Elim Cafe

I came down here for lunch and to resume my studies after a fun weekend attending the James Bond tribute concert at the Performing Arts Center Saturday. This is another place that I keep driving by on the corner of Dimond and Arctic similar to the Caffe D’arte location just down the road on King St. just before the traffic lights. This café is rather big with plenty of chairs and tables along with a few armchairs and a sofa by the front and a stage in the back (probably for local performers on the weekends… I’ll have to ask next time I come in…) The design of this place is more restaurant rather than café, but the staff encourages people to hang out or study which is a welcoming gesture from them. The employees are very friendly and even the owner herself greeted me personally at my table. The young server was also very nice and she provided fast, efficient service without being overly attentive.
I decided to check their menu for lunch specials. Their selections are eclectic ranging from sandwiches and salads to nachos and Korean food like Bulgogi and Kalbi short ribs. I decided to try the Greek Gyros plate which came with a side of spinach and mixed greens topped with bleu cheese crumbles. The salad was fresh and delicious as well as the Gyro on a slightly crisp pita with a good amount of tender lamb, onions, and tzatziki sauce. For the amount of food I received, it was a pretty good deal for $ 9.95. The avocado tuna sandwich with a side of chips was also delicious and a good sized meal from my previous visit. This sandwich consisted of tuna salad, eggs, avocados, red onions, mixed greens, Dijon mustard, mayo, AND house-​made Thousand Island dressing on whole wheat bread. Interesting combination but it worked very well here.
Coffee drinks are also good. They have an extensive coffee menu that offers Mexican mochas, a spicier version of the regular mocha with cinnamon added. Some of the really cool specialty lattes and mochas here are the Snickers (chocolate, hazelnut, and caramel), the Banana Split (a mocha with chocolate, banana, and strawberry), the Hawaiian (vanilla, banana, and macadamia nut… that sounds incredible. I will have to try that next time), and the Candy Cane (peppermint, cinnamon, and cherry).
Wi-​Fi has improved a lot since my last visit a few months ago and they also have a widescreen TV for the news or a sports game. My experiences here have always been good ones and I did notice a lot of students studying here in the better part of the afternoon. This place is a little hidden gem tucked away in a strip mall behind the Gallo’s and next door to Las Margaritas. With the wide variety of food and coffee drinks as well as the friendly staff, this place deserves more attention for what they have to offer.

My co-​workers and I ordered lunch from here. I got the seared sesame tuna salad. Coworkers got the teriyaki salmon, teriyaki chicken, and the spicy sub. Food wasn’t awful but none of us were impressed enough to order again. My co-​worker was pretty bummed about the spicy sub. It was a mess and too expensive. Sorry Elim.

I enjoy eating here every so often or even just picking up a drink to go. I just had a sandwich and soup and got a drink to go. They’ve happily entertained my requests for a slight change to their standard menu items. That’s customer service. I had a BLTA (BLT w/​avacado) on sub bread instead of wheat. I wanted a firmer bread. The soup was potato leek and delicious. I left with my custom drink — a decaf mexican mocha frappé. Yum.

I’ve eaten here multiple times for lunch and now for a quick dinner before they close at 6. Always friendly, always love the food. Nice atmosphere and I believe the soup is always homemade and fresh. I wish more people would come here. This is a diamond in the rough here in Anchorage. She recommended to me her favorite latte and it is divine! A couple of televisions make for nice distractions every once in a while. I had the gyro which was great and I usually get the tuna avocado which I always love. Come and see!

Okay, my love for here just got a bit crushed. Morning staff– friendly «have what you want, any time, it’s all good, and by the way, here’s even more choices.» They heard my dietary needs and added extra veggies to my omelette. Kind and open humans. I give them and the food 5 full stars!
Afternoon woman– «Really? Breakfast? You shouldn’t do breakfast, have the beef teriyaki.» And argued with me for a full minute and shook her head when she acquiesced that my food wouldn’t be good (it was fine reheated) if I reheated it and I should just buy something new. It may have changed my mind on coming back to this place. So bummed. This morning 5-​star. This afternoon, 2-​star (still good food). Oh, and had to defend why I wanted to be here all day to work (even though I bought something every 2 hours.)
Come when the younger woman or main cook are working. They are wonderful.

Really good food, breakfast all day, free wireless internet, quiet and calm atmosphere. Really friendly service. I got a lot of work done here while traveling for work. I’m a musician and this place also looks like it would be fun for a social or music event. Highly recommended. I will come back here if I come back to Anchorage!

I love meeting clients for coffee meetings here. The Alaska Chai is yummy.

This little café may go unnoticed by many because it is placed between a liquor store and a Mexican restaurant, but it is definitely worth seeking out! They have just about everything you could want. A very ecclectic menu jazzes up your normal run of the mill coffee stop. They have great coffee, don’t get me wrong, but there are several places in Anchorage with great coffee. The offerings of beef bulgogi (which is quite yummy as a side note) alongside pastries and sandwiches makes this a very unique café. They are open for breakfast, lunch, and most days they are open for dinner too. They often have live bands and karaōke on the weekends which adds to the quirky, fun nature of the café. Their décor is modern and fresh, and everything is immaculately clean. They have a conference room that may be rented out and catering service is available.
Their hours are Monday — Thursday 7:00 am– 9:00 pm, Friday — Saturday 9:00 am-11:00 pm, and Sunday Closed. I hope to see you there!