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5 food halls in America worth arriving hungry for

From historic markets to bustling food destinations, these five food halls offer plenty of local flavor, variety and reasons to come hungry

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Forget the food court. The best food halls have turned eating into an experience, with enough choices under one roof to make deciding what to order almost as entertaining as the meal itself.

These places are built for hungry people who cannot agree on what to eat. They bring together restaurants, specialty shops, bakeries, bars and food vendors, often in buildings with as much character as the food. You might walk in looking for lunch and end up staying long enough for dessert, a drink and one more snack you absolutely did not need.

Reader’s Digest rounded up food halls across the U.S. that stand out for their food, atmosphere and sheer variety. Some have deep roots in the cities where they are located. Others have transformed historic buildings into lively gathering places filled with everything from familiar favorites to dishes you may not have tried before.

And that is really the fun of a great food hall. You do not have to commit to one restaurant or one cuisine. You can wander. Sample. Split something with a friend. Change your mind halfway through. If one vendor has a line, there are plenty of other options waiting nearby.

The settings can be just as memorable as the menus. Think old industrial buildings, soaring market spaces and neighborhood gathering spots where locals and visitors mix. In some cases, the building itself is part of the reason to visit.

Reader’s Digest’s picks also show how different the food-hall experience can be from one city to the next. Some lean heavily into local flavors. Others offer a mix of cuisines and specialty foods that makes every visit feel a little different.

So come hungry. These five food halls are the kind of places where having too many choices is not a problem. It is the whole point.

1. Ponce City Market turns a historic building into a food destination

Ambitious Studio Rick Barrett / Unsplash

Ponce City Market has the kind of setting that makes grabbing lunch feel more like an afternoon outing. The Atlanta food hall occupies a former Sears Roebuck building that dates to around 1926, giving the sprawling marketplace plenty of history before you even get to the food.

Inside, nearly 30 eateries give diners a lot to choose from. The mix is broad enough that a........

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