The long-awaited Eye Tooth Tavern & Eatery, which opened earlier this month, is the newest sister restaurant to the extremely popular Moose’s Tooth Pub & Pizzeria, and Bear Tooth Theatrepub & Grill.
I investigated the hype online before I went to check it out in person. What I found was a whole bunch of unfounded criticism (“it’ll cause too much traffic congestion,” “overrated pizza,” “worst name ever,” “too expensive,” etc.), so I knew it was probably going to be really good.
Moose’s Tooth and later, Bear Tooth, are Anchorage staples for a reason. They are known for a fun ambiance, reliably tasty and inventive eats, micro-brewed beer, and being home to many community events, like festivals for Alaska-made films and the First Tap concert series. Locals for the most part are proud both to dine there and bring our out of town guests.
Regrettably, my internet research did not cure me of my very-Anchoragey assumption that you don’t have to wait for a table between October and June. On the fourth day of Eye Tooth operations, I drove over on Thursday hoping for a quick dinner before another obligation later that evening, which turned out to be comically dumb. The parking lot was circle-the-block packed, and the wait at 5 p.m. was an hour and 15 minutes. The full-service bar was full.
Laughing at myself and now better prepared, I went back at 3:55 on Friday for the 4 p.m. opening with two friends. We found a parking spot easily this time, and entered a line of about 40 people. It was definitely a line of locals — one man wore shorts and another just a t-shirt despite temps in the 30s. I heard numerous people sharing various rumors about the menu or why it took them so long to open. I heard another guy telling a story about getting charged by a moose. The line moved quickly once the doors opened, and we waited about 20 more minutes for a table.
We honestly didn’t mind the wait. The ambiance was awesome, and the people-watching was a hoot. The interior is thoughtful, vibrant, and on theme with the sister restaurants, without being overdone. Colorful posters of former First Tap acts line the wall near comfortable benches in the waiting area. There are murals by Alaskan artists on a few of the walls, including a distinctive mountain-themed piece at the front entry.
Every staff member we interacted with was attentive and pleasant, despite the extremely full dining room and having every table seated basically simultaneously. Seeing the mounting crowds, I expected to feel rushed or experience slightly frazzled staff — this was absolutely not the case.
Many of the Broken Tooth beers from Moose’s and Bear Tooth are on the menu here, alongside mocktails and cocktails, which are more whisky-based than other locations. For food, the Eye Tooth has many of the Moose’s Tooth pies we know and love, as well as some new menu items like poke nachos, new salads, a burger, and more. New pizza crusts are on the radar for later in the year.
Three of us ordered two beers (I particularly enjoyed the Rock, Paper, Citras) and a mocktail from the list of four options. We tried the Bluenose, which was like a jazzy fruit juice (and much more pink than blue). For food, we chose the poke nachos, a large berry and goat cheese salad, and three, small pizzas: Call of the Wild, Wild Mushroom and Amazing Apricot. Our bill came to $104.35 and the portion easily could have fed four people.
All of it was Tooth-trademark solid, with a crispy yet chewy crust and unique flavors, which makes sense since the pizzas we tasted are carryover favorites from Moose’s Tooth. I enjoyed the spicy-sweet combo of the Amazing Apricot pizza best, but the new menu items were exciting additions. The poke nachos had a zesty sauce and the salad came with four, tasty fried goat cheese pucks, lots of berries and a light dressing that paired well as a side with pizza.
The food had to be good and it was, as I expected it to be. But for me, the experience wasn’t really about the food. It was about joining in as the community celebrates a new chapter of an Anchorage institution. I ran into multiple people I knew, I sat under a poster of one of my favorite local musicians, and got to catch up with two friends.
Will I wait over an hour in line to go back right away? Probably not. But will I readily go back at some point, likely within the next few months? Absolutely. I think you should too. Except for any of you internet curmudgeons who want to complain about the name or traffic or whatever. You can stay home.
Eye Tooth Tavern & Eatery is currently open Thursday – Saturday from 4:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. and is now featuring a limited, but still delightful, menu. It is located on King St. north of Dimond Boulevard.
Jenny Weis writes for a variety of Alaska nonprofits and causes in between keeping up on Alaska's doughnut scene, sliding on snow, and gawking at cool plants and rocks along local trails.
