Finding a Plain-owned (Amish or Mennonite) eatery is rare. Yes, there are Amish-themed restaurants like Essenhaus and the Der Dutchman brand, but actual Amish-owned restaurants? They exist, but they are hard to find. In tiny Bainbridge, Ohio, you have the Old Order Mennonite-owned Country Crust Bakery which makes amazing pastries and baked goods. Then you have Martin's General Store across the street, they are a Mennonite-owned bulk food and furniture emporium, but they also have a deli where you can get Mennonite-made, homemade sandwiches.
Dutch Kitchen
Hours, Monday - Saturday - Breakfast, 7 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Lunch, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
2544 State Route 41 S; Bainbridge, Ohio 45612,
This restaurant is Old Order Mennonite-owned. That means everything is done using traditional methods: no electricity, for starters. The building lets in enough natural light, but if it is a cloudy day you may find yourself dining in a dim room, but that is fine, doesn't affect the food. Food is prepared in gas ovens and made from scratch.
Crafts Unlimited
One of the aspects that makes Dutch Kitchen so charming is that it is surrounded by Crafts Unlimited, which is a classic Amish-Mennonite "sundry store", selling everything from hand-made furniture, Mennonite clothing, games, and hardware. So you can order your food and then while waiting for it to come to your table you can peruse the amazing offerings at Crafts Unlimited.
🍗 Scenes From Dutch Kitchen
I took my mother here for her 80th birthday, well, it was the day after her 80th birthday, just a nice day to get out an explore and we ended up at Dutch Kitchen.
I had the daily special and, holy cow, that is a lot of food for $8.75 and they have only raised the price of their daily special by 75-cents since I was last there in 2017.
If you are a looking for a varied menu, you won't find it at the Dutch Kitchen. See the above menu: just a few basic items.
If you are looking for something flashy, Dutch Kitchen isn't it. If you are looking for authentic, Dutch Kitchen is it. There is a seating area with about 10-15 tables, clean restrooms, and a little kitchen when the Mennonite cooks create the meals.
My mother got a fried bologna sandwich for her lunch and I have to admit I found myself almost wishing I had done the same because it looked so good. Thick slices of bologna on homemade bread. Delish.
Monday is steak day and that is what I had: mashed potatoes gravy, cheesy noodles, green beans, and steak, for $8.75. You can barely get a fast-food meal for that price. Don't, however, expect this to be a t-bone steak. This is more like the Amish poor man's steak, made from ground beef, but still delicious!
This was the strawberry lemonade I ordered. So good!
Dutch Kitchen rotates out desserts. There are pies like coconut cream pie and then this amazing cherry creme cheese pie with a graham crust. It. Was. Amazing.
✂️ Scenes From Crafts Unlimited
I love this store within-a-store concept. After you have ordered your food, peruse the surrounding store.
The store caters to tourists but also to the local Mennonite community as evidenced by this selection of dresses.
A nice selection of books is available.
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