Mountain Road Market

Hanover Lifestyle | November / December 2018

Whether you are headed to the lake for the weekend, enjoying a sunny day out on the Harley, or a resident of Montpelier, chances are that you will fly past Mountain Road Market at 45 miles per hour. But trust me – it is worth your while to turn around and go back. Opened in late June of 2018, the market boasts a variety of food options the town of Montpelier has been desperately needing – a fixed farmers’ market, an ice cream shop and bakery, and a spot for a quick sandwich, or a full take-out dinner with varying weekly specials, such as ribs, chicken, and wings – all smoked on site.

In the market for local meats, poultry, and produce? Mountain Road Market brings in pasture-raised beef and pork, free-range poultry and eggs, as well as fresh vegetables from local farms. In fact, nothing is sourced from over 100 miles away.

If you’re headed home on Route 33, and need a quick dinner to go, my personal favorite is the barbecue, which is charcoal-smoked on site, and made with a gluten-free sauce. And speaking of gluten-free options – they also offer other gluten-free sides, like their coleslaw, as well as gluten-free cookies and brownies.

On a nice day, you’ll see folks gathered around their outdoor seating space with a popular favorite – ice cream from Bev’s in Carytown. Rumor has it that Bev uses more cream in her small-batch homemade ice cream than any ice cream parlor in the state of Virginia – that’s what makes it so good! Their desserts are also homemade – cookies, brownies, pies, and cobbler – if you can get it! Announcements on their Facebook page ensure that the cobblers (and other weekly specials) fly off the shelf quickly.

So the next time you roll down Route 33, keep your eyes open for the red tractor, which serves as the market’s signpost, Mountain Road Market is opened Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. 9 p.m., and Sunday from 10 to. They’re located at 16284 Mountain Road, between Precision Plumbing and the Montpelier FasMart. Hurry in before the cobbler is all sold out!