceptable. The waiter "remembers" us finally and comes back with some lame excuse about the tap for the IPA malfunctioning. Okay, that's fine, but don't blow us off for 10 minutes, tell us ASAP, we might make another selection. Finally, beers on our table. I found the beers to be nothing to write home about. They're okay, I'm sure my experience with service played a factor, they just don't stand up to so many other wonderful beers in AK(moose's tooth, Glacier Brewhouse, Midnight Sun, etc.). Second visit: decide, on a beautiful day, mid 70's, sunny, to try them out one more time. Go at lunch time, wanted to sit on the deck, had to wait about 15 minutes for a table to empty. Ordered the IPA. Guess what, tap is malfunctioning! Great! But this time the server told us immediately and came back within 5 minutes with two fresh pints of their IPA. We ordered the shrimp and king crab ceviche from the lunch special menu. It was fantastic. The weather, the food and the view were exceptional on that day. They have a fairly good Belgian bottle menu. We opted for a Duvel, 750 ml.
Jan 06, 2011
Photo of dragonWhale
Reviewed by dragonWhale from New York

3.55/5  rDev -6.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 3
The unique and lovely Sleeping Lady..my lady and I went here after a stop at the Glacier Brewhouse and sat in the rain under the umbrella on the 1st level patio, sipping on Belgian Barleywines and IPAs. They had a nice selection of stuff which was for the most part on the better side of average. Their porter was outstanding, and a wonderful compliment to the so-called Belgian Barleywine I was drinking.
The patios are for sure the best part. On a clear day, the mountains are glorious. Don't know if they have spectacular dance parties up there during the summer but they should.
Food was okay, not memorable, like the service, which was fine.
Oct 31, 2010
Photo of irishevans
Reviewed by irishevans from California

3.96/5  rDev +4.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 3
I have been here many a times, and the cask selections, rarely disappoint. the last time having been a vanilla stout brewed with Jameson soaked oak chips, and I could have died happy after drinking that. now as for the service, I have been there and it's been amazing, and I've been there and it's sucked, just depends on lost of factors, but usually it's right on par with what one should expect from a decent beer bar, and they tent to take notice at the bar itself when you know your beer. this place is also a big support to the local home-brew scene, even having home-brew club contest judging in the basement, it's actually where I learned to judge. as for the food, it's okay, but not entirely worth the money you pay for it. would say it's more worth it to go here for lunch than a lot of the rest of downtown, but I personally would rather hit a reindeer sausage vendor cart, or Tito's on the way and just go for beers. so to sum it up, great beer joint, good single runs and seasonal, food not worth the money.
Jun 03, 2010
Photo of axman
Reviewed by axman from Virginia

3.53/5  rDev -6.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3
Sleeping Lady was the last place I visited on my short trip to Anchorage in January, stopping by for lunch before heading to the airport. We got there after opening to find the doors locked--they were open but one of the staff accidentally locked the door. Downstairs was closed, so service was in the upstairs bar.

Its hard to judge atmosphere at lunchtime, the place was almost empty, but the view of Mount Susitna (Sleeping Lady) was a plus--the best location and most scenic view of Anchorage's brew places.

Service was underwhelming--a bit slow to deliver my sampler flight despite although we were the only one's there. The food took even longer (I was starting to worry about making my flight.) The upside was that when we asked about the English Braggot on the beer board--a style I'd never encountered--he brought a free sampler.

All-in-all, I'd rank Sleeping Lady's beer third of the four breweries/brewpubs I visited in Anchorage (behind Midnight Sun and Moose's Tooth but ahead of Glacier.)
Feb 06, 2010
Photo of woodychandler
Reviewed by woodychandler from Pennsylvania

4.26/5  rDev +12.7%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
Located almost right at the corner of West 3rd Avenue and "G" Street, the entry was center in the wide building and after transiting a long vestibule, the brewhouse and FVs were visible on a left oblique. To the immediate left and down a short pathway were the 1st floor lavs. The m.d.s., right, served as a display case for logo items. Continuing aft on the first floor were the restaurant area and kitchen. The bar was upstairs on the second floor and featured a laminated blonde wood bar in a complete octagon shape. Ascending the staircase right, an embroidered quilt depicting migrating snow geese hung above the first landing, along with their GABF medals. An outdoor patio provided a magnificent vista of the Knik Arm of the Cook Inlet. I sat on a corner of the bar that gave me the best view of the vista as well as placing me in front of the hand pump. To my right was what can only be descried as a color-chalk mural on an oversize blackboard both listing their beers and commemorating 12 years of being in business. Behind me, in the back left corner (facing North), was a small, short stage and a pair of DJ's were playing Good Life Reggae on my visit. Up here, the lavs were on either side of the chalkboard mural. Two-thirds of the walls were lined with bar beer towels. I have to cop to really being impressed by the vista. Outside, a second, upper deck provided an even more breath-taking view.

Beers: Gold Rush Golden Ale; Urban Wilderness Pale Ale; Fish On! IPA; Braveheart Scottish Ale; 49'er Amber Ale; Portage Porter; John Henry Oatmeal Stout; Belgian Wit; Last Stand Extra Pale; Old Gander Barley Wine; Cherry Wheat.

Mom: Heck, yeah! This is in the heart of downtown and they want the tourist trade. If I like it, as an anti-tourist tourist, how could she miss?
Dec 25, 2009
Photo of John_M
Reviewed by John_M from Washington

4.13/5  rDev +9.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Had not been here in some years, but stopped in the other day for lunch.

What strikes one about SLBC when first walking in, is just how large this brewpub/restaurant is. There is a large downstairs dining area, a large upstairs dining area, and then a very good size deck area outside. I sort of have to wonder how much use the deck sees, but in the summertime, I'm sure it's packed. Atmosphere is pretty informal and laid back, though it's nice enough that you could go here for a more formal dining experience as well. On this particular day, I believe there were between 12 and 15 beers on tap, including one cask. Quality struck me as fairly high, considerably higher/better then what I encountered when last I was here in the late 90's. The hefe was quite solid, and the berliner weisse outstanding. The braveheart scottish on cask was also very good, though I thought the limited edition extra pale ale nothing special at all. Still, overall, quality of the beers was pretty good.

Service was nothing special, though it wasn't bad. While not strikingly knowledgeable, our waiter was quick, efficient, and helpful. However, I give this place extra points for not charging for the three sample glasses I requested. I can't remember the last time I wasn't charged at least a buck or two for a sampler glass of beer.

As for food, we got the salmon mousse and the jalapeno artichoke dip. Both were very good and, for Anchorage, not excessively expensive. All and all, had a pretty nice experience here and wouldn't hesitate to stop by again.
Jul 03, 2009
Photo of yemenmocha
Reviewed by yemenmocha from Arizona

2.95/5  rDev -22%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 1 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Edited after multiple visits:

If you're ready for some of the worst service of your visit in Anchorage, then this is your place.

Horrible service, nice view, great imported selection of belgian beers, mediocre house brews, and overpriced food.

Ugly exterior leads to a modern brewpub feel on the inside, and the upstairs "pub" is just as nice as the downstairs.

Food quality was good, but very pricey, even by downtown Anchorage standards.

Service was atrocious. Too many young kids working as servers & hostesses. Not established servers here with prompt, courteous service. Yeah it's great the server is a novice beer nerd but if he can't fill my wife's water and bring my beer in a timely manner then I don't care. Our appetizer came out after our entree, with no apology or mention of it by the server.

Selection of Belgians and miscellaneous bottles is one of the best in Anchorage. Unlike the food, the beer is reasonably priced.

Their own beers are mediocre. Oatmeal stout isn't bad, but the rest are not worth the effort from your liver.

Come here to drink and eat lightly. Full dinner will cost you an arm and a leg.
Aug 11, 2008
Photo of ph2001
Reviewed by ph2001 from Oregon

3.5/5  rDev -7.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 3 | food: 4
went here on a weekday afternoon for lunch. we sat upstairs near the window looking over the water. it made for a nice setting. our waitress seemed a bit forgetful, but she still was not bad. The beers were decent, not too many to choose from, but good. same for the food. there is not a huge selection but my husband and i both liked what we got, including a smoked salmon pizza we are still thinking about. very good. it was nice and quiet in there, not sure if that is standard or good timing. either way it was a nice setting.
Jun 04, 2008
Photo of warmstorage
Reviewed by warmstorage from California

3.45/5  rDev -8.7%
vibe: 5 | quality: 3 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3
I've been going here since 2000, and I keep wanting to love Snow Goose: really, I do. The views are spectacular, and especially now that smoking isn't allowed anywhere in Anchorage there is usually plenty of choice seating available. The staff are generally fairly friendly. The food is decent. But the beer, well, often just isn't that good. But let's start with the good stuff:

Atmosphere: fantastic. Lots of dining downstairs, and a large bar area upstairs, but the real reason to come here is in the summer, for the dec, which for my money has the best views in downtown Anchorage: over the Inlet, to a fantastic view of the Sleeping Lady. (Google it.) This outside deck is self-seating, but often available except at the busiest times. While downstairs is a little like a family restaurant, the upstairs bar is a pleasant and homey and English pub-feeling. The deck and views alone warrant the extraordinary atmosphere score.

When you have tried Glacier, and it's a two hour wait teeming with loud tourists talking about Grey Line prices and the shampoo choices at the Captain Cook, you can often walk exactly two blocks north and right into an open table at Snow Goose.

The service can be a little hit or miss, but is usually at least decent. Servers often don't know much about the specifics of the beer, but will usually go find out on request. Service is usually friendly, unless they are very busy, when they have had a tendency to get distracted.

Food is very, very meat and seafood-y, in a pretty standard way for downtown Anchorage. Being vegetarian, the choices are limited, and fairly to quite preicy, but usually reasonably tasty.

Selection is pretty solid, usually four to six standards and a seasonal or two on tap.

Quality, well, this is the difficulty. The Fish-on IPA is solid, as is the Braveheart scottish ale. The Urban Wilderness pale is just so-so (and so I was dismayed that this is what they are choosing to can and sell in liquor stores, including La Bodega.) Last month I had an excellent tripel (Ring of Fire) which clearly shows that the brewer knows their stuff, but the rareness of unique offerings suggests they are on a short leash, at least historically. I DEFINITELY hope to see more big/unique/interesting offerings, and will gladly re-review when I do.

Snow Goose/Sleeping Lady: I want to love you, but you keep me at a safe distance. Please, please, please, show us more exciting beers on a regular basis!
Aug 06, 2007
Photo of beersabound
Reviewed by beersabound from Alaska

4.08/5  rDev +7.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5
Tonight was my second trip to the Snow Goose. The first time was last winter and the service and beer were very good. The Sleeping Lady beers are pretty average for a brewpub but the service, views, atmosphere and other brews make up for the on-site brews. I think it's great that they have a bunch of belgian beers to offer along with the Sleeping Lady beers. Tonight was a perfect night for going on the decks. And everyone knew it with how crowded it was. I sat at the bar and had a St Bernardus Tripel and two Sleeping Lady IPAs. The IPA has good bitterness and flavor but is a little sweet and could use much more aroma. I got the halibut tacos which were good but a little small. The bartender took great care of everyone at the bar even though he was quite busy. There is also a theater on site where the Wilders played tonight and it is a great space and the band was full of energy and picked it clean. i recommend checking this place out if you are in downtown Anchorage. Also, it's non smoking.
Jun 15, 2006
Photo of joedon
Reviewed by joedon from Minnesota

3.93/5  rDev +4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Sleeping Lady is one of my "top three" beer haunts in Anchorage (along with Glacier and Humpy's). It is located on the North edge of downtown with an outdoor patio that overlooks Cook Inlet. Perfect spot for summertime beer sipping.

Friendly service; the bartenders are more knowledgeable than average and always offer tastes of the tap beers.

Usually about 6 house-made beers on tap. I would prefer if they offered more specialty or seasonal beers. Seldom any really unusual or extreme brews available.

Food is good here. Better and more reasonably priced than Humpy's. Not quite as good as Glacier but much cheaper.
Apr 28, 2006
Photo of beernut7
Reviewed by beernut7 from Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev +17.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
The Snow Goose Restaurant/Sleeping Lady Brewing Company is a nice establishment on the north side of downtown Anchorage. The views of the bay and the mountains which are the brewing company's namesake are spectacular. The beer selection is very good and the menu provides some great local dishes. The blackened halibut sandwich is fantastic. Open year-round.
May 05, 2002
Snowgoose Restaurant & Pub / Sleeping Lady Brewing Company in Anchorage, AK
Brewery rating: 3.94 out of 5 with 89 ratings