Restaurants

There are plenty of traditional Pennsylvania Dutch restaurants where you’ll eat family-style all-you-can-eat meals that are hearty and plentiful, with lots of the stick-to-your-ribs variety of mostly meat and potatoes.

Two to try are Stoltzfus Farm Restaurant (3716A East Newport Rd., 717/768-8156, Intercourse, www.stoltzfusmeats.com [1], Mon.–Sat. 11:30 a.m.–8 p.m. Apr.–Oct., Fri.–Sat. 11:30 a.m.–8 p.m. Nov., closed Dec.–Mar.) or Plain and Fancy Farm Restaurant (3121 Old Philadelphia Pike/Rte. 340, Bird-in-Hand, 717/768-4400, www.plainandfancyfarm.com [2], daily 11:30 a.m.–7 p.m.), which offers an all-you-can-eat feast or an à la carte menu, as well as lodging and tours.

Strawberry Hill (128 W. Strawberry St., Lancaster, 717/393-5544, www.strawberryhillrestaurant.com [3], daily 5–10 p.m.) is a longtime popular Lancaster [4] spot. The old Victorian house on a hill just outside of the action of the city has been a hotel, tavern, speakeasy, brothel, corner bar, steak house, and, since 1986, the Strawberry Hill restaurant. Delicious, creative dishes are served in a cozy, friendly setting, and the extensive wine list earned it the title of “Pennsylvania’s top wine destination restaurant” by Wine Spectator.

If it’s fine dining you’re after, try Donecker’s Restaurant (333 N. State St., Ephrata, 717/738-9501, www.doneckers.com [5], Mon.–Thurs. 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Sun. noon–4 p.m., closed some Sun. and Wed. in winter, call ahead, reservations recommended). Delicious contemporary cuisine is served in a traditional, elegant setting, with fine arts and antiques decorating the place and live piano music on weekend evenings.