Shady Maple Smorgasbord

The Shady Maple Smorgasbord is a buffet restaurant located in East Earl, Pennsylvania. It is the largest buffet in the country.^[2]

Shady Maple Smorgasbord
Restaurant information
Established	1985; 40 years ago (1985)
Owner(s)	Phil Weaver (as of 2023)[1]
Street address	129 Toddy Drive
City	East Earl Township
County	Lancaster County
State	Pennsylvania
Postal/ZIP Code	17519
Country	United States
Coordinates	40.115952°N 76.032127°W / 40.115952; -76.032127
Website	www.shady-maple.com

History

The Shady Maple began as a farm stand run by the Martin family. The name came from its location in the shade of a large maple tree. The farm stand evolved under the next generation of family ownership into a small IGA, Inc. supermarket by 1970. A cafeteria with seating for was added to the supermarket in 1982. This was later expanded into a Smorgasbord (buffet) with 300 seats. Subsequent expansions saw it moved to its own building and seating expanded to 1,200.^[3]

Food

The Shady Maple primarily serves the cuisine of the Pennsylvania Dutch. It serves three meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner.^[2]

Facility

The buffet is 200 feet long,^[4] and together with the gift shop cover 111,000 square feet (10,300 m²)^[1]

The building also includes a gift shop^[2] and during elections serves as a polling place.^[5]

Awards and recognition

In 2024 US News rated Shady Maple Smorgasbord the best buffet in the country.^[6][7]

See also

• Miller's Smorgasbord