Penny Mart in Baltimore: A Counter Deli Built on Italian Imports and Made-to-Order Sandwiches
Penny Mart is a small neighborhood deli in Canton that specializes in Italian cured meats, imported cheeses, and custom sandwiches made to order. The shop operates as a walk-up counter with minimal seating, anchoring the block between residential rowhouses and local foot traffic rather than catering to a dining-out crowd.
What Penny Mart actually is
Penny Mart functions as both a retail market for imported Italian products and a made-to-order sandwich counter. The space is narrow and utilitarian, with a glass case displaying cured meats and cheeses, shelves stocked with Italian pantry staples like pasta and canned tomatoes, and a counter where staff build sandwiches to specification. Most customers are locals picking up lunch or dinner on their way home from work, or shopping for ingredients to cook at home.
Menu and pricing
Sandwiches are the primary draw. A standard build—two or three types of cured meat, cheese, and vegetables on Italian bread—costs between $9 and $13 depending on the proteins chosen. Prosciutto di Parma, soppressata, capicola, and mortadella are regularly available. Hot sandwiches (meatball, chicken parmigiana) run $12 to $14. The deli counter also sells cured meats and cheeses by the pound; imported Italian cheeses and specialty cured meats range from $18 to $28 per pound. Prices should be confirmed by phone, as they track wholesale cost fluctuations.
The refrigerated case includes fresh mozzarella and ricotta from local producers alongside imported options. Bottled sodas and water are available; the shop does not serve coffee or espresso.
How Penny Mart compares to other Baltimore delis
Penny Mart occupies a narrower niche than broad-menu delis like Attman's in Oldtown, which offers corned beef, pastrami, and Jewish deli fare alongside Italian meats and is known for sit-down meals. Choose Attman's if you want a full restaurant experience with tableside service and a wider regional deli canon. Penny Mart serves the customer who knows what Italian cured meat tastes like and wants to buy it accurately, not a deli trying to appeal to everyone.
Compared to Italian import shops with deli counters in the Federal Hill area, Penny Mart is smaller and less formal. It does not have a wine selection or prepared foods beyond sandwiches. For someone wanting to build a charcuterie board at home with imported meats and cheeses, Penny Mart is faster and less expensive than Federal Hill's table-service Italian restaurants; for someone wanting to sit down and eat, those restaurants are the right choice.
Who it suits and who it does not
Penny Mart suits lunch-hour workers in Canton, people cooking Italian at home, and customers familiar enough with cured meats to know what they want. It does not suit someone seeking atmosphere, a full meal you can eat at a table, or a place to linger. It suits someone who wants a straightforward sandwich assembled correctly. It does not suit someone who needs vegan, gluten-free, or low-sodium modifications.
What the first visit involves
Walk in, look at the meat and cheese case, and tell the person behind the counter what you want on your sandwich. They assemble it while you wait, typically five to ten minutes even if others are ahead of you. Payment is cash or card. You take the sandwich in a paper wrapper and eat it standing at a high counter with two or three stools, or take it home.
Hours, parking, and logistics
Penny Mart is located on the 700 block of South Exeter Street in Canton. Hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Sunday. Street parking is available on Exeter and surrounding blocks, typically easier after 6 p.m. and on weekends. There is no dedicated lot.
Penny Mart fills a gap between grocery-store prepared foods and full-service Italian restaurants, offering a dependable lunch counter for people who know what they want and want it made the same way each time.
