NEPA Lunch Spots: Peculiar Market & Kitchen in Pittston

Gabrielle Lang, The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
·4 min read

Dec. 6—PITTSTON — The Peculiar Market and Kitchen just opened in Downtown Pittston and celebrated its ribbon-cutting in November 2023. I stopped by for lunch to check it out!

The dynamic new location is designed for catering large meals, grab-n-go lunch, and boutique retail shopping. They also offer meal prep kits, gourmet pantry kits, and all sorts of goods for both taking on-the-go and planning ahead.

The well-known local business just moved from Scranton into its new brick-and-mortar site in Luzerne County. The Peculiar Kitchen brand has also provided unique Asian-fusion bites from a food truck and has been making pop-up appearances across NEPA since 2012.

At the new Peculiar Market & Kitchen, they provide plenty of cold, ready-made options that you can take-out with you or sit down to enjoy your food. They offer a few lunch specials as well, including hot sandwiches, avocado toast, and other specialities.

My mom and I swung by for a mid-week lunch to try the new place for ourselves.

We ordered the "Don't Get Crabby With Me" Melt and "It Puts The Hoisin on The Brisket" Sandwich and cut it in half to share, so that we were both able try both very-different bites. Lunch specials (usually with these silly Bobs-Burgers-energy names) will change every week at the new spot, as well as new items all the time in their grab-n-go and catering menu.

I tried the lunch specials at Peculiar Market & Kitchen, the "Don't Get Crabby With Me" Melt and "It Puts The Hoisin on The Brisket" sandwiches.

The Brisket Sandwich was delectable and I really enjoyed each flavorful bite of this handcrafted sandwich. I love a good brisket...it's just about my favorite meat there is. Peculiar Market & Kitchen did it up right with slow-braised brisket, pickled red onion, sharp cheddar, and truffle roasted mushrooms sourced locally from 3rd Kingdom on a ciabatta.

The Crabby Melt also came on a ciabatta. This lunch special was rich and decadent, made with Kani, cheddar cheese, cream cheese, soy, ginger, sesame, and jalapenos. It was definitely different, but I unfortunately I felt a lot of the other flavors were a little overtaken by all the fluffy cheese. But, I mean, too much cheese definitely isn't a big problem in my book.

I decided to pair mine with a Parlor Beverages Root Beer to keep the #shoplocal vibe going. They serve a variety of Parlor Beverages along with many other craft sodas and teas.

What I really enjoyed was the variety in options offered at Peculiar Market & Kitchen. Rarely can I try a sandwich that tastes like holiday family dinner and one that tastes like modernized Maryland lunch in the same sitting. There's so many fun flavors that are rarely found in NEPA.

These are specials you won't find on just any local menu and I look forward to seeing what ambitious and interesting meals they cook up each week to come.

In some ways I am a little disappointed that Peculiar Kitchen is no longer a traditional restaurant because it was one of my favorites in its previous form back in Downtown Scranton, but I'm excited to see Peculiar Kitchen is really thinking outside the box. Clearly, they kept today's busy worker in mind when they designed this NEPA lunch spot. There's nowhere else quite like it.

This location was made for convenience. The grab-n-go options are optimal for those catching a meal during limited break hours or stopping on their way to their next errand or appointment. Guests can also sit down and kick back if they prefer, with plenty of seating also available inside.

Photo by Gabrielle Lang, The Weekender

The new storefront also showcases merchandise from other small local businesses including culinary gifts, gourmet snacks, handmade jewelry, and more.

Stop in to see what's new in the cooler and on the menu! Or, order some interesting, delicious food for your next corporate event or special occasion — from bao bun platters to ramen parties and more. Impress guests with a unique experience from Peculiar Market & Kitchen in Pittston or drop by the newly-opened restaurant and marketplace for yourself.