So many Restaurants in Lancaster PA offer Amish Food and when visiting Pennsylvania’s Dutch Country you must experience some of it.
This area is known for homemade comfort foods. Fried chicken, smoked ham, mashed potatoes, and brown noodles are almost always on the menu. Homemade desserts such as sho-fly pie, whoopie pies, and apple dumplings are native to the Amish.
Ingredients come from area farms. Milk products, corn, other vegetables, and meats are grown locally. These fresh ingredients, along with most things made from scratch, bring people to this area to experience its food.
Most restaurants in the area that serve Amish food are either smorgasbord or family-style restaurants. Alcohol is not served at many.
In addition, a lot of these establishments employ the Amish and Mennonites and therefore are closed on Sundays due to the strong religious beliefs of this community.
I’ve been going to this area since I’ve been a kid, I have tried all but a few of these Amish style restaurants.
For things to do in Amish Country besides eating great food check out the list here.
The restaurants below are not in any particular order of preference.
Table of Contents
Shady Maple Smorgasbord Restaurant
Shady Maple is the biggest smorgasbord on the east coast. With 200 feet of food and 4 grills stations running on busy days, this restaurant is the largest in the area servicing Amish food.
In addition to the restaurant, Shady Maple has a Farmers Market (grocery store) where you can purchase several of the items you have at the restaurant to take home.
The bakery makes over 300 products from scratch so all bake goods served on the smorgasbord are homemade. They have a smokehouse where they smoke over 100 varieties of meat.
Shady Maple serves more than 1.5 million each year. This large restaurant holds 800 people at a time.
You can even get a free meal on your birthday. All you have to do is show ID proving it’s your birthday. They give over 100,000 free birthday meals away each year!
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served 6 days a week (closed Sundays) from 6 am to 8 pm. Prices vary depending on the day of the week as dinner specials change daily.
What’s on the menu at Shady Maple
There is no way you could possibly try everything on Shady Maple’s buffet on any given visit. I’ve eaten here for over 40 years and maybe, just maybe, I tried everything over time!
Breakfast items include eggs made to order, breakfast meats, pancake (oh, several different kinds or you can add almost everything) french toast, quiche, cereals, fruits, and pastries.
Lunch includes the following items:
- 46 salad items
- 8 kinds of bread and rolls
- 4 kinds of cheese
- 8 types of meat
- 14 vegetables
- 10 cold desserts
- 3 hot desserts
- 8 pies
- 6 cakes
- sundae bar
- many different beverages varieties
Dinner includes all of the above in addition to daily specials. Prices for dinner vary depending on the specials for that night. Check them out here.
Shady Maple Smorgasbord 129 Toddy Drive, East Earl PA 717-394-7111
Millers Smorgasbord & Restaurant
Miller’s has been around for over 90 years and was the original smorgasbord in the area.
They believe in buying their products that they serve in the restaurant from the local farms in the area so all foods are fresh and made from scratch.
There are three ways to dine at Millers:
- Smorgasbord featuring American and Amish dishes. Items include appetizer bar, soup and salad, and bread bar, carving station, buffet with meats, sides, and vegetables, and a dessert bar.
- Soup & Salad Buffet includes 8 soups, several different salads as well as an assortment of rolls and bread.
- Menu dining includes several items. In addition to the items, you can also add on either the soup & salad bar, an appetizer bar or the dessert bar with your entree.
Millers also differ from other restaurants in the area as they are opened on Sundays and also serve alcohol (full bar).
Millers 2811 Lincoln Highway (RT 30), East Ronks, PA 800-669-3568
Yoder’s Restaurant & Buffet
Yoder’s Restaurant is adjacent to Yoder’s Supermarket. They serve both buffet style and menu style featuring Amish food as well as American.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served 6 days and week. Breakfast is served from 6 am to 10:30 am, lunch from 11 am to 3 pm and dinner from 4 pm to 8 pm except on Saturday where dinner is served from 11 am to 8 pm.
On Sundays they are only opened for Sunday Brunch from 10 am to 2 pm. Sunday Brunch is served buffet style only and has a combination of breakfast and lunch dishes.
Yoder also gives you a free meal on your birthday but you need to fill out a birthday card.
Yoder’s Restaurant 14 S. Tower Road, New Holland, PA 717-354-4748
Bird-in-Hand Restaurant
Bird-in-Hand is another restaurant that used to only offer buffet style but now also offers menu style dining too.
This restaurant is also known for its fresh farm-grown products and Amish cooking. They also have their own bakery where all their baked goods for the restaurant are made as well as a bakeshop for you to take home some of your favorites.
Something different that this place has is a kids buffet. Housed in a Noah’s Ark display, (hand-built by an Amish craftsman) this buffet features kids friendly foods. Your kids will love having their “own” buffet to dine at.
Bird-in-Hand Restaurant 2760 Old Philadephia Pike (RT 340), Bird in Hand PA 717-768-1500
Good N Plenty Restaurant
Good N Plenty has been serving authentic PA Dutch cooking for over 50 years. They are known for their family-style dining with 10 guests seated at each table.
In 2008, their menu expanded to include harvest platters in which guests can also sit at their own table and order off a menu.
They offer fresh homestyle cooking and is known for their fried chicken (the best I’ve ever eaten). All baked goods are made on-site so you can also take some home.
Lunch and dinner are served from 11:30 am to last seating at 7 pm, Monday to Saturday.
Family-style Dining
Family-style dining starts with appetizers of cottage cheese, (in this area of Lancaster it’s the freshest you will ever get and you can definitely taste the difference) chow-chow, pepper cabbage and homemade bread with butter and apple butter.
Their famous fried chicken is served daily with two additional types of meat. These can be either ham, sausage, meatloaf or pork & sauerkraut.
Mashed potatoes and browned butter noodles are always on the side along with corn and another vegetable (which changes daily).
Desserts include fruit pies, shoo-fly pie, ice cream, pudding, and cheesecake.
Beverages include hot coffee and tea, ice tea, lemonade, white and chocolate milk.
Menu Dining
Menu style dining offers the same good food with choices than family-style. You just get to order exactly what you want and get to sit at your own table.
The most ordered item on the menu is a PA Dutch Sampler which includes fried chicken, meatloaf, pork & sauerkraut with 2 sides. Check out this menu.
Good N Plenty 150 Eastbrook Road (Rt 896), Smoketown, PA 717-394-7111
Smokehouse BBQ & Brews at Plain & Fancy
Owned by the same corporation that owns Miller’s, this restaurant is new to the area. Until recently Plain & Fancy served Amish food but now Smokehouse BBQ & Brews serves authentic American BBQ.
Favorites included fried chicken, smoked turkey, brisket, pulled pork, and BBQ ribs. They also serve alcohol from local craft breweries and wineries for you to try.
Lancaster Brewing Company, St. Boniface Craft Brewing, Troegs, Free Will Brewing, and Yuengling, as well as Waltz Vineyards, are featured on their bar menu.
You can take a tour of the Yuengling factory located nearby in Pottsville PA along with many other food factory tours in the area. You can find out all the information here.
Smokehouse BBQ & Brews 3121 Old Philadephia Pike (RT 340), Bird in Hand, PA 717-768-4400
Katie’s Kitchen
Katie’s Kitchen is Amish owned and operated and is a sit-down and take out restaurant. Amish food, as well as other entrees, are on their menu.
Although this restaurant gets a 4.5 star rating on Trip Advisor, recently I tried them for the first time and was not overly impressed.
The food was just ok and was served cold. I must say though, we shared several desserts and they were all good. The raspberry ice cream was delicious along with the cheesecake.
Katie’s Kitchen 200 Hartman Bridge Road (RT 896), Ronks PA 717-687-5333
Hershey Farms Restaurant & Inn
The “Grand Smorgasbord” is their specialty here at Hershey Farms. This buffet includes Amish food along with modern foods such as tacos, Philly cheesesteaks, and quesadillas.
They are open 7 days a week serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner either buffet style or menu style. Take a look at the menu.
Hershey Farms is another restaurant in the area that offers a free dinner on your birthday. All you need to do is show your ID and enjoy!
Hershey Farms 240 Hartman Bridge Road (RT 896), Ronks, PA 800-827-8635
Dienner’s Country Restaurant
This is another Amish owned restaurant in the area. Home-cooked Amish food is what’s on the menu, either buffet style or menu sit down dining.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner is served Monday through Saturday from 7 am to 6 pm, except for Fridays when the place is opened until 8 pm.
You can take a look at their menus here.
2855 Lincoln Highway East (RT30), Ronks, PA 717-687-9571
The Restaurant at Oregon Dairy
This is the one restaurant on this list that I’ve personally never been too but I thought it was worth mentioning since it gets great reviews on Google and Trip Advisor.
This restaurant serves a Pennsylvania Dutch fare as well as other items. It has a buffet as well as menu dining, however, the breakfast buffet is only available Friday to Sunday.
Opened 7 days a week from 6 am to 8 pm, they also have an ice cream shop and market with a bakery and a gift shop.
This place is great for families since it is overlooking the dairy farm and they have a nice outside deck by the ice cream shop where you can relax when the kids are playing on the farmed themed playground.
During the summer they even have concerts on Friday evenings, check their website for the schedule.
2900 Oregon Pike, Lititz, PA 717-656-2856
Other then Amish Restaurants in the Area Worth Mentioning
If you’re staying in the Pennsylvania Dutch area for several days you might not always want to eat Amish food. There are many chain restaurants in the area (mostly on Route 30) including Cracker Barrel, Texas Road House, Applebees, Olive Garden, and Red Robin.
Here are a few restaurants that I enjoy that are not known chains or Amish cuisine that I frequent when in the area.
Kling House
Although not Amish food, this restaurant is located in the heart of Amish Country in the Kitchen Kettle Village.
This is one of the must-do stops for us when visiting the area. Open six days a week (closed on Sundays) for breakfast and lunch only.
You will never go wrong stopping here for a meal as they serve fresh good food with several varieties including whenever is in season at the time. If you’re there in fall the pumpkin pancakes are a must.
My favorite breakfast item here is the creme brulee french toast.
Kling House 3529 Old Philadephia Pike (RT 340), Intercourse, PA 800-732-3538
The Eden Resort & Suites
The Eden Resort has several restaurants, all good but especially they are known for their Sunday Champagne Brunch. Served from 10:30 to 1:30 I would definitely recommend making reservations as it gets very crowded.
The food is delicious and the buffet includes breakfast and lunch entrees as well as a full dessert bar. Known for their crab soup, there are several seafood items on the buffet.
This branch is a great end to your getaway especially on our girls’ weekend trips to the Amish Country.
222 Eden Road, Lancaster, PA 717-569-6444
Final Thoughts
Restaurants in Lancaster PA offer great Amish food so when you’re in the area you must try some. Homemade cooking and baked goods are their specialties along with friendly service.
This list includes the ones I like, what are some of your favorites? Let me know in the comments below.
Kathy xoxo
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