BALTIMORE FOOD MARKETS

Baltimore has six indoor food markets all of them at least 100 years old. What you find at one market, you will no doubt find at another; perhaps with an exception of the larger Lexington Market which might offer a bit more. All the markets accommodate visitors with take-out or dine-in, and have vendors selling fresh seafood, meats, poultry, baked goods, produce, deli, and more. The two most famous are Lexington Market and Broadway Market (see below for details), others include: Belair Market on Gay and Fayette Sts., Cross St. Market on Light and Cross Sts., Hollins Market on Hollins and Arlington Sts., Northeast Market on Monument and Chester Sts.

Broadway Market

Broadway and Thames Streets (Fell’s Point)

Located in the heart of Fell’s Point, this quaint indoor marketplace consists of two separate structures and is the center median of the 600 and 700 blocks of Broadway Street. The square was laid as a marketplace in 1776 and is the only market still functioning on its original site. Although it’s smaller and offers less than Lexington Market, the surrounding neighborhood is much more pleasant both visually and socially. One important point though: being the largest and generally the most accommodating structures in town, you might think that the markets would have restrooms open to the public. Well, think again. However, there is a public facility located on Aliceanna Street on the western side of the marketplace. Getting to Broadway Market from the Inner Harbor is an easy eastward drive down Pratt Street, which takes you directly to Broadway Street (the market is South). But a better ride would be to take a water taxi from the Inner Harbor to Fell’s Point, as it drops you off right at the southern end of Market Square.

Lexington Market
400 W. Lexington and Eutaw Streets
410-685-6169

The oldest in the country and biggest in Baltimore, this indoor market was founded in 1782 and is comprised of two separate buildings that together hold more than 130 vendors who sell fresh meat, produce, seafood, baked goods, delicatessen, poultry, salads, and more. Vendors and therefore food choices come from a large variety of ethnic backgrounds. Yet, aside from this worldly variety, this place is not the best place to go grocery shopping or get a quick bite to eat. Although the market is fairly crowded most of the time, it’s a good idea to keep an unusually close check on your wallets and purses in this neighborhood. Driving your own vehicle is in your best interest as the market is connected to an area parking garage.

-- Michael Rando