Southern Market in Lancaster is like a smaller-scale version of Union Market in DC or Faneuil Hall…read morein Boston. There's plenty of variety without feeling overwhelming. The food hall leans impressively diverse, with fusion spots spanning lots of cuisines- Colombian, Thai, Jamaican, Mexican, Laotian, Moroccan, etc. At the center is a circular bar with TVs, which makes for a great gathering spot. The vibe overall is relaxed and family-friendly I tried an empanada from Mekatos, a Colombian-Laotian spot, filled with brisket and potato! It was fantastic. As Colombian-style empanadas, they're also naturally gluten-free. I highly recommend. The service was friendly and quick.

Visited Southern Market Lancaster on a Friday night, which is located a few blocks from downtown…read moreLancaster. We arrived after 9:00 PM and were able to find street parking right in front, but there is no dedicated parking lot, so parking may be more challenging during busier hours. One thing to note is that many of the food vendors close around 9:00 PM. By the time we arrived, most stalls were either already closed or in the process of cleaning up. We were still able to grab empanadas and non-alcoholic drinks from Mekatos Eatery and bring them over to enjoy at 1888 Bar, the central bar area within the market. We sat at the bar and watched a game, and the bar stayed open until after 11:00 PM when it ended. Southern Market is a great space, it's very large, clean, open, and modern, with what appears to be a beautifully renovated warehouse-style design. The black-and-white color scheme, exposed metal elements, and high ceilings give it a contemporary industrial feel. Southern Market seems like a great spot with a wide variety of food and drink options when all the vendors are open. Based on our experience, I would recommend visiting for lunch or an early dinner to take full advantage of everything the market has to offer.

First time was better than the second time. Today's brisket sandwich tasted like it was sitting in…read moreau jus too long or it was reheated from yesterday. Maybe both? The texture and cut were also completely different than previously. Mac n cheese not good today. Tasted like a watered down stouffers frozen dinner without the yummy burnt edges. I may give this a third try at some point, like when it's busier or later in the day when the meat is fresh. $14 for the sandwich and side wasn't terrible for the portion size, which was larger today as well. Maybe they were moving out the old stuff. Who knows? Better luck next time.

Skimpy, mislabeled, and dry. I got the chicken platter with collard greens. Actually, though you…read morecouldn't tell from the menu, the platter is just the sandwich but instead of chips it comes with a small side and a drink. The sandwich, which I got with Carolina sauce, was still dry and had way more bread than bbq. The collards had good flavor. Overall, I was disappointed with the quantity and the quality. I've heard the Mac and cheese bowl is way more food but similarly mediocre. Don't think I'd go here again. If I did, it definitely wouldn't be for a "platter"

Not a dry piece in sight! We ordered a plate of fried bbq ribs, which came with 2 sides. The ribs…read morewere juicy and the sauce was great. Coleslaw was a good contrast. Mac and cheese was filling, would definitely come back next time we are in the area. The owner/chef was so nice!

Well, if you don't get something done correctly, you try, try again. Well, this particular barbecue…read morejoint keeps on going. I do appreciate the effort - however, I met the owner of this barbecue joint during the pandemic when they had a spot at the Boscov's in Colonial Park, right in the parking lot. And well, now they have a spot at the old Shakedown Barbeque, and I must say people used to go way out of their way to go to the Shakedown barbecue spot. Well, now I don't know if they go out of their way to go to this barbecue spot, and I could give you some reasons why they might not. The food is definitely good. However, the first time I went, I got charged extra than what the price was on the menu. The second time, it was the same thing! Why, you may ask? Well, it's simple: larger prices, smaller portions. I guess when you have a beautiful face like mine, you just gotta pay extra. However, the establishment when I first went there was very nasty. It smelled like urine and, of course, there was dirt everywhere--and I mean dirt, I mean like caked up on the ketchup bottles and the restaurant tables. I honestly did not even want to sit inside, so I didn't. I wanted to support because the owner is prior military, and of course, I do love our veterans that fight for us, but I can't really tell because of how filthy the establishment is. The dishonesty as well the filthiness inside! Portions are definitely a turn-off as well. I do not recommend this place at all whatsoever, even though the food might make up for it. I didn't want to take pictures because I felt as if would ruin my review reputation smh. Branden-Lee AKA B L E E

We stopped for a quick bite before heading home. Service was friendly and fast. The fries weren't…read morequite as good as Thrashers in Delaware but nothing will ever beat Thrashers. I liked the spray bottle of vinegar and the plastic cups for ketchup if you prefer it. We also had grilled ham and cheese sandwiches which were hot and tasty. Lots of walk-up service to get to-go orders and you can also drive up and call and they'll bring your order to your car (according to a sign outside). There is a dining room around the corner if you prefer to eat indoors. Overall, this was a quick, friendly place to stop before heading home. We wanted ice cream but were full from our lunches. Definitely worth a stop!

Great place and staff are very friendly and helpful. Great atmosphere. Great hot food.read more

If you want an awesome pretzel, stop here! Plain, Cinnamon Sugar, Sour Cream & Onion or Herb &…read moreGarlic. Auntie Anne style pretzels. Holy smokes

Just go!! If you order salted pretzels, they'll give you a premade one, if you order unsalted,…read morethey'll make it fresh! Order unsalted! It has a buttery flavor to it, slightly crispy outside and soft inside, excellent!!! The ice cream selection is good as well, they have scoop and soft serve. Service was quick and very friendly! Neat seating area both indoor and out. Proceeds support summer boys camps.

Just had the Brisket, pulled pork, and ribs. Food is great. They had the smoker on site, food was…read moreall fresh and served hot. Meat was super tender and just melts in your mouth. The bbq sauce they have goes great with all of their items.

Larry is a Master at smoking meat. We ordered ribs and pulled pork and all of the sides for an end…read moreof season party of 30. Larry won all of our tastebuds and hearts. I need to go back and have brisket too! Everything was just delicious. Try his signatures sauces they are good and anything. Thank you Larry for the love you put into your cooking.

Belated review. I visisted Seoulmates for their soft opening! They were open for dinner while my…read morefavorite restaurant, Callaloo, is on hiatus revamping their offerings. I was so excited to finally check out a Korean restaurant in Lancaster! The server was super friendly and they provided chopsticks for all the dishes. I started off the meal with Japchae and Korean Rice Cake Skewers as an appetizer (which I promptly forgot to take photos of because I was hungry). The rice cakes were spicy and the Japchae glass noodle dish was a wonderful sweet, umami flavor. Next up, I ordered the Korean Fried Chicken Bowl with some lovely fried chicken breast with scrumptious pickled vegetables, short grain rice, and honey gochujuang mayo. The dish was sweet and didn't feature much spice. Lastly, I finished up with a cinnamon Korean donut, which was doughy and dusted with the right amount of cinnamon sugar. Prior to these dishes, I ordered a sparkling citron tea mocktail, pictured on page 3. This would be perfect for those who like a strong ginger flavor, but it wasn't my personal cup of tea. I'd love to try the Korean beef noodle soup and perhaps the bulgogi, too.

Since I'm the first to review some advice: Follow SeoulMates…read moreKorean Kitchen on Instagram for how to make reservations and most recent updates. It looks like the tasting menu will run October 16th - End of November. A group of 5 friends and I made reservations for the $45 dinner experience on 10/23/23. The reservation process was very easy, flexible, and they asked if we had any allergies which I appreciate. The entire menu (subject to change of course) was dairy-free, and could be modified to make it vegetarian/vegan. The menu that was available contained small plates of each of the following dishes: -Korean Rice Cake Skewers -Japchae -Korean Fried Chicken -Banchan (Tamari Braised Potatoes, SeoulMates Napa Cabbage Kimchi, Gochujang Brussels, Korean Cucumber Salad) -Spicy Fish Soup -Bulgogi Beef -Kimchi Stew -Korean Donuts The Good: This was a great way to experience a range of Korean dishes that are lacking in Lancaster. The flavors and textures are bold and we were all full at the end of the meal. The menu is a good range of dishes while staying fairly allergen and diet friendly. The spice levels were good to most of us, and bearable for those in our party that don't handle spicy food as well. The donut was a fun end to the meal and tasted great! The servers were also attentive and helped to keep the dinner running smoothly. The Not-So-Good: The Japchae and Braised Potatoes were very salty, and the fish's texture didn't really mesh with the soup. Maybe Swai was not the best choice of fish. The banchan was ok, but I had small issues with each dish. Bowls of rice would help to mellow out some of the stronger flavors. The bulgogi beef was not thin strips, but instead was a rolled thin filet. This looked and tasted great, but was not easy to eat. I loved the flavor, and can hold my own with chopsticks, but would have preferred it easier to eat. Overall, if you want to get some friends together this fall to experience the tasting menu I would recommend it. The dinner was fun, and allowed me to experience some new dishes, and new takes on dishes that I've had before. I think as the chef continues to refine their dishes and concept the food will improve, and I look forward to trying new things that come out of the SeoulMates kitchen.