Dutch-Way Family Restaurant

Reviews 6

TO

Tom Roe

I got a burger that was overcooked and dry. Tasted like cheap meat that had been factory-frozen. The fries were okay. There was no wait, so thats good at least. The service was fairly subpar. It seemed there were only two servers staffed that evening, so it wasnt their fault, however that definitely affected the service in a negative way. The person I was with ordered Veal parm and got chicken parm instead. The table was also dirty when we were seated and we had to ask it be wiped down. Well, we actually asked to be moved, but the hostess refused saying we couldnt change the seating arrangement and wiped the table down instead. The thing that really is irredeemable though, is the a la carte menu and how food is priced. I ordered a burger, two sides, and a drink. Now, the reason I ordered two sides is because a meal usually comes with two sides - it has been this way at every dine-in restaurant I have ever eaten. I was charged for: the third pound burger ($6.50) a side of a bowl of corn ($2), a side of fries ($2), and my coke ($2.50). What I thought would have been $9 turned out to be $12.50 plus tax, plus a tip. This a la carte pricing is ridiculous and is not advertised at all. I also understand that at some places, burgers count as a sandwich and only, perhaps, come with chips or fries. None of this information was listed on the menu and our server did not mention this at all. The atmosphere is country /rustic and PA Dutch. I would actually say thats the best part of this place. Technically, some of the food is authentic PA Dutch, but there are much, much better examples. If youre in the mood for PA Dutch cooking, the best in the area that Ive tried is CR Lapps in Quarryville. Even Gap diner I would say is better. Overall : Poor service. Bland and bad food. Poor staffing. Not clean. Ridiculous a la carte menu pricing. Id say skip this place completely and further down RT 41 to gap and eat at Friendlys, Aunt Jennies, or perhaps even Gap Diner.

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ER

Erik Guercio

There wasnt too many photos of this place online, so we werent sure what to expect when we first went there. As a bit of background, we are Lancaster regulars who have eaten multiple times at multiple smorgasbords (shady maple, deniers, millers, yoders, Hershey farm, and Eden garden champagne brunch). Dutch way offers a very good smorgasbord. We went on Saturdays bbq night. They offered four medium sized "tables" of food. These consisted of a salad bar, a dessert bar, and two hot food bars. They also offered a carving station, which I assume changes depending on the week. The servers were attentive. The place is kept clean. Overall each bar was well stocked with fresh food. More details provided below. The salad bar, 4 stars. +very fresh salad -lacked vinegar as a dressing. *Recommend: romaine lettuce, minced tomatoes, and cottage cheese. Two Hot food bars, 4 stars. +very good selection/variety -food could have been hotter *Recommend: mozzarella sticks, mashed potatoes, and meatloaf. My partner said the mashed were the best out of any smorgasbord. I thought the meatloaf was one of the best Ive ever had. Dessert bar, 2.5 stars +well stocked and plenty of variety for a small place -pie/cake selection limited -soft serve machine not fully functional (chocolate not working) *recommend: soft serve when machine is working and banana pudding. Other items include some breads, soup and cookies. Bread was good. Cookies were great. Soup was mediocre. In summary Id say this place is around as good as yoders but better than deiners. I like Hershey farm more, but my partner liked Dutch way more than Hershey farm. Id say millers is slightly better. Shady maple is the king of the hill. TL;DR: just go here, solid place. Surprised it doesnt draw a larger crowd.

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TH

Theophilus I

I had to drive out west of Harrisburg the other day and thought to stop in at one of the smorgasbord restaurants for dinner on my way home. Since it has been more than 2 years since I had been to one of my favorites I thought to stop there but when I arrived I saw it was their prime rib night. I am not a big fan of prime rib as I like my meat to have no red but checked it out to see if they had the two things that I really like there the Cajun catfish and grilled marinated chicken breast, they did not have either. Since Ditch-Way has been my go to place while in Lancaster I called them to be sure it was not their seafood night and when that was confirmed I headed there arriving around 7:20. Because I usually come for breakfast or lunch I did not expect to see anyone there that I knew but was glad to see that Lori was there. She has been a big help when I have been there especially when I brought a group of bikers in while out on a ride through the covered bridges. It was nice that I was able to go to Dutch-Way as although they do not have the catfish or chicken breast they also do not have the price. Everyone here is always looking to help you out and I have never had to wait for a table even when we came with the group since we had called a couple days ahead to let them know we were coming. If you come in the morning ask for Kristi as she is always on top of getting you what you need.

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A

A Private User

I think what these idiots do is go to Weis and buy there products, place them up the road and charge a few dollars more. Not a single thing they have is cheaper than ANY other nearby store. These people are stingy and cheap! The hilarious Amish Scam everyone falls for is the rebagged beans and pasta trick. THey buy it in bulk, put it in their own plastic bags and packages and pretend they made it with their home made looking labels! Even the "Home made Rootbeer" is artificial flavoring and nothing you cant buy from any chemical flavoring factory. Theres nothing special about the Amish markets except the prices are IN ALL CASES higher than normal markets. Look at their products then compare shop. Youll see where discount name items are rebagged and relabeled at Dutchway. Its sad, but its all a large marketing scheme. Unfortunately these cheapskates just bought the hardware store and everyones upset theyll see Home Depot stuff repackaged and priced higher instead of Ace Hardware stuff. Same owners now have too many stores and do the same scams. Shop elsewhere, let these tactics close. Any idiot can buy, jack up the price and resell (but these people buy retail and sell higher than retail)!

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BR

Brenda Smith

This is a buffet restaurant and also a menu you can order from. The food here is usually good. I dont know whether they change chefs on different days, because some days are better than others. It can be hit or miss. The restaurant is clean and the servers are friendly. The only thing thats annoying to me is that you have to leave the restaurant to go to the restroom. The restroom is out in the hallway that connects the grocery market. You are welcome to come back in, however its just inconvenient to go out and come back.

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WE

Wes Mast

Very poor service. My wife and I were greeted at the door with "We are closing in 30 minutes". Very awkward. During our meal the staff ran the vacuum for at least 10 minutes. At 15 minutes before closing they started turning off lights. To say the least we did not feel welcome and will not go back. We visit Lancaster often and obviously Dutch-Way does not want our business. Thanks for making that clear. Friendlys is right across the street, take Dutch Ways advise and just go there.

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