"The highest-grossing independent pizzeria in America — go for a loud, beer-soaked group birthday, not a quiet dinner."
Two rock climbers, Rod Hancock and Matt Jones, opened Moose's Tooth on Old Seward Highway in 1996. Thirty years later it grosses around $6 million a year, the highest of any single-location independent pizzeria in the United States. The draw is simple and specific: house pizza, house beer from Broken Tooth Brewing, and a room that fills with families, climbers and after-work crowds most nights of the week. It is the most-loved table in Anchorage, and rarely a quiet one.
There is no celebrity chef here, and the Hancock brothers have never pretended otherwise. The kitchen is built around specialty pizzas with Alaska names, the Avalanche and the Solstice, plus a Thai-chicken pie and a blackened-rockfish pie with Roma tomatoes that leans on local fish. A large specialty pizza runs roughly $25 to $30. Since 2013 the beer has come from the in-house Broken Tooth Brewing, and a fresh pie with a house pint is the whole point. The volume that leaves this single kitchen, enough to top the national independent-pizzeria sales rankings, is the proof of how well it is run.
Moose's Tooth is big and loud, a Midtown Anchorage room of long tables, climbing-and-Alaska decor and a constant hum of conversation and kitchen noise. It takes no reservations, so on a Friday night the wait can run past an hour and the entryway fills with families and off-shift workers. Lighting is bright, the mood is casual, and nobody is dressed up. Come early, put your name down, and order a pint while you wait.
Bring a group here for a birthday or a team night because it is built for exactly that: big shareable pizzas, pitchers of Broken Tooth beer, and a price that does not flinch when the table grows. No reservations means you should arrive before 6pm on weekends or expect a wait, but a large crowd is welcome and easy. For other casual group tables, see our team dinner guide and the full Anchorage dining guide.
Not for a quiet date or anyone in a hurry: Moose's Tooth takes no reservations, the Friday wait runs past an hour, and the room is loud enough to bury a conversation. Go for the energy, not for intimacy.
Yes, if you want what it does well: fresh specialty pizza and house-brewed Broken Tooth beer in a busy, casual room. It is the highest-grossing single-location independent pizzeria in the United States, and the crowds are the reason. It is not fine dining and does not try to be; come for a relaxed, well-priced meal rather than a refined one.
On weekend evenings the wait often runs 45 minutes to over an hour, because the restaurant takes no reservations. Arrive before 6pm, put your name on the list, and use the time for a pint of Broken Tooth beer. Weekday lunches and early dinners are far easier and usually walk straight in.
Order a specialty pizza and a house beer. The Avalanche and the Solstice are the signature Alaska-themed pies, the Thai-chicken pizza is a long-time favourite, and the blackened-rockfish pie uses local fish. A large runs about $25 to $30 and easily feeds two. Pair it with whatever Broken Tooth Brewing has fresh on tap.
No. Moose's Tooth is walk-in only, which is why the wait builds on weekend nights. Large groups are welcome but cannot reserve ahead, so the trick is timing: come early and add your name. The sister brewpub Bear Tooth, a short drive away, can absorb overflow on busy nights.
Very. Shareable pizzas, pitchers of house beer and forgiving prices make it a natural for a birthday or team night in Anchorage. The catch is the no-reservations policy, so arrive early with the group. See our birthday restaurants guide for more celebratory tables.
Moose's Tooth is walk-in only and takes no reservations. Order online for pickup, or arrive early on weekends and add your name to the list.
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Moose's Tooth is our casual-celebration pick in Anchorage — see the full birthday list, ranked by occasion and city.
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