Ask anyone raised in St. Mary’s County about holiday food, and stuffed ham will come up fast. It is a corned ham with deep pockets cut into it, packed with chopped greens, onions, and spices, then cooked and sliced to show off those green ribbons.
You will not find it on many menus outside Southern Maryland, which is exactly why the real thing is worth tracking down. These five country stores, delis, and markets keep the tradition going every day, not just at Christmas and Easter.
1. Chaptico Market & Deli, Chaptico, MD
Out at a quiet country crossroads on Maddox Road, Chaptico Market & Deli has built a reputation on two things. One is fried chicken.
The other is traditional St. Mary’s County stuffed ham.
That pairing makes this stop a little different from the rest of the list. You can grab chicken and fries for lunch and still walk out with stuffed ham for later, all from the same counter.
The market sits in unincorporated Chaptico, a rural corner of St. Mary’s County where this dish has deep roots. It is the kind of place where neighbors shop, chat, and pick up dinner without much fuss.
Early birds have an advantage here. Doors open at 6 AM every day, closing at 8 PM Monday through Saturday and 6 PM on Sunday.
Weekday mornings tend to be the calmest time to stop by. Friday and Saturday afternoons and Sunday afternoons get much busier, so plan around that if you want a quick in-and-out visit.
2. Cooksey’s Store, La Plata, MD
Crab cakes get top billing at Cooksey’s Store, and they have earned awards for it. Still, the stuffed ham deserves equal attention from anyone hunting for the regional classic.
Cooksey’s is a true country store on Charles Street in rural Charles County, serving the community outside downtown La Plata. Fresh prepared meals are a big part of the appeal.
I like this one for road trippers heading across Southern Maryland. You can pick up two of the state’s signature foods in one stop, which is a pretty efficient way to eat like a local.
Keep the visit simple. This is a quick-stop kind of place with no restroom on site and no delivery, so treat it as a grab-and-go errand.
Hours run 6 AM to 7 PM Monday through Saturday and 7 AM to 7 PM on Sunday. Thursday and Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings are the busiest stretches, while Sunday mornings tend to be quieter.
3. Bone’s Grocery, Huntingtown, MD
Not every stuffed ham stop is in St. Mary’s County. Bone’s Grocery carries the tradition up into Calvert County, and plenty of shoppers come here specifically for it.
The store works as a full local grocery with a deli and a butcher counter. That makes it handy if you want stuffed ham plus the rest of your shopping in one trip.
Homemade country sausage is another specialty worth knowing about. Add fresh meats, solid produce, and a mix of unusual items, and it becomes more than a sandwich stop.
Bone’s sits on Hunting Creek Road in Huntingtown, a rural community that still has that small-town market feel. In-store pickup is available, though delivery is not.
It also keeps the longest weekend hours on this list. You can stop in from 6 AM to 9 PM on Fridays and Saturdays, 6 AM to 8 PM Monday through Thursday, and 7 AM to 8 PM on Sundays.
4. WJ Dent & Sons/Chief’s Your Neighborhood Bar, Tall Timbers, MD
Stuffed ham egg rolls. Once you hear about them, it is hard to forget them, and they are a big reason WJ Dent & Sons stands out.
This historic family-run market and deli dates back to 1927 in the small waterfront village of Tall Timbers. Its signature is St. Mary’s County-style stuffed ham, served as a classic sandwich or wrapped up in a crispy egg roll.
The menu goes well beyond ham. Fried oysters, crab cakes, cream of crab soup, seafood, and steaks all show up, along with homemade rum cakes in flavors like vanilla and strawberry.
It works as a sit-down spot too. You will find counter service, table service, seating, takeout, and catering, with prices generally around $20 to $30 per person.
Hours change by day, so check before you go. It opens at 10 AM daily, closing at 5 PM Monday, 7 PM Tuesday, 8 PM Wednesday and weekends, and 9 PM Thursday and Friday.
Free parking is easy to find. Friday evenings and Saturday evenings bring the biggest crowds.
5. One Eyed Jacks Seafood Market And Deli, Hollywood, MD
A seafood market might seem like an odd place to find a ham sandwich. In Southern Maryland, though, it makes perfect sense.
One Eyed Jacks Seafood Market And Deli on Mervell Dean Road in Hollywood pairs fresh seafood with a lineup of signature sandwiches. The stuffed ham sandwich has become one of the standouts.
That mix is what earns it a spot here. You can pick up rockfish for dinner and a stuffed ham sandwich for the ride home, which covers two Southern Maryland favorites at once.
This is a later-morning stop. It opens at 11 AM daily and closes at 7 PM Sunday through Thursday and 8 PM on Fridays and Saturdays.
There is a restroom on site, but no delivery. Weekday mornings and Thursday evenings tend to be quiet, while weekend afternoons fill up.
Five stops, one proud tradition. Whether you like your stuffed ham on a sandwich, in an egg roll, or by the pound, Southern Maryland has you covered.
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