The Arctic Roadrunner
by Mary Jane Dougherty
(California)
What are your favorite memories of the Arctic Roadrunner?
Just thinking about the Arctic Road Runner's Alaskan Banquet hamburger is making me hungry.
Our favorite location was at 2477 Arctic Boulevard in midtown Anchorage.
Back then, the Arctic Roadrunner restaurant was just a trailer. My older brothers, sister and I drove up to the drive through window and placed our order of several Alaskan Banquet hamburgers and sodas. On one visit, after we were handed the bag containing our order, we pulled over in the parking lot to eat.
We sat in the car listening to, The “Royal Coachman,” Ron Moore on the radio. He was playing our favorite song, Elvis's, “Blue Suede Shoes.” Then after our first bite of our hamburgers, all you could hear was “Yum! Delicious! This tastes so good!” We were having a blast as we listened to the radio while we were laughing and eating one of the best hamburgers and sodas ever.
After that day, the Arctic Roadrunner became one of my sister and brother's favorite places to eat.
Then, when Mike (who would become my husband) and I started dating in the winter of 1967, it became a favorite place to eat.
And later on, it was a favorite place to go out and dine with our young children.
Their hamburger menu has some interesting names. The “All American”, “Alaskan Banquet”, “Arctic Cheese”, “Kodiak Island” and the “Kenai Whopper.”
Smaller burgers include the “Lord Baranof” and also one of my other favorites, the “Attu Burger.”
Wow, I'm starving now.
So, when you're in Anchorage, please go to the Arctic Roadrunner, our all-time favorite burger restaurant where Anchorage locals and newcomers love and enjoy a great burger.