I've spent the past few days poking around Amish country in Holmes County, Ohio. Beyond the beautiful, bucolic scenery and roads crammed with buggies, there's the issue of meals. One's gotta eat even if they are working! Too many restaurants proclaiming Amish-style food offer uninspiring dishes that are more bland than bold. While Amish cooking is plain, it's not dull. Most restaurants don't get that. Not Mrs. Yoder's Kitchen. Rachel and I stumbled upon this wonderful restaurant while taking a drive through Mount Hope, where Amish seem to outnumber non-Amish. A quick check of Urbanspoon.com revealed excellent reviews (and I had heard people saying great things about the place on this site), so Rachel and I went in. An immediate good sign was the number of Amish people who were customers. If they think the food is good, that's enough for me.
This places offers an amazing array of the fabled 7 sweets and 7 sours (that's largely a media myth, by the way). The mashed potatoes are as fluffy as clouds and the noodles soaked with flavor. Honestly, the salad bar was probably my favorite, offering locally grown greens, a tomato salad bursting with flavor, and a macaroni salad that had me running back for more. The salad bar also had locally made perfectly crisp homemade pickles, red beets singing with flavor, and mustard eggs that actually tasted mustardy. This is a heartily heaping plate of our salad from the salad bar. After suffering through days of bland meals, this place was a manna from culinary heaven. More about my stay in wonderfully hospitable Holmes County in the days ahead.
Margie Conrad
Mrs. Yoder's has the best fried chicken wings, love it....
Tammie Yoder
Wish I had known you were going to Mrs. Yoder's. My husband and I went last fall, and I have wished I had picked up some mugs ever since. I would have had you pick up a couple of mugs for me. 🙂 Great food and service.
Arlene Morr
We have eaten here many times and everything was always good...the salad bar is wonderful and your plate from there made my mouth water...thanks for the memories.
Betsy Thompson
I'm heading to Holmes County a week from tomorrow for a long weekend, and will definitely make a stop at Mrs. Yoder's Kitchen. I've heard great things about it from many sources. If I remember right, Kidron also has a nice fabric store and a small branch of Lehman's.
Betsy Thompson
Sorry--I had the wrong town. My mind wandered to Kidron when the subject was Mount Hope! Lehman's is in Kidron, not Mount Hope. Too early in the morning to be posting I guess!
Barb Wright
Thanks,Kevin for making me "homesick"..LOL. When we were in Ohio last summer I didn't get to see everything..the vacation was way too short. Ah well,at least I can travel with you!! I am looking forward to more of your photos! By the way,everywhere we ate was good(with the exception of the diner attached to the motel..yuk!). How do you choose?
Joe Blust
So far Kevin you are 3 for 3 in eating establishments. When my wife Gerri and I were there on July 22-24th we ate at all 3. and they are the best. We also drive the country side and stop in many farms that advertise home-made furniture. We have many, many pieces of furniture purchased over the years there. We try to go at least 2 a year for 3 or 4 days. Used to stay at Millers B&B but now we stay at the Comfort Inn Suits as we can walk up on the main drag and enjoy our shopping.
Jackiewishesshewasplain
My family and I ate there when we visited Holmes county 3 years ago! We loved it. All these restaurants serve almost the same things but . But Mrs Yoders does the best execution!
Diana H
Kevin, you certainly know how to build a delicious salad! My mouth is watering
for a bite of it. And I noticed that
you managed to show part of the menu and the very reasonable prices too.
It's the perfect time of year for a trip up there w/the expectation of a delightful
meal. Thanks for the tip and the pix.
Kevin
Mmmmm, wish I would have thought to order the tea, that would have been more refreshing that Pepsi...I'll try the tea next time for sure,thanks for the tip!