August 6, 2026
By Trudy Gritsch
From the fish throwing at Pike Place Market to the Dungeness Crab Festival, from clam digging at low tide to watching the salmon run in the local waterways or at the Mariners game, fish and seafood are woven into the culture of the Pacific Northwest. Ever heard of flying fish? Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) brings fresh seafood to your airport experience. Whether you’re angling for salmon or hooked on halibut, there are plenty pescatarian plates available at SEA.
Plenty of fish in the SEA
If you’re fishing for fine dining with a tarmac view, look no further than Salty’s at the SEA in Central Terminal. Salty’s specializes in fresh fish grilled up to perfection. From several salmon varieties to local oysters and Dungeness crab, the ocean’s the limit with Salty’s.
For more casual fish-forward fare, take a few steps around the corner to Lucky Louie Fish Shack (also in Central Terminal). Lucky Louie serves up crispy crinkle cut fries with beer battered and panko crumbed Alaska pollock that’s o-fish-ally delicious.
For the raw fish aficionado, Poke to the Max brings the ahi awesome to D Concourse. These poke bowls are the real deal, signed off by Big Island chef Sam Choy. Choose your fish, sauce, and format of poke at the counter or table. In a hurry? Grab a pack of sushi from Camden Food Co., also on the D Concourse or Koi Shi Sushi in the Central Terminal.
Think there's more to life than seafood? According to your travel companion, that's a load of carp. No need to worry because many eateries at SEA have delicious fish dishes alongside other culinary delights.
Which fish do you wish for?
Salmon is king in this part of the world, and you’ll find all sorts of styles in the terminal. Grab BBQ smoked salmon with cornbread and coleslaw at Nanny’s Northwest BBQ (Gate C2). Pair your smoked salmon with eggs and sourdough at Le Grand Comptoir (Gate C10F). Take some of that bread and put it on top for a salmon sandwich from Skillet (Gates C10, N18). Or try some salmon slathered in teriyaki sauce for a true Seattle classic at Hachi-Ko (Gate C10).
No need to scale back your seafood cravings — SEA has enough shrimp and prawns to make a splash. A shrimp po’boy from Ninth and Pike (Gate C10) or a shrimp and lobster roll from VYNE (Central Terminal) always hit the spot. Get your chopsticks ready for a grilled shrimp bowl with vermicelli noodles from Bambuza (Gate N19). P.F. Chang’s (N11) has some shrimply delightful offerings: firecracker, dynamite, kung pao, and crispy honey shrimp.
Classic fish dishes
When you just want to bite into a fish sandwich, we’ve got you covered there too. Rel’Lish (B4) and True Burger (Gate A4) have the standard battered fish burger down to a science. The tuna melt from Beecher’s Handmade Cheese (Gate N11) is covered in signature cheese curds, and the tuna sub from Port of Subs (Gate C2) has the power of personalization on its side. Or you could take the sandwich life up a notch with a lobster roll from LouLou Market and Bar (Gate B3). If you’re willing to take that sandwich sideways, fish tacos from Mi Casa Cantina (Near Gate B10) and Brewtop Social (Central Terminal) both absolutely get it right.
Fish and chips feature on menus all across the airport, and as much as we like the idea of a 10-stop fish and chip crawl, you can’t go wrong with any one of them. Village Pub (Gate N9) brings in Icelandic cod and dips it in beer batter made in house; pair that with perfectly seasoned steak fries and you have a classic that earns the house specialty title. The Ballard fish and chips from Ballard Brew Hall (Gate D7) comes with creamy buttermilk slaw, and the truffle fries are well worth the upgrade. For Wild Alaska Pollock dipped in white ale beer batter, try the Mountain Bar (Gate A14).
Even more ubiquitous than fish and chips, seafood chowders can be found in every concourse. Most of the restaurants mentioned here have a chowder on offer, often brought in from other local kitchens that specialize in the art. Smith Cove (Gate S2) offers clam chowder from Pike Place to pair with your ahi poke bowl for a hot and cold moment. At Open Space Taproom (Gate N10), you can enjoy the classic clam chowder from Ivar’s. For a salmon version, try the chowder from Embarque Whiskey Grill (Gate N10).
Go fish
With so many delicious options, looks like you’ll have to plan another visit. Don’t let the SEAfood be the one that got away — you'll be hooked after the first bite.
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Top photo credit: Atlantic Ambience on Pexels.
