The Best Things to Eat at Seattle’s Pike Place Market

One of the world’s most famous public markets can be found in the beautiful, and often rainy, Pacific Northwest. Overlooking Seattle’s Puget Sound, Pike Place Market is one of the oldest continually operating public markets. Since its opening in 1907, it has been a tourist magnet currently catering to 10M visitors annually. Recently, Travel & Leisure Magazine named it the #33 most visited tourist attraction in the world highlighting its famous fish throwers, stunning panoramic views and numerous artisanal purveyors as reasons for a visit, but they missed one of the reasons Pike Place is a Half Shell recommended destination - it’s a foodie mecca!

Oysters
Emmett Watson’s

There are some fancier spots to grab a quick dozen within a shell’s throw of the Market but there’s something about the hole-in-the-wall charm of Emmett Watson’s and their faux handwritten menu, blue checkered tablecloths and old beer neon signs. Everything is uber-fresh but I’m an oyster girl (duh!) so I go straight to the raw section which usually features stunning PNW oyster varieties like Kusshi’s, Kumamoto’s and if your lucky, the native Olympia’s. Bonus points for pouring local draft beer at an impossibly cold temperature.

Mac & Cheese
Beecher’s Handmade Cheese

These days Beecher’s can now be found peddling frozen mac & cheese in grocery store chains and even airports but make no mistake, there’s a reason the Food Network called it, “one of the most-beloved versions in the United States.” It all started right here on the corner of Pike and Pine Street. They sell all kinds of cheese that they make right on-site including an alluring Grilled Cheese Sandwich but trust me, the Mac & Cheese is the stunner.

Hom Bow Bun
Mee Sum Pastry

This unassuming little stand is across from the actual market and offers one of the tastiest bites around, especially if it’s cold and rainy. They offer several varieties but the recommended choice is the BBQ Pork, it’s served inside a perfectly steamed sweet bread roll with a mystery concoction that definitely includes onions and about half a spice rack.

Lump Crab Cocktail
Pike Place Fish Co.

Easily one of the main attractions at the market, the guys from Pike Place Fish Co. are best known for literally throwing fish, before packing it up for a hungry shopper or to ship across the country. Big pro-move here though, you can buy a cup of lump king crab meat packed atop a lawyer of amazing cocktail sauce and it makes the perfect snack as you watch the action unfold. It also brings you up-front and closer with the staff who couldn’t be nicer and are more than happy to accommodate a photo opp to help make your Gram bling.

Sweet Piroshky
Piroshky Piroshky

Family owned and operated since the early 90’s, Piroshky Piroshky offers both sweet and savory takes on the Eastern European specialty. Everything is made from scratch and they’ve found a really wonderful niche blending old-world technique with local ingredients and flavors, case in point is the Salmon Pate Piroshky which is one of their best sellers. But for me, after all this grazing, I like to stop here for something on the sweeter side like the Chocolate Cream Hazelnut or the Cinnamon Cardamom Braid. There will be a line, it will move quickly and while you’re in it you can watch tourists scramble for photos in front of what they think was the very first Starbuck’s (spoiler: it’s not).