Eastern Market

"Eastern Market was one of the original public food markets in D.C., and it remains a vibrant centerpiece of neighborhood. The open interior houses traditional meat, cheese and produce counters, and the outdoor space is home to a weekly farmer’s market. However, the best time to visit is the weekends, when the outdoor market and surrounding streets transform into a sprawling, bustling craft and flea market." - Polygraph

"Open since 1873, Eastern Market is a National Historic Landmark and a beloved local institution. Long before farmers markets cropped up in every neighborhood across the city, Eastern Market was the go-to place for fresh produce, meat, cheese, and baked goods—and still is. One can easily spend an afternoon wandering the stalls, which are packed with fresh produce, cheeses, meats, poultry, and flowers, as well as items like shaved ice snowballs, canned pickles, and Filipino food. If you’re really hungry, sit down for a meal at Market Lunch, a 46-year-old institution famous for its blueberry-buckwheat pancakes. On weekends, local artists sell handmade wood carvings, letterpress prints, soaps, and the like. A community staple for more than 140 years, Eastern Market offers a fascinating look into local life DC—beyond the buzzy new restaurants and the politics." - Adele Chapin

"The Eastern Market, now a National Historic Landmark, opened in 1873 to serve the Capitol Hill neighborhood (an 1805 version, located down by the Navy Yard, was a casualty of the War of 1812). The brick market hall, packed with butchers, bakers, vegetable markets, cheese vendors, flower kiosks, and a lunch counter, is bright and charming. Under the shed roof outside, additional local produce is displayed and sold. On weekends, booths selling vintage goods and handmade jewelry, housewares, and clothing do a brisk business down the center of 7th Street. Crowds spill out of the cafés, taco joints, and bagel shops occupying the first floors of the row houses along the block, adding to the lively mix at the market."

"Eastern Market, Barracks Row Eastern Market by Polygraph. Eastern Market was one of the original public food markets in D.C., and it remains a vibrant centerpiece of neighborhood. The open interior houses traditional meat, cheese and produce counters, and the outdoor space is home to a weekly farmer’s market. However, the best time to visit is the weekends, when the outdoor market and surrounding streets transform into a sprawling, bustling craft and flea market."

"This Capitol Hill landmark that conveniently has a namesake Metro Stop on the Blue Line first opened in 1873. A fire in 2007 called for a two-year renovation that resulted in the building’s current form. Vendors inside the South Hall Market are more focussed on the grocery side of business, with several selling high quality produce, meat, and fish. It’s worth waiting in line at the Market Lunch for famous buckwheat blueberry pancakes and mean soft shell crab sandwiches. Just remember to bring cash. On weekends, vendors set up tents outside to sell goods from the farm. You’ll also find street a rotating cast of street vendors cranking out flat-top burritos, mobile doughnuts, and more." - Kalina Newman, Eater Staff