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Spanish13 Must-Try Clam Chowder Restaurants in Pike Place Market
If you’re a fan of creamy, hearty clam chowder, then you’ll want to check out these top chowder restaurants in Seattle’s iconic Pike Place Market. From classic seafood shacks to world-famous restaurants, these spots are known for their delicious and authentic clam chowder.
Scroll on to learn about thirteen Pike Place Market restaurants serving clam chowder and other tasty seafood dishes!
Add all these restaurants to your Market Day by clicking the image below.
Athenian Seafood Restaurant
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The Athenian Seafood Restaurant is one of the oldest restaurants in Pike Place Market, opening in 1909, two years after Pike Place Market was established. From a bakery to a tavern and then to a restaurant, the Athenian has grown over the past century, becoming a beloved spot of visitors and locals. Today, it’s famous for fresh seafood, gourmet bar food, and local brews. Fun Fact: this restaurant was featured in the 1993 film Sleepless in Seattle.
The Athenian Seafood Restaurant has house-made New England clam chowder on the menu, and you can get that in a cup or freshly baked sourdough bread bowl. Also enjoy salmon, Alaskan cod, or halibut fish and chips, or the Athenian Seafood Bowl (pictured above), which contains a House favorite of mussels, prawns, clams, squid, salmon, and cod on top of herb rice in a savory fish broth.
Find The Athenian Seafood Restaurant and all your Seattle seafood favorites in the main arcade next to Pure Food Fish.
Emmett Watson's Oyster Bar
Emmett Watson’s Oyster Bar is a Seattle institution known for its wide selection of oysters and creamy clam chowder. Head here for a taste of the city’s history and some of the best chowder around. Fun Fact: This was Seattle’s first oyster bar opening in 1979.
Emmett Watson’s Oyster Bar is a cozy, casual diner on the north end of Pike Place Market just past the First Starbucks. Enjoy fresh oysters, fish and chips, plenty of local beer pairings, and of course, creamy New England clam chowder in their dining room or on their patio.
Island Girl Seafood
Island Girl Seafood is one of six businesses participating in our Artisan & Prepared Foods Program. Businesses in the program do not have a brick-and-mortar storefront elsewhere in Seattle and strive to source at least 20% of all raw ingredients from Washington farms.
So you know, their clam chowder is fresh and delicious! Island Girl Seafood makes New England Clam Chowder and Manhattan Seafood Chowder, along with their Caribbean Seafood Stew.
Find them set up on the MarketFront Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
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Jack's Fish and Chips
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Jack’s Fish and Chips is a favorite seafood bar among locals and visitors, and for a good reason. Jack’s classic Northwest-style clam chowder is not only delicious but made directly from seafood on their fresh seafood counter.
Everything from their clam chowder and cioppino (signature Italian seafood stew) to their tartar sauce is made completely in-house and fresh daily.
Reviewers also love that Jack’s Northwest-style clam chowder is pescatarians friendly because it doesn’t contain bacon.
Find Jack’s Fish and Chips behind Jack’s seafood counter along Pike Place.
Lowell’s Restaurant & Bar
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Lowell’s Restaurant & Bar is a Market hideaway with three floors of water-view seating + fresh seafood. This restaurant is the perfect place to rejuvenate after a long day of exploring Pike Place Market. Their seafood dishes, including their famous clam chowder, are out of this world.
Like the Athenian, Lowell’s opened in the early 1900s and was a combination coffee roaster, peanut roaster, and cafeteria that served Seattleites shopping for fresh produce, seafood, and dairy goods. In 1957, the flagship store of Manning’s Cafeteria became Lowell’s, and the rest is history.
Lowell’s famous clam chowder is a creamy New England-style clam chowder with big chunks of Yukon Gold potatoes. They also specialize in all things seafood from Dungeness crab benedicts to wild king salmon filet sandwiches. Find Lowell’s in the Market’s main arcade near Sosio’s Fruit & Produce.
Market Diner
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Market Diner is a popular diner frequented by artists and makers in our Crafts Market. The casual and affordable breakfast and lunch spot is located inside the Sanitary Market near Choice Produce and Los Agaves.
Enjoy caesar salad and a cup of soup! The chowder was recently given rave reviews by a Market local and their breakfast sandwiches will give you the fuel you need to start exploring Pike Place Market.
Market Grill
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Market Grill is a casual and affordable chowder option located in Pike Place Market’s main arcade. They serve up authentic New England-style chowder and Northwest Seafood Stew with garlic toast at their bar or on their street-side patio in the summer and fall.
Market Grill also prides itself on serving the best salmon sandwich around from their world-famous blackened coho salmon sandwich to their wild alaskan halibut sandwich and black tiger prawns sandwich all served with caramelized onions, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, and rosemary mayonnaise. Yum!
Pike Place Bar & Grill
This classic dinner is a hidden gem for those seeking to relax for lunch or kick it after work. Pike Place Bar & Grill recently celebrated their 60th anniversary, and when you walk through their doors in the Corner Market building, it’s easy to see why.
Aside from the gorgeous view of the iconic Public Market Clock & Sign, the food and drinks are reasonably priced. Their claim chowder is a tasty treat that’ll warm you up. Also, try their Northwest crab cakes and the tucker gold smoked salmon sampler.
Pike Place Chowder
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If you search for chowder in Seattle, Pike Place Chowder will most likely be #1. This eatery in Pike Place Market has won several national chowder awards and is a must-try for chowder lovers.
They opened their doors in April 2003 with the unique idea to specialize in one thing — making great chowder in as many varieties as possible. Try their award-winning New England clam chowder, smoked salmon chowder, seared scallops chowder, seafood bisque, and wild halibut chowder. Their Maine-style lobster rolls are a chef’s kiss as well!
Find Pike Place Chowder in Post Alley between Pike Place and Pine Street.
Place Pigalle
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For an intimate dining experience with a finer touch, head to Place Pigalle. Located at the top of a former hotel and serving as a speakeasy and tavern in its past lives, the building has a storied past of thriving in the wake of the Gold Rush and Prohibition eras. After extensive renovations from previous owners in the 1980s, Place Pigalle became the fine-dining establishment it proudly stands at today.
Place Pigalle is known for both creative contemporary dishes and classics that stay true to their roots.
Soups are a specialty here, with many fans of their classic French onion soup gratinée. Their clam chowder has an added floral, earthy component with the special addition of saffron to the dish. An abundance of tender clams served with a fluffy baguette side make it a pleasantly unique indulgence to soak up!
Old Stove Brewing
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Step into Old Stove Brewing’s lively, kid-friendly taproom with fresh pours made onsite and expansive views of the Puget Sound welcoming you in. The warm ambience is met by a deliciously elevated pub-style menu.
Find their house-brewed clam chowder recipe crafted with the signature Amber Waves ale. Well-seasoned and balanced in its creamy, hearty textures with a perfectly salted finish from the bacon, it’s a hit alongside other classic comforts like fish and chips, burgers, and wood-fired pizzas.
Find Old Stove Brewing on the MarketFront. Their entrance is on Western Avenue.
Sound View Café
Sound View Cafe is a family-run restaurant with a stunning waterfront view and hearty House-made clam chowder. Also, try their seafood soup of the day and their shrimp cocktail.
This cozy cafe offers a relaxing environment from the bustling Market crowds. They also aim to provide Pacific Northwest-inspired dishes at fair prices.
Take the ramp to the right of Pike Place Fish and keep walking until you reach the windows. Sound View Cafe is located to the right.
Virginia Inn
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Virginia Inn has been serving Seattle fine food and drink since 1903, that’s four years before Pike Place Market was established. Their menu showcases the Northwest from fish to farm in a French bistro style, with a lot of gluten-free options, including their fish and chips!
Their salmon and clam chowder (gluten-free) is a Seattle classic with delicious clams, salmon herbs, and cream. Also, try their Cioppino and chili glazed calamari.
Find Virginia Inn at the corner of First Avenue and Virginia Street on the edge of the Pike Place Market Historical District. Fun Fact: this restaurant was featured in the 1992 film Singles.