Wednesday, May 19, the Fairfax Farmers Market served up juicy fruits and flavorful multicultural cuisine from familiar vendors, but with expensive prices. As the summer season goes on, the market attracts more families and visitors with its tasty food, sunny weather, and fresh fruit offerings. 

Holy Chile Mole, a Romani-American comfort food truck, offers an array of plates, alternative tacos, sandwich melts, and loaded fries. Their tacos are crispy and fried with melty cheese inside. Two “standard tacos” are $10 and two “Holy Mole Tacos” are $12, a high price for tiny tacos. Their Cubaco taco is delectable with jack cheese, pulled pork, “magic mayo,” mustard, and a pickle on an oily grilled corn tortilla. It all melts together in perfection, creating a burger-like taste. Their Chicken Ortega taco is filled with shredded chicken, Ortega chiles, and jack cheese. The Chicken Ortega tacos pack less flavor and could use a heavier dose of chiles. However, the chicken and cheese are still tasty and the light chile flavor makes the taco tolerable for customers who stray away from spice.

 By 5:45 p.m., Holy Chile Mole was out of their signature “Gypsy Joe Mix,” leaving customers with limited items to choose from. This beef mix is highly publicized on the truck as it is their signature beef mix, appearing in multiple tacos, loaded fries, and sandwich melts. 

Casablanca Moroccan and Mediterranean Food offers dishes such as falafel, shawarma, and salads. Their falafel wrap is pricey at $13 but delicious. Customers have the option to order the wrap with a pita bread pocket or wrapped in lavash. With lavash, the falafel is well-wrapped and perfectly paired. The wrap comes with Israeli salad and hot sauce inside. The falafel is delectible and has a crunchy but soft texture. Together it was a fresh rainbow of flavor, as the different tastes blended together without overpowering others. 

Casablanca Moroccan and Mediterranean Food also sell fries. Regular fries are $5, so not excessively expensive, but the sweet potato fries cost a whopping $8. While the serving size is generous, the taste is not enough to compensate for the price. The sweet potato fries lack flavor and sweetness, though they have a satisfying, flaky crunch. The regular fries are bland, needing more salt. After a peek into the truck, one can see that the fries are Costco brand – bland Costco sweet potato fries do not deserve an $8 price tag.

Like most days, the market was crowded with little room to relax and eat. The miscellaneous picnic blankets on the grass leave barely enough space to squeeze through. Throughout the market, it is challenging to find a space to wait for the preparation of food. Customers might be better off enjoying their dinner somewhere away from the market.

Accompanying the food is an array of local musicians. This week’s performances were curated for a young audience with various singers performing children’s songs. While children seemed to enjoy the music, its inescapable sound reverberating through the market isn’t suited for tastes above the age of eight.

For those seeking a lighter snack, the farmer’s market has a variety of fruit options to sample and purchase. From strawberries and oranges, to peaches and cheese, there are farm-fresh options to satisfy any craving. Most of the fruit is appropriately priced with baskets of strawberries running for $5 and oranges averaging at around $1. The sweet and fresh flavors are certainly worth a trip to the market. 

With no menus or rotations amid restaurants, visitors may grow bored after attending the Fairfax Farmers market repeatedly. Though there seemed to be many food options at first look, there are only the same five or six each week. The food is pricey, and blaring nursery songs do little to sell the atmosphere. If anything, customers will return for the fresh fruit options. However, the tasty food elevates the experience, awarding this night’s dinner options four out of five feathers.