I can’t believe I haven’t reviewed this on Google Maps. This is one of my favorite breakfast places in Washington. Tommy has been running this place for decades. They’re famous for their pancakes “blues“ and “blue bucks“ – but there’s so much more. Try their Brick sandwich (egg, cheese, bacon, potatoes on a bun), crab cakes, shrimp and grits, etc. Everything here is delicious. There used to be an hour wait in line on Saturday mornings. Since the pandemic, the lines have been shorter. This is a genuine DC hangout for locals. You will see a diverse crowd here – like you see on Capitol Hill in general. It makes me proud to live here. Long live Market Lunch!

Now I may be a tad bit bias when it comes down to breakfast at this spot. My tastebuds are partial to this place because as a youth, my hip, debonair, bachelor father wasn’t cooking breakfast for me often, and would bring me to @marketlunch occasionally. This is where I forked through their thick cut, French bread, French toast (pictured with sweet butter, and maple syrup $7.50) for the first time, and became infatuated!! So for breakfast (Tues-Thurs 8 a.m.-11 a.m., Fri-Sat 8: a.m.-1 p.m., Sun-9 a.m.-1 p.m.) you can get a stack of pancakes, egg or crab cake Benedict’s (weekends only), Bacon, Turkey bacon, ham, scrapple (pictured-$3.25), or pork sausages as a side or in a sandwich with eggs. They have omelets that come with spinach and cheese, or platters like their crab cake platter (served with 2 eggs, grits or potatoes and toast). After all these years it dawned on me as I’m writing this…that I’ve NEVER had the LUNCH at Market Lunch!! For lunch they have crab cake, Rockfish, fried oyster, shrimp, whiting, or flounder platters, that come with 2 sides (which include coleslaw, fries, baked beans, collard greens, and more). You can turn that surf into a sandwich, and their turf (burgers) for lunch too! I copped what I’ve ALWAYS got!! Their breakfast platter with bacon, cheese eggs, cheese grits ($12.90), a side of scrapple, and my beloved French toast with a lemonade!! STAMP EVERYTHING!! I’ve been getting this same meal for years, and the formula that initially drew me in is still there!! There is integrity in their food, let alone deliciousness. In my opinion, this is the BEST BREAKFAST you can get in D.C. period!! Crispy house made bacon, just right grits, thin but meaty scrapple, and scrambled eggs that are close to perfection!! Don’t think so? Try it!! Change my mind!! That’s it. #Bestbreakfast #EasternMarket #Bigschlimsrrviews #bacon #cheeseeggs #scrapple #cheesegrits #frenchbreadfrenchtoast #localmaplesyrup #deliciousness #nostalgic #goideats #fightme #tryit #thatsit

What a great experience. The gentlemen in the cashier is great! He is super funny and gives you the best suggestions, so you better listen to him :p We really enjoyed the atmosphere. The food is delicious: the crab cake Benedict it’s amazing... They are famous for the blueberry pancakes (delicious as well). The service is great, very nice staff, convenient location and good prices. FYI: This place is cash only, so be prepared :)

The most delicious breakfast and lunch in the DMV! Fresh food is always the best food, and they have plenty of it. Great service!

the blueberry buckwheat pancakes were great. i usually go for french toast (my husband did) and I was happy I went with the pancakes. super moist and great taste. the french toast itself was just okay, but the apple cider syrup and cinnamon butter was pretty amazing. not a bad choice by any means. there was a line when we got there but it went quickly and seats freed up easily. loved the vibe !!

Holy yum! The crab cake sandwich was amazing. Super crispy outside. Great flavor. Fresh corn salad was yummy. Highly recommended

I went to use my replacement certificate this morning! That the owner emailed to me for a awful breakfast my client & I received! & when I tried to use MY certificate the cashier made me feel like I stole it! The staff was not helpful They tried to call owner! Lol 😝 no answer (not my fought! they said they called him! Then they insulted me in their language! I def. Understand biz. & help & etc. However a little judgement is helpful! But maybe it’s a African American thing? Idk! I had been a customer for years! Also familiar with the owner:( but staff needs some training on situations like these.

I love the pancakes. But also love the Sausage Brick Sandwich. One of my favorite sandwiches in DC!

All the food was decent. Crab cake here is fried, which is not always my favourite.

Weekend breakfast is the best. Always get the Blue/Buck pancakes and Crab cake eggs benedict. Pics are crab cakes with eggs, sunnyside up and french toast. Seating is a bit limited and the line can get long but worth the wait. Staff is friendly and helpful Credit cards are accepted now.

Had a great time and nice lunch at The Market Lunch after a short time browsing around the street market just outside on a Saturday. The Market Lunch offered a wide array of breakfast and lunch foods. The line was pretty long, though this is no surprise given the quality of the food we received. We were waiting for approximately 30 minutes before placing our order, but only a further 5 to receive what we requested. Some of the menu items were no longer available due to high demand, specifically the soft crab, but nothing else appeared to be out of stock. The food itself was delicious and made for a mostly filling lunch. The prices were a little high for a simple pair of fish sandwiches (rockfish & flounder) as well as a side of fries, but it's an easy matter to reconcile. The place was heaving given the large queues but we didn't struggle to find a place to sit. It appears that the line moves slow enough for other customers to be finished with their meal by the time you are served. I'd recommend visiting this place on a quiter day. While you're here, you can always browse what else is on offer in the Eastern Market.

My friend from DC brought me here specifically to try the crab cake, and I wasn't disappointed. I'm not a huge fan of it to begin with, but the Market Lunch's crab cake patties are packed with meat instead of filler, fried perfectly and sandwiched in a soft white bread bun. Goes perfectly with their Southern sweet tea. If you're feeling extra hungry, we got the blueberry pancakes to share which were very fluffy and paired with their excellent maple syrup. It's a great local brunch spot for DC specialties.

In town for a wedding and had some time during the day to explore the town. Found the Market Lunch and damn glad we did. Food was delicious. Even though the place was jammed (hit it just before noon) the staff was really upbeat and pleasant and kept the line moving and the service prompt.

Honestly one of the best crab cakes I’ve had recently. That’s saying a lot since I lived on the eastern shore of MD for a decade. These crab cakes have big chunks of crab with a crispy outside to keep it all together. No fillers or imitation crab used. Best crab cake you can get in DC (better than at founding farmers). I had the potato salad which was yummy and the collard greens, a bit over salted for my taste, yet well done. Thank you to the team at Market Lunch for making such great food.

The owner is amazing. Full of happy upbeat energy. He was so engaged with the customers he helped us pick our food and poured our coffee. Crabcakes Eggs Benedict Pancakes Crabcake sandwich

A classic brunch spot. Love the blueberry buckwheat pancakes, the brick sandwich, the soft shell crab sandwich.

I have lived within walking distance of this charming institution for half of its existence. It is fine for pancakes, but then I forget that and go back every few years and eat something else. I tried the shrimp and grits last Sunday. I must be writing this to remind my future self. Watery and lumpy, by far the worst grits I have ever tasted. And I’m not even a southerner. And rubbery pre-cooked shrimp, which is typical for places like this but somehow I had hoped for better and it was 19 bucks... Then there was a metal shard in the grits. Not huge, mind you, size of a fingernail, but that made me nervous. I should have returned it, but how or where? It is frantic. I want to love this institution, and maybe I still blindly do for what it is, probably helps my property value or something, but they need to earn it, or stick to pancakes and stay staid. Or maybe that is the message to my future self.

This is a very late post...visited on 12-Dec-22. Ordered The Brick and Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes (blue bucks). The Brick was not bad, but the star item was definitely the "blue bucks". We ordered to share and because it was so good, we ordered a second portion later. Coffee was not great though and it was a pity they only had iced tea, as I preferred hot tea in the mornings.

I had the pleasure of paying 12 dollars for the worst omelette I’ve ever had at a restaurant. It was oily, flat, and flavorless. OJ was put into plastic cups to appear fresh squeezed. Don’t be fooled by long lines here; you can make better breakfast at home with minimal effort.

I love their pancakes and homemade sausage. Stick to the traditional breakfast items. Def stay away from the shrimp and grits. I went on Saturday and they gave me grits with two whole slices of bacon laid across the top. Four whole cherry tomatoes tossed across the top like a salad, and five plain, cold shrimp that looked like they came straight out of a shrimp cocktail. Please take this off the menu if this is the best you can do.