# Which U.S. cities have great food markets like Pike Place in Seattle? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 17, 2011, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-cities-have-great-food-markets-like-pike-place-in-seattle/568004 "2011-01-17T22:12:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-cities-have-great-food-markets-like-pike-place-in-seattle/568004/1 "2011-01-17T22:12:23Z")
I know Philadelphia has one. I’ve been to Faneuil Hall and the market in Charleston, but IIRC they were more crafts/goods then food, although I may be wrong. I’ve also been to the French Market in New Orleans and Chelsea Market in NYC. Which other cities have that type of place, with lots of local food under one roof? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-cities-have-great-food-markets-like-pike-place-in-seattle/568004/2 "2011-01-17T22:15:31Z")
The [Lexington Market](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexington_Market) in Baltimore ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-cities-have-great-food-markets-like-pike-place-in-seattle/568004/3 "2011-01-17T22:24:04Z")
There’s a [list](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_market#United_States) on Wikipedia. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-cities-have-great-food-markets-like-pike-place-in-seattle/568004/4 "2011-01-17T22:39:34Z")
I highly recommend the West Side Market in Cleveland. Tourist guides and local boosters hype the Broadway Market in Buffalo. It’s a shell of its former self, in an emerging urban prairie that has only a few token little old Polish ladies remaining among the boarded-up houses and vacant lots. It’s fairly busy around Lent and Easter (a HUGE holiday among Poles in Buffalo), but dead the rest of the year. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2011, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-cities-have-great-food-markets-like-pike-place-in-seattle/568004/5 "2011-01-17T23:06:35Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > There’s a [list](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_market#United_States) on Wikipedia. Thanks, I looked but did not think to use “Public Market” in my search. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![pudytat72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@pudytat72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pudytat72)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-cities-have-great-food-markets-like-pike-place-in-seattle/568004/6 "2011-01-18T03:22:36Z")
DeKalb County Farmers Market-Atlanta,GA Could not believe it when I saw chicken FEET for sale (later told a Nigerian friend about it and she was like “OMG, get me some when you go back! You fry them up and they are soooo good!” Always had to let my boys stop and look at the big (5 feet in diameter) of live crabs. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-cities-have-great-food-markets-like-pike-place-in-seattle/568004/7 "2011-01-18T04:58:59Z")
I went to Pike Place today. 😃 Caraway Havarti, Gruyere, Uli’s Famous Sausages (Cajun andouille, merguez, Swedish potato/pork), and Pike Place Chowder’s ‘samplers’ of chowder for me and my boss. ---
**Author:** ![TheFifthYear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@TheFifthYear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheFifthYear)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-cities-have-great-food-markets-like-pike-place-in-seattle/568004/8 "2011-01-18T14:51:22Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > There’s a [list](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_market#United_States) on Wikipedia. That list doesn’t really tell the whole story, though. Chicago’s French Market is on there, but it’s a a tiny insignificant nothingness compared to Pike Place Market (and I actually kind of like the French Market). Anyway, I don’t think there’s anything in Chicago remotely comparable to Pike Place. Maybe the [Green City Market](http://www.chicagogreencitymarket.org/) but that’s more of a farmers market. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-cities-have-great-food-markets-like-pike-place-in-seattle/568004/9 "2011-01-18T15:45:29Z")
One possible reason there are so few large open-air food markets in other cities: The weather. In Houston, it would be too damn hot for much of the year. In many northern cities, too damn cold. We do have a couple of farmers’ markets. [Canino’s](http://www.caninoproduce.com/) is pretty basic, with mostly produce. And we’ve got several temporary markets that open once a week around the city, with small selections of (mostly) organic produce & prepared food. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-cities-have-great-food-markets-like-pike-place-in-seattle/568004/10 "2011-01-18T16:34:47Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > The [Lexington Market](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexington_Market) in Baltimore Loved this place, but more often went to Cross Street Market which was closer to my home and work. I think there is at least one other in Baltimore. In Cincinnati I’d nominate Findley Market, which is an okay place in Over-the-Rhine. I think it suffers some from being in the same general vicinity as [Jungle Jim’s](http://www.junglejims.com/), which may be the most awesome supermarket in the world. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-cities-have-great-food-markets-like-pike-place-in-seattle/568004/11 "2011-01-18T16:43:15Z")
Another vote for the West Side Market in Cleveland! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-u-s-cities-have-great-food-markets-like-pike-place-in-seattle/568004/12 "2011-01-18T16:52:17Z")
DC’s Eastern Market is pretty darned good. And as a bonus, it’s right next to Capitol Hill Books - a really great used bookstore.