Shady Maple Smorgasbord

WARNING!!! Ignorant about gastric bypass surgery not to mention they were extremely rude about it. I visited Pennsylvania with my husband and kids and decided to try Shady Maple Smorgasbord on 7/18/13. I had gastric bypass surgery not too long ago and as a result, I can only ear 4-8 oz at each meal. I was shocked to learn how ignorant this restaurant was regarding this subject. Their criteria for discounts: 1 year post op = 50% off. 2nd year = 10% off and 3+ years = 0. Seriously? It doesn't matter if you are 1 day out of surgery or 10 years! A person who has had this procedure will NEVER eat more than 4-8 oz so the logic for their criteria is absurd! Oh, and if you attempt to get a ""discount"", you have to present a card (which I have) and the card must have your surgeons signature and date of surgery on it. Sorry if my surgeon's office doesn't sign and date the cards since most don't. I guess I should have forged the back myself before I presented it?? So the only choice I had was to go downstairs and order something ""to go"" from their cafe in the gift shop and bring it up to the buffet so I could have dinner with my family. Needleless to say, people stared at me as I ate from my styrofoam container. Not to mention the food was cold and soggy by the time we were seated. And the waitress watched me like a hawk! Really?! Like I said, I can only eat 4-8 oz!!! I plan on spreading the word about this ignorant establishment wherever possible. Shame on you Mr. Elwood Martin (President)!!!!!! You really should educate yourself on this subject before put such absurd policies in place. more

food was dry service not the friendly she must of had a bad day price to high nothing like the old days all food was home made now i could have got a tv dinner for $2.00 and saved the gas or gone to yoders just down the road from there i love the food it is all home made price is like 5.95 all you can eat much more home like Smorgasbord people are nicer not a rush and stairing at you like are you leveing yet or omy you might take a pice of bread home for the dog that would be thrown out anyway over rated sorry Shady Maple Smorgasbord to big you belong in the city phila. not in Lancaster more

Do you like fresh food? Do you like hot food? Do you want to be able to pick from over 20 different beverages including slushes to go with dinner? Do you like food made to order? Do you want a FREE birthday meal on your birthday? Then you want to go to Shady Maple. Today is my birthday and I always go there for my free meal as well as when it is not my birthday. It is a 30 min drive from my house and I would not drive some where that far if it was not worth it. It is like the Willy Wonka of buffets! Clean and nice atmosphere and an experience like no other. more

all the people were very friendly, so much food to choose from you have to go back again and again to try... more

all the people were very friendly, so much food to choose from you have to go back again and again to try it all! more

Shady Maple is a destination worth the drive. The buffet is huge, although part of the size is the food... more

Shady Maple is a destination worth the drive. The buffet is huge, although part of the size is the food stations repeating. The building itself is ... more

The food here is wonderful - always fresh and delicious. Breakfast is my personal favorite meal, but the food at all meals is excellent. My husband and I try to eat here as often as we can when back in PA to visit family. more

ALERT ALERT.....Please be forewarned.....I went to this Shady Maple with 2 of my business associates two weeks ago....Two of us got very sick from eating there....When we finished eating we noticed there were hundreds of flying insects around the dessert buffet table....It was so horrible and nauseating to see...The management did not seem to care when we complained.....We respectfully asked for our money back and they outwardly refused....They are the absolute worst there and treat their customers horribly....I would never ever recommend eating there unless you wanted to become ill as 2 of us became....The worst, absolute worst thing about this whole nightmare was the management DID NOT EVEN CARE IF WE GOT SICK !!!!!! Please stay away from this place....its really not worth it......Thank You Pros: Convienent to shopping Cons: BUGS,,,everywhere on the dessert table more

On Monday we were advised by a saleman to have lunch at Shady Maple. (We are out of town people). We did and were delighted with the recommendation. The food choices were excellent: beef, chicken, fish, vegetables and desserts were delicious! In fact everything from the salad to the desserts were outstanding. We are now commited to having lunch at Shady Maple everytime we travel to VFO in Reading. The 15 mile side trip will be a wonderful addition to our 2 hour drive from home. The neat, clean, courteous and pleasing atmosphere was very much appreciated as well. Many thanks!! more

This place has only changed is size over the 24+ years i've been going!!!!!! I remember going and waiting in line for over an hour, and every second was worth the wait. This is a place I went to when I was a kid and now take MY children and enjoy the looks on their face when they see all the wonderful food. There is no other place that compairs to the polite staff and wonderful food. Pros: Wonderful food. and every day has a different special. Cons: Too much to choose from. more

This place is so full of great food you can't even begin to sample the stuff you will enjoy before you are fuller than you ought to be in the first place--but there is still so much you want to taste. Pros: Astounding variety, much better than average smorgasbord. Cons: Lots of ground to cover. This place is huge. more

The food here is the best cooking, next to mine, that I have ever tasted. Pure down-home from breakfast to dinner. The extent of the items is inexhaustable. I have never found any item to be substandard. PERFECTION is the name of the game. TASTE, unequaled. If great tasting hardy food is for you, this is the PLACE. What else can I say except A+A+A+A+A+++. The prices are very reasonable for the smorgasbord that is yours to select from. The old saying ""Soup to Nuts"", does not even come close. Please do yourself a favor. TRY IT. Just a little added touch. The drive and scenic beauty of the area is lovely. The GOODS Store and the Shady Maple Market, all on the premises, are an added bonus and delight. Make it a day you will cherish. Call for times of the Goods store and Market. Some days they close early. I believe around 5:oo, You do not want to miss any of this. Also, I almost forgot. the beautiful gift shoppe, below the restaurant. All of this in addition to the A+A+A+ food, will give you a wonderful day in Pennsylvanis Dutch Country. ENJOY! Pros: ALL THUMBS UP A+A+A+A+ Cons: NONE - The only one I can think of is that I do not live closer. more

Can be extremely busy. Long lines just to get in. Food iv good, though. I feel it is a little expensive. more

My family travels a couple of times a year from New York, to relax and fill up on some good food. We found Shady Maple and it has quickly become one of our favorite places. Before, we thought Miller's Smorgasbord was the best, but since they have become so expensive we were looking for someplace to replace it. We found it. First, the price. You can't beat it. The buffet is about $12.00 average, depending on the night. Breakfast is even cheaper. They are both great. The selection beats just about any other buffet in town. Miller's pales in comparison. The selection of meats, veggies, desserts, everything is even somewhat overwhelming. You really have to scope everything out before making selections. My only complaint is that the staff can sometimes be a little abrupt, but that may because they have to deal with the crowds that are always present. Enjoy. Pros: Value, Selection, Delicious Cons: Crowded, Get there early more

Now THIS is a true taste of Lancaster County cooking. Shady Maple is about as true to sitting at my grandmother's table as any restaurant could be in the area. Also, the staff is hospitable, helpful, knowledgeable... I HIGHLY recommend a stop here. Plus, they have an incredible gift shop on their lower level. Sure, they have the usual touristy trinkets but the larger percentage of their products is quality items. It is well worth your wait in line! Pros: Great value, Excellent choices, Clean more

Great food at an extremely fair price and friendly atmosphere Pros: Great Variety, Clean, Reasonable Price Cons: To crowded, To Noisy more

It is usually a short wait. When you get seated, you just get up and go to either of the two line that feature the same features. It has a wide variety of foods. Every day it has at least 5 meats and 14 vegtables and a variety of deserts. it features a fast food resturaunt and a gift shop on the lower floor. more