The Pennsylvania Restaurant With The Largest Buffet In The US

The buffets of Las Vegas may get all of the attention, but if you are a fan of all-you-can-eat restaurants, you may want to book a flight to Amish country instead. Buffets are something of an American tradition. It's not that you won't find them in other countries — you'll find plenty — but the combination of prosperity and excess with blue-collar affordability is something that elicits a certain level of pride in the U.S. Vegas buffets have turned the concept into a highly expensive, luxury affair, but most of the best buffets in the U.S. are more about the original draw: providing a royal spread of local cooking at prices the average person can stomach. And for the epitome of that experience, you need to go to Shady Maple in East Earl, Pennsylvania.

Located in Lancaster county at the center of Pennsylvania's Amish community, Shady Maple boasts of being the largest buffet in the country, with over 200 feet of food and over 100 different options to choose from — but it's actually even more than that. The business started as a farm stand before becoming a produce market in the 1970s. It became the largest farm shop in PA with a 44,000 square foot gift shop, making it one of the top attractions in the region. The buffet (which is actually called the Shady Maple Smorgasbord) was first opened by the Weaver family that owns the store in 1985. Since then, it has been expanded multiple times, growing to include a rentable banquet hall and even a convention space.

The size of Shady Maple would make it notable on its own, but it didn't get huge for no reason. People love both the deal and the food, with USA Today readers voting it the number one buffet in America in 2024. While the menu is huge, it also rotates based on the day of the week, with a seafood night featuring fried shrimp, catfish, and shellfish, a prime rib night, a wing night, and plenty of favorites that show up most days, including beef brisket, pierogies, carved ham, and steak.

While the meat and seafood centerpieces are always going to be a focus, what really sets Shady Maple apart are the local Pennsylvania specialties. For baked goods, you'll find apple dumplings and apple butter, as well as everything potato, from potato rolls and pancakes to Pennsylvania Dutch potato filling. From there, you can load up with kielbasa, Swedish meatballs, and Amish-style chicken and waffles, but make sure you save some room for the Shoofly pie and old fashioned whoopie pies.

Despite its scale, Shady Maple is still growing too. While there are no plans to open another Smorgasbord location, the market side of the business is set to expand into new Shady Maple Fresh locations in the surrounding area. It's all part of a growing food empire and all made possible by one of the most unique buffets in the country.