Categories: TRAVEL

Shady Maple Farm Market and Smorgasbord in East Earl, PA – Lancaster County

Shady Maple smorgasbord had humble beginnings as a roadside produce stand. Now, with hard working employees and a motto of “give the customer quality food and service and you’ll have a customer for life”, they’ve built up a successful business that they acknowledge is because of the Lord Jesus Christ. With the expanded facility opened in 2000, the restaurant can now hold up to 500 people. The building is so large it almost looks like it’s own city!

Even with the large seating capacity there is almost always a line. You can often wait up to 1 hour to get in. That’s because the word has gotten out about how great the food is. Everything is homemade, Amish-style, and each thing is tastier than the last. If you are in the mood for a salad, you’ll find everything to make it complete on the salad bar.

They have pickled eggs, an Amish favorite, and every raw vegetable imaginable, as well as potato salads, coleslaw, and more. Pair it with a slice of tasty flavored bread and spread it with apple butter or season-enhanced butter. There are plenty of bread choices including apple Cinnamon, raspberry, spinach, blueberry and many others. And each is drizzle with icing at the top. Delicious!

And that’s just the beginning. There are over 40 fresh vegetables and side dishes on the buffet including warm pickled beets, to corn, candied sweet tomatoes, candied yams, carrots, creamy macaroni and cheese, fluffy mash potatoes, sweet lima beans with bacon, and so much more. And the meats are just as extensive.

You have your choice of various things on the buffet, carved meats, and several grills with chefs cooking your meal fresh. My favorite is the salmon, on Fridays when seafood is the main special. There are so many things to choose from on at the grills, you can almost make that your entire meal without ever visiting the buffet line!

They have every condiment you could possibly need and drinks galore. Flavored coffees, teas, a wealth of soda choices, juices, and even 7-Eleven Slurpees, are included in the price, and just like the food, you can have as much as you want.

Dessert is equally as elaborate including the typical selections like chocolate cake, puddings, fresh fruits, cookies, brownies, along with Amish favorites like shoofly pie, red velvet cake, coconut cream pie and a wealth of other scrumptious goodies. Just opposite the buffet line are warm desserts and soft serve ice cream with many toppings. With so many choices, you can skip your dinner and go straight for dessert!

And don’t think that with the large quantity of items that quality is sacrificed because it isn’t. Each item is prepared as if you just special ordered it. Shady Maple really lives up to the high standards you expect from the Amish.

Selections change daily, but you’ll never be disappointed. There is always something tasty to indulge in.

Daily specials are subject to change and include:
Monday – steak night
Tuesday – seafood night
Wednesday – prime rib night
Thursday – chicken
Friday – fried shrimp, Cajun catfish, salmon
Saturday – crab cakes, Cajun catfish, salmon

Breakfast and lunch also available.

During your visit to forget to ask about free birthday meals and 10% discounts for those over the age of 60.

Hours:
Open Monday through Saturday from 5am to 8pm. Closed on Sundays and major holidays.

Contact Shady Maple at:
(717) 354-8222
129 Toddy Drive
East Earl, PA 17519

Visiting tip:
If you plan on outlet shopping at the Rockvale Square or Tanger Outlets on Route 30, keep in mind that the journey to Shady Maple will take about a half an hour. Combine that with a little bit of a wait and the leisurely time you’ll spend dining there, and you’ll need to allow plenty of time in your day for this visit. Keep that in mind when planning your day so you can fit everything in.

Suggestion:
Instead of going to the outlets, check out the Flower and Craft Warehouse just around the corner from Shady Maple. Crafty ladies and home decorators can spend several hours in there. Spend a few hours in the morning exploring the first floor, take a lunch break at Shady Maple, and then go back and visit the second floor.