In the Capitol Hill neighborhood, a traditional American diner stands out in a city filled with trendy brunch spots.
A four-minute walk from the Eastern Market Metro stop and 20-minute walk from the U.S. Capitol, the Market Lunch occupies the northernmost stall of the red-brick Eastern Market complex, surrounded by grocers, retailers and a neighborhood filled to the brim with local eateries. Market Lunch is worth the trip for anyone craving classic American diner food — eggs and omelets with a side of bacon or a stack of pancakes made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients.
Originally a cafeteria-style seafood food stall, owner Tommy Glasgow purchased the stall and opened in 1978 as a breakfast and lunch spot. Market Lunch is open from 8 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday and closed on Mondays.
Inside Eastern Market is a long hall lined with stalls of various grocers, florists and other local retailers with Market Lunch lying at the very end.
As I arrived around 9 a.m., I walked past hustling workers unloading morning deliveries and drifting customers perusing the Eastern Market’s diverse selection and found the place fairly busy, with half the seats occupied and several more standing around waiting for orders.
The menu offered five kinds of pancakes, french toast, three kinds of egg dishes and a selection of sandwiches. Market Lunch is known for their blueberry-buckwheat pancakes ($8.95 for two) which combine two of the four available flavors including buttermilk, buckwheat, blueberry and chocolate — a hot item many customers were eating around the table.
I was captivated by the special on the menu, the chorizo wrap, because I was in a rush to get back to campus before my classes and wanted a compact breakfast to enjoy. I ultimately settled on the chorizo wrap ($12) and waited around five minutes at the table feeling a sense of community being closely seated with the other customers, eagerly waiting for my order to be called to pick up.
After picking up my breakfast, I found a picnic table outside the market to enjoy the old streets adorned with fall leaves and opened up my to-go box to find a large wrap, similar to a medium-size burrito. The light egg and gooey cheese delightfully oozed out, along with bits of the chorizo. As I ate, every bite was rich and spicy, with bits of protein and fluffy eggs throughout, combining a hearty breakfast into a single roll.
A medium black coffee was my biggest splurge of the morning, with a simple, no-frills drink being $7. Despite the price, the coffee was strong and woke me up for the day.
The Mexican chorizo wrap is not far from what one would expect from a conventional diner’s egg wrap in terms of flavor profile, but what immediately struck me was the freshness of the ingredients. The eggs were light and fluffy, the cheese thoroughly melted and the chorizo flavorful and clean — as far as breakfast wraps go, I could not ask for anything more.
Simplicity and freshness go a long way for breakfast, and thankfully, I don’t have to go such a long way for Market Lunch’s breakfast and a simple cup of joe.
