I think it's ironic that a place called Market Lunch does such a rockin' breakfast. At least, I assume it's amazing. The one thing I eat there keeps me coming back every Thursday before my babysitting gig nearby. I haven't eaten anything but the Bacon Brick there, not because I can't find anything I want, but because every time I go to the counter and move my lips, "Bacon Brick, To Go" comes out. I even know how much it is and come prepared like a kid with his lunch money, clutching my wrinkled $6 and waiting for them to provide me with an aluminum-foil wrapped trip to Delicious Town. They were apparently on Food Network at some point, though I've never seen it. I can imagine that it definitely fits into the "Dives" category, as it's a counter inside a market, and the seating is a long table with a bunch of barstools. The staff is friendly and remembers their regulars. It's crazy busy sometimes, and the weekends are their special times for breakfast, but to me, it doesn't have to be a weekend for me to grab $6 and head to Market Lunch. read more

The Bluebucks Pancakes (blueberry buckwheat) with real maple syrup are the best in Washington. Moderately priced. The only negatives are: (a) sometimes there are 50 people in line ahead of you; and (b) they stop serving breakfast around noon - so if you want those bluebucks, allow time for the line. I highly recommend. read more

Whatever. That's pretty much how I feel. This place was so hyped up to me and although it didn't disappoint me, it also didn't live up to its reputation. It's just....OK. The people that work there act as if they were God's gift to fast food lovers. They can definitely work on their attitudes. I ordered an Oyster Po Boy, which was just average. The oysters weren't crispy enough and the sandwich was small. The fries were good. Check this place out if you're in the area or are in a rush and need a quick lunch. Don't go out of your way to come here. read more

Craving a delicious blueberry buckwheat stack of pancakes with "real" maple syrup? What about "the Brick" breakfast sandwich or delicious crab benedict? Then come here. Expect to wait, but it is worth it! read more

Market Lunch - Delicious D.C. Brunch! - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The first "real" restaurant I tried while in Washington D.C. Apparently, this place has a reputation of always being crowded. Sure enough, when my friends and I got there at 10 on a Saturday morning, the place was starting to get packed, which made me anticipate the food even more. We ordered blueberry pancakes, French toast, a side of corned beef hash, and the "Brick." The pancakes were a little crispy on the outside but very fluffy on the inside, and overall, it was delicious. Same goes for the thick slabs of French toast, and I wish can remember exactly what kind of bread it was. The corned beef hash was lightly salted but on the spicy side--I found that it had quite a lot of crushed peppercorn that burned my tongue. The "Brick" is like a breakfast sandwich of sort, with cheese, eggs, and your choice of meat--we got turkey sausage with ours. While it may look small, the Brick is actually a pretty hefty meal. In all, 4.5+ stars for this place. French toast and blueberry pancakes + butter + syrup FTW. Oh, and remember, cash only! read more

Market Lunch has the most delicious breakfast. The crab cake benedict is extraordinary! So fresh and tasty. You can have either potatoes or jalapeno cheese grits on the side. I went for the jalapeno cheese grits, and although I normally find grits to be very uninteresting, these were pretty exceptional grits! My friend order the asparagus omelet and was equally impressed. We did have to stand in line for one hour for the breakfast, so you might want to have a snack and not show up starving. Luckily there are plenty of things to snack at Eastern Market that you can pick up before you get into the line. The food is reasonably priced, the service is friendly, you can get a free refill on your ice tea or lemonade, and the food is definitely worth the wait. read more

I have a Saturday morning tradition of starting my weekend with their Crab-cake Benedict and Fried Green Tomatoes. No breading! Just crab! It's wonderful. It's the only thing I order though. The BBQ is too sweet, the fries chewy, and the platters are over priced and all fried. But fear not - if seafood isn't your thing, there's always their delicious buttermilk pancakes! Beware of the long line. But it just goes to show how attractive the food is, and the line actually moves at a reasonable rate. Not, like, Trader Joes fast, but reasonable. read more

All you need to know: 1. Awesome pancakes! 2. Cash only. 3. Limited Seating. 4. Awesome pancakes! read more

I came here with my husband for Saturday lunch. The line was quite long and there were signs that say "please wait for the host to be seated". But please, who actually reads those signs??Even after the host gave us "seats", we have to order and get our food before we can actually sit in our assigned chairs. By the time we got our food, this family sat in our assigned chairs and was hogging 4 other seats while one of them was waiting in line to order food - yes, very annoying! The line moved fast and the cashier was very friendly. I got the shrimp and grits - nothing like the photos I saw on yelp. Maybe it was my luck but I found my shrimp and grits to be extremely bland. I liked the fact that they gave a generous amount of shrimp but overall, under-seasoned. However, I will come back here to try their crab cakes - very good price. My husband had them and he said it was delicious. read more

How fun! The market was super busy - there was an art show in the street - and we were meeting friends from the city. At first the long lines made me want to run to the nearest deli counter behind me and just order a sandwich, but i persevered - and it was worth it. My burger was ENORMOUS (I ordered a single) but perfectly cooked. the fries were crispy and salty. my friends ordered the crab cakes and were raving about them the whole meal. read more

I have such mixed feelings about this place. I've been several times in the past and sometimes the food is great, other times it's just ok. This past weekend I ordered the crabcake benedict and it came on top of the bottom half of a HAMBURGER BUN. WHAT. Benedicts are served on an english muffin, that's just how they are. So I thought maybe it was just mine, but my husband's ham benedict was also on the bottom half of hamburger bun. There was also way too much hollandaise, it drowned the crabcake making it a soggy mess. There was crab shell in the cakes and the side of spicy cheese grits needed more salt. Just a disappointing meal this time. I hope they were having an off day and that the place isn't going downhill. read more

I've always heard about their crab cakes and I finally went to find out what the fuss was all about. I ordered the crab cake sandwich for ~$8, and grabbed a seat at the long table/counter in the Market Lunch eating area. The guy in the seat next to me said he has the crab cake sandwich once a week, so you know they're doing something right. Although a bit pricey for a counter joint, the sandwich was pretty darn tasty, and the crab cake was all crab meat with little filler. Wash it down with some sweet ice tea (so good) and add some fries to fill out the meal and you'll leave happy. The other member in my lunch party had the pulled BBQ pork sandwich with slaw for less than $5 and he was still full when we went to meet friends for dinner hours later. People in line also recommended the blueberry pancakes so I'll be trying those on my next visit. read more

Although I was dissappointed they werent serving the famous buckwheat blueberries pancakes on Sunday, I was able to try the soft shell crab sandwich which was DELICIOUS and the super fresh half lemonade/half ice tea...soooooo good!!! Fries were also good....my sister tried the crab cake which she liked...I looked around and people were devouring some giant fried fish which looked really good too... will definitely go back!! read more

Market Lunch - crab cake sandwich, soft shell crab sandwich n fries-all good! - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Tempted to award a fifth star but we'll stick with a solid four for now. The crab cake, the crab cake, the crab cake. Wow. I've been around and I put this crab cake in my top 3, easily. Got the crab cake and fish combo. They gave me a choice of white fish, red snapper, or something else; I chose red snapper, which ended up being an additional $4, unbeknownst to me before choosing it. Maybe it was posted & I missed it? Either way, would've been nice for them to give me a heads up. Nice people & good service, though. Anyways, the red snapper was pretty good, but my taste buds were probably too preoccupied w/ the crab cake to appreciate it. Tried to keep it healthy w/ the 2 sides: green beans & coleslaw were both really good. I'll definitely be back to try the breakfast. Oh, and probably some more crab cakes too. read more

First visit to the DC Market, stopped here for a crab-cake sandwich. Nothing short of solid. Place packs them in. Very good sandwich. Will be back to try the tomatoes and perhaps breakfast that people were raving about. read more

Shame on us! We have lived 3 blocks from eastern market for nearly 2 years and never tried Market Lunch. Until last weekend. We did our time in the line and then kicked ourselves for so many weekends absent of bluebucks* and bricks**. It is absolutely worth the wait. We will be making up for lost time! *blueberry buckwheat pancakes ** breakfast sandwich with egg, cheese, potatoes and your choice of meat read more

I went here and read all the reviews about the crab cake sandwich. So what else did I do? get it! It comes with bun, lettuce and tomato. With this few ingredients i am thinking cake cake must be amazing as they are essentally letting the crab cake speak for itself. When i got it, i was excited and took it outside to eat. As i unwrapped it, I was disappointment that I paid $10+ dollar for a crab cake smaller than a mason jar lid. The big bun made me think it was going to be bigger. No big deal, the crab cake will be amazing. After a bite, i was throughly disappointed for the all the hype it got. For the crab cake, i give it three stars. It was better than the one had at ikea, but not as good at the one I had a cantler's inn in Annapolis, and, it was cheaper. Cantler's also had some cole slaw that added to the freshness and amazingness of the crab cake. I would come back to try the breakfast...hope i am not dissapointed read more

I love the market lunch! I'm a little perturbed by the reviews that say only tourists love the market lunch for the novelty. No- the food is genuinely delicious. Let me just say though that since I'm from Maryland, I only come here for Lunch because it's hard for me to get here in time for breakfast. As other reviews say, the crabcake sandwich is so good. SO GOOD. It's all crab with only enough filler to hold it together. The softshell crab sandwich is phenomenal too. These are my go-to orders and when I come home from college this is the first place I go to get my Maryland blue-crab fix for fast and cheap. (Yes, it is relatively cheap. Crab is expensive, people!) And I say again: I love it here. Yes, the staff barks orders at you but if you know what you want it's never a problem. Also, I have no experience with these (in)famous lines because by about 1 they seem to die down. Trust me though, it's worth it to come for lunch. read more

A cute little restaurant inside Eastern Market. The cashier was incredibly friendly and the seafood tasted fresh. It could be fairly cheap if you had a burgers or BBQ. Overall though, things were just ok. Went to market lunch yesterday for a late lunch. I've lived here almost a year and just never really had a desire to try this place, but since I'm stuck at home for a bit I finally got around to it. We ordered a soft shell crab sandwich, and a fish and crab cake platter. For the fish I had the grouper because the cashier highly recommended it. They were out of the vegetable of the day so I had fried green tomatoes and french fries. At the end of the day it was a lot of fried food. The crab cake was solid. Nice lump crab meat, though a little under seasoned. The soft shell was also nice, though a bit on the small size and really drowned out by the roll. We ended up ditching the roll and just eating the crab. The grouper was nice, though a bit hard to eat since it was bone in. My partner thought it was over breaded. It definitely needed lemon, and there wasn't any to be had. Fried green tomatoes were ok, but nothing spectacular. French fries were horrible. Came out sort of luke warm, not crispy. Since this was most of the filler of the meal it was the big disappointment. Total was $31. I live right here and I probably won't go back for lunch, though maybe I'd try breakfast sometimes. Partly it's just that I don't love this style of food and rarely want it, but I ate a lot of fish and chips at Eamonn's so there is more to it than that. Mediocre fries are really a killer. read more

I've been here a few times for breakfast. The most recent time, there was a sighting of Michelle Rhee and her fiance having breakfast too. We actually didn't make it in time for the breakfast menu so it was my first time having lunch. Get there before well before 12 to get breakfast!! The pancakes aren't life-changing or anything but they are certainly delicious. The fried green tomatoes are definitely something to try. One serving of anything always fills me up. It's a bit of a splurge for breakfast but it's a good starting point for exploring DC when visitors are in town. But be prepared for a long wait. Seating can be a problem as well. I've never been in the dead of winter so I've been able to sit outside when it's nice. read more

This place has the best blueberry pancakes, excellent omelets, perfect place for good brunch. read more

Bottom Line: not the greatest bang for buck; Long lines, OK food Pros: Deli style food, has a home cooked flair Cons: Long lines, not the cheapest food, food was good but not great (2.5 ) Honestly... I don't understand the infatuation with this place. Perhaps it's just that it is the only quasi-restaurant style establishment in Eastern Market. I guess it's one of those places you go to say you've been there. Haddock Platter: Fish was OK (Fried), fries were good, baked beans were... tasted like they were from a can Hamburger: Good, it had a home cooked feel. I guess I have to try the breakfast to be wowed but the lunch is a 2.5'r. read more

Go. Stand in line. Do it. Go early. Get the blues, sausage, egg over easy. Coffee. Be very, very nice to the people behind the counter, especially the one who asks you about your order when you pick it up. She's key to your success. Follow the rules about tables and seats. Talk to your newest friends sitting next to or across from you. Clean up and make room for the next people. This place is an institution and rightfully so. The food is fantastic, straight-up, real people food. Want some fun? Go on a weekday--nothing but regulars, locals, and cops. The pancakes are something else. The buttermilk is just sour enough, the blueberries just fresh enough, and the syrup sweet enough that it all just pops in your mouth at once. I hear the crabcakes are awesome but I've never made it past the pancakes, seriously. We were a little confused this past Sunday: We walked past and...people were eating breakfast. The sign says, "No breakfast on Sundays" but then there's another sign listing what they serve for "Sunday Breakfast". Huh? If y'all are serving on Sundays, count me in. read more

Food here is OK, nothing that says oh my god I have to come back and try it again. I've had the french toast with fruit (the fruit was nice and fresh), but then you get charged for maple syrup and the worst thing about it is that you can barely tell that it has any. The breakfast sausage (that they make on site) is actually pretty good, but it is small for the price. I paid close to $16 for 1 piece of french toast with fruit, sausage, and coffee; and I was still hungry afterwards. Seating is very limited at this place, so just be warned that you can buy something and then have to wait for seats to become available or you may have to walk somewhere else to eat your stuff. The owner is a nice guy who's usually always at the register. read more

This is a great DC experience. I've taken visitors here several Saturday mornings for breakfast. The earlier you get there, the better though as the place is popular. I've tried the crabcake breakfast and the bluebucks. Both were delicious! I also had the crabcake sandwich for lunch and a friend got the fish sandwich which was huge. The owner also has a lot of personality (to the point where he made fun of me for just ordering plain eggs once) and the staff is efficient and generally friendly. My only compliant is that the area where you have to wait for your food is often really cramped and hard to navigate around. But, I guess that is just part of its charm. I'd highly recommend checking this place out -- but remember, saturdays only, no breakfast on sunday! read more

My family and I decided to try Market Lunch for breakfast one day after reading of the suburb blueberry pancakes on Yelp. Upon arrival, were surprised to find that the restaurant is actually more of a stand inside of an indoor food market. Not a problem, just unusual. The general crowd seemed to be friendly but a tad on the rough side. For breakfast, we ordered two plates of blueberry pancakes and one plate of chocolate chip pancakes. Payment is cash only and the wait is short. Hot syrup is provided. Both types of pancakes that we received were good. Although I personally was not blown away by the blueberry pancakes, the rest of my group said that their pancakes were great. For the low price, good food, hot coffee, and unique atmosphere, Market Lunch is not a bad breakfast choice if you are in the area. read more

Came here with a few friends and in a city with overpriced brunch I'd highly recommend trekking here if you just want a place with affordable good food. No gimmicks here - you get fantastic pancakes, delicious crab cakes, and eggs made to your liking. If the line isn't too long I'd definitely come back again. Pro tip- it's cash only. There's an ATM not too far by but if you're like me and think using random ATMs are a no go, you'll want to pull many out from your bank ahead of time. read more

Came for lunch with a friend and had an oyster sandwich (friend had the rock fish sandwich). We shared the fried green tomatoes and fries for sides. All the food was good - her sandwich was excellent albeit a tad soggy. The guy taking orders was great - giving recommendations and familiar with other local crab sandwiches. I'll definitely be back! Great lunch! read more

Coming from San Francisco, I'm a bit of a seafood snob. I was pretty disappointed with the Eastern Market itself (it's a fruit stand compared to NYC's Chelsea Market and even SF's Ferry Building), but Market Lunch was its one redeeming factor. Unlike other markets I've frequented, there is only ONE food vendor in the Eastern Market. I have no idea why since it causes everyone to congregate in front of one stall and make all the other vendors feel bad! Increased demand + lack of supply = hungry, grumpy Sophia. Econ 101 folks. Honestly though, there was a bit of a line, but it went by relatively fast. It helped that the service was friendly. Market Lunch's menu consists of seafood such as oysters, shrimp, fish, along with traditional breakfast items like pancakes and benedicts. I ordered a crabcake sandwich, which came with lettuce and tomatoes. It was simple, but fresh and satisfying. It cost $10 (CASH ONLY). Seating is not the most comfortable (there is one long table with about 20 chairs inside and some picnic tables outside), but expected for a market setting. The food was probably more of a 3.5 rating, but because I love these marketplaces for their local food stands and bougie guests, I bumped it up to a 4! read more

Come for the food only, service was crap. Or maybe just that one lady that served us. If this is the way she treats new comers then the business sure will lose guests. We arrived at around 7:30 on a Wednesday and although there is only the two of us at the market, we were rushed then treated with an attitude. Not a great way to start our morning. read more

So I've been to the Market Lunch a few times now - and each time the food is better than the last. The blue bucks are totally worth the long line you'll probably get stuck in if you go on a Saturday am. I'd love to go for once go there on a weekday am - just to eat the damn pancakes. Because they are THAT good. Also really good are the lunch meals - my friends enjoyed the crabcake and the hamburger. I enjoyed the fried green tomato's, rolls, baked beans, and potato salad. The fries are also really good. I am a BIG fan. Every thing is pretty much homemade - and all of it tastes amazing. read more

I had breakfast at Market Lunch for the first time today. I've been for a crab cake sandwich for lunch before, which is good, but I think breakfast is really where this place shines. Getting there before the crowd, the line was short, the staff was friendly, and the food came out very quickly. Crab Cake Eggs Benedict was awesome--perfectly cooked egg, delicious hollandaise, and of course a nice, big crab cake with no filler. (Just a heads up, it's one egg, not the traditional two, but it's a pretty sizable dish still.) And the potatoes on the side were pretty good too. I'll be back to try the blueberry buckwheat pancakes! read more

They NEVER have enough supply of soft shell crab! So annoying. The service is subpar. But the food is great. read more

Food was okay; but $11.95 is TOO MUCH to pay for one piece of fish! I went there is the 90's; I was dying to get back......been there; won't be back! I wouldn' t mind paying the $12....if I had gotten MORE THAN ONE PIECE OF FISH!!!!! read more

Antidote to the Saturday mega line? WEEKDAYS, Yelpsters! After nearly three pathetic years of telling myself weekend after weekend, "No seriously T, this Saturday will be different. No one else in DC is even going to THINK about Market Lunch today..." then taking one look at the line and subsequently being forced to drown my impatient sorrows in soft pretzels from the tent around the corner , a brilliant thought occurred: Weekdays! I trotted over on a Friday morning around 8 to find myself in the company of a family on their way to drop their kids at school, a member hurrying to the House floor, the 65+ Cap Hill breakfast club, and...NO LINE! Not to mention that treating yourself to a crab cake and a short stack on a weekday morning rather than nibbling on a poptart you found in the bottom of your purse is a great way to make the weekend feel closer. Cash + weekday + crab cake = Market Lunch secret to success. I'm telling you, you won't regret it. read more

The crabcakes are amazing! Bluebuck pancakes are something to try as well. One of my first experiences in DC was my dad taking me to Eastern Market for crabcakes when I was 10 or so. Ever since then, when we visited DC, we would go for the crabcakes. Now that I live 3 blocks away, however, I rarely go to Market Lunch now. Mostly because of how long the line is. Also because I no longer eat gluten, making the pancakes and the crab cakes off limits (I know, I know- sad times). BUT, my fiance and I were walking around Capitol Hill DC, and I was hungry. We didn't have any breakfast food at home, so I thought to step into Eastern Market to grab some eggs. However, we saw that market lunch was open AND there was only a 5 person line, which in Market Lunch speak, is no line. They also had a delicious sounding big green omelette, so we were sold. The ordering process was easy- just ordered the omelette and had a choice of sides- grits and a roll or chili grits. We said we didn't want either. We also ordered a water, and the cashier said, since we didn't want sides, they were on the house! What a sweet gesture! The omelettes were good overall- had kale, swiss chard, spinach, mushrooms and mozzarella cheese inside. There was something bitter that I couldn't quite figure out what it was- that was the only thing that distracted from the dish. My fiance ate his with chipotle mayo, so he was pleased as punch. To top it all off, they have someone walking around and picking up your food trays. All in all, a lovely eastern market tradition made even better on the fourth due to shorter lines, people dressed up for the parade, and most importantly, lots and lots of dogs :) read more

Market Lunch is a great spot to eat during the mid day. I came in around 1:50 shopping in the market to buy meats for the week. I notice the Market Lunch where I order a short stack of buckwheat pancakes. The real maple syrup was worth the $2.25. But nevertheless, the overly expensive syrup was a necessity when it comes to devouring these delicious flapjacks. read more

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Simple place. Focus is on fresh: breakfasts and fish. Had the buckwheat blueberry pancakes - some of the best IN THE WORLD. Not to be outdone, awesome crab cakes. I mean amazing. A fluffy bun and excellent, simple veggies surround an airy, tasty but not fishy crabcake. From April on, the crabs are local, in the winter they come from the Gulf. Owner is a character. Must go. read more

The best BEST BEST amazing brunch place I've been to in DC. I've fallen in love with its juicy shrimp, awesome naturally made blueberry pancakes, and amazing atmosphere! read more

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They get a five star in my eyes!! Funny my co-worker asked me if I wanted lunch from here and I said "oh I saw them featured on a show on the food network" I just devoured the crab and fish platter with coleslaw and potatoe salad. I would slap my momma for a free lunch lol "Just playing Ma" read more

Market Lunch - Crab and fish platter comes with 2 sides...chose slaw and potatoe salad - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia