Right on Track
The appropriately named Trackside Kitchen in Smithsburg.
Family, food and fellowship: the Trackside Kitchen in Smithsburg is full of all three and there is plenty more
By April Bartel / Photography by Mark Youngblood
A train whistle isn’t just background noise at Trackside Kitchen in Smithsburg, it’s a call to dinner. The “kitchen” is a combination of grocery store, deli, restaurant, bookstore, bakery, novelty shop and community hub all in one. Just 30 feet from the tracks, longtime residents remember the place as the old Chewsville co-op and feed mill. It was a mini market for decades before Darletta and Delmer Martin took over the building in November 2020. The family has since put their own stamp on this enduring town staple.
For Darletta, who coined the name, the trains racing by are a childhood memory of spending time with her rail-fan dad. “We always looked to see what color the caboose was.”
“Uncle Jay’s” secret-recipe fried chicken.
As Trackside Kitchen speeds toward its sixth anniversary, the Martins are keen to preserve the hometown vibe that lets new customers and old friends feel right at home. They began by asking neighbors what the store should carry. Fried chicken emerged as a favorite, and it’s still a winner today, as are their freshly baked pretzels and pretzel rolls, seasonal pies, lavish donuts and made-to-order subs. The shop blends a homestyle kitchen and bakery with bulk foods, pantry staples, gifts, frozen meats and other everyday finds. A separate business, Midas Touch Coffee, roasts coffee in the back and is available on site.
Fresh-baked pies are never in short supply.
The hot case may hold fried chicken (dusted with friend “Uncle Jay’s” secret spice and breading blend), baked beans, meatballs, barbecued pork, creamed corn or piquant steamer filling waiting for a bun. The menu includes the signature Smithsburger, built on a freshly baked Trackside roll with bacon jam, thinly sliced country ham, mozzarella and bacon. Folks love their eggy breakfast pretzel logs as well as versions filled with cheesesteak, pizza toppings or ham and cheese. Occasional specials include Delmer’s grilled chicken or chicken parmesan.
“We sell a lot of sandwiches,” Darletta says, especially on hot days.
Many ingredients travel only a short distance, thanks to the extended family. Darletta’s sister grows potatoes for the kitchen’s mashed potatoes, while a nephew raises pumpkins for pies and cake rolls. Son Kevin supplies beef through his business, Buckridge Butcher Shop. Sweet corn for the popular creamed corn comes from a patch beside the Martins’ home, where Delmer’s parents—both in their 80s—help with picking. Talk about provenance.
When customers ask whether the mashed potatoes are made from scratch, Darletta has a ready answer: “We are not serving fake mashed potatoes.”
Looking for indulgence? Trackside Kitchen stocks full-sized and individual slices of cakes and pies, like German chocolate cake, tiramisu, spiced carrot cake, “Twinkie” cake and chocolate chip applesauce cake in the grab-and-go section. Darletta is the primary baker, working alongside staff members who each have specialties. Her niece makes brownie tarts and fudge cups. Tuesdays are devoted to cakes, Thursdays to cookies and doughnuts are made three times a week. Caramel-pecan, glazed, Fruity Pebbles and Boston cream are some top sellers. They use Darletta’s aunt’s secret recipe for an extra creamy filling.
Thursday is always cookie day.
The baking knowledge runs deep. Fans call their dinner and sub rolls “Smithsburg’s best kept secret.” It makes sense, since Darletta learned the recipe from her mother at just 9 or 10 years old. She laughs, “30 years of practice should do something for you.”
Baskets and books are always in plentiful supply Credit: April Bartel
Delmer calls her “a flour guru” since she is always ready to help customers choose among the bulk flours and their extensive cache of baking and candy making ingredients.
The family takes special orders for weddings, holidays and community events with advance notice. One recent reception called for a complete fried chicken dinner with real mashed potatoes, green beans and macaroni and cheese for 185 guests.
There’s a little bit of everything non-food, too: stationery, toys, decorative baskets, cards and books. The cozy Book Depot nook stocks selections for all ages, from Little Golden Book classics to Darletta’s own self-published Creekside Characters series.
Shoppers appreciate the variety. The Martins say what they value most is being able to connect with people. They’ve created a place where regulars are greeted by name; neighborhood children stop for candy on the way to school; and conversations unfold across the counter.
That fellowship took on deeper meaning after the Martins’ 20-year-old son, Dalen, died in April 2026. In the days after his death, friends and neighbors gathered at Trackside Kitchen to share memories and process grief.
In Dalen’s honor, the family is raising support for a full-sized commemorative caboose to replace the current store sign. It will have tables and a train viewing platform. “It is an important part of this store that he was here, and now he is gone,” Delmer says, emphasizing a desire to sow hope from tragedy. “The community togetherness that resulted from that loss is powerful.”
The effort reinforces Trackside Kitchen as a place made for full bellies and full pantries, led with full hearts, while the trains keep rolling by.