This Needs to Be Included in Your Seattle Plans - A Chef-Guided Food Tour through Pike's Place
Updated: Jan 20, 2023
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Overview
A direct link to this tour through Viator is here. Absolutely fantastic - I highly recommend this tour! What a great way to experience Pike's Place. Many of the foods you will want to go back and take some samples home. With so many places to explore in Pike's Place this is a fantastic way to do so! Plus, get discounts on the stores you visit and more! You will also learn tips and tricks of the market on where to go to the bathrooms and where you can sit down and eat. If/when we return to Seattle we will definitely be doing another one of their tours. This tour was a part of our 24 hours in Seattle and absolutely made our trip! I consider this a bucket-list item!
DATE OF VISIT: June 2022
TOUR GUIDE: Chef John = 5 stars
FOOD: 5 stars
VALUE FOR PRICE: 5 stars
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What We Ate
You will be more than fully fed at the end of this tour (we used this tour as our lunch and were satisfied). My husband usually prefers larger portions and was full but also made sure to eat any extras that were available (so, don't be shy). We sampled:
Salmon jerky from Totem Smokehouse
Pizza from Pizza & Pasta Bar
Al Pastor tacos from Los Agaves
Clam Chowder from Pike Place Chowder
The most delicious Hot Tea at Market Spice
Chocolate-Covered Cherries from Chukar Cherries
Smoked Salmon
Freshly made cheese and mac & cheese from Beecher's
Truffle salt, Truffle mustard and Spread at Truffle Queen
Filipino food from Oriental Mart
Longganisa - best longganisa I've ever had (don't tell my grandma)
Lumpia
Guava Juice
Tips to Maximize Your Tour
Bring water - Although the tour guide will grab you water during the trip (this is upon requeset), you are constantly moving and sampling, so it would be easier if you had your own bottle.
Be prepared to walk and squeeze! Walking through Pike's Place is up/downhill, uneven surfaces, up/down stairs and through CROWDED areas - bring your walking shoes and be prepared to SQUEEZE.
Use the bathroom beforehand! The lines for the 2 bathrooms in Pike Place are astronomical and you'll detour the entire tour waiting for the bathroom. The bathrooms in Post Alley usually don't have a line (by Pike's Place Chowder), but it can still be out of the way depending where you're at.
Shop AFTER the tour. Plan for time AFTER the tour to go back to the shops and take advantage of the discount you will get - purchasing later also avoids holding up the rest of your fellow tour mates
Our Tour Guide - Chef John
Chef John was absolutely excellent. His loudness paired well with trying to find him in the crowded market place as well as being able to hear him over the craziness. His knowledge of the market and the food is unmatched. If I could give him extra bonus stars, I would: we had a family on our tour that could not keep up with the fast-paced tour, changing terrain and navigating through the crowd, liked to make frequent stops and also had to use the bathrooms mid-way. Chef John was fantastic in trying to facilitate to make sure it was fair to the other tour goers - not an easy feat.
Mobility Levels
I do not recommend this tour for those with mobility impairments or balance issues. The terrain is uneven and you will be walking up/down hills, stairs, and negotiating curbs. You will also have to squeeze through the crowds at a fast pace. This pace is required to hit all the stops in the 2 hours and because of the crowds. Note to the operator: booking through Viator - I will say that I was unaware of how much terrain would be covered and how difficult it would be for those with mobility issues, so I would make it clearer on Viator.
Communication and The Company
We needed to add one more person to our booking and we were easily able to contact the company through Viator (and on a Sunday!) and she made sure I got her message - messaging through Viator and calling me directly. Also even more of a BONUS that they are woman-owned! I absolutely LOVE that parking recommendations are added to your reminder e-mail (I did a previous tour in Chicago without any recommendations for parking and it caused us to almost be late)
NOTE: Most links on our website are affiliate links, which means that The Bouj Crew collects a little bit of money or points when you click on certain links (this is at no extra cost to you). This is to help us with the upkeep and fees associated with running a website, offering products, etc!
Google List of Places
Even before starting TheBoujCrew, I would have friends, family, coworkers and even patients recommend places to me and I ALWAYS save them. So, I quickly add them to Google Maps so that I can access later. It also keeps me organized when planning, so I can see how close/far places are. My list includes restaurants, places and activities during our 24 hours in Seattle then one week in Chelan. Check it out here
24 - Hours in Seattle
Read about our incredible 24-hours in Seattle, what we did and what we wish we could have fit in here
Other Tour Ideas
NOTE: Most links on our website are affiliate links, which means that The Bouj Crew collects a little bit of money or points when you click on certain links (this is at no extra cost to you). This is to help us with the upkeep and fees associated with running a website, offering products, etc!
More Recommendations
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