Restaurant Review: Stoll's Lakeview Restaurant (Amish Buffet)

I think a restaurant would have to be REALLY bad for me to write something bad about it.  Words one writes and posts online can stay around for decades and, sheesh, what if you just happened to catch a place on a bad night?  I think that is why true food critics visit a restaurant several times before rendering a verdict. So this isn't really a restaurant review as much as it is commentary. My opinion only.  I encourage you to try this place for yourself.

I had seen signs for Stoll's (a common Amish name in this area) Amish Buffet on my way back from Gloria's last summer.  The restaurant's official name is Stoll's Lakeview Restaurant, but it emphasizes the Amish buffet part. I made a mental note to myself to check it out next time I was out that way.  So, sure enough, last week I checked it out!  It is located on the shores of West Boggs Lake on US 231 just north of the town of Loogootee.  I'm going to assume that the owners have an Amish background with the name Stoll's.

I was traveling alone and I think buffets are sort of "social experiences"  ("Wow, those noodles were great!" or "holy cow, see how much food that man piled on his plate?"), so going alone takes something away from it right there.  Especially in such a gorgeous setting.  I had a table right by a window overlooking a lake, that is something you want to share.

So, some highlights and opinions:

Stoll's is definitely worth checking out if you're in the area.   The buffet isn't huge, but they have traditional favorites like homemade noodles, homemade bread, fried chicken, and even Poor Man's Steak, that is an Amish favorite and I have not seen that at any other buffet.  That alone might be enough reason to check it out.  I had delicious broccoli salad and there was some sort of egg dish that was very good.

The desserts are not included in the buffet, you have to order them separately, but it's worthwhile.  The butterscotch pie was some of the best I have tasted anywhere (and I have tasted a lot of Amish butterscotch).  The raisin pie wasn't my favorite.  But regular readers know I don't like raisins much.  I only like Amish raisin pies where the flavor of the raisins are masked by a lot of other stuff.  This pie was packed with raisins. I took a piece hope for the raisin-loving Rachel who gave it a thumbs up.

But perhaps the best thing about Stoll's is something I didn't get to try: they have a breakfast buffet.  I am a sucker for breakfast buffets so I will have go next time I am in the area and go in the morning!  They also have homemade noodles, cookies, and breads which you can buy to take home and a little gift shop (SIGH, none of my books were stocked there!)

I really enjoyed Stoll's and so do a lot of people, here are some Stoll's lakeview restaurant reviews

From TripAdvisor: We came for lunch and had the buffet. Everything was good. The fried chicken was moist. The sausage had a great flavor. There’s a large variety of foods to choose from. The service was outstanding. We never ran out of out beverages and as soon as we were finished and got another plate, the staff came by and removed our used plates. We will definitely return. My brother-in-law said ANY time you want to come back here, we’re going with you. This restaurant was definitely worth the trip!

From TripAdvisor: We stopped in on our way home from French Lick, IN. The whole experience was absolutely amazing! Starting with the staff. They were so nice and accommodating. It felt like you were visiting relatives. The buffet was incredible!!! Fresh hot fried chicken, and the chicken and dumplings were like none I have ever tasted! Every single thing on the buffet was mouthwatering delicious! Be sure to save room for dessert. There is an extensive made from scratch selection from cobblers to pies! I can't wait to go there again! Did I mention it sits on a large, beautiful, scenic lake too?

From Yelp: This buffet was worth the 100+ miles to get there. The Amish people are so friendly and cook delicious food! We were there on Saturday which turns out to be the best day to go.... the roast beef was melt-in- your-mouth phenomenally delicious! But then so was the fried chicken, noodles, green beans, salad bar including beets(yum). I enjoyed the best bread ever, too, with delicious apple butter
Had to go back for more of that!

It's hard to save room for dessert but you must try everything! The cherry pie had popping fresh cherries. The chocolate cream pie was delicious. The cookies were some of the best I've ever had.

The scenery at the restaurant is so pretty. There are picnic tables and shelters. But there are no docks for the boats so you'd be best off driving there. It's definitely worth the trip.