Turnagain House Restaurant

My husband and I had a groupon for a paella dinner for two, which was valued at $120.00 - it was to include 4 tapas (their choice) dinner salad, paella, flan and two glasses of sangria. We made reservations - as the groupon said to do. Upon arrival we were seated immediately and once the waitress knew we had the groupon we kind of lost all control of what happened. Our four tapas were brought out before we were hardly in our seats! When we asked what they were beside the obvious beans and olives, she couldn't tell us what they were just that they were ""spicy"". She did not ask us if we wanted drinks or anything else. It was obvious that they just took these 4 very tiny tapas dishes directly out of the fridge. My husband wanted to order a beer and the waitress looked perplexed and say ""why, you have sangria coming with your meal?"" Our salads were brought quickly afterwards (fresh and a good size) but the waitress came back and waited for me to finish my last bite so she could pick up our plates. Just a moment later our paella was brought out - very tasty and a good proportion for us to share. However - consistent with her behavior - our waitress picked up our plates to box our leftovers before we were finished our meal! Just because our forks were down did not mean we were finished! I asked about a wonderful rice pudding that I had had there on a previous visit - and she quickly shook her head and said ""no, we don't have that - you're having flan as your dessert. We had to ask for coffee and intentionally took our time having our coffee and dessert. Pepe came out and saw the to go box on our table and said ""couldn't you finish your meal?"" to which I replied - ""I don't know, our waitress took our plates before we were finished."" He only shrugged his shoulders and mumbled something as he walked away. I couldn't believe it! This was such a different experience that what I had experienced in the past. I was truly dumbfounded at our experience. Certainly not worth the $120.00 that the groupon was suppose to be worth. Our waitress truly needs to be taught how to wait on customers! I will only go back if I know I wouldn't have the same waitress. more

The restaurant is out of the way on Seward Highway, but the drive out there is seriously gorgeous. The restaurant itself has a well-kept appearance, the decor is nice and the view is awesome, right out into the bay.\r \r Having read the reviews online, my wife and I had high expectations, and every aspect but one lived up to it...the food. We bought a Groupon with a preordained meal, which consisted of Tapas, Salad, Sangria, Paella, and flan for both of us. \r \r The sangria tasted fantastic, and the tapas included steamed mussels, which were very flavorful and quite good; however, it also included a cold garbanzo bean salad, which looked and tasted like it came right out of a can. Very bland, very uninteresting.\r \r The salad was basically just leaf lettuce and ranch, with two or three strips of shredded carrot; acceptable as a simple salad, but the menu listed it at $7.00 each, and at that price I really expect something more inspired.\r \r I had never had Paella before and was really looking forward to the experience. It came out on a hot pan, family style, with enough food to feed four comfortably. I was impressed with the amount of seafood I saw in the mix, but once I began eating I was immediately disappointed with the flavor. The rice was totally tasteless and bland, there was grit and sand in the seafood, and honestly it tasted like it was frozen, even though the menu proudly proclaims that it is all fresh local seafood. \r \r And, finally, the flan. The custard itself tasted good, but the caramel sauce was very burnt, and that carbonized-burnt-sugar flavor was really all you could taste. Clearly, whoever made the sauce didn't find it important enough to taste it before slathering it all over our dessert. \r \r So, although the food was definitely edible, it was sub-par in my opinion. Flavor-wise, I would expect better of a mediocre food truck, but price-wise this supposed to be a fine dining experience. Very disappointing.\r \r more

This is my favorite restaurant in the world. The service is like that of an old friend delighted to see you. The food fresh and the flavors make you just make that mmmmmm mmmmmmm noise they are so good. My profile picture on FB was taken on my birthday a few years ago on the drive to Turnagain House. Absolutely worth the airfare to get there. Pros: The best food this side of heaven. Cons: Little bit of a drive on a beautiful bay. more

We've driven by the Turnagain House on the Seward Highway for years, and lately there's a new sign that reads ""Pepe's"". Don't pass this place by. The food is wonderful, from seafood to pasta to steaks. We were started with a tapas/appetizer and fresh rolls. of that was perfect. Our appetizers of a fresh tomato and garlic bruchetta and steamed clams were wonderful. We ordered an incredible fillet minon stuffed with bleu cheese and bacon, 18 oz New York strip with bourbon sauce, and the best four cheese pasta I've had in years. The steaks were done to perfection as well. The desserts and coffee (yes, we made room) were awesome. The food was wonderful, the interior charming, but the service was without flaw. It was a great dining experience, we weren't rushed or forgotten. Incredible food and worth the stop. Pros: Food, service & location Cons: n/a more

Went to dinner for our anniversary and had an incredible meal and great service! My husband and I had the filet mignon and the salmon. Both were cooked to perfection and the steak was so tender you could cut it with a fork. Nice view and great servers. Pros: Great steaks and fish more