When was the last time you bought meat that was wrapped in brown butcher paper?
You can still have that experience if you visit the butcher counter at the Dutch Wagon Amish Market in Marlton. The market is a treasure trove of honest, down home food. There are two rooms with food vendors in addition to an outside produce and herb vendor and an assortment of wood and fabric crafts. The butcher counter features pork and beef products, cold cuts and an assortment of cheeses. Unlike the pale pork chops you might find elsewhere, the smoked pork chops at the Dutch Wagon are pink and are delicious grilled with a smattering of barbecue sauce. If you like your sliced roast beef rare, this is the place! The butcher counter also has more exotic choices like ”Smokey Cheezer” sausages and souse (whatever that is).
There is a poultry purveyor on the other side of the market with whole chickens, all types of turkey products, and farm fresh white and brown eggs. There is also a stand with barbecued chickens and ribs which always has a line-and for good reason! The ribs are falling off the bone tender.
The bakery has a wide assortment of fresh cakes, pies, breads and donuts that have funny names (like “Long Johns”). One of the nicest features about the bakery is the way it sells its cakes and pies. If you don’t want to over-commit, you can purchase a half of a cake or pie or even a quarter size. One of my favorite snacks at the bakery are the cream filled Whoopie pies. You can get them in chocolate, pumpkin, toll house and red velvet.
Other indoor vendors sell salads, puddings, jams and jellies, spices, and fudge. The pretzel vendor is another favorite-the pretzel makers roll out the dough, twist the pretzels into shape and bake them before your very eyes! My husband is addicted to the Kreider’s peanut butter ripple ice cream served by the ice cream and packaged chip/pretzel vendor (an interesting combination of products).
If you have to drive a distance to visit the market, you won’t have to skip a meal. There is a small dining area that serves breakfast and lunch. While I have never eaten there, it is always crowded. The outside produce vendor features an array of fresh produce, as well as fresh herbs to take home to your garden or kitchen window.
The Dutch Wagon Amish Market is open on Fridays from 9 AM to 8 PM and on Saturday from 8 AM to 4 PM. I would advise a visit earlier rather than later, as the market is a popular stop for in the know locals. When the food is gone that week, it’s gone!
Beth Christian subsisted primarily on cheeseburgers and liverwurst sandwiches during childhood and refused to try most new foods. Her culinary horizons were expanded during her college days in Schenectady, New York, where she learned the joys of trying slow-simmered Italian dishes, Szechuan cuisine, and everything in between. When not engaged in the practice of law in Monmouth County, Beth is busy scouting out interesting restaurants, farmer’s markets and food purveyors near her home in Burlington County. Beth’s primary dining sidekick is her husband John, but she also enjoys having her daughter Meghan, son Michael and her wonderful friends come along for the ride.
