There’s nothing quite like an Amish market.

In Cockeysville, the Pennsylvania Dutch Market offers diners and shoppers a chance to load up on fresh produce as well as handmade soft pretzels, barbecued meats and baked goods still warm from the oven, all for an affordable price.

The market, run by the Amish community, feels like it has been there for centuries — though it actually just opened 20 years ago, after relocating from Westminster.

Its offerings extend beyond the expected nostalgic comfort fare, though: Look for some of the area’s best doughnuts, $12 crab cakes from Dutch Harbor seafood and even exquisite birria tacos.

Jimmy Longoria said he happened to be at the market roughly three years ago when he noticed that one of the stalls was vacant. He thought it would be a great spot to open a brick-and-mortar branch for his popular food truck, Mexican on the Run. He appreciated that its limited hours — the market runs only Thursday through Saturday — would allow him more time to spend with his two kids, now ages 4 and 6.

By January 2023, Mexican on the Run was the Dutch Market’s newest vendor, and two years later, he’s still loving the ride. Today, many of his customers include the staff of the neighboring Amish stands, with whom Longoria says he often barters. “They say that no one works harder than Mexicans” — except maybe the Amish, he joked. “We must be close descendants of them.”

Here are the five foods you have to try the next time you visit.

Lancaster County Soft Pretzels

The winding lines that form toward the rear of the market might make you think this stand is selling the latest viral food trend. But surely soft pretzels were trendy at one point, even if it was the Middle Ages.

While ’90s kids like me harbor deep nostalgia for the Auntie Anne’s chain, Lancaster County Pretzels delivers the kind of freshness you won’t find at the mall. Young women in starched white bonnets twist rolls of caterpillar-shaped dough into pretzel form, while a bearded man in a straw hat removes them from the oven. The end result is piping hot, both sweet and salty and delightfully greasy. Choose from options like sour cream and onion, cinnamon sugar or almond caramel, or try the pretzel dog, which has a frankfurter inside.

Birria pizza at Mexican on the Run

Invented in Jalisco, Mexico, quesabirria became the hottest trend in American tacos a few years back. The only thing better than a regular taco? A taco filled with cheese and slow-cooked meat that is fried and served with a dish of soup to dip as you eat. Longoria, a Los Angeles native, offers one of the best versions around. He places his own spin on the trend, too, with a birria pizza. The only thing better than a slice of pizza? Pizza dunked in warm birria consomé.

Doughnuts from Mary’s Gourmet Coffee & Donut Shop

Let the quest for the Baltimore area’s best donut lead you to Mary’s. The Amish-run stand near the market’s entrance offers an eye-popping assortment of doughnuts in flavors both traditional and modern. Both are worth your time. During a recent visit I picked up an airy key lime pie doughnut fried so delicately it felt as though it was touched by an angel.

Baby back ribs from Stoltzfus Bar-B-Que Pit

I’m always on the lookout for reasonably priced dinner options that taste homemade but don’t require me to cook. The Amish market offers those in spades — from twice-baked potatoes and meatloaf to salads and sides. But my new go-to dinner choice may be the meaty baby back ribs from Stoltzfus Bar-B-Que Pit, sold for $12.99 per pound and served with your choice of either sweet or spicy barbecue sauce. Be advised: the spicy version was mild enough for my toddler to taste.

Coffee cake from Aunt Erma’s

Doesn’t it sound nice to be someone who has an aunt who’s a voracious baker, forever loading you up with cakes and pastries? Live out the fantasy at Aunt Erma’s, where the glistening lemon meringue pies and pound cakes compete for your attention with whoopie pies, doughy rolls and butter croissants. There’s not a bad dish around, but my personal favorite item is the crumb cake, just the not-too-sweet breakfast to pair with a cup of coffee.

This post has been updated.