ALL ABOARD!
Take a look inside the new Trolley Barn Public Market in Quakertown
In what was once a series of buildings surrounding a dormant train station, a promising food hub has emerged right in the middle of downtown Quakertown.
The Trolley Barn Public Market, a new 19,000-squarefoot market and food hall, is open at 116 E. Broad St., featuring a diverse mix of food, wine/ beer/spirits and retail vendors.
I went to check it out recently and here’s what I found:
A look inside
The Trolley Barn Public Market is in the center of the borough, a new use for a series of interconnected buildings that surround a former SEPTA train station.
It is now the largest food hall and public market in the region. The Easton Public Market, which opened in
2016, was our area’s first and is 16,000 square feet. Comparatively, the Downtown Allentown Market opened last year and is 12,000 square feet.
Inside, the space is spectacularly beautiful, with exposed brick and many other original, industrial features of the building. The market is designed in an easy-to-navigate layout.
Outside, there’s a huge 9,500-square-foot seating area that’s perfect for dining outdoors.
COVID-19
Opening any business during this pandemic is challenging.
Plus, restaurants and other food-service businesses have had to contend with a roller coaster of ever-changing rules
and regulations since the pandemic began.
Under current Department of Health guidelines, an indoor location such as the Trolley Barn can only hold 50% of its capacity inside — which would be about 418 people — said Christopher LaBonge, the proj
ect’s developer.
The market is open Thursday through Sunday, and since it’s been open just since early November, I’ve heard from readers and friends that weekends have been pretty busy in the market.
If you’re looking to avoid
crowded spaces but you want to check out the market, you have two options. You can take your food and drinks outside, where there’s plenty of space and fresh air to enjoy yourself. (Just bundle for the weather). Or you can visit on a Thursday or Friday when it’s a bit less busy. I went on a Thursday at lunchtime and it was fine. Customers were there buying lunch but it wasn’t crowded.
Masks are required and there’s signage around reminding folks. (You can only take your mask off to sit down and eat and drink. If you’re walking around, your mask must be on. When I went, customers there did a great job following mask rules.)
Food and more
Now, onto the delicious stuff. The market offers a mix of cuisines from some familiar names and some new:
Batch Microcreamery offers hand-crafted, small-batch ice cream and more frozen
deliciousness. This is the second location for Batch, which is also in the Downtown Allentown Market. You’ll find many of the same flavors sold in Allentown.
True Blue, a familiar name for those in Emmaus, brings some of its most popular Mediterranean fare such as gyros, kabobs and more.
Blend Life serves up fresh smoothies, smoothie bowls and grilled sandwiches. (You may recognize the name, as it’s a popular area food truck. )
Meat Wagon offers barbecue, brisket, kielbasa, pulled pork, and pulled chicken — as well as sides such as baked beans, collard greens, street corn, cornbread, and mashed potatoes. They have family packs, which can make it easy to take home dinner for two or more. Meat Wagon has a brick-andmortar location in Hatfield as well as a food truck.
Takkii Ramen dishes out ramen and poke menu including edamame, calamari, ramen bowls, Udon bowls, rice bowls, and traditional Japanese desserts.
Bucks County Confections offers a variety of tasty treats from area bakers and sweets makers including cake-pops and cupcakes come from Papa’s Cupcakes of Perkasie as well as cookies, brownies, and assorted sweets from other talented local bakers. You’ll also find gluten-free and vegan treats.
Rail Yard Meats &
Market is a classic meat counter with proteins from area farms as well as gorgeous artisan breads from Le Bus bakeries.
Yard’s Thin Crust features Gourmet flatbread pizza — made as you watch.
Full Earth Goods is the place to get some local kombucha, healthy snacks, simple affordable dinner, or to fill your fridge with organic produce. (Think of it as a little store instead of the market).
Red Door Coffee Roaster is the spot for fresh roasted local coffee in a variety of blends including single origin, flavored coffees and decaffeinated. They also have baked goods.
What I tried
I picked a sampling of things to just get an overall sense of the place. I hope to get back there soon to try more.
True Blue: I ordered a hummus wrap, which features their garlicky hummus, black olives, feta cheese, lettuce and tomatoes on a wrap with pita chips. Really tasty and a great option for those eating more plant-based or are vegetarian.
Blend Life: Funky monkey is one of their top sellers and with good reason. It’s a smoothie featuring bananas, acai, cacao, peanut butter and almond milk. You get a chocolatey, fruity, rich peanut buttery flavor without it being overly sweet. (A great quick, on-the-go lunch option).
Yard’s Thin Crust: Pizza
is one of those things that has to really impress me to write about it because there’s good pizza everywhere in our area. One of the things I liked best about this vendor is that you see the pizza being made right in front of you and it bakes pretty quickly. One to try: The buffalo chicken pizza.
Bucks County Confections: Never one to pass up a baked treat, I had to check out this spot. I got a “tandy cake” cupcake, which was made by Papa’s. (Tandy cake combines two of the best flavors, chocolate and peanut butter.) This cupcake featured a generous amount of great tasting frosting atop a tasty cake.
Ashout-out: Batch is a fantastic ice cream vendor and he has many of the varieties he carries at the
Downtown Allentown Market. I, for one, enjoy ice cream all year-’round so he’s worth a visit (even if it’s cold out).
Wine, beer and spirits
Wine: Black River Farms Winery
Beer: Two Rivers Brewing
Both these vendors should be familiar to us in the Valley. Black River Farms, based in Bethlehem, opens this second location in the market. It’s a beautiful space and they offer flights with local cheeses. Two Rivers Brewing is, of course, the award-winning brewery based in Easton.
If you’re into spirits, Doan Distillery is now open. (It opened just after I visited).
Overall
I think there’s a lot of potential at this market.
It’s in a great location and the space is incredible with some great vendors. On a warmer day, the market’s outdoor dining area is fantastic (like the day I went).
I think menus for the vendors on the market’s website as well as a way to do online orders would help them further. Menus would help customers plan what they want to get in advance, especially if they are looking to get their items to go.
The Trolley Barn Public Market
Where: 116 E. Broad St., Quakertown
Hours: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday; closed Monday to Wednesday. Each vendor sets hours, so check the market’s website for the latest
Info: trolleybarnpublicmarket.com/