12 Picture Perfect Places To Visit in Ohio's Amish Country

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.