Salmon Sandwich and Seafood Chowder at Pike Place Market, Seattle, Washington

Salmon Sandwich and Seafood Chowder

at Pike Place Market, Seattle, Washington, USA

During a recent trip to Seattle, Washington, I had one of the very best sandwiches of my life.

I was exploring Pike Place Market on a whirlwind tour to eat as much amazing Pacific Northwest seafood as I could, and I found one of my favorite meals in a really surprising place. A small and unassuming pop-up tent on the deck behind the market overlooking Puget Sound served salmon sandwiches and seafood chowder, and it ended up being one of my favorite meals in Washington.

I ordered a salmon sandwich and a cup of tomato-based seafood chowder and sat outside on the deck to enjoy my meal as I watched the boats sailing in the sound.

Seattle seafood chowder and a salmon sandwich at Pike Place Market

I had the choice between cream chowder and tomato chowder. Both are traditional, but cream chowder tends to be more popular, especially on the west coast. I had already had an amazing bread bowl of cream clam chowder from Pike Place Chowder, so this time I decided to order the tomato chowder, which had a very different flavor profile.

Chowder with a cream-based soup is thicker and richer with a buttery texture, whereas tomato-based chowder is a lighter and tangier soup with more vegetal flavors. This particular soup contained celery, onion, crushed roasted tomatoes, and pieces of clams, mussels, cod, and salmon.

The soup was great, but the sandwich was especially amazing. Huge pieces of salmon were served with tartar sauce and a bed of greens on a brioche bun toasted with savory garlic butter. The sandwich was almost too big to pick up. Even though the combo meal at $25 was a little expensive, I would say it's worth it simply because the sandwich itself was so filling.

More sandwiches to try

• Schmaltz's Sandwich Shoppe: A Waco, TX Institution
• "The Best Chicken Sandwich in Utah": Pretty Bird Hot Chicken in Salt Lake City
• "CrackGriddle" Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Pancake Breakfast Sandwich at Crackhouse, Bangkok
• Buc-ees Famous Brisket Sandwich (Texas, USA)

Menu and Prices

A cup of your choice of cream or tomato-based chowder costs $15. A salmon sandwich costs $17, and the combination of both is $25.

chowder and sandwich menu and prices

Location

Seattle Seafood Chowder is a pop-up market stall located on the outdoor patio behind Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington. I'm not sure if they are there all the time, but if you see the shop, be sure to stop by.

Don't miss these other great seafood spots at Pike Place Market

Pike Place Chowder: The Best Seafood Chowder in Seattle, Washington

Dungeness Crab Benedict at Pike Place Market, Seattle, WA, USA

Seattle Seafood Chowder at Pike Place Market