The Food Market — Restaurant in Columbia

We came here to celebrate a milestone for a friend of ours and throughly enjoyed this place. We were a party of 6 people and we each got something different to try. I'll try to cover all key points in this review starting from the parking situation.

THE PARKING: slightly confusing for people as there for 4 cars wondering how to get to the Food Market from the garage in the back of the building. There was also a parking lot across the street, that's where we parked with no issue. There are steps that lead to the main entrance of the place but it looks very modern and not like a restaurant upon first glance. Reservation was for 7:45pm and they seated us promptly once our party arrived.

THE SERVICE: Boris our server did an excellent job with our table by offering recommendations, being attentive and clearing our table as we finished certain dishes, throwing in a joke or two, followed by a compliment. The food/drinks arrived surprisingly quickly, as it took all of about 10 minutes for both of drinks and appetizers, then our main courses followed shortly. Followed by dessert for me and a complimentary dessert for our friend. They even ask you at the beginning of the visit if you're celebrating anything special and put a card on the table to alert your server. Boris did a wonderful job making sure to check on us but not too much and refill our water without having to ask. Thank you for impeccable service!

THE FOOD/DRINKS: They bring you popcorn. We ordered a variety of different dishes and everyone loved what they ordered. We also had recommendations/confirmations of our choices by Boris which helped. I ordered the cheesesteak buns, the Lil lamb chops, cream of crab soup with $10 worth of extra lump real crab meat, steak frites and my girlfriend got the big ole' mozzarella sticks (huge with epic cheese pull) and a burger which were all delicious. The only thing I would say is the soup is warm but the extra crab meat is cold, so when you put it in the soup it makes it cold, but you get a generous portion of extra. For our drinks we got the Gucci lemonade with a shot of tequila as it comes virgin. Our friends for a lemon drop with a shot of tequila and Jack's Hard Cider which they liked. I ended the night with dessert Heath bar crunch bread pudding which was delectable! Also Chad's dirt cup pudding with gummy worms and Oreo crumble both of which I'm glad I got to-go because when I got home it was still very good but it arrives hot so just be prepared to eat it there if you can. Our friend got the duck parts

THE ATMOSPHERE: This place was really chill and casual, even the servers are wearing normal attire so you sometimes get confused when people like Boris come over and start helping with your table because they don't have uniforms on the floor but the kitchen staff does. The Ambiance here was nice and I really enjoyed the Aesthetics of the front counter setup. Unfortunately I was unable to snap a picture in time of the front counter setup but it was all beautifully done. When we first arrived there was a bit of hustle and bustle but towards the later end of the night it died down and it was not super busy but still an enjoyable experience. The place has large windows so you can see outside which will be great for the spring and summer and overall this is a place that I would gladly return to try other items again. 9 out of 10 highly recommend if you are in the area or able to come check it out. Everyone here was very respectful and quippy with jokes and good conversation as they are serving you. The food is plated well, service is excellent and speedy, atmosphere is chill 💯

PRICE: Prices here aren't bad but if you're like me and want to try a bunch of items they add up quickly, so prepare to part with a decent amount for your experience including great tipping because they deserve it. Boris was really on top of things and we all appreciated that! See pictures for reference if you're curious and want to see how everything was :) it's always a pleasure to review places like this honestly...

UPDATED SUMMER 2025

I went back to The Food Market not long ago to celebrate with family and I have to say the food was just as good as it was the last time o are there. Our waiter was James. He was the BEST!!!

Everything we ordered was sooo good! The crab claw sundae, and the lobster fingers, those MUSSELS!! I have thought of those mussels a few times since then. That sauce that they’re served in is incredible! It’s a champagne cream sauce.

The Food Market is definitely one of my new favorite places to eat!

I recently went to The Food Market in Columbia, MD to celebrate a friend’s birthday and let me say it was a LOVE/HATE experience!

I loved the ambience and vibe from the moment we walked in, but hated that the from the moment that I opened the menu, what little self-control I had was snatched away like a thief in the night! Oh and did I mention the truffle basil parm popcorn served as an amuse bouche? Divine!

I would have loved to order SO MANY things from The Food Market’s menu, but hated that their menu changes because I suspect that it will have even more items that I would likely love!

We ordered mocktails; a blueberry lemonade with fresh mint that was tasty, but a tad sweet for me.

It was so hard not to order everything that sounded good! We ending up choosing a nice range of menu items including a charred cabbage with bacon and whipped ricotta that was scrumptious! We also ordered the crab sundae, which was a mini crab cake in a mix of Maryland crab soup & cream of crab soup w/ a crab claw. This dish was a nice creamy and tangy flavor combo that I enjoyed.

Next we chose the lobster fingers, which were crispy, chunky bites of lobster with a truffle mustard sauce & crusty bread w/ roasted mussels with champagne cream, leeks & bacon! I definitely want to have both of these again! Phenomenal! I don’t usually even eat mussels. Highly recommend these if you like mussels.

My friend ordered steak, which for a minute, she thought she would almost miss out on after the waitress came to the table to share some “bad news” that they ran out of steak, which luckily wasn’t the case. My friend was set on having the steak, which came to the table sizzling and smelling amazing! It tasted delicious! With the chimichurri sauce, that steak tasted next level!

We finished the meal with dessert. My friend had the berry cobbler, which Food Market was kind enough to place the birthday milestone picks that I’d brought with me along with a candle.

When making the reservations, I noted it was my friend’s birthday. Food Market also happened to leave a sweet colorful birthday note for my friend, which was such a nice touch! It was a little tucked away, so I’m glad that I saw it. It was a sweet surprise that was appreciated!

I ordered the baked blondie a la mode for dessert. I loved it so much that I had to take some home. I hated that I loved it so much that every bite took the last of my self control with it!

Food Market is a pretty nice sized restaurant and bar. There is a sister restaurant directly across called, Vacation, that is more casual. It looked worth checking out another time.

Food Market, I will be back. The food was DELICIOUS!

Parking is easy. There is a nearby parking garage, where you can park for free and walk a short distance to Food Market.

I would recommend also making reservations as it looks like it can get crowded.

If you go to Food Market in Columbia, enjoy and...

I have a gluten intolerance, so I try to be careful when eating out. I ordered a gluten free version of the chicken wings at dinner last night. When they arrived, they looked like they'd been prepared with wheat flour, so I asked my server to confirm that they were indeed gluten free. He confirmed not only once, but two times that yes they were gluten free. I was suspicious, but trusted him and ate the wings.

To my dismay, within a couple of hours after eating I started experiencing the tell tale signs of having eaten gluten--brain fog, lethargy, gastrointestinal discomfort (I'll spare you the details). I'm writing this review the day after the meal, and I am still experiencing these symptoms, which can last for days. It is hard for me to work and do activities as long as these symptoms persist.

I think it's important to share that if I consume a very small amount of gluten or a food cross contaminated with a very small amount of gluten, I do not experience these symptoms. I have to eat a small to moderate amount of it to bring the symptoms on, such as multiple chicken wings covered in batter made from wheat flour. In other words, given the symptoms I'm experiencing, I am confident that my server misled me and served me food that was not modified in any way to be prepared gluten free.

I understand that it was ultimately my decision to eat the food served to me last night, despite my hesitations, and that I bear the responsibility for that choice. I am not writing this review to lash out or demand recompense in some way. I am instead writing this to strongly encourage The Food Market management to consider making an extra effort to enhance the required education/training that their servers receive regarding the potential consequences of serving patrons misidentified food.

Given my experience, it seems there may be an opportunity to perhaps, at a minimum, more frequently remind servers and staff of the importance of their continued diligence in adhering to their food safety/allergy training. While my symptoms are annoying, they will soon resolve on their own. Other folks with more serious food intolerances/allergies, such as a nut allergy that could send them into anaphylactic shock, may perhaps not be as fortunate as me if they ate...