Shady Maple Smorgasbord

Reviews 3

MO

Morton Fox

Shady Maple Smorgasbord rises up above the Amish countryside like some kind of temple. The entire block is basically a complex of country markets and stores, but in the center is the smorgasbord itself. Parking was abundant, although on a busy Saturday evening, people have managed to almost fill up the entire parking lot. One odd thing about Shady Maple is the banquet entrance is on a different side from the main entrance. It looked confusing at first but I sorted it out quickly. The whole Shady Maple experience was something I had to do once and hopefully never again unless there is a really, really, really special occasion. On a Saturday night, the place was crowded like crazy. Any lines youve experienced before, e.g. DMV, amusement park, concert, have nothing on the line just waiting to check in to the buffet! To make things worse, there were people trying to cut through the lines all the time to get from one side of the lobby to the other. Some were really rude and would simply bump into you without a word of apology. After quite a bit of waiting, I finally was able to pay and enter. Dinner on Saturday was $21.99 plus tax, although I noticed it already included a service charge so there would be no tipping afterwards. Once inside, there was another wait for the hosts to seat everyone. However, this part seemed more efficient. The hosts sorted out everyone into smaller lines based on group size and table preference. (booth or regular table) Past the cash registers, my impression of the dining area was a lot different. Unlike the lobby, the dining area is enormous and divided into a number of sections. They have so many tables that they seem able to handle a crowd, even the mass of humanity waiting in the lobby. The staff was even offering to seat people in the banquet area, if there were groups of six. Also, they seemed fairly efficient at clearing tables once the diners were done so turnaround to accommodate new entrants was fairly quick. After a bit more waiting at the section with the booths, my table was ready. The hostess had a standard spiel for first timers. She explained that there were 4 grilling stations and 200 feet of food. In reality though, its 100 feet of food repeated twice. The long row of buffet tables is arranged so that one half is the mirror image of the other half. So you have desserts, meats, seafoods, soups, and salads, and then salads, soups, seafoods, meats, and desserts again. Also, the drinks and coffee stations are duplicated in a couple of areas so you wont have to walk far to get everything you need. My preference though was to hit the grilling stations repeatedly. I liked the crab cakes and fish, but I also tried some sausage, a cheeseburger, and a slice of pork, just to have something from each station. The food at the buffet tables wasnt as spectacular, although I did enjoy the shrimp, the bacon salad dressing, and the Italian wedding soup. For dessert, why settle for cake or ice cream alone when theres ice cream cake! As for beverages, I mixed all the Icee flavors together but I also tried the apple cider, which was pretty good. Overall though, Id say the food is a cut above places like Old Country Buffet and Golden Corral. I havent tried Millers or any other smorgasbord in the area yet, so I have no basis for comparison there. Crowding is a serious problem because at the buffet tables, youll get jostled and bumped into, and some of the customers are rather rude. Perhaps it is advisable not to go on a Saturday evening, which Im told is usually their busiest day, even when there isnt a special event.

KU

Kurt Honhart

I had no idea this place existed. I live in Langhorne and was travelling home after spending a couple of days in Gettysburg. I was in no hurry to get home, so I decided to enjoy myself and take the back-roads, passing through York, Lancaster City, etal. I was travelling along rt. 23 and was starting thinking about lunch, when I saw the big parking lot on my right and the sign on the building that said Shady Maple Smorgasbord, and I thought to myself why not. I am not unfamiliar with smorgasbord (aka buffet restaurants) having eaten many times at the Old Country Buffet near where I live, which is now sadly closed. Ive even eaten at the Amish buffet restaurant in Bird-In-Hand, which I initially wondered if it might be the same place. Of course, despite similarities (the ample parking, the places for the tour buses to drop off their payload, the gift shop on the first floor, the restaurant on the second floor) I realized quickly enough that this was going to be a brand new experience. I dont recall the Bird-In-Hand buffet as being small, but this place was gigantic. I dont recall ever having to wait for a hostess to seat me in a buffet restaurant, but there she was, guiding me to my booth, explaining to me the procedural rules after I responded to her question that I had never been to this place before. I mentioned earlier that I wasnt unfamiliar with buffet restaurants, so from that point on it was smooth sailing. I didnt have a ton to eat. ( a cheeseburger, no condiments; a beef frankfurter, no bun; a quarter piece of kielbasa; a meatball (yum); korean bbq pulled pork (also very tasty), lasagna, white rice (which turned out to be generously buttered, thank you) and buttered egg noodles (a childhood favorite) and for dessert I took the sole piece of chocolate mint cake - a perfect finish ) I dont know from how from far away people travel to come here, but with the huge gift shop below and the big farmers market across the parking lot Im going to assume that it is a very popular destination, that I recommend that you should try, if your able, to visit, if not for the food (which shouldnt disappoint) than for the sheer enormity of it all, which is mind boggling.

BE

Bernice Pascone

I made my reservations at the end of the summer for our annual family trip to Stratsburg R.R. train ride. We have been doing this for 26 years. I made my reservations Months In Advance. I told the girl I spoke with that there would be 25 of us. When we arrived on Sat. 12/17, I was told I had no reservations. Upset, yep! Finally they found the reservation under my first name. We go to pay and I was told we have to pay as a group, not individually. I WAS NOT TOLD THIS WHEN I MADE THE RESERVATIONS months ago. Upset, yep! Then I find out that some of us who are senior citizens are not eligible to get the senior price, because we are in a "group". Upset, yep! Why was I not told this when I made my reservations? After we get that mess straightened out, we are taken to OUR TABLE. ***NOT ONE TABLE, BUT 3 TABLES. ***Disappointed, yep! Why was I not told this when I made my reservations, months ago that we would be separated? Some of us came from N.J., some from Pa. Its a Tradition I started when my twins were 2 yrs. old. They are now 28 yrs old. Our family has grown, friends now join us. Some of whom were never at Shady Maple before. We couldnt even sit together as a family to enjoy our time together. I asked to speak with the Manager. I was told I was speaking to the Manager. Very poor customer service, customer relations to say the least. Next year we will probably have at least 4 more people join us, but, it will not be at Shady Maple! Its a shame, because the food was very good, very clean restaurant, beautiful decor. If anyone has any suggestions on another dinning restaurant, please post. We would appreciate it. Thank you. Not at all how I planned this special time to be.