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Savor Seattle Food Tours
Category: Hotels & Travel Tours Tours [Edit]
1916 Pike PlSte 12-480
(between Western Ave & Virginia St)
Seattle, WA 98101
Neighbourhood: Downtown
(888) 987-2867
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 8 am - 5 pm
423 reviews for Savor Seattle Food Tours
423 reviews in English
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Review from Marianna D.
Seattle, WA
5/26/2012 Purchased a Yelp Deal
I used a yelp coupon for this tour! If there is ever another one available, I will definitely get it again.
We did the capitol hill food tour. It was amazing! I LOVED it soo much. I've been back to every single establishment w visited more than 5 times each. I loved the Mamas pizza, the pesto pizza was to die for. And the travelers chai tea....incredible. The coffee tasting at victrolas!! yumm!
Be sure to keep an eye out for yelp deals....they are always incredible ones! -
Review from Margaret M.
Carson, CA
5/18/2012
Took the Pike Place Market in Sept. 2011. I'm so sad that I've waited this long to write a review on this place. If memory serves me right, I had an AMAAAAAAZING time with the tour, and not just because I didn't remember the bad points. Because, honestly, there WERE NO BAD POINTS!
I did a Food Tour in NY, and thought it was such a great exploring (and, duh, EATING) experience, that I was ecstatic to find out about this tour while I was weekending in Seattle. I totally recommend the morning sessions! Mine was the first of the day.
REASON: The earlier you go, the smaller your party. Mostly because everyone else is probably hitting the snooze button on their alarm clocks for the millionth time, thinking, "I'M ON VACATION, DAMMIT, AND I REFUSE TO GET UP BEFORE X OCLOCK. DAMMIT." BUUUT. The smaller your party, the more informal and casual the guide, and the group, becomes. In the middle of the tour, we bumped into another group which started a bit later, and their group was probably 3 TIMES as big as ours. The big group's guide's was shouting, so everyone could hear, and it seemed like they were in a rush (mostly because everyone was trying to get a sample before moving on to the next location).
Chocolate covered cherries, orange infused tea, AWARD WINNING CLAM CHOWDA. That is just a SMIDGEN of what you get during the tour. The best is when you're chowing down good time, while your guide continues sharing stories about some of the vendors in the market. And how the Starbucks that is located in Pike Place is NOT really the first Starbucks!! GASP.
I didn't want to end my review with Starbucks, cus the tour is WAY MUCH MORE.
Wear comfy shoes, bring your camera, I think they provide some water bottles, and they take enough time in each location for you to walk around and buy things if you want to. -
Review from Jay B.
5/17/2012
We took the Pike's Place Market Tour...
Absolutely a must-do when visiting Seattle. This was the first thing we had planned pretty much after checking into our hotel when we arrived. The awesome thing about it is that it kinda gives you a sneak peak into the various foodie spots that Seattle has to offer, and trust me, there are A LOT!
We met at the Starbucks on Pike and 1st Ave, which was easy enough to get to, and there was a table reserved for our tour group, which made it really convenient. Then we got our handy-dandy little headsets that sync up to our tourguide's microphone, so we can hear pretty clearly throughout the tour. I remember stepping a few feet away here and there to take pictures, and all the while I could hear all the information being given to me during the tour. Pretty neat tour gadget; this is the first time I've ever seen devices like this used on a tour, and I've been on plenty. But also good because the place gets crowded. And not to mention giving the tour guide a pink umbrella made it really easy to spot your crowd if you fell behind.
We got to try a good number of places and sampled their foods, from Pike's Place Chowder, to the Pike's Place Fish Market, to Frank's produce, and more...hard to name them all off the top of my head, but we definitely enjoyed it! You don't get too crazy full either because you get just a small sample serving, enough to know whether or not you like it and if you wanna go to that place later on(with your saver card in-hand). We lucked out when we went, cuz the weather was gorgeous! A little warm, but hey, who doesn't appreciate that in Seattle.
Our Tour guide
-Joe was awesome! You would have never known he was only a couple of weeks on the job, what with all of the information he possessed and how familiar all of the pike's place staff was with him. And even when we had a small emergency experience towards the end of our tour(it was HOT day and one of the poor ladies on our tour fainted from the heat), he handled everything absolutely professionally and knew exactly what he was doing when checking on our fallen tour member. Fortunately, she was okay and Joe had them taken care of, so awesome awesome job my man!
The Savor Card
It's probably worth taking the tour for the discount card alone, esp if you eat in the area a lot or are planning to take home a lot of cheese, or chukar cherries, etc. My wife and I probably saved at least 30-40 bucks during the duration of our trip...trust me, totally worth it.
Again, TOTALLY worth the $40 bucks (see if you can find a deal somewhere, but if not, it's still worth it), and we might possibly take one of their other tours in the future. But a great way to get your first peek of what Seattle has to offer. -
Review from Jar M.
San Jose, CA
4/30/2012
This tour was the most exciting thing I did in Seattle (besides getting wasted and barfing behind a bush). Ok, that was TMI.
For $40 (approx.), the Pike Place Market becomes Costco on crack. You basically get to sample most of the best foods, while hearing interesting history and facts of the market.
You don't get to choose your tour guide, but we had Aubrey and she was awesome. She let me hold her pink umbrella! She even remembered every one of our names. No joke. Her secret was that she studied acting in college and had to memorize scripts a lot. I'm sharing too much again.
Tip: After the tour is done, go back to Chukar Cherries, sign up for their catalog, mention that you were on the tour, and they'll give you a box of their chocolate cordial cherries. You can't pass that up especially since their chocolates pricey. -
Review from yekta a.
4/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
Just got back from a tour with Joe on the Pike Place tour, it was so fun and a must try! Joe was awesome and so was Aubrey.
Fun tour, bring an empty stomach, a bottle of water, a jacket and walking shoes!
Totally fun and tasty tour! -
Review from nancy c.
5/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
Went on the Pike Place Market tour in the morning. My daughter and I had a blast - it was such a fun time. Our guide was really good - loved the audio packs that we got so that we could hear everything he had to say without him yelling and having to repeat everything. We had a Groupon so it was a good deal - it's pretty spendy if you don't have a deal. Would go on a different tour if there was a deal.
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Review from Arrrrr E.
Chula Vista, CA
5/10/2012 1 photo
One of my most memorable experiences in Seattle! I didn't even know food tours existed until us girls planned our mini-vacation away from 80 degree sunny San Diego to ~40 degree cold and windy Seattle. (This was around early January 2012) Luckily for us, the weather wasn't bad.
The adventure revolved around Pike Place Market. Nick, who guided our tour with a microphone, provided the +10 group with headphones. It's pretty clever considering how loud and noisy it can get there and not to mention the stragglers at the back of the group. Be far warned, the headphones were the kind that latches around your ear. I was unfortunately blessed with awkwardly shaped ears, so it was a little difficult inserting it into my ears and maintaining it there. I would recommend bringing your own earphones.
I love how Nick intertwined food with the historic charm of Seattle. Additionally, he amazingly remembered everyone's name, and took the effort to encourage people to become more involved minus the creepiness/awkwardness. We experienced a good amount of walking, and sampled a variety of items, ranging from salt to crab cakes. My favorite stop was at the Pike Place Fish Market and Chukar Cherries. (As evidence by the embarrassingly bulky bags of smoked salmon and packages of all natural chocolaty covered who-knows-what.) I can see people visiting those places independently without the influence of the tour. They offer free samples all day, and I had prior intensions on purchasing salmon anyway.
Pike Place can get pretty busy. Be cautious of what Nick termed as the "Costco Complex." Regardless of what the item is, people will flock to "free" samples and show no mercy in order to obtain a piece. (I'm not hating. I'm like that too. One time at Jamba Juice, I thought they were giving out free samples of wheat grass. I made a friend drink one, and then later on we realized that it belonged to someone else. Oops. And it wasn't good either! Lol.) Anyway, thankfully Nick, our fearlessly grizzly bearded leader, adorned with his almighty manly neon pink umbrella, was able to tame bystanders and protect our goods.
In my opinion, I think the tour is aimed more towards the touristy-tourist. When it comes to travelling, I become that very person. I want to see all the overly visited hot spots, learn about its significance to the community, take a gazillion photos (either with my phone, point and shoot camera or DSLR), purchase cheesy souvenirs that scream out "what-the-heck-did-you-buy-insert city name here," and collect all the brochures, business cards, papers, useless pieces of junk for the scrapbook I will probably never get to.
At the end of the tour, we were given a cute little VIP card that had a little space needle noodle attached to it. (Another addition to my ever-so growing pile of memorabilia.) You can use it to get 10-15% off at Savor Seattle partner locations; so don't forget to use!
Overall, I would recommend doing the tour. I believe they offer other tours, if you are anti Park Place Market. Truthfully, I wouldn't mind experiencing the tour a second time.
In addition to providing your own headphones, I suggest bringing a bottle of water, extra napkins and any kind of hand sanitizer. Enjoy! -
Review from Josh W.
Minneapolis, MN
4/15/2012
The Pike Place Market food tour was one of the coolest things we did on our entire West Coast vacation. Not only was the food great, but our guide (Rich) was extremely knowledgeable and had many fun anecdotes and historical tidbits. Our favorite stops were for the smoked salmon, Beecher's mac 'n' cheese, Chukar Cherries and the Pike Place Chowder (so good it should be illegal).
If you only have time for one adventure in Seattle, a Savor Seattle food tour should be a must on your itinerary. -
Review from Chloe S.
La Mesa, CA
4/6/2012
I would highly recommend the Gourmet Seattle Food Tour. Three hours, eight restaurants, and about 15 different tastings equal the best part of my Seattle vacation. We were lucky enough to have Brett (two t's, no n's) and his giant mustache as our tour guide. He was funny and knowledgeable and really made the tour exciting. He was training Brad who I know will end up being an amazing tour guide when he is on his own.
Savor Seattle accommodated my culinary preferences and I was able to get tastings without pork or beef. How cool is that? You will also get a VIP card for 15% off of almost 50 restaurants around town!
Here is what to expect:
Yellow Leaf Cupcake Company: Maple Bacon Cupcake and Tomato Soup Cupcake - I don't eat bacon so they substituted the Death by Chocolate. Beautiful as they were delicious. Super unique combinations.
Serious Pie: Seriously delicious!!! We sampled the yukon gold potato, rosemary, pecorino pizza and the roasted hedgehog mushrooms, truffle cheese pizza. AMAZING!
Seatown: This was the "pitch hitter" since the usual Icon Grill stop was out of commission. We sampled a salmon cake and a glass of white wine. The salmon cake was mediocre and a little bit on the greasy side for my liking.
La Buona Tavola: Samples of truffle oils. Fun and informative.
Il Bistro: Seafood Risotto, red wine and a visit from the chef. Super flavorful.
Pike Market Brewery: Brett had a challenge because I hate beer. He stepped up and found me one that I loved! I was able to try a raspberry beer and I must say that I am a fan! All beers are paired with cheese and bread. Brett is very knowledgeable about beer and the process of making it. Interesting.
Thoa's Restaurant: Pad Thai, simple. clean flavors. Really enjoyed it.
Gelatiamo - Strawberry gelatto and chocolate gelatto. So good.
All in all, worth every penny!!! Request Brett. You can tell that he LOVES his job. -
Review from Raina D.
4/1/2012
I went on this tour maybe two years ago, but had a really great time. I live in Seattle, but most of the people on the tour were out-of-towners on vacation, so they maybe got a little more out of the history and cultural stuff than I. I still learned a few things about Seattle and about the restaurants we
I'm a vegetarian and they were good about accommodating my needs when giving advanced notice, although I think some of the "substitute" dishes could have been a little better executed--like they gave me a plate of braised fennel and mushrooms, but the fennel wasn't even cooked through... But hey, they didn't have meat and I could eat them, so I'm thankful for that!
Among the foods, we had: Fran's chocolates, gelato, andaluca (amazing potato/cheese croquette), serious pie, pike brewery, a few things in the market... that's all I remember.
The tour itself was quite pricey (for my little non-profit worker wallet), but I had a good time on the beautiful sunny day we were lucky enough to have! I wouldn't hesitate to go on another one, it was quite fun! -
Review from Christine Z.
Seattle, WA
3/26/2012 2 Check-ins Here
My bestest GF's from CA were visiting for a weekend! I wanted to do something fun... something that would make their trip to Seattle memorable! I wracked my brain for weeks trying to come up with something unique & non-touristy (we'd done all that already on some of their previous visits)
The day before they arrived, it came to me , completely out of left field while I was driving to the gym - SAVOR SEATTLE FOOD TOUR.
I called to make reservations and spoke to Angela, who was extremely helpful. She asked if anyone had any dietary restrictions (as a matter of fact, yes! and thank you for asking!), took my payment over the phone, and while waiting for the transaction to complete, made sure to tell me exactly when and where to meet our official guide. The phone call to make reservations for the 4 of us took all of 5 minutes - it was super simple!
Now, for the deets on the tour itself...
Our tour guide, Aubrey was awesome! She was very professional, super friendly and a lot of fun! She engaged everyone in our group of 12-15, remembered everyone's name (and used it throughout the tour), and I thought she did a great job checking in with people throughout the tour. The headsets they give you allow you to hear everything, despite the craziness going on around you, and the hot pink umbrella she held during the most crowded spots really helped each of us in the group locate her easily among the sea of people.
Here is what we got to try:
- cinnamon bread and coffee from Starbucks
- mini cinnamon sugar donuts from Daily Dozen
- tea from Market Spice
- two types of smoked salmon and salmon jerky from Pike Place Fish
- fresh fruit from Frank's produce
- three different chowders from Pike Place Chowder - New England, Manhattan & a vegan chowder
- Beecher's cheese and hazelnut cracker (made in-house, of course) as well as their famously DELISH mac n cheese. Since one of my GF's (as well as myself) could not do dairy, they offered us really yummy fig bread that had been made earlier that day.
- sandwiches & caramels from Pear Delicatessen
- and crabcakes from Etta's
We loved learning different facts about Pike Place Market and each of the places we stopped at. Did you know that the woman who started Market Spice doesn't even like tea? Or that the chowder from Pike Place Chowder has won #1 chowder many times over? Or that Beecher's cheese is only made in one of their two locations - Seattle and NYC? Or that Tom Douglas, my most favorite PacNW chef never went to culinary school? How does such a culinary powerhouse become such an amazing chef and restauranteur without ever having gone to culinary school?
All in all, I think this was a fantastic tour... and I would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone looking for something fun to do with visitors. Hell, I think it is a great thing to do if you're a local and you're just looking for something different to do in Seattle!
Thank you Savor Seattle Food Tours for a fab, unforgettable afternoon at the market with my girls! -
Review from Sheryce S.
Rancho Cordova, CA
3/22/2012
A food tour?!? What a concept. This tour set the tone for me eating my way through the lovely emerald city. I went on this tour alone, but still had the best time. The guides are fantastic and actually memorize everyone's names. So, I honestly didn't even feel lonely.
You wear headphones because the market is bustling and loud! This idea is amazing because it lets you linger and still hear everything the guide says even though they are no where near you. For what seems like a lot of money (around $40 something) you get an amazing tour of the market and nearby foodie places. They give you all the history and you get to try an abundant amount of food. I left feeling very full. Try everything they offer; even the salmon jerky was yummy! I really enjoyed the chowder and the donuts (there's definitely a VARIETY of food offered), but my favorite item were the sweet and savory piroskis. Delicious!
After the tour I told the guide I wanted to explore a bit more. She suggested that I head over to the Fremont area and even gave me bus directions on how to get there. Places over on that side of town deserve another review! But I was happy they sent me to explore somewhere fun!
At the end of the tour they also hand out a coupon so you can head back to some of the places and get a nice discount. This was much appreciated! Keep up the good work Savor Seattle! -
Review from Julia Z.
Monterey Park, CA
3/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
Looove it. Two hours just flies away too fast. Our tour guide Nick is just funny and telling stories related to the area. The bites are all good stuffs with just enough amount let you enjoy the taste while not too much making you too full for next bite. It includes chocolate, cheese, crab cake, fruits, clam chowder, preztel, tea and smoked salmon! Omg all good stuffs!
And you get to meet a group of fun people too, food lovers and travellers. Once, we lined up aside not to block the way and tasting chowder, and raise hands to salute to whoever passes by. It's so funny and cute.
Besides, you get a card that can get discounts at quite a few restaurants around that area, all good restaurants! Like serious lie, as an example.
Oh and tithes card has a cute space noodle on it, an actual space noodle! I love the tour! -
Review from jnet h.
Los Angeles, CA
3/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
Hate to ruin the 4 & 5 star streak but I'm just being honest based on my experience and perspective so don't hold it against me :(
This review is only for the Pike's Place tour since it's the only one I experienced. You're basically paying $50 (includes tax & tip) for a 2 hour tour to about 10 different spots in the market with 17 tastings (not much of a meal, they suggest you eat something small before touring) and historic background information. My friend and I checked out Pike's Place the day before the tour and actually saw a lot more other places that weren't shown on the tour. Also had I not known that half the spots they took us already give out free tastings to the public, I would have thought this tour was worth it. But I guess I did learn some pretty cool historic facts. Then again I could have just googled those too.
2 Stars for tastings
3 Stars for history
However, our tour guide Brett was very entertaining and helpful so service gets 5 stars.
Total Average = 3 stars
Savor Seattle is a great business concept for tourists so make sure you read reviews of other tours they offer and choose what fits your interest.Comment from Angela S. of Savor Seattle Food Tours 3/23/2012
Thank you for the feedback on our Pike Place Market Tour.… More » -
Review from Maddie P.
Glendale, AZ
5/21/2012
I went on the Pike Place food tour and had a phenomenal time! My guide Santino made the two-hour walking tour more than enjoyable. He was very knowledgeable about the history of Pike Place Market and absolutely hilarious! The food was delicious and I was able to experience many of the "must-haves" at the market. I highly recommend starting off a trip to Seattle with one of Savor Seattle's food tours. If I had the opportunity I would have gone on more than just one!
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Review from JOLYN H.
Auburn, WA
5/1/2012
Being a local, I love to eat great food and this was a fantastic way to experience the different restaurants in Seattle. I celebrated my birthday with a total of 10 of my special friends and this was the best birthday so far! Mark, our tour guide, was so much fun and he knew his food :) If you live in the Seattle area, you need to go on this guilt free tour.......I say " guilt free" because you get to eat, drink and exercise for 3 hours. WARNING: you will be having so much fun that the 3 hour Seattle tour goes fast!
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Review from Charlie L.
Seattle, WA
4/16/2012
I got a groupon for the Pike Place Food Tour and was filled with anticipation, since as a foodie the idea of sampling Pike Place Market's best food offerings is extremely exciting.
The tour guide was new and had a lot of logistical issues, but overall a nice, entertaining guy. I give him 3.5 stars.
The tour, on the other hand, left a lot to be desired. We covered a small section of the market and many of the stops already offers free samples (and others offer samples that can be had elsewhere). My biggest gripe is that I've been to all of these places before and we didn't go off the beaten path to "discover" the hidden gems. The samples are also very small, but since it was not so spectacular that it makes me want to have more, it wasn't as big of a deal.
There's a running commentary by the tour guide about the history, but since I'm a local, I knew most of it. I was really surprised that 12 out of 16 other people in the group were also locals, but seemed to not know much about the market and was fascinated by the whole spiel.
Spoiler alert: here's the list of where we went and what we sampled:
1) Starbucks - Chai latte... sampled it at another starbucks years ago when it first came out, wasn't a fan then, still not a fan now.
2) Daily Dozen - mini doughnuts, lukewarm, greasy
3) Market Spice - signature house tea (with cinnamon, orange oil, and cloves), tastes like medicine
4) Pike Place Fish - salmon (alder smoked, garlic + pepper, and jerky).... you don't have to be on the tour to get these samples
5) Frank's Produce - jazz apple slices and muscat grapes... you don't have to be on the tour to get these samples and almost all the produce stands offer the same.
6) Pike's Place Chowder - not as good as Ivar's (a Seattle institution not on the tour)
7) Chukar Cherries - cherry apricot salsa and 3 chocolate covered cherries, a raspberry concoction and a nut cluster. You don't have to be on the tour to get all of these samples
8) Beecher's Cheese - flagship "Gruyère" cheese on hazelnut cracker, then mac and cheese (which was the only thing that I was surprised by how good it is because I don't like mac and cheese).
9) Pirohsky Pirohsky - beef and cheddar and apple cinnamon priohsky. This was the only stop that I heard something interesting that I didn't already know about the start of the business and the anonymous donation that made the whole thing possible.
10) Etta's - crab cakes, good but greasy, and far from the best I've ever had.
Would I take any of my out of town friends to any of these places? Not really... probably Pike Place Fish because it's so famous, and may be Beecher's Cheese, but there would be so many other places I take them to in and around the market.
Soooo disappointing... honest to god, I felt I would have been better off going to Costco to sample food. It would have taken far less time, been free, been more filling, and I would have most likely discovered something new. I wish I can get my money back. May be I would have liked this more if I was from out of town and I didn't know any better. Bleh.
---- updated ----
The owner wrote a response about the portion size and the sample... while I appreciate her diligence in reading all the reviews and responding to mine, I felt like the response was more a commercial for the tour than a response to my concerns... primarily the lack of "off the beaten path" gems. As a tourist, you would find all of the 10 stops above easily since they were all the primary corridor of the market, and as a local you would have surely been to all of them already (especially if you like food) and wrote off many of them because they are just "ok".
Oh, and although the portion size was not a real issue for me, I want to make it clear that you DON'T get more of the sample at places that give samples to the public. I've had equivalent (or more) sample while not on the tour... you just have to ask nicely.
What you're paying for is a tour guide chatting to you about history.... whether you think it's worth $39+ tax and tip is an opinion. I happen to not think it's worth it, but clearly am in the minority given the other reviews. I have high expectations when it comes to food, guided tour, and VALUE... so take my review with a grain of salt.Comment from Angela S. of Savor Seattle Food Tours 4/16/2012
Hello Charlie, Thank you for your feedback about our Pike… More » -
Review from Jessica P.
Las Vegas, NV
4/16/2012
So my friends had some coupons for the Pike Place tour and since I was in town I decided to join them. I wasn't super optimistic about it, since some of the stops already offer free samples and I had already eaten at a couple stops, but decided after reading the wonderful reviews on Yelp to give it a try. Worst case senario, I would get some awesome food and have a fun time with friends.
When we arrived at Starbucks we were greeted warmly by Mark. He was funny, entertaining, and so kind to everyone on the tour. Here are the stops that we made along the way:
Starbucks - Hazelnut latte, my husband orders this all the time but it is never this good.
Daily Dozen doughnuts - I had walked by this place hundreds of times but never wanted to wait in line, after tasting them today I will be sure to stop next time.
Market Spice - We tried some of their signature cinnamon tea, which definitely tasted like a piece of big red. We learned quite a bit of history about this place and were set loose in the store.
Pike Place Fish - We sampled 3 types of salmon, not my cup of tea, but the garlic was actually pretty good.
Frank's Produce - We shared some apple slices and the most delicious grapes I've tasted.
Pike's Place Chowder - OMG seriously the best chowder ever and they have tons of awards to prove it! I started with the Bisque and wasn't sure that anything could be better, but then I took a sip of the chowder. The chowder was chock full of potatoes and other goodies. It had the most delightful rich flavor and I could immediately see why they have so many awards. I will be back for a bowl!
Chukar Cherries - We lined up behind the counter and sampled some cherry apricot salsa and 5 types of cherries. We had the pleasure of having someone from Chukar Cherries explain each bite. It was pretty cool!
Beecher's Cheese - We samples some of their flagship cheese on a cracker and followed that up with their Oprah endorsed mac and cheese. I had already tried their mac and cheese before so I knew how delicious it was and it was just as great as I remember. So creamy and the penne was cooked perfectly.
Pirohsky Pirohsky - Again, I had been here before but never tried the flavors that were presented. We tried the chicken and rice which was interesting and the sweet apple. I have had better Pirohsky's from here, but enjoyed hearing about the history.
Etta's Seafood - We sampled the crab cakes, which were more like crab balls. They were delicious!
Overall, I loved hearing the stories behind the market and the businesses. Mark was overly friendly and even entertained my silly question and heckling. We had some great food and definitely got to try things that are not normally available for sampling. It was also nice to skip the line and have everything served and cleared for us. It was a good amount of food, we all felt pretty content after the tour and it inspired me to explore the market. I do wish that they had offered some more unique stops, but it was a good introductory tour. I wouldn't hesitate to take another tour with Savor. -
Review from Emily Y.
Irvine, CA
4/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
If I could give 10 stars, I would.
Everything about it was freakin' amazing. Brett and Brad (the trainee) were the tour leaders for our group and they were just full of information, fun facts and jokes. They were also extremely personable and really made each of us feel welcome. We were initially provided audio equipment and headsets and being the germaphobe that I am, I was a little leery at first. However, Brett convinced us that they'd sanitized each handset after use, so that was definitely a plus.
We started off with hot chocolate at Starbucks, before making our way to the market. Upon arrival, we got a sample of everything, ranging from doughnuts to smoked salmon to delicious clove and orange oil hot tea and Russian pastries. I still can't quite put my finger on what I liked the most, but I will say that there was not one item I sampled that I didn't like (well, maybe the chocolate covered cherries, but I'm just not a fan of any kind of chocolate covered fruit, so that's another story). Brett had us rolling in the aisles with his witty banter and jokes and I have to say, he really made the tour even more interesting than I thought possible (which is saying something, given all the eye candy that goes on around Pike Place Market and surrounding neighborhoods). I wish I'd had the chance to check out the comic book store Brett had mentioned on the lower level of the market (he'd noticed my SakuraCon 2012 attendee badge and asked if I'd been to the store), but ah, well. Next time that I'm back in Seattle, I shall definitely check it out.
I cannot praise this group enough. When I'm back in Seattle, I absolutely will have to check out the other groups that this company offers, especially the chocolate tour (and if there's chocolate covered fruit on this tour, oh, welp). Kudos to everyone involved in Savor Seattle. I've already recommended this company to a number of my friends and I shall continue to do so. -
Review from Lisa W.
This was my first foodie tour and it happens to be in Seattle! Our tour guide was Nick, who was so awesomely funny, he reminded me of Seth Rogen. This tour was what made our Seattle trip good! We got to try a little of everything in Pike's Place Market on a beautiful sunny day.
We started off at
1.Starbucks (not the original one) we got to try the vanilla latte, so good!
2. Daily Dozen doughnuts-so fresh, oily and sweet! a right bite size on the go
3. Market Spice-got to try the really good tea & smell the salt that they rub on Salmon. Also cheap deals on bay leaves!
4. Pike Place Fish-BEST SMOKED SALMON. Ohh man it was sooo good! Probably BETTER than NYC salmon. The jerky salmon was good too, bad thing, it's $35 a pound to buy it!! Booo, I couldn't buy any since we didn't have a frig in our hotel. We also saw them throwing the fish too. I wanted to open my purse and have them throw it in there and take it home and cook it.
5. Pike's Place Chowder-good chowder, but it's not the best I've tried. I think it's too watery but there are HUGE clam pieces!
6. Chukar Cherries-yummy delicious covered chocolate cherries and interesting peach salsa. We couldn't buy any since it was considered a liquid on the plane. But we came back to buy sweets.
7. Beecher's Cheese-Didn't get to see them make cheese, but I'm not a cheese fan. Their mac and cheese was delicious!
8. Pirohsky Pirohsky-good bakery sweets, more of the breaded sweets.
9. Frank's fresh produce-best apples!
10. Etta's seafood-huge crab cake pieces!! It was the best stuffed crab cakes!
I totally recommend this tour! It was amazing. It's pricey but you get to see and hear the story of the places you go to. -
Review from Tanis G.
Los Angeles, CA
2/10/2012
on our first day (of a 4 day trip) in Seattle we chose to do the Capitol Hill Savor Seattle tour. The timing was great because we were able to train to our hotel from the airport, get freshened up, and then walk over to our meeting spot just in time for the tour to start.
Our guide, Ezra, was fantastic. He was extremely knowledgeable and had a great, quirky sense of humor. The tour was well organized and offered a wide-range of food & drink to try. Being a vegetarian, I was pleasantly surprised at how accommodating they were for me (note* mention any dietary restrictions upon purchasing your tickets, I'm not sure how accommodating they can be if you tell them as the tour is starting). There were actually only 2 stops (out of 7) that I had the "vegetarian option" as everything else was veggie friendly already.
My favorite stops were the Marination Station (I had the DELICIOUS tofu slider), Hot Mama's Pizza (yummy pesto pizza), and Old School Frozen Custard.
Overall I have to say its a great way to explore (and eat) your way through a Seattle neighborhood. And, for $55 per person, its totally worth it for the 2.5 hour tour.
I highly recommend it! -
Review from Kris P.
Austin, TX
3/18/2012
I took the Pike's Place tour on the morning of 3/15/12. The morning was windy and very rainy, but Aubrey made sure to keep us as dry as possible. (I can not praise her enough.) I enjoyed the history behind Pike's Market and each of the vendors we stopped at. They also accommodated my intolerance to milk products by offering alternatives from the vendors. The Beecher's Mac & Cheese was to die for. I am still snacking on my Chukar Cherries as well. BTW, the Tom Douglas Coconut Creme Pie story, it's true....we went to Serious Pie and ordered it even though it was not on the menu, and they brought it to us. Best Pie Ever.
I almost wish that the tour was longer and had more vendor stops, but you do get full from the samples you try in just 2 hours. Be sure to bring water!
I look forward to coming back to Seattle and trying another tour they offer. -
Review from alia g.
2/4/2012
Let me preface this review by saying... I'm easily amused.
I had a day to kill so thought a tour of Pike's Marketplace would be a good way to spend the day. Am glad I did since it was an absolutely beautiful day and the tour was a fun way to eat my way around the market.
Santino (our SS guide)... was silly, corny and lots of fun. If you like puns, cute jokes and fabulous bites, you will totally enjoy this tour and guide.
At each stop and while walking around, he would impart bits of history and information. Plus, if you have questions about other places that are not on the tour, he seems to know all about them so just ask.
We started off with a bit of history and then headed over to the most delicious Donut vendor.... and then took a couple steps over to the most amazing Tea sample I've ever tasted... the Market Spice tea.... a black tea with cinnamon, cloves and orange notes.... totally awesome!
After that... all the bites and nibbles start to meld together as each bite was better than the last.
Stopped at the famous fish stand where they throw the fish around... enjoyed 3 different types of salmon. (I went back and used my 10% discount that you get from the tour and bought some more salmon to take home.)
And then we stopped at a couple of fruit stands and enjoyed some yummy apples and pears... and learned how to tell the difference between a female and male eggplant. Who Knew?! :)
And then we ate the Best Chowder EVER! located in Post Alley.
Then there was the piroshky pastry... one filled with meat and the other with apples. Both were Awesome!
And then there was the cheese and mac n cheese samples! :)
Oh and I forgot about the Chukar Cherry stand... how could I forget? I went back and bought goodies from them too. :)
And the topper, Grand Finale was Etta's crab cake.... the BEST crab cake EVER! I'm trying to figure out when I can go back for a full meal so I can try more.
All in All.... I will sign up for future tours as there are a couple of other ones to try. :) -
Review from Melody T.
2/5/2012
Ezra was fantastic for the capitol hill tour.
Great energy and kept us entertained the whole time. You can tell loves what he does and is so passionate about it.
My favorite parts of the tour were the coffee tasting experience at victrola and the chai at travelers. For $55 it's worth the money to try some good food and learn about the district. -
Review from Don N.
Los Angeles, CA
Updated - 3/6/2012
Uh, so awesome we went twice. This time around we did the gourmet tour and, as luck would have it, Eric was once again our guide. We went in September and I have to say that I never thought about beer and cheese pairings until we did this tour. The Pike Brewing Company's pairings were enlightening! Also, I can't emphasize their partner discounts enough. Seriously, if you want a solid tour, good local knowledge and the benefit of a return visit at many of the locales visited at a discount hit up Savor Seattle's tours; especially if you're an out-of-towner who has some interest in trying Tom Douglas' restaurants and looking to do some souvenir shopping (and by souvenirs, I really mean having your fill of Honey Crisp apples the size of a baby's head at Frank's Quality Produce in Pike Place Market).
Also, Eric can talk comics- so geekery and eateries, what more could we ask for?1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/22/2010
I believe our guide was Eric and he rocked it out. (Plus the guy was manly enough to sport a… Read more »
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Review from Keely B.
1/4/2012
I would totally give this tour five stars if our tour guide had ever shut up for 30 seconds. I don't know if it was scripted or improv, but she actually sang "That's Amore!" (emphasis on the ding-a-ling part) while leading us across a very busy street.
That said, I had some of the absolute best chocolate I have had in my life on this tour. There were fudge-dipped flourless brownies (a personal favorite), sea salt caramels drenched in white-milk-dark, whatever you prefer. Along with myriad other treats (they'll give you a doggy bag, and you'll need it). I also learned a lot about the origins of chocolate and how to tell genuine white chocolate from the imposter (cocoa butter).
There was an incident in a popcorn shop where the owner ran out of the store screaming after a shoplifter... Which was both hilarious and a little bit scary. -
Review from Paul P.
Las Vegas, NV
4/10/2012
We went on the Pike Mkt and the Gourmet Tours. My 1st time in Seattle and the perfect way to get introduced to the great food and scene We ended up going back to some of the places and taking home about $300 worh of souvenirs. I wish this was done in other cities
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Review from B L.
Buckley, WA
4/2/2012
We had a great time on the chocolate tour. All of the places had great things to try and our guide was having just as much fun as we were. Well worth it even for locals.
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Review from Pam L.
1/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
Did this tour yesterday and our guide Mark was fantastic!
Highly recommend this tour. Very controlled, awesome factoids about the market and the city and the group is just the right size. -
Review from Tushar C.
Seattle, WA
12/4/2011 Purchased a Yelp Deal
Thanks to a Yelp deal, a bunch of us decided to take advantage of the half off the Savor Seattle Craving Capitol Hill Food Tour coupon a few weeks ago and it was fantastic! I got introduced to a number of places I may not have tried otherwise.
The places visited and the order was perfect as well, much like a multi-course meal, except you walk between courses. -
Review from Janis H.
Monroe, WA
12/28/2011 14 photos
We took the Capitol Hill tour in July, and had an awesome time, so when we saw a Groupon deal for the tours, I knew we had to get one and try the Pike Place tour.
Are we ever glad we did!
We went on the tour the day after Christmas, so all the decorations in the Marlet were still up, it was very festive feeling. We had Caroline as our guide, she is funny and easy to talk with and very knowledgable, She really "made" the experience for us!
We started out at a donut shop that makes little mini donuts...we had them hot and fresh out of the fryer. Delicious!
Then on to MarketSpice, where we sampled their delicious black tea. Perfect for the chilly morning. We saw the seemingly endless spices available, with ones to pick from like "Green Chile Sugar" - COOL! A must try for future margaritas.
Then on to the Fish Market, where we tried 3 kinds of salmon...the smoked salmon was absolutely mouth-watering.
On to Chukar Cherries where we sampled 4 kinds of Cherries....one made with a cabernet wine coating...loved them!
Then to Beecher's Handmade Cheese...oh WOW...first we had a piece of cheese on a cracker. Delicious, yes, but...nothing like the sample of their famous Mac-N-Cheese! Outrageously delicious! So good we came back later and bought a quart to take home :) Caroline informed us that the New York store offers a Mac-N-Cheese MARTINI ! Omg, I have to find a way to try that!
Then to Pike Place Chowder. I'd seen it dozens of times, but never really thought about stopping and trying the chowder. Boy, what a mistake! We had 2 samples, one of their "regular" chowder and one of the Seafood Bisque. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven!! One of the people on the tour was from the east coast, and he said he'd never had clam chowder as good. We came back later to get some to take home, and the line was out the door. We waited for over 30 minutes, but it was worth every single second! Came home and had the Seafood Bisque for dinner, and I can't stop thinking about it even now! :)
Next stop, Piroshky Piroshky. I am not a fan of anything made with cooked apples, but I tried the dessert piroshky...YUM! But their savory piroshky was amazing. A definite must next time I'm back in the market.
They saved the best for last....Etta's. The Tom Douglas restaurant. We had a mini crabcake with their homemade tartar sauce. Can I say this was probably in the top 3 most delicious things I have ever placed in my mouth? I could have eaten 20 more of them! SO good in fact, that I looked up the recipe online and am making them for our New Years' Eve dinner this coming weekend.
I can't recommend this tour highly enough! It was SO fun. Can't wait to try the Gourmet Tour next!
Happy Eating! -
Review from Jen S.
Issaquah, WA
3/26/2012
We did the chocolate tour, which was fantastic!
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Review from Jeannie G.
Boston, MA
1/18/2012
We did the Savor Seattle Food Tour of Pike Place market in the afternoon. We lucked out with an incredibly beautiful day to wander around the market. Our tour guide was Santino, who noted that he was a theatre major, so that if he failed to entertain us, he had bigger problems. Well, he certainly didn't disappoint! He was both funny and knowledgeable about both the history of the market place and the happenings at various vendors throughout the market. And he piled on the puns, using plenty of material about cheeses, nuts and fruits that lend themselves well to the task. He also had a great rapport with the guests in our party.
We stopped at about 8 different places and got a few tidbits at each -- coffee, tea, salmon of three different smoked varieties, cheese, mac n' cheese, sandwiches, crab cake, salted caramels, and then some! Someone in our group got to catch a fish, others held giant fish for photo opps.
As a Bostonian tourist, I'd have to say it exceeded our expectations and gave us a quick (and filling!) glimpse into this vibrant Seattle landmark. I would definitely recommend it for both the out-of-towner and the local foodie alike.
Thanks, Santino!!
*jeannie & alicia from Bawhstan -
Review from Christopher J.
Seattle, WA
2/29/2012
I have gone on the Pike Market Food Tour twice & both times really enjoyed it. The tour guides were energetic, friendly & did a great job keeping the entire group engaged. I loved all the places we stopped - my favorite was Chukar Cherries because an employee that worked at the stand (Aaron I believe) talked to our tour. That was great & we were able to ask questions right from the source vs through our Tour guide although he did a good job.
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Review from Jennifer A.
Redmond, WA
12/17/2011
Santino was a wonderful guide - he learned the names of everyone in our group within the first few minutes of meeting us and was very welcoming and friendly!
This is a fantastic tour. Great history of the market accompanied with delicious food. And they've really nailed down how to navigate a large group through the crowded market. Everything was smooth, coordinated, and clearly well-planned. Plus, you get a headset to hear the guide so he's not trying to shout over all the noise and you're not constantly straining to hear. Definitely learned about some "new to me" shops I'll be perusing next time I'm downtown - especially since you get a discount card at the end for all their partner shops and restaurants. -
Review from Angela D.
10/25/2011
First full day in Seattle and we come to Pike's. YAY! In love.
Our tour guide (I forget his name but he looks like Zach Galifianakis!!) was spunky and funny and very informative. He was quick to shoo freeloaders away which was quite entertaining. I loved all the samples esp the clam chowder and mac and cheese and chukar cherries!
The VIP card was quite awesome. Totally worth it because I bought a lot of souvenirs. I would highly recommend this place to anyone who hasn't ever been here before and wants to try a little of everything!!Listed in: Sleepless in Seattle
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Review from Melissa M.
Irvine, CA
3/13/2012
Went on the Gourmet Food Tour in Seattle and it was the BEST tour I have ever been on! Our tour guide Mark was AMAZING!!! Great food, great people and a great time! Thank you Savor Seattle Food Tours!!!
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Review from Betsy S.
Shakopee, MN
3/26/2012
We loved this tour!! What a perfect way to experience Pike Place Market!! We loved our tour guide, Mark, who brought us through the market with history, entertainment, and personal stories since he had worked in the market as a teenager.
We ended up returning to many of the vendors at the end of the tour who remembered us and offered us fun perks for being a part of the tour!
GO ON THIS TOUR! -
Review from Victoria H.
Wake Forest, NC
12/19/2011
As with most of my excursions, this one began with a deal - Google Offers I believe. Anyway, for half off a 2-hour Chocolate Indulgence Tour it was well worth giving it a shot!
We ventured out for a Saturday morning tour the weekend before Christmas (yes - we were silly enough to go into the shopping district on a December Saturday with no intention of shopping!) Brett was our guide, and he was charming, corny, and friendly in all the right ways. The group was almost entirely locals, so that gave the overall tour a more localized and less touristy feel.
The places we visited were well planned out, and each stop was way more efficient than I anticipated them being able to be. We were in restaurants at prime lunch time, by the market mid-day on a Saturday, and yet nothing took more than a few minutes to get. I was not disappointed by any of the goodies we enjoyed, and I appreciated how our guide made an effort to incorporate interesting related history and tidbits at every stop.
As others noted, the use of the microphone/ear pieces are very helpful so that you're never straining to follow the guide's lead. (I am happy that I chose to bring my own ear phones, however, to plug in for better comfort.) Also, be sure to carry your own bottle of water - it's really helpful to cleanse that deliciously chocoloate-y palate in between tastings. Also, it was good to note that one person in the group preferred no alcohol, so they kindly substituted hot cocoa at the first bar stop - a nice touch and option to have.
After the tour our chocolate cravings were satisfied, though we did go for a light lunch. Two hours of delectable tidbits are not really enough to substitute for lunch even if you're eating them from 11-1. Overall, I would definitely recommend this tour and would be completely willing to try another in the future. I felt it was well worth my $27, but I don't know that I would have been quite so satisfied if I had paid full price - for no particular reason on their part, just in general.
On a separate note, the VIP discount card is a great bonus (used it a couple places that day), and it's a nice touch that you can use it at any vendor from any of the tours and not just your own. -
Review from David V.
La Habra, CA
3/7/2012
Wasn't sure about this tour when I first came across it. I had been to Seattle several times before and thought "why take a tour?". However, this time I went with some friends and thought it would be a great way to get to better know the city. I was 100% satisfied. Nick was our guide for the Pike Place tour. He had some great cheesy jokes to go along with a local's take on the history and flavor of the city. Highly recommended! I will definitely take another tour when visiting in the future.
