Humpy's Great Alaskan Ale House

Humpy's Great Alaskan Ale HouseHumpy's Great Alaskan Ale House
Humpy's Great Alaskan Ale HouseHumpy's Great Alaskan Ale House
Brewery, Bar, Eatery

610 W 6th Ave
Anchorage, Alaska, 99501-2225
United States

(907) 276-2337 | map
humpys.com
BEER STATS
Average:
3.75
Beers:
3
Ratings:
1
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.07
Reviews:
20
Ratings:
35
pDev:
8.6%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by shivtim:
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Reviewed by shivtim from Georgia

3.64/5  rDev -10.6%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4
A pretty basic bar with a good selection. It's dark, a bit dingy, busy, and vaguely fish themed. Hopping with a decent mix of folks. Lots of tap handles along the wall. We sat at the bar, and service was somewhat friendly and quick but slightly detached. There was a really drunk guy sitting next to us and the bartender was not impressed with his antics.

There were about 46 on tap according to my count, 20 of which were brewed in Alaska. A very solid selection, but nothing earth-shattering. Still something for everyone, especially tourists looking for local brews.

I guess this place is probably a must stop for Anchorage.
Jun 11, 2009
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.7 by Cpmitchno1 from Virginia

Jul 02, 2018
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Reviewed by Lone_Freighter from Vermont

4/5  rDev -1.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Across the street from Glacier Brewhouse, I actually started here first that night. I got a reindeer burger that was really damn good! Beers came out quick in non-frosted glassware. It seemed like a pretty happening place and had pretty good service, fairly clean place. I'd go back if I lived closer.
Aug 18, 2017
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Reviewed by mrcraft from California

4.03/5  rDev -1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.25
After a long flight and some nap time at my hotel, I visited Humpy's to grab a drink and take some food back.

It's located in Downtown Anchorage on one of their main streets. Once you enter inside it's larger than you would think from seeing the exterior. They have a fairly large rectangular bar. Lots of seating area with tables and chairs. The tap list was nice, lots of local beers along with bigger name breweries. I had their house Citra Pale, which was good.

My food was pretty good also. I had a reindeer burger and smoked red salmon chowder. They were both delicious.

I'm glad I visited today. I may return before I leave Anchorage in a few days.
Apr 07, 2017
 
Rated: 3.93 by Spaceman_Jer from Colorado

Jan 31, 2017
 
Rated: 3.85 by rspauldi from Texas

Jun 10, 2016
 
Rated: 4.22 by Brian29 from Ohio

Dec 22, 2015
 
Rated: 4.4 by SCW from New York

Jun 02, 2015
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Reviewed by Mickeyp2814 from Texas

4.75/5  rDev +16.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5
This is the place to go if you want good local beer and good food. The beer selection is top notch specializing in local breweries and breweries from around the state. If you are wanting to get a taste of several local brews (Besides Alaska brewing. You can get that nation wide) this is the place to be. The staff is also very friendly and helpful. They know their beers and the food. As far as food goes try the Halibut Fish and Chips or the Crab Legs.
Last note...Brew Dawgs had Humpy's ranked number two in their top five places for local beers. Humpy's should have been number one. The locals will tell you that.
Mar 29, 2015
 
Rated: 4.15 by Cynic-ale from Texas

Feb 09, 2015
 
Rated: 4.23 by LeenyP from New Jersey

Dec 17, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by itracy63 from Washington

Oct 30, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by PastorMeat from Pennsylvania

Jul 22, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by DucksFan16 from Tennessee

Jul 09, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by juneauscott from Alaska

Jun 27, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Yeti1979 from Louisiana

Jun 26, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by SmellsofMahagony from Texas

Jun 05, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by krome from Illinois

Mar 26, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by DrinkSlurm from New York

Jan 10, 2014
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Reviewed by jmdrpi from Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev -2.9%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 5 | food: 3
Visited for Dinner on a Friday night while visiting Anchorage. The place was packed, and they have a "seat yourself" policy, luckily we found literally the last open table, outside in the back.

Clearly they pride themselves on their massive draft list of over 50 beers. The beer menu was very nicely organized by style, and noted if a beer was local and listed ABV for some, and a price category. The assortment was a nice mix of locals, American Craft, and Belgians.

Our server was average, and so was the food. My wife's seafood was okay, but they totally overcooked my steak.

Recommend for drinks, but don't take a large group or you may be waiting a long time to snag a table.
Sep 06, 2011
Photo of Donnie2112
Reviewed by Donnie2112 from Alaska

3.55/5  rDev -12.8%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 3
It's a little dark, they do live music but I'm never into the band, kind of a loud bar to be honest and not exactly my scene.

The quality of the food is hit and miss, there are certain items on the menu that I really like, such as the crab roll and certain items that I think are repulsive such as their halibut tacos, check out the Bear Tooth for good halibut tacos in Anchorage.

The service has always been fine, nothing special but they are always courteous and fairly quick with my food and drink.

The selection is fairly extensive but I don't think that it goes far enough for a place that calls itself an "alehouse" it's not as repetitive as your typical bar but there is a certain lack of depth to the beers that they carry.

The place is pricey and there are better spots in Anchorage to get a beer. Just average in my opinion.
Jan 01, 2011
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Reviewed by juzy from Alaska

2.78/5  rDev -31.7%
vibe: 3 | quality: 2.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 3 | food: 3.5
May 2012 - I need to mention that 2 of the past 4 visits to Humpy's have been met with contaminated beer due to dirty tap lines. So disappointing. I'm not the only local with this complaint, as a quick survey of many of our homebrew club friends shows that they have been having the same issues when visiting Humpy's.

I just deleted my old review which gave Humpy's an A. This place, IMO, has gone downhill in the past year or so. While it used to be a place I enjoyed and even looked forward to going to, I no longer find it all that appealing.

Let's start with prices, they have increased in the past year, not that I didn't expect that at some point, but right now? While most people are really watching their wallets? You choose to increase your prices? Most dishes have gone up by at least $3 a piece. Don't get that move at all. They have a new beverage manager and I don't know him, but he seems to not give a shit that this is an alehouse that "used to" cater to the local and visiting beer crowd.
I gotta say this without naming names. A local rep for a local brewery came in and was taking the order and mentioned that the beer this local brewery brews just for Humpys is ready and the bev manager says, "no I don't think we'll get anymore"! Really? You aren't going to purchase a beer that is brewed just for your establishment? A few phone calls straightened him out, I guess. Anyway, this was a story told to me, it's not first hand information.

But back to the establishment itself. The food is still good, the place is still crazy busy, but the beer selection has been less than impressive, with like 20 versions of IPA or pale ale, etc. With little to no love going to other styles. don't get me wrong, they still pull out the big guns during the Beer And Barleywine Festival, but other than that there wasn't much that drew me to Humpy's over this past year. I think saying that I'm disappointed is an understatement. I also feel like management really doesn't care about the regular customers' opinions anymore. A facebook incident where I suggested an idea was met with "I don't think so" from whomever runs their facebook page, and then I was quickly de-friended. All for suggesting that they post their daily specials on facebook like every other bar and restaurant does!

Service is hit or miss if you sit at a table. Bar service is usually pretty quick and on the spot.

On the other hand they just opened up a franchise in Hawaii, my guess is that all the time, effort and $$ is going to that place at the moment.

So sorry to have to delete my original glowing review of this place, but it is so not the Humpy's that locals all came to love! Food is still decent, beer menu is still large, but it's monotonous for the most part.
Jun 01, 2010
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Reviewed by axman from Virginia

3.84/5  rDev -5.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 5
Visited on a Friday night in January after returning to our downtown hotel following dinner at Moose's Tooth--Humpy's was an easy walk. They had a pretty good band playing an eclectic selection. The place definitely was happening--lots of people eating, drinking, and socializing. Because this was my first trip to Alaska I tried to stick with Alaskan beers, so I tried the Homer Brewing Scotch Ale they had on tap. It wasn't my favorite beer in Anchorage, but wasn't bad either. As other posters noted, Humpy's is much larger inside than outside appearances would suggest. It was a bit crowded for my tastes, but I imagine its even better when the weather is nice and what looked like an outdoor patio would be more inviting than on a 5 degree night.
Feb 06, 2010
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Reviewed by woodychandler from Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +5.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 5
Located just a block and a half from the regional transit center, it all put me in mind of Dr. Who's TARDIS - MUCH larger inside than its deceptive exterior would suggest. It looked like a diner with windows flanking either side of the double-doored entryway, center. Entering, The Duck Hut, an outlet for all of their logo items was to the left with a salesperson standing by (!).

The long, wide 5/8 octagon-shaped bar began shortly inside the door in the center line. I grabbed a Captain's chair on the right corner for a good view of the goings on. The back bar was a tap-filled island in the center of the bar, with the kitchen visible further aft, past the back bar. High tables and chairs lined the windows and the left wall, plus a good bit of the surrounding space. Crescent-shaped booths ran most of the length of the right wall. A crescent-shaped snug existed on the left wall of the right hand corridor, just before the doors leading to their outdoor patio and The Crab Shack. As to that last, you could weigh out the amount of Red King Crab that you wanted, paying by the pound with a one pound minimum, plus potato and corn on the cob. I opted for the Plank Salmon dinner, as if you could not have intuited that by now. Lavs were aft, along left wall.

The menu actually bore transcription: "An original Alaskan Bar & Grill for Beer Lovers by Beer Lovers. The Humpy (or Pink Salmon) takes a wild trip each summer up an Alaskan river. Gradually, the male's spine bends from chasing the females back to their birthplace. The Humpy has to fight its way up the raging currents, past the pesky anglers and against nature's time clock. Millions of salmon end the exhausting trip up some river bank, after spawning in the wee hours of the Midnight Sun. Sounds like a typical Alaskan vacation!! The Humpy is a sacred fish; you will NEVER find it served on our menu. Thank you for joining up and Keep on Spawning!!!"

Beer: 45 taps, 1 cask. I had Alaska Icy Bay IPA followed by Midnight Sun Arctic Rhino Coffee Porter.

Mom: The loud music on the PA system might be a bit much, but the seafood would make up for it.
Dec 25, 2009
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Reviewed by John_M from Washington

4.3/5  rDev +5.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
What I find striking about Humpy's, at least looking at the place from the outside, is just how small the place appears. The company "schwag" store next door appears larger, though once you walk in Humpy's is sizeable enough.

The place has a good size, U shaped wrap around bar as you walk in, with a number of tables and chairs interspersed around the restaurant inside. Humpy's has a very low key, informal and relaxed vibe, and I can only assume they got a good price on the paint they used on the walls. The place is pretty much two tone green, with a few beer poster adornments on the walls.

As others have noted, this place has a sizeable draft selection, this day consisting of some 46 offerings (not quite the 55 one reads about in local advertisements). The menu lists which offerings are local (brewed in Alaska), which today amounted to 21 out of 46 on the list. Not bad, I thought, though I wasn't overwhelmed by the quality level of some of those selections. James Robert (Dr. Fermento) noted in the local Anchorage Press weekly that Anchorage is inundated with tourists in the Summer, which places (as he put it) an inordinate demand on local brewers to produce only the lightest, most common offerings in large volume. Perhaps that partially explains the current draft list at Humpy's, as I can't say I was overjoyed to see the likes of Kona Longboard Lager, Pyramid hefeweizen and Alaskan white, among other things. Granted, I haven't been here in some years, but my recollection is that during the winter months, the selection is much more impressive. In any event....

Service was fine for what it was, with the young woman waiting on me quick and attentive. No problems there.

This is still a very solid place, but I'm guessing the summer time is not the best time to stop by here.

Edit from 7/5/09. Stopped by a few days later, and had my earlier suspicion confirmed. Tonight Humpy's had Monk's Mistress on nitro, Fallen Angel, and Full Sail Slipnot. Mea Culpa, I clearly was here on an off night the first time here. I have adjusted my quality score accordingly.
Jul 03, 2009
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Reviewed by barleywinefiend from Washington

4.28/5  rDev +5.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Stopped in Anchorage for 2 days and all I heard was GO TO HUMPY'S. Wise choice. Salmon was excellent and went well the GREAT brew selection. They had some of my fav WA beers not to mention some locals and Alaskan Brewing beers which I love. Really liked it and it was nice to have some good brews before heading to Korea AGAIN. Wont forget it and I advise any and all headed to Anchorage/Elemendorf AFB area to hit up HUMPYS! Oh yeah..the bartender even knew her brews. OUT FREAKIN STANDING. Service was good even on a very busy night. this place is a well rounded beer bar.
Oct 19, 2008
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Reviewed by TheEclecticGent from Georgia

3.75/5  rDev -7.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3
Humpy's is a dark local dive bar, dark even during the day and dark even by my standards. This being said, I still like it. Lots of locals and an excellent beer list (lots of taps). The décor is old beer posters, beer mirrors, and tap handles. There is a bandstand to the left of the entrance and an square island bar in the middle of the establishment. From the stickers in the men's restroom, I deduce the local airmen drink there quite a bit. The food is good quality bar fare, I had the halibut and chips, which was very good. For a non local it gave me a good feel for the local bar scene and I wish I could have stayed longer and tasted more local beer offerings. Defiantly a good beer stop in Anchorage, AK.
Aug 26, 2008
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Reviewed by yemenmocha from Arizona

3.8/5  rDev -6.6%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 5 | food: 3
Best TAP selection in Anchorage that I could find, with focus on Alaskan beers & Pascific mainland brews.

Atmosphere is very run down, almost "dive" style bar - plump oval booths, old tables, & run down exterior appearance.

Clientele is diverse, and almost disturbingly so. On a Sunday night at 8pm I couldn't get a table. Everyone had their kids in this place (most under 10yrs old), even though it's a worknight and a loud band is starting. A lot of people were blue collar working folks, which I thought was odd for a place serving upscale beers.

Service was simply average. On afternoon visits I received proper attention but on moderately busy evenings it was below par.

Food was average and reasonably priced, given Alaska prices on the whole.

Conclusion: if you can get here on a slow time during the day, preferably on a weekend, then Humpy's is a good place. Evenings are another story.
Aug 11, 2008
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Reviewed by Ryan1423 from Alaska

4.43/5  rDev +8.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 3
Humpy's is a pretty good place to get a beer. It is a regular stop for locals. The selection is fantastic. They have a bunch of taps (not sure exactly how many) and a bunch of bottled selections. The atmosphere is good but the place will get really crowded on the weekend. I gave the food an average because I've only eaten there once and I had the nachos. Pretty good. The prices are reasonable but may seem pricy to newcomers, just remember it's Alaska and everything is more expensive. Overall, Humpy's is a great place to hang out, get some good beers, and let off a little steam. I would recommend it to anyone.
Mar 25, 2008
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Reviewed by AKBelgianBeast from Alaska

4.33/5  rDev +6.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 2.5
Humpy's is probably the most famous bar in anchorage aside from chilkoot charlies which is a conglomerate cheesy sausage fest with hos from wall to wall. Humpys offers a fantastic beer selection of all local breweries and lots of belgian selections as well. The food could be alot better. and alot of times the servers are undereducated beer wise. Last time i was there my gouden classic had ice chunks in the top of it it was served so cold. But the beer selection is fantastic. It can be extremely crowded on the weekends. Parking is semi tough too, as it is right in the middle of downtown anchorage. If it gets too crowded there is a decent irish pub and restaurant right behind it with murphy's on tap which is unique to that bar in alaska, but im not reviewing mcginleys. humpys is a staple and anyone visiting anchorage should stop by if craving a belgian.
Dec 19, 2007
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Reviewed by irishevans from California

4/5  rDev -1.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 5
A great Friday/Saturday night stop. or use this place (or McGinillys around the corner) as the starting point for the downtown Anchor-Town pub crawl. i love the lighting here, dim, diveish, but it is far from a dive bar, with what they boast is the best tap selection in the pacific northwest, you can get wasted with no two pints being the same, and still have miles to go on the beer list. the staff is friendly espically when considering the crowd size they deal with. I've never been there when a band wasn't playing, and they are typically pretty good. all in all a damn good watering hole
Dec 19, 2007
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Reviewed by megatron0259 from Nevada

4.4/5  rDev +8.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Humpys is one of the better places in anchorage to get a bite to eat, and more importantly a beer to drink. Easy to get to as it is in the heart of downtown anchorage, humpys offers good food at reasonable prices considering its location. The summertime seafood selction is ofcourse great, as it is in most places in anchorage. what makes humpys stand out is its great beer selection. they have more beers ontap than you can shake a stick it at. As well as having a broad range of patrons that make coming here an enjoyable experience
Nov 25, 2006
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Reviewed by rowew from Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
I managed to make it in to Humpy's several times while I was in Alaska. Fairly large place with a bar and booths inside, as well as a stage. In the back they have a covered patio - nice for those sunny Alaskan nights. The place was crowded every time I stopped in - especially if a band was playing. Food was great - very fresh and well prepared seafood. Nice selection of both regional and national microbrews, and the staff seems to know their beers. Unfortunately they were a bit over-worked at times, so service occassionally suffered. When they had time to make it to your table they were great though! A must-visit if you make it to Anchorage.
Aug 09, 2005
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Reviewed by joedon from Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev -7.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5
I'm re-writing my review since the original I wrote four years ago.

Humpy's continues to raise prices and serve smaller portions both for food and beverages. Their "pints" are now down to 13 ounces for $6.00. Most other Anchorage pubs are still holding the line at $4.50 for a full 16 ounce pint.

Largest selection of tap beers in Anchorage. Usually about 30-40 available representing several Alaska micro-brewries (Moose's Tooth, Alaskan Amber, Snow Goose) as well as lower 48 sources (Full Sail, Pyramid, Rogue, Fat Tire, Kemper, etc.). The selection changes most nights depending on what is available from their distributor. Also have seasonals and specialties from time to time.

Bottled beer includes mainly Belgians and some obscure stuff.

Generally friendly staff but they can get over-worked during the weekend rush.

Humpy's is still extremely popular but I'm taking my business elsewhere unless their prices return to something reasonable.
Jul 04, 2005
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Reviewed by aracauna from Georgia

4.45/5  rDev +9.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
I just fell in love with this place. First off, I'm a sucker for any no crap on tap bar and while I'm spoiled by having had my regular haunt for three months have 125 taps, I know that's extremely unusual. The food is pretty good, nothing outstanding, but priced reasonably and it makes a good lunch place. The beer selection is really good, especially if you're an East Coaster with a good selection of Alaska and Pacific Northwest beers. I could have come here the whole time I was in Anchorage and have 2 beers with every meal and still not have finished their alaska-made beer offerings. They even had a fairly impressive offering of bottled belgians, although the bottle selection was nothing compared to the tap selection. If I ever lived in Anchorage, this would be my bar. One cool thing about the decor was the collection of old tap handles on the wall.
Aug 06, 2002
Humpy's Great Alaskan Ale House in Anchorage, AK
Brewery rating: 3.75 out of 5 with 1 ratings