Prey Pub Eatery - Cantwell

Stopped at Prey, a resort-priced dinner spot, for a quick dinner on our way out of Denali National Park. Tried the Alaska Fish Chips (beer-battered Prince William Sound halibut, coleslaw, tartar sauce, fries) and the Caribou Meatloaf (spicy tomato jam, red bliss mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts). The meatloaf was delicious (every once in a while you got a game-y bite, but overall well-seasoned). The fish batter could've used some seasoning, but it was nice and crispy. Overall, service was friendly and prompt. The desserts looked good, but we were too full to try any.

The half house salad and the beast burger sub with sweet potato fries were pretty good. There was only a small piece of walnut in the salad but it had a good feta ratio... the burger was a hearty portion.

There are not a lot of dinner options around the Denali Park entrance area. I 'm also told that outside the May-September high season window, there are practically none. Prey is located within the Denali Cabins complex and was our captive restaurant, considering that we didn 't have a car and that shuttle option to Glitter Gulch provided limited choices. Gayle and I had dinner here twice and enjoyed the experience both times. The place opens at 5 PM and fills up quickly. The trick is to get in there, and if there 's an open table (regardless of bused status), grab it. The first night was more of a challenge getting a table and overall service (because of short staffing), with our later return from our Denali bus tour being easier on all counts. Gayle gave high marks to the guy who made her gin martini the first night and the woman the 2nd night who was from Madrid NM and probably waited on us a few years before in her job at the Mineshaft Tavern and Cantina. When you 're talking about seasonal work, you never know who you 're going to meet and where they 're from. When you 're out on a long day (off the Train on the first and the backcountry bus on the second), a nice table to relax and your favorite adult beverage almost automatically makes the food taste better and the wait bearable. So 4 stars it is, even though a true Alaska fisherman probably would not have ordered any fish dish like the Alaska Salmon BLT and Halibut fish and chips we ordered and enjoyed on had on evening #2. Evening #1 was tasty too, with Gayle going for the Beast Burger (blend of bison, beef, elk, and wild boar), and me settling for a nice bowl of chili. With a small isolated restaurant with good demand, please be of good cheer when they run out of a menu item. For example on Evening #2, practically the entire Appetizer section was out (e.g., Philly Egg Rolls, Chicken Wings, and Kung Pau Brussel Sprouts). There was plenty else to choose from, but it did throw our salads and appetizers dinner strategy out the window.

Delightful staff, nice ambience. Had the Alaskan cod fish n chips which was amazing. I swear it was 2-3 potatoes worth of fries and 3 VERY large pieces of cod. Very fresh, nice crisp batter. Icy cold local beer made for a wonderful meal. The hostess/bartender/waitress Nova made it even a more fun experience.

Prey has potential but it is so understaffed and the food reflected that. The waiter made our cocktails which we had to send back and the dishes were lacking ingredients. We have up after awhile mostly because we felt so sorry for the staff.