Market on Main in Colonial Beach VA: What’s Inside + My First Visit to Island Eats

Market on Main in Colonial Beach, VA is one of the newest additions to Wilder Avenue, and if you’ve been through town lately, you may have noticed something new happening there.

My office is right across the street, so I’ve been watching this place come together for a while. I was there for the ribbon cutting, I’ve stopped in a couple of times, and today I finally walked across the street on my lunch break to try Island Eats.

I actually got there a little too early. I thought they opened at 11:00, but they told me Island Eats didn’t open until 11:30. Instead of sending me back across the street, they went ahead and took my order and cooked my food anyway. I appreciated that.

And while I was waiting, you could smell the food cooking on the grill. Especially the chicken. I’m telling you now, that might be what I try next.

So since I was already there, I figured this was a good time to show everybody what’s going on inside Market on Main and tell you what I thought about my first meal from Island Eats.

I went with the Kiss-Me Salmon (Mom’s Specialty). It’s $22 and comes with rice and peas and a seasoned vegetable medley. According to the menu, the salmon is finished with a sweet and savory honey-garlic sauce.

For me, the salmon was easily the best part of the plate. It was fresh, cooked really well, seasoned well, and that sauce gave it a lot of flavor. It was also a good-sized piece of salmon, so I thought the portion was solid.

The sides weren’t really my thing. I’m not a big fan of that style of rice, so that’s more personal preference than anything else. The vegetable medley had a little more seasoning than I normally prefer, so I didn’t eat much of that either.

But I’d definitely order the salmon again. No question.

And while I was there, they were cooking chicken on the grill. I don’t know what I’m ordering next time yet, but the way that chicken smelled, there’s a pretty good chance that’s going to be it.

 

Since Drunken Donuts is also inside Market on Main, I figured I might as well try one while I was there. I grabbed a powdered donut for around $2.25.

First thing I’ll say: these are some big donuts. Mine was thick and had a lot more to it than the type of donut I normally prefer. I’m not a big donut eater anyway, so this particular style wasn’t really for me.

But that’s just my preference. If you like a bigger, heavier donut, you might feel completely different about it. I was glad I tried one, and I definitely wanted to support another local business that’s now part of Market on Main.

 

What I really like about Market on Main is the whole concept.

You’ve got several different businesses operating under one roof, but there’s also seating where people can grab something and hang out for a while. When I stopped in today, there were people coming in and out, people getting donuts, people over at the coffee shop, and others just sitting around.

It gives Colonial Beach another place where you don’t necessarily have to come in, eat and leave. You can grab some food, get a cup of coffee, meet somebody there or just sit for a while.

And I think that’s going to be the bigger story with this place.

I’ve lived in Colonial Beach most of my life, and one of the things I enjoy seeing is new businesses come in and give people more options without taking away from what makes this town what it is.

Market on Main is still new, so we’ll see how everything develops, but based on what I’ve seen so far, I think it’s going to become a popular spot with locals and visitors.

Market on Main brings together several different concepts, including Island Eats, The Drunken Donut, The Potomac Perk Coffeehouse and Ice House Tap Room. That’s what makes the space interesting—you can stop in for completely different reasons depending on what you’re looking for. You can also find more information about Market on Main and other downtown businesses through Downtown Colonial Beach.

Market on Main is located at 201 Wilder Avenue in Colonial Beach, Virginia, just off Washington Avenue.

It’s actually right across the street from my Coldwell Banker Elite office, which makes it pretty easy for me to walk over and see what’s going on. With Island Eats, The Drunken Donut, The Potomac Perk Coffeehouse and Ice House Tap Room all together, there’s a little bit of something different depending on why you’re stopping in.

Since these businesses are still new, I’d recommend checking their current hours before making a special trip. Hours, menus and prices can change.