The Bake Shop

The Bake Shop has been feeding skiers, hikers, and Girdwood locals since 1973 — making it one of the oldest continuously operating restaurants in the Anchorage region. Tucked along Olympic Mountain Loop in the Alyeska Resort neighborhood, this cozy counter-service bakery and breakfast spot has built a devoted following over more than five decades on the strength of its house-made sourdough, legendary cinnamon buns, and warm-from-the-oven pastries.

The menu is rooted in the sourdough tradition. The Bake Shop uses a starter with a history that traces back to a gold-rush-era miner who once worked the Girdwood valley — the same culture has been maintained for over a century, giving their Alaskan Sourdough Pancakes and Alyeska Sourdough Bread a depth of flavor that commercial yeast simply cannot replicate. The Sweet Rolls — a European-style yeast bread with raisins and lemon glaze — have become an institution, as have the cinnamon buns, which regulars describe as the size of your head. Breakfast sandwiches, omelettes, and bottomless homemade soup round out a menu that leans simple, comforting, and well-executed.

The format is quick and casual: order at the counter, find a seat in the cozy dining room, and settle in with something warm while the mountain air outside does its thing. The crowd skews toward Alyeska Resort guests in winter (the shop is a natural first stop before the lifts open) and trail runners, cyclists, and summer visitors the rest of the year. With 219 Yelp reviews and a consistent four-star reputation, it is among the most praised breakfast spots on the Kenai Peninsula.

Credit cards are accepted and takeout is available for the full menu, making it easy to grab pastries before heading into the backcountry or onto Winner Creek Trail. Note that The Bake Shop is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays and keeps shorter hours — 8 AM to 2 PM Wednesday through Sunday — so plan accordingly if you are building an itinerary around a visit.

For anyone making the roughly 40-mile drive south from Anchorage to Girdwood, The Bake Shop is a near-mandatory stop. It distills everything that makes Girdwood charming — decades of local history, unpretentious quality, and a sense that time moves a little differently here at the base of the Chugach.