Shady Maple Smorgasbord

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The Shady Maple Smorgasbord is a buffet restaurant located in East Earl, Pennsylvania. It is the largest buffet in the country. [1]

Contents

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. Subsequesnt expansions saw it moved to its own building and seating expanded to 1,200. [2]

Food

The Shady Maple primarily serves the cuisine of the Pennsylvania Dutch. It serves three meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. [1]

Facility

The buffet is 200 feet long. [3]

The building also includes a gift shop [1] and during elections serves as a polling place. [4]

Awards and recognition

In 2024 US News rated Shady Maple Smorgasbord the best buffet in the country. [5] [6]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 MACPHERSON, ADRIANNA (30 November 2024). "The Pennsylvania Restaurant That Houses The Largest Buffet In The US". mashed.com. Mashed. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  2. Hoeffner, Joe. "The Largest Buffet In America Is Nestled In Rural Pennsylvania". The Takeout.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  3. Petrosemolo, Art (25 August 2024). "A Closer Look at Two of America's Top-Rated Smorgasbords". lancasterfarming.com. Lancaster Farmer. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  4. Doran, Brady (5 November 2024). "America's largest buffet is also a polling place in Pennsylvania". abc27.com. ABC 27. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  5. "Get your all-you-can-eat fix at the 10 best buffet restaurants in the US". usatoday.com. USA Today. 29 June 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  6. Larlham Jr., Daniel. "Two Central PA buffets voted best in the country by USA Today readers". ldnews.com. Lancaster Daily News. Retrieved 10 December 2024.