Orso

Have had it before and was not amused, now they have a better chef/​staff. Fantastic. High quality service, classy atmosphere, and amazing food! Highly recommend the Marcella glazed tenderloin tips. Be prepared to pay a higher price, but it’s plenty worth every penny.

Good seafood, fresh and well prepared. Loved the Rosemary Bread served with tomato chutney and hummus. Service was excellent. Décor was a nice break from moose and bear themes seen in many Anchorage eateries.

Orso. Was. Delicious.
I know most people come in here as an alternative to Glacier, but Orso offers a wider variety of dishes at a lower price for similar quality.
Be wary of the crab cakes. I personally was not a fan of the aioli that was served with it. The big MVP of the night was without a doubt the baked seafood Mac and cheese. Huge chunks of shrimp, crab, and some other seafood mixed in with an awesome cheese sauce and topped with delightfully crispy breadcrumbs. It was amazing and we finished it way too quickly.
Great ambiance and friendly waitstaff. I will be back!

We were in town for three nights. Drinks first night, then two dinners here. Everything is great.
Food is generous and tasty. Cocktails wonderful.
Brian the server was fab.
We had been chasing Baked Alaska all over for two weeks but not many had heard of it. We asked the manager here if they could do one. To our delight they made up one. Was not quite the original but with short notice and not charging much, the service was above and beyond.
Go eat here. !!

Great happy hour! Amazing value especially given the high prices of dining in anchorage.
The calamari was great! Deviled eggs were amazing as well. Those were my favorite. Crab cakes were solid too. The corn dogs and roasted cauliflower were alright. Wonderful, friendly service!

Great atmosphere. Couldn’t get reservation next door, so we tried Orso. Burger from bar menu was excellent. Grilled Copper River salmon was dry, but presentation was great. Crab legs were overcooked, but just the right amount. Blueberry cheesecake with ice cream was excellent. Meal for two with one alcoholic drink each and dessert was $ 120. Salmon not worth $ 45.

First time here, staying at the hotel across the street. Food was excellent. Soup of the day was mushroom soup– YUM! Shared the tomato basil bruschetta (only 3 pieces) and the grilled romaine with flat iron steak. Everything was delicious, plates left the table empty.

hmmmmm.
If you purchase a large enough gift card to give away as a gift, which I did this past christmas. Orso’s will give you a $ 20 gift certificate to use yourself (sneaky way of purchasing yourself a gift, hee hee)
I wanted to take the spouse out for a treat today and went for the gift certificate… noticed «expires april 1». (april fools day)
I called to confirm, yep. It expired. Incentive gone.
Geez. You’d think I’d have a year to go at my convenience, not their short four months.
I’m actually kind of pissed off right now, feeling kinda cheated…
(obviously I’m not going to take the wife out for dinner there tonight, the sour taste in my mouth is going to last a while)(nothing, would taste good)
APRIL FOOLS!
(you win orso’s… I’m the fool)

What a pleasant surprise! Daniel was our server and explained all the wine, appetizers and main courses to perfection. The ambiance was nice, carpeted floors to keep the noise low, even relatively quiet when sitting next to parties on each side. The calamari was AMAZING, the filet and salmon were equally impressive! This was my first time here and will be back for sure! I highly recommend this place for dinner, whether an intimate setting or larger party!!! Wow!

This place is nice and creative with their menu. I loved the calamari, baked seafood Mac n cheese and peanut butter pie. The service was only ok, we had to keep asking for water. Atmosphere was relaxing. The beef and mushroom soup and fried ravioli were only ok. Next time I’m in the area, I’ll try something else.

Great menu from top to bottom. You might overlook this one though; rosemary potato bread. Best bread in town.

Perhaps service matters a lot. This restaurant demonstrates warm welcomes and intimate care. Food is seafood mostly. Since o live in a fishing village I didn’t go with salmon or halibut
I did the shrimp scampi. It was perfect.

We went to Orso recently on a couple of $ 50 gift certificates. We ordered a salad, the cauliflower appetizer, the garlic (something — it had run out), a soup, and the rockfish. We finished off with a glass of port and the chocolate cake. Our waiter was a bit condescending, and when he heard our choices, he didn’t seem to approve. His air with us for the rest of the night was one of avoidance. My husband guessed that maybe he was upset we aren’t drinkers.
It wasn’t crowded on Good Friday, so the fact that it took a long time to get our meals was actually fine. We were able to sit and talk. The food was good. I especially liked the cauliflower, with its tasty red dressing. We asked (not our waiter) how that was prepared. The rockfish was also very good: the crab filling added interest, and the coating was perfect. But the soup came to the table somewhat cold. It was the absence and attitude of our waiter that made us not request some reheating.
What made me like the restaurant less was two main points of service. First, during the cauliflower tasting, I managed to drop a dollop of the reddish sauce/​dressing on the table. It sat there all the way until desert. When the table was cleared for desert, I was finally tired of staring at the blob, and cleaned it up myself. Why didn’t any of the three people (waiter, two food-​deliverers) clear it up?
Second, I used my knife during that cauliflower appetizer on the bigger chunks of vegetable. When the person clearing my plate came, he left the dirty knife right on the wood table for me to re-​use. The blade touched the table. Having cleared plates from tables, I know that the table isn’t actually clean unless someone has used a fresh cloth and/​or bleach to wipe it. Yuck! I borrowed my husband’s knife.
After desert, a young woman came by to clear our plates. We chose to ask her questions that we hadn’t been able to ask our waiter. She saved our impression of the restaurant with her demeanor and her interested response to the questions.
Because we don’t intend to go back to Orso any time soon, and because our bill was a bit low ($ 70), we left the rest of the gift certificates as a tip ($ 30). I’m hoping that our waiter shared that with the young woman and others, and I realized I’d better write a review to help him understand that the tip was not based on his service.

A must do while in Anchorage. I travel a lot and eat at a lot of great restaurants. Orso is right up there with some of the best. Many reviewers have commented on the service, and there is some merit there. It’s obvious that this place gets very busy. Even on a Monday at 7/​8pm, it was packed. But, people don’t pack a restaurant because it sucks. I had the Seafood Grill — halibut, rockfish, salmon — absolutely delish, cooked perfectly, and presented well. Wanted to eat it slowly so I could savor each bite! My friend had the crusted halibut, which was equally as awesome. We had the calamari (decent) and the spinach artichoke dip (amazing). Loved the local brew, especially the IPA. I will make sure I come here again and I urge you to try it!

My brother took me here last night and the food was so amazing. We shared a appetizer tower that came with calamari, ravioli, and beef tri-​tip. Everything was really good. I had the shrimp scampi served on pasta and that was probably the most tastiest and best shrimp scampi I’ve ever had. They were really generous on the shrimp as well! I would go here all the time even if the price is a little high, it does seem like a higher end restaurant. The service was great. Definitely coming back!!!

This place is superb and the food is delicious. I’ve enjoyed only their appetizer menu; which only make me curious about their main courses.
They have a daily Happy Hour twice a day. I got the tower that included three appetizers and wash it down with a grapefruit martini.

I really love this restaurant and have since the first time I visited many years ago. The food is consistently excellent. I have not found a single item I haven’t really loved. I have gone to Orso for special occasions, for last-​minute dinners, and to just hang at their bar for happy hours. I’ve been there for brunch, lunch, and dinner. They are really a great option for Anchorage dining.
One of my favorite things about Orso’s menu: the great variety of appetizers at a variety of prices. They are super creative! Their relatively recent additions are some of my faves. Seafood deviled eggs (yum), king crab corn dogs (yum, yum), ragu polenta (YUMMMMM! and enough for a small, light meal!). That’s only a few, and they are all tasty. With such a great selection, I often find myself just enjoying an array of apps instead of an entrée. But they do have excellent entrees, including the scallop Mac and cheese and a really delicious burger, my most recent entrée memories. Finally, the desserts are always tempting. The only time I’ve ever not had food perfection, though, was a recent molten cake that wasn’t fully heated. The inside was soft but still cool, but it tasted wonderful, and I had no problem finishing it. If that’s the worst I get there, then I feel comfortable calling it excellent.
In addition to having great food, they have great drinks. I like their wine selection, and their lemon drop is one the best in town. Always perfectly concocted. My husband also really likes their cocktails, too, though he misses the Nero Orso they used to have. He says their beer menu is just okay, but that isn’t a consideration for me, since I don’t care for beer.
Part of the great experience is due to an excellent staff, from the hosts who recognize me when I come in (at least, when I’m on an Orso spree), to the servers, to the managers, everyone is professional, friendly, and helpful. The servers are well-​versed in the food and pairings. The service is clockwork in general. You can always count on your food being served by someone as soon as it’s ready.
I know other people have mentioned inconsistency in the food and some underwhelming flavors, but I have been fortunate enough not to experience any of this. It’s always a great night out when I am there. So, check it out, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

I went in for their happy hour and man was I blown away! My server recommended the appetizer tower. 3 different apps (calamari, beef tenderloin, and ravioli) So good and filling. Service was great! Highly recommend! I had the apps, a be
er and a glass of wine. Total with tip was $ 30. Not bad.

The last time I was in here, I was still married. That’s how I measure time, and that was over four years ago. I was underwhelmed during my last visit, but I decided to drop in and give it another chance.
I sat at the bar and Happy Hour was in effect. I didn’t see anything that got my attention, so I ordered off the regular menu. Caesar had a bright, lemony taste to it, and my server had no problem adding on some anchovies.
The seafood mac and cheese was nice, and the service was even nicer. Valerie was very attentive, and led me to a house Manhattan that she poured out of a wooden keg on the bar. Delish! I’ll be back.

This is one of those places where you spend a lot for high quality and a little less quantity. Let’s just keep that in mind right off the bat.
But the food is SO SO delicious, and I felt that the entrée portion sizes were very generous!
Went out for a romantic girl date with my friend who lives up in Alaska. She got out of the house for a bit while her husband watched the kids, so this was a fun treat for us both. Needless to say we splurged. For appetizers we got the King Crab Corn Dogs (disappointing :() and the Seafood Deviled Eggs. The corn dogs sounded so cool that we had to try them, but they didn’t taste like crab. They seemed like mostly breading and just tasted fried. I cried a little inside. The deviled eggs however were awesome! I can’t remember all the seafood on them other than the smoked salmon which was just awesome!!! Very good but you only get two! So savor it while you can ;)
For entrees my friend got the halibut and I got the Alaskan Sockeye Salmon (when in Rome– er, Alaska– right?). This was possibly one of the best seafood dishes I’ve ever had! All elements of the dish went together perfectly. I had to get a bite of salmon with the balsamic sauce combined with a piece of mushroom– heaven! I had never had purple potatoes before but they were perfectly savory and sweet all at once, and had a nice smooth texture.
For dessert we had the crème brûlée and (here’s a secret) the peanut butter pie from their sister restaurant next door! They just so happen to share a kitchen so it was no problem to get it! When we were picking a restaurant we couldn’t decide which, but the only reason I wanted to try the other was for the peanut butter pie… So I got the best of both worlds! The peanut butter pie was super rich but so amazing– chocolate and peanut butter is never a bad thing. The crème brûlée was different from a traditional one but it was super good.
As far as the atmosphere goes, I didn’t feel like the more casual appearance of the place really matched how fancy all of the food was. It looked more like a BJs inside than anything. But tbh that doesn’t really matter to me because the food was so good! I can’t really remember what the service was like so I suppose that’s a good thing and it was just fine.
If you’re looking to treat yourself I highly recommend Orzo! Just look at the menu first to prepare your wallet.