If you’ve ever spent time in Seattle, there’s no doubt you’ve been to Pike Place Market.
Pike Place Market is probably one of my favorite places to be in Seattle. The sense of community, the camaraderie, the interesting vendors, the history. It’s a lovely place to spend your time during your visit to Seattle and a lovely place for a stroll if you don’t mind a crowd.
But one of the biggest draws to this famous market is an even more famous, Pike Place Fish. They draw up to 10,000 visitors a day!
You’ve seen them! They’re wearing their orange Grunden’s bibs and Xtratuf boots. They’re hollering out exciting calls and throwing fish across countertops, packing up boxes of fish to send across the country, and shoveling ice to keep their delicious seafood options nice and chilly.
People come from all over the world to see the display and buy these amazing fish. But they also come for something else.
That incredibly unique fish toss.
A Brief History of Pike Place Fish Throwing
Although Pike Place Fish opened in 1930, it wasn’t until 1980 when the former owner John Yokoyama started tossing fish through the air.
National Geographic details the glorious history of the tradition and how it came to be.
“It was a bitterly cold day in the early 1980s, and a customer ordered a bag of clams. He trudged from the counter to the stand — a journey of around 100 steps. Rather than shuffle back to the counter, where the scales were kept, he signalled to a colleague and threw the bag of shellfish to him.
Word spread and soon crowds gathered to watch king salmon and Alaskan halibut (never rockfish — too spiky) fly through the air. “It just makes it more efficient,” says Anders. “You call out the order and your colleague throws it.”
Even though Yokoyama is no longer there to uphold the tradition, Pike Place Fish is still in good hands.
The business was sold to long-standing employees, Anders Miller, Jaison Scott, Sam Samson, and Ryan Reese who were sure to keep the fish tossing and chanting alive. (You can learn about the rest of their outstanding team here!)
Ever since then, the team orchestrates fish-chucking with secret calls that a bystander won’t recognize but will finding amusing, nonetheless. National Geographic also says they could make up to 200 calls per day!
Prior to COVID, fish-throwing was a lot more frequent and at times they let visitors hop behind the counter to do a little fish-catching themselves. But in the interest of everyone’s health and safety, they are taking precautions with fish-throwing.
The Unique Fish Throwing Calls
Photo Credit: Pike Place Fish. Pictured from left to right: Jaison Scott, Sam Samson, Ryan Reese, & Anders Miller
You’ll see videos of the fish throwing all over the internet, so you’ll hear their unique chants in each video.
But unless you’re around a lot to learn the calls, work for them, or happen to know someone who works in the market, you may not know just exactly what they are calling for.
Calls are made according to what a customer is ordering at the time. So depending on what a customer is buying, whether that be King Salmon, peel and eat shrimp, halibut, crab, or mussels there will be a different call.
Another part of these calls, which is like music to my ears, is that no matter who makes what call, the entire team repeats that call in unison. No matter where an employee is, you’re sure to hear the calls from the whole entire team.
How Do You See a Fish Get Thrown?
Photo Credit: Pike Place Fish
“If you’re buying, they’re flying.”
During my last trip there, I got to spend a lot of time at Pike Place Fish. Why? For the coolest reason ever.
My little sister, and outstanding musician, Hillary, happens to be a fishmonger and the only female fishmonger on the Pike Place Fish team in over ten years. (I always like to include that part #femalefishmonger).
It’s because of her I was able to get so much information and ask as many questions about the process. But more than that, I got to sit, observe, and listen as she worked. What I noticed was this.
In order to see a fish get thrown, you gotta buy a fish!
On occasion, they will throw fish just for the tourists, and they can even throw a fish for a donation.
No matter if you’re local or just visiting, they can fillet and wrap up your fish for you and ship it to any location nationwide.
If you can’t make a trip to Pike Place Fish, but still want to see them toss some seafood around, visit their website to watch their live cams!
So Why Buy Fish From Pike Place Fish Market?
Photo Credit: Pike Place Fish
Pike Place Fish has the best fish on the planet, not to mention they responsibly source all their product and have since 1930. Even if you’re shipping your fish across the country, it is guaranteed to arrive on your doorstep ice cold!
As long as you order your fish before 7:00 am PST you can have it the next day!
So why buy from Pike Place Fish Market?
- It’s fresh
- It’s delicious
- It can ship anywhere in the US
- It’s responsibly sourced
- They use sustainable materials
- Because this fish market is just too dang cool
Another reason you should buy from Pike Place Fish Market is supporting local businesses helps them thrive, no matter how world-famous they are.
Get 10% your first order when you sign up for emails from Xtratuf.
These Are Wholesome Individuals & They Love What They Do
Photo Credit: Pike Place Fish
If any business around the world needs a model for what happy employees look like, they should model after Pike Place Fish.
I’m not privy to how they manage their team, but when you get to sit for a while and observe how they work together it’s easy to see that they are a team and they love what they do.
In the time I got to watch them work, I saw them smile all the time, make their clever inside jokes with one another, and genuinely have a great time at work, it’s easy to glean they love what they do. The employees I did get to meet were so inviting, friendly, and kind and it was a pleasure getting to chat with them even for a second.
Another tell-tale sign of employee happiness is the longevity of employees working with Pike Place Fish. Some of them have been there for over 10 years, some grew up in the market, and some are third-generation fishmongers for Pike Place Fish.
This place is without a doubt a family and far beyond any team I have seen or heard of. I’m envious of their camaraderie.
Visiting Pike Place Market
If you’re making a trip to Pike Place Market, there are loads of other things to do on your visit. When you’re making your stop at Pike Place Fish for seafood and a show, be sure to stop by some other places.
Some of my favorites are below!
- The Seattle Selfie Museum (Just Down Post Alley)
- Ghost Alley Espresso
- The Gum Wall
- Athenian
- Shy Giant
- Lamp Light Books
- Beecher’s Handmade Cheese
- Biscuit Bitch
You can easily plan your visit to Pike Place Fish and other shops, cafes, and restaurants in the market by visiting this link and have a great time in Seattle!
If you are looking for other places to explore outside of Pike Place Market, but still within walking distance, check out my last blog post on Things to Do Near Pike Place Market in Seattle.
Pin It! Plan Your Visit to Pike Place Fish Market!
