Hands-down my favorite Amish restaurant
By Kevin Williams
The problem with the "Only In Your State" list of Amish attractions in Ohio is that very few of them were actually Amish-connected, the list tilted towards the very touristy. Nothing wrong with very touristy places, but to have a whole list devoted to those types of places does "Amish Country" a disservice (in my opinion), also the list seemed to define Amish Country as solely Holmes County. There is a lot more to Ohio's Amish Country than there. So here is my list:
1. Mrs. Yoder's Kitchen: This is in Mount Hope, Ohio and it's the one area of agreement I had with the Only In Your State list. This restaurant truly is the "gold standard" of Amish restaurants with hard-to-find items on the menu like rivvel soup and poor man's steak. Amish classics, many of them served on a buffet.
2. Lehman's Hardware: Okay, I'll agree with Only In Your State on this one too, but, barely. I love Lehman's. It's a sprawling "hardware" store that has grown from its humble roots into an all-day shopping experience. But there's not a lot Amish about it anymore and that's fine, it's still an awesome place and the reason I include it is that it is in Ohio's Amish country and
3. ADAMS COUNTY, OHIO: About 30 miles east of Cincinnati is one of my favorite Amish communities. You can easily spend a day visiting the Wheat Ridge community and its collection of Amish-run shops and bakeries.
4. MURPHIN RIDGE INN: While the Inn is not Amish-run, it is snug in the middle of the Wheat Ridge community and is one of the most charming bed and breakfasts I've stayed.
5. HARDIN COUNTY, OHIO: Explore the back roads near Kenton and Mt. Victory, Ohio for one of the most authentic Amish experiences in the state. Little Amish-run home-based businesses dot the countryside just awaiting discover.
6. HIGHLAND COUNTY, OHIO: Highland County, Ohio is rapidly becoming "Holmes County South", plenty of Amish experiences to be had here.
7. SHARP RUN MARKET: An Amish-run farm market just west of Berlin, Ohio They have fresh seasonal produce, a corn maze in the fall, animals and more all under the aegis of Lloyd Miller. It’s not the flashiest business around and it doesn’t advertise its Amish-owned status, but it is a fun place to visit.
8. BERLIN BULK FOODS: This is an Amish-owned bulk food store in Berlin, a great place for the kids to pick up candy by the scoop! They are located at 2 N Market St, Berlin, OH 44610.
9. CHRISHOLM HOMESTEAD: See how the Amish used to live in the 1800s by visiting this wonderfully preserved former Amish farm 30 miles north of Cincinnati.
10. THE FARMSTEAD RESTAURANT: Located in Berlin, this doesn't have the ambiance of some Amish-themed restaurants, but, heck, I ran into Wanda Brunstetter at the buffet once. We both rubbed elbows over mashed potatoes. How cool is that.
11. GEAGUA COUNTY, OHIO: It's the fourth largest Amish community in the USA! How could Only In Our State overlook that!?
12. BRIDGE OF DREAMS: At the southern gateway to the sprawling Amish areas of Holmes County, this makes a peaceful place to stop and ponder and listen to the clip-clopping of buggies.
Glenda
Love the list of places to go in Amish country. Cant wait to go see them on my vacation.
Kevin
Glenda, enjoy your trip!
Nana
The Berlin, Walnut Creek, Millersburg OH area is where I make my day trips. on the same side as Mrs. Yoder's Restaurant and the intersection is a bulk food store that is also what I would term an Amish pharmacy . It has all sorts of natural remedies and homeopathic potions. The clerks are Amish and knowledgeable about their products. I found them very interesting. In regards to the language article for health insurance, I was surprised to even see it addressed as from what limited information I have been verbally given by Amish is that they do not carry health insurance but contribute to a fund to care for medical expenses as needed in a pool type operation. The families I know are very reluctant to seek conventional medical care and/or hospitalization. I am sure others know more than I do on the subject but I do not think they do childhood immunizations either.
Kevin
Nana, thanks for the information about the "Amish pharmacy", I might have to check it out next time I am out there. Amish parents have a mixed record on immunization, a lot more of them, I'd venture to guess, the majority, do immunize
Linda from KY
I think it's very cool that you ran into Wanda Brunstetter at the Farmstead Restaurant. Makes me want to go there.
Kevin
I introduced myself, we both knew who each other was, so it was a pleasant, but brief, exchange, she went back to her table and I went back to mine, but it was fun