Exploring Washington, D.C.'s Eastern Market

Eastern Market offers a savory smorgasbord of gourmet options to feast on. Located a skip away from famed Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., this fresh food fair is open Tuesday through Sunday and serves an endless array of edible selections, from poultry to pastries to paella.

Inside, Eastern Market functions as a culinary mess hall, showcasing colorful rows of produce and an eclectic mix of poultry, pasta, and cheese displays. Customers are free to wander through and pick their favorite ingredients, including seafood staples like yellowfin tuna, swordfish, marlin, and rainbow trout, and specialty items like pig's ear, liver, and gizzards. Stalls like Canales Quality Meats treat guests to delights like rabbit sausage, spicy shrimp ceviche, and empanadas.

The market also features a sit-down lunch menu, which offers plates of crabcakes, blueberry pancakes, fresh-cut french fries, yellow grits, and fried chicken.

On Saturdays and Sundays, a farmers' market rolls in out front, where people can pick through offerings like praline glazed pecans from Sweet Nuthouse, fresh eggs from Agora Farms, and homemade salad dressings from Wisteria Gardens.

Whether you're a D.C. native or a newbie to the nation's capital, Eastern Market is the ideal place to grab a quick bite, do your weekly grocery shopping, or pick out ingredients for a spontaneous picnic lunch.