The Shady Maple Smorgasboard
The dining experience of a lifetime
By Frank Ioele
Ah! There’s nothing like a home cooked meal, is there? How many
do you think you cooked last year? Probably less than 365. Well, imagine cooking more than 1.4 million. That’s what Shady Maple Smorgasbord did
in the past year!
Located in the heart of the Pennsylvania Dutch country at 129 Toddy Drive in East Earl, Pennsylvania, Shady Maple is a 210,000 square feet buffet restaurant. It seats 1,900 people in the main dining room and another 1,000 in a private banquet room. They offer the largest selection of popular Pennsylvania Dutch cooking as well as a vast amount of other fabulous cuisines.
It all began in 1962 when Mr. & Mrs. Henry Z. Martin opened a roadside produce stand under a group of shady maple trees. In July of 1970, their daughter Miriam and her husband took over the business and opened the first block building in the area to sell produce.
They teamed up with IGA supermarkets to include groceries as well.
By 1980, the market had grown to 45,000 square feet and 130 employees with a bakery and a lunch counter.
In 1982, the store was expanded to 70,000 square feet with a fast food cafeteria.
Finally, in July of 1985 it was decided to venture into the all you can eat for one price mode of dining in another building with 300 seats. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were offered. The restaurant became so popular that a one to two hour wait became common.
Business was so good that in April of 1989 the building was doubled in size with a seating capacity of 500.
I was first introduced to Shady Maple in the summer of 1993 and I fondly recall waiting in a line that snaked back and forth on itself three or four times before you got to the register to pay. The closer you got, the stronger the smells of various dishes became and the more you became impatient to get inside!
Once seated, a feast of salads, soups and hot and cold dishes awaited your selection! And let’s not forget the wonderful breads and desserts.
Finally, in September of 2000 the current building was opened which I am happy to report, cut the waiting time down to a very short interval.
In 2005 a conference and banquet center was added.
Now let’s get to the most important topic: the menu!
Let’s begin with their specials!
Monday is Delmonico and N.Y. strip steak night cooked to your own choice. Tuesday is seafood night while Wednesday offers you prime rib and honey ham. Thursday is all you can eat rib night. Friday is fish night with breaded shrimp, Cajun catfish and salmon. Saturday will entice you with crab cakes, an encore of Cajun catfish and salmon.
The daily menu includes seven other meats like roast pork, turkey and chicken.
There are also 14 vegetables and grilled specialties. The salad bar offers over 40 items including homemade potato, macaroni and pasta salads.
Don’t forget to save room for dessert which tempts you with a vast array of fruit pies, cakes, cookies, cobblers, puddings and a make-your-own sundae bar!
In total, there are 200 feet of food from which to choose.
After dinner, you must visit the gift shop on the lower level. There you will find over 40,000 square feet of unique gifts including candles, collectibles, souvenirs, furniture, sports memorabilia, garden items, toys and foodstuffs.
Their hours are Monday through Saturday 8 A.M. to 9 P.M.
Visit their website at www.shadymaplegiftshop.com
Don’t miss the Shady Maple experience when you are anywhere near the Pennsylvania Dutch area.
If you go on your birthday, bring proof and they will treat you to a free meal!
Breakfast is served from 6 A.M. to 10 A.M.
Lunch is offered from 11 A.M. to 3:15 P.M.
Dinner is from 4 P.M. to 8 P.M. Monday through Friday. On Saturdays, dinner is served from 11 A.M. to 8 P.M.
They are closed on Sundays and holidays.
Catering is offered (call 717-354-8222 ext. 793).
Last but certainly not least, visit one of the largest supermarkets you’ll ever see. The Shady Maple Farm Market is 70,000 square feet of groceries with a bakery, large seafood deli, meat department and pharmacy.
So, what are you waiting for? Get into your car and get on over to East Earl, Pennsylvania for the dining experience of a lifetime!
You can reach Shady Maple by phone at 717-354-4981 or via email at [email protected]
Shady Maple is located at 129 Toddy Drive, East Earl, Pennsylvania.
Visit the Shady Maple website at http://www.shady-maple.com/
Article by Frank Ioele. Copyright 2015 Sunny Harbor Publishing. PO Box 560318, Rockledge, FL 32956. Phone: 321-446-7552. Email: [email protected]
Keywords: Shady Maple, East Earl, Pennsylvania, Frank Ioele, Family Travelers Magazine, Shady Maple Smorgasboard, Shady Maple Farm Market,
The dining experience of a lifetime
By Frank Ioele
Ah! There’s nothing like a home cooked meal, is there? How many
do you think you cooked last year? Probably less than 365. Well, imagine cooking more than 1.4 million. That’s what Shady Maple Smorgasbord did
in the past year!
Located in the heart of the Pennsylvania Dutch country at 129 Toddy Drive in East Earl, Pennsylvania, Shady Maple is a 210,000 square feet buffet restaurant. It seats 1,900 people in the main dining room and another 1,000 in a private banquet room. They offer the largest selection of popular Pennsylvania Dutch cooking as well as a vast amount of other fabulous cuisines.
It all began in 1962 when Mr. & Mrs. Henry Z. Martin opened a roadside produce stand under a group of shady maple trees. In July of 1970, their daughter Miriam and her husband took over the business and opened the first block building in the area to sell produce.
They teamed up with IGA supermarkets to include groceries as well.
By 1980, the market had grown to 45,000 square feet and 130 employees with a bakery and a lunch counter.
In 1982, the store was expanded to 70,000 square feet with a fast food cafeteria.
Finally, in July of 1985 it was decided to venture into the all you can eat for one price mode of dining in another building with 300 seats. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were offered. The restaurant became so popular that a one to two hour wait became common.
Business was so good that in April of 1989 the building was doubled in size with a seating capacity of 500.
I was first introduced to Shady Maple in the summer of 1993 and I fondly recall waiting in a line that snaked back and forth on itself three or four times before you got to the register to pay. The closer you got, the stronger the smells of various dishes became and the more you became impatient to get inside!
Once seated, a feast of salads, soups and hot and cold dishes awaited your selection! And let’s not forget the wonderful breads and desserts.
Finally, in September of 2000 the current building was opened which I am happy to report, cut the waiting time down to a very short interval.
In 2005 a conference and banquet center was added.
Now let’s get to the most important topic: the menu!
Let’s begin with their specials!
Monday is Delmonico and N.Y. strip steak night cooked to your own choice. Tuesday is seafood night while Wednesday offers you prime rib and honey ham. Thursday is all you can eat rib night. Friday is fish night with breaded shrimp, Cajun catfish and salmon. Saturday will entice you with crab cakes, an encore of Cajun catfish and salmon.
The daily menu includes seven other meats like roast pork, turkey and chicken.
There are also 14 vegetables and grilled specialties. The salad bar offers over 40 items including homemade potato, macaroni and pasta salads.
Don’t forget to save room for dessert which tempts you with a vast array of fruit pies, cakes, cookies, cobblers, puddings and a make-your-own sundae bar!
In total, there are 200 feet of food from which to choose.
After dinner, you must visit the gift shop on the lower level. There you will find over 40,000 square feet of unique gifts including candles, collectibles, souvenirs, furniture, sports memorabilia, garden items, toys and foodstuffs.
Their hours are Monday through Saturday 8 A.M. to 9 P.M.
Visit their website at www.shadymaplegiftshop.com
Don’t miss the Shady Maple experience when you are anywhere near the Pennsylvania Dutch area.
If you go on your birthday, bring proof and they will treat you to a free meal!
Breakfast is served from 6 A.M. to 10 A.M.
Lunch is offered from 11 A.M. to 3:15 P.M.
Dinner is from 4 P.M. to 8 P.M. Monday through Friday. On Saturdays, dinner is served from 11 A.M. to 8 P.M.
They are closed on Sundays and holidays.
Catering is offered (call 717-354-8222 ext. 793).
Last but certainly not least, visit one of the largest supermarkets you’ll ever see. The Shady Maple Farm Market is 70,000 square feet of groceries with a bakery, large seafood deli, meat department and pharmacy.
So, what are you waiting for? Get into your car and get on over to East Earl, Pennsylvania for the dining experience of a lifetime!
You can reach Shady Maple by phone at 717-354-4981 or via email at [email protected]
Shady Maple is located at 129 Toddy Drive, East Earl, Pennsylvania.
Visit the Shady Maple website at http://www.shady-maple.com/
Article by Frank Ioele. Copyright 2015 Sunny Harbor Publishing. PO Box 560318, Rockledge, FL 32956. Phone: 321-446-7552. Email: [email protected]
Keywords: Shady Maple, East Earl, Pennsylvania, Frank Ioele, Family Travelers Magazine, Shady Maple Smorgasboard, Shady Maple Farm Market,
|
Widget is loading comments...
|
|