Broadway Market

The Broadway Market (1640-41 Aliceanna St.) in Fells Point has had its share of shuffling in recent years, but the core stalls operating in the South Shed, which reopened after renovations in 2011, represent some of the neighborhood’s—and, really, the city’s—best spots.

On a typical weekday lunch hour, most of the crowd gravitates to Vikki’s, the venerable lunch counter which was located in the North Shed for years before moving to the renovated building in 2011. Vikki herself leads a squadron of friendly regular staff in handling the breakfast and lunch rushes like a well-oiled machine. You’ll find it all here, from eggs, sandwiches, and subs to salads, great soups, and even better curly fries. Some of the best bets are, refreshingly, the seafood: Get two salmon cakes with fries, coleslaw, and crackers for $5.50 or a classic coddie for a buck. The quarter-pound backfin crab cake platter for $7.99 might be the best seafood deal in town.

Just across the aisle is Sophia’s Place, City Paper’s “Best Market Booth” in 2012, and the Polish mega-booth is still a revelation for the number of delicious, nowhere-else-in-Baltimore foods on offer. The house-made pierogi, stuffed cabbage, and crepes are, needless to say at this point, top-notch. But don’t sleep on the smoked eel and butterfish, the latter $6.99 for 4 ounces. One level of the refrigerated case is a literal sausage fest, and another offers meats, including bacon roll (exactly what it sounds like) for $8.50 a pound.

But perhaps Sophia’s greatest treasures are its sweets, including the chrusciki, or angel’s wings—delicate, flaky wisps of fried dough covered in powdered sugar. There’s also classic Baltimore rainbow cake with jelly filling, and ginormous eclairs. And if Berger cookies ever go missing again, I nominate Sophia’s chocolate tops as our cookie of record.

Down the aisle a bit is Lucia’s Kitchen, featuring irrepressible owner Joann, who has probably convinced more Baltimoreans to try bibimbap than anyone else in history. And we’re guessing few, if any, of her customers were disappointed by the massive portion of vegetables and egg over rice with ample sauce. Another highlight is the sukiyaki sub, which is essentially a Korean cheesesteak: ribeye meat topped with grilled carrots, cabbage, onion, and sweet, house-made “Sukiyaki” sauce, served in another absurdly large portion for $5.95.

At the north end of the South Shed, available through a separate entrance is market standby Sal’s Seafood, always stocked with fresh whole fish, from porgies and sardines to red snapper and rockfish. For the lunch-going crowd, fried sardines with fries is no joke at $5, nor is the tilapia sandwich special with fries and a drink for $7.

The North Shed has been shut down with the exception of the Broadway Café and Grill at the north end. It looks run-down and dusty, but don’t sleep on the beef stew.

Cheap Eats

250 Years of Cheap Eats | Avenue Market | Cross Street Market
Lexington Market | Broadway Market | Northeast Market | Hollins Market

City Paper's Dining Guide 2013

Eat | Belvedere Square | Canton/Highlandtown | Charles Village/Waverly | Downtown
Federal Hill | Fells PointBullish on Baltimore | Hamilton | Hampden/Remington
Harbor East | Little Italy | Mount Vernon/Bolton Hill/Station North | Food Trucks
Roland Park/Mount Washington | South Baltimore/Silo Point | From the Counties

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