SEAReview
Included In
Let's imagine a perfect afternoon along the waterfront. On this perfect day, you’ll eat an unforgettable lunch at Pike Place, followed by a cone of marionberry and sage ice cream. Then, you’ll traipse through the empty market like the star of a musical, handpicking the perfect produce for a salad you’ll throw together for all of your friends later.
In reality, Pike Place is overrun by loud tourists with sticky hands, it’s raining, and the only ice cream in the vicinity is tutti-frutti flavored. To top it off, those salad components cost $42. But not all hope is lost. An unforgettable lunch is still in the cards - as long as you have it at Matt’s In The Market.
This second-story seafood classic in the middle of Pike Place has been around since 1996, which is practically prehistoric times for a Seattle restaurant. We’ll be the first to tell you that Matt’s is a total tourist trap. It has “In The Market” in its name after all, and every hotel concierge in the city sends their guests here. But when you walk into this little room with checkerboard-tiled floors and giant half-moon windows that frame the Public Market Center sign outside, you’ll feel the magic of Seattle. And then the Frasier theme song will probably start playing in your head.
photo credit: Nate Watters
We recommend lunch here for two reasons. First, it’s the only time when you can see the whole market below you, and second, our favorite menu item - the fried catfish sandwich - is only available from 11:30am to 2:30pm. The crispy fish, sambal mayo, and shredded romaine on soft potato bread is delicious in its unchanged simplicity and is a refreshing break from fussier things that new, cool restaurants are serving. To round out the meal, tack on the hot caramelized onion bacon dip with homemade potato chips, and end things with the candy bar square, which is what would happen if a Theo’s salted almond butter cup and a Lindor truffle gave a Snickers bar an intervention. Other things here are good too, like the pork confit banh mi and the basic mixed green salad, but just know that you’re not doing yourself any favors if you don’t order the catfish.
You will probably never live out your dream day at Pike Place. It turns out you can’t control the weather or the herds of tourists excited about pepper jelly samples after all. But if you sit two stories above the chaos eating a catfish sandwich at Matt’s, you’ll feel like the star of a Seattle sitcom. Just not one where you live in a lavish Queen Anne apartment with your retired cop father and disregard social cues. That one already exists.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Nate Watters
Chips & Dip
Simple Green Salad
photo credit: Nate Watters
Pan-Fried Cornmeal Crusted Catfish Sandwich
photo credit: Nate Watters
Pork Belly Confit Banh Mi
photo credit: Nate Watters