Mark’s Score 8.7
I like living on the Eastern Shore, this region has a great many excellent qualities. But one drawback to living here is that we are poorly served when it comes to groceries. We basically have two choices, Food Lion or Walmart, with a few other bit players. I am a firm believer that the one area where you should not scrimp financially is food. I am not a big shopper, but when I do focus on shopping, the focus is usually food. So, whenever I find a quality food market, it is an occasion to celebrate.
Lighthouse Country Store is a family-run business owned by Shane King. King opened the store in 2023 with the mission of providing a locally-owned community-focused specialty-market alternative to big chain supermarkets. They sell fresh meats, fresh baked goods, Lancaster County Pennsylvania Dutch products, and they have a deli serving cold and hot food items.
I stopped buying meat and fish at the supermarket years ago. I don’t know what they do to it, but when I do buy meat at the grocery store it is often tasteless shoe leather. So, for a while I have been buying meat and fish at How Sweet it Is. It may be expensive, but at least it is quality meat and it is flavorful.
About a year ago, I was driving down Rte 13, on my way to Delmarva Discovery Museum in Pocomoke (see my review), and I noticed the sign for Lighthouse. I had been meaning to stop for a while, so I resolved to stop on my way back to Salisbury.
I am not sure what I was expecting. I thought it would be something like the Country House in Salisbury, a place filled with bric-a-brac, something uninteresting or perhaps just another farmers market. I was delighted to find something I had been searching for since I moved here, an honest to God, butcher sourcing locally. For some time now, I have been buying my meat either at How Sweet it Is or at Hastings in Laurel. But unlike Hastings, Lighthouse is nearby, and unlike How Sweet it Is, the meat is fresh.
On that first occasion, I bought some beef, pork, and sausage, just to get a good sampling of product quality. As soon as I cooked my purchases, I knew I had found something special. On later visits I tried the baked goods and their deli items. The deli was good enough that I stop at Lighthouse to buy a sandwich (and perhaps a homemade desert) to bring along when I am hiking or kayaking at Deal or Janes Island Parks.
For me, Lighthouse fills an important niche in our community. It is a place where I can get quality meats sourced locally, and a decent deli sandwich. And better still I am spending my money in support of local businesses offering a quality product while employing local people, and I am willing to pay extra to support my neighbors.
What else is there to do in Princess Anne?
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