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Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
I ate at world's biggest all you can eat buffet – it cost £10 with NO time limit… but here's what it's REALLY like
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A FOODIE who filled up her plate at the world's biggest buffet for just £10 has spilled the beans on her tasty experience. Serving up giant steaks, extra thick milkshakes and Amish pie, the huge restaurant serves up enough grub for 10,000 people every single day. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 9 Amorray showed off the restaurant and its giant steaks to her 440,000 Instagram followers Credit: amorraytravels / Instagram 9 The influencer was amazed by the range of options and the great taste Credit: amorraytravels / Instagram 9 There are hundreds of food, drinks and deserts on offer every day Credit: Shady Maple 9 Shady Maple Smorgasbord is the largest buffet in the world Credit: Shady Maple Shady Maple Smorgasbord has transformed East Earl, Pennsylvania into an unlikely tourist hotspot in recent years. Hungry Americans and fascinated tourists regularly flock to the 100,000 sq ft buffet to try and take on the world's biggest buffet. In recent years it has even become famous on social media through food bloggers and popular influencers. One of these is New York-based influencer Amorray Marcano who visited Shady Maple back in April. She told The Sun: "I'm a content creator so I like to show cool things in the New York area and around it and I had no clue that the largest buffet in America was so close to me. "So I wanted to go just because of its reputation of being the largest and serving up to 10,000 people in a day." Amorray, 29, filmed her trip and posted it online to her 440,000 Instagram followers. She said one of her biggest concerns going into the buffet was the quality of the food. Most people usually head down to a buffet as a novelty dining experience where they can fill their plates high and try out as much food as their stomachs can handle. But the food is typically seen as below par due to it usually being left out under a heat lamp for some time before being eaten. Hotel guest reveals unique buffet breakfast and people have been left stunned Shady Maple is far from an average all you can eat place though as it even boasts an impressive 4.6 star rating online. Amorray said she was "pleasantly surprised" by the taste of the food on offer. She admitted: "There were hits and misses, but there were certain things that were actually really good. "The night I went they were serving catfish. And I don't really eat catfish normally, but thought I'll try it and it was so good. "It was cooked really well and just delicious. "There were some things that I didn't love. I would say some things might've been a little dry or some things maybe needed a little bit more seasoning. "But the things that were good were great, like their beef brisket, the steak and of course the cajun catfish." The whole buffet is open Monday to Saturday and welcomes in hungry guests from 7am all the way through to 7:30pm. 9 The huge restaurant serves up enough grub for 10,000 people every single day Credit: Shady Maple 9 Shady Maple Smorgasbord has transformed East Earl, Pennsylvania into an unlikely tourist hotspot in recent years Credit: Shady Maple 9 Famous travel and food influencer Amorray Marcano has spilled the beans on the world's biggest buffet Credit: amorraytravels / Instagram During the day, they serve up a breakfast, lunch and dinner offerings. The breakfast costs just $13.99 (£10) during the week and lunch will set you back $19.99 (£15). The price for dinner varies depending on exactly what type of food you want to treat yourself to but a standard price is $26.99 (£20). This encompasses grill items, 46 salad bar items, three soups, six homemade breads & rolls, four cheeses, eight different meats, 14 vegetables, ten cold desserts, three hot desserts, eight pies, six cakes, sundae bar and countless drinks. Special options are also available throughout the week including steak night, seafood night, wings night or even the grand menu. There were hits and misses, but there were certain things that were actually really good Amorray Marcano Amorray was amazed by the cheap price of the unlimited food. She continued: "I would see people sit down, they would eat, and then they would go back for more and you could stay for as long as you want. "So realistically, you could stay there for hours so it's a great bang for your buck. "For the night that I went, it was like $27 and the amount of food you get for that is easily worth way more than the price." One thing that did leave a sour taste in Amorray's mouth was just how busy the buffet was. Amorray and her friend queued up for 30 minutes outside at around dinner time due to the long line of excited guests. The influencer was mainly shocked by this due to its little known location. Not only is East Earl a tight knit community in Amish country but it also has a population of under 2,000 people. You could stay there for hours so it's a great bang for your buck Amorray Marcano This means the town can sometimes be packed out with over five times the number of residents due to the popularity of the restaurant. "When I went in, I thought there's not going to be that much seating. But then once I walked in, there was loads in every, nook and cranny," Amorray added. "There must have been thousands of people in there and I was not expecting that just because we already had a 30 minute wait and there was a huge line behind us. "Honestly I was kind of overwhelmed when I went in because I was expecting the amount of food but not the amount of people." But after tucking into her first plate, Amorray said she fully understood why so many people flocked to the world famous Pennsylvania buffet. Amorray was also blown away by the number of drinks available. I tried one of the world's most expensive buffets – and made my money back in just one plate By The Sun's Assistant Travel Editor, Sophie Swietochowski AS the Sun travel desk's resident foodie, I could hardly resist trying the UK's fanciest buffet, also one of the world's most expensive. The Grove Hotel in Hertfordshire went viral earlier last year when TikTok foodies discovered its Glasshouse restaurant where everyone dines en masse, but in five-star luxury. Costing a whopping £82 per person at the weekend, there is certainly enough to choose from. After several, overly-generous spoonfuls of caviar, a few servings of beetroot-cured salmon and seven superbly crafted sushi rolls, decorated with dainty herbs, I felt I'd made a good dent in 'getting my money's worth' – a statement that had been thrown back and forth between my buffet partner, Mum, and I. I prowled the platters of sizzling Asian grub arranged temptingly in tandoor bowls and loaded into terracotta dishes, before heading straight for the crispy Thai fish cakes. The fish section was part of one of 10 dining areas at the buffet. This includes a carving station, AKA the place to pick up your classic roast dinner and trimmings with slices of rare roast beef, flakey wellington and crispy roast spuds all laid out with gravy. There was a sushi station with hand-made California rolls placed delicately alongside huge tubs of wasabi and seaweed salads. The robata grill is where everything from whole seabass to juicy steaks are scorched over an open flame and there's also fresh pasta and pizza stations. If all this isn't enough to wrap your head around, you can also order directly from the chefs, doting on each station, when there is something in particular that you fancy that isn't on display. So the real question is: would you pay that much cash for dinner? Much like the food on offer at the buffet, Shady Maple provided almost every kind of soft drink imaginable. The star of the drinks show was a huge soda fountain to the side of the room. This had all kinds of soda in it from cream soda, vanilla coke and even root beer as well as all the regular options. A coffee machine, hot chocolate station and milkshake stand meant everyone's taste was catered for. Alcohol was the only notable exception on the menu. And no tipping is expected at the restaurant. Amorarry recommended anyone in the area to head to Shady Maple if they get the chance. 9 The quality of food on offer has been widely praised by many visitors over the years Credit: Shady Maple
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
I ate at world's biggest all you can eat buffet – it cost £10 with NO time limit… but here's what it's REALLY like
A FOODIE who filled up her plate at the world's biggest buffet for just £10 has spilled the beans on her tasty experience. Serving up giant steaks, extra thick milkshakes and Advertisement 9 Amorray showed off the restaurant and its giant steaks to her 440,000 Instagram followers Credit: amorraytravels / Instagram 9 The influencer was amazed by the range of options and the great taste Credit: amorraytravels / Instagram 9 There are hundreds of food, drinks and deserts on offer every day Credit: Shady Maple 9 Shady Maple Smorgasbord is the largest buffet in the world Credit: Shady Maple Shady Maple Smorgasbord has transformed East Earl, Pennsylvania into an unlikely tourist hotspot in recent years. Hungry Americans and fascinated tourists regularly flock to the 100,000 sq ft buffet to try and take on the world's biggest buffet. In recent years it has even become famous on social media through food bloggers and popular influencers. One of these is New York-based influencer Advertisement She told The Sun: "I'm a content creator so I like to show cool things in the New York area and around it and I had no clue that the largest buffet in America was so close to me. "So I wanted to go just because of its reputation of being the largest and serving up to 10,000 people in a day." Amorray, 29, filmed her trip and posted it online to her 440,000 Instagram followers. She said one of her biggest concerns going into the buffet was the quality of the food. Advertisement Most read in The US Sun Exclusive Most people usually head down to a buffet as a novelty dining experience where they can fill their plates high and try out as much food as their stomachs can handle. But the food is typically seen as below par due to it usually being left out under a heat lamp for some time before being eaten. Hotel guest reveals unique buffet breakfast and people have been left stunned Shady Maple is far from an average all you can eat place though as it even boasts an impressive 4.6 star rating online. Amorray said she was "pleasantly surprised" by the taste of the food on offer. Advertisement She admitted: "There were hits and misses, but there were certain things that were actually really good. "The night I went they were serving catfish . And I don't really eat catfish normally, but thought I'll try it and it was so good. "It was cooked really well and just delicious. "There were some things that I didn't love. I would say some things might've been a little dry or some things maybe needed a little bit more seasoning. Advertisement "But the things that were good were great, like their beef brisket, the steak and of course the cajun catfish." The whole buffet is open Monday to Saturday and welcomes in hungry guests from 7am all the way through to 7:30pm. 9 The huge restaurant serves up enough grub for 10,000 people every single day Credit: Shady Maple 9 Shady Maple Smorgasbord has transformed East Earl, Pennsylvania into an unlikely tourist hotspot in recent years Credit: Shady Maple Advertisement 9 Famous travel and food influencer Amorray Marcano has spilled the beans on the world's biggest buffet Credit: amorraytravels / Instagram During the day, they serve up a breakfast, lunch and dinner offerings. The breakfast costs just $13.99 (£10) during the week and lunch will set you back $19.99 (£15). The price for dinner varies depending on exactly what type of food you want to treat yourself to but a standard price is $26.99 (£20). Advertisement This encompasses grill items, 46 salad bar items, three soups, six homemade breads & rolls, four cheeses, eight different meats, 14 vegetables, ten cold desserts, three hot desserts, eight pies, six cakes, sundae bar and countless drinks. Special options are also available throughout the week including steak night, seafood night, wings night or even the grand menu. There were hits and misses, but there were certain things that were actually really good Amorray Marcano New York-based influencer Amorray was amazed by the cheap price of the unlimited food. She continued: "I would see people sit down, they would eat, and then they would go back for more and you could stay for as long as you want. Advertisement "So realistically, you could stay there for hours so it's a great bang for your buck . "For the night that I went, it was like $27 and the amount of food you get for that is easily worth way more than the price." One thing that did leave a sour taste in Amorray's mouth was just how busy the buffet was. Amorray and her friend queued up for 30 minutes outside at around dinner time due to the long line of excited guests. Advertisement The influencer was mainly shocked by this due to its little known location. Not only is East Earl a tight knit community in Amish country but it also has a population of under 2,000 people. You could stay there for hours so it's a great bang for your buck Amorray Marcano New York-based influencer This means the town can sometimes be packed out with over five times the number of residents due to the popularity of the restaurant. "When I went in, I thought there's not going to be that much seating. But then once I walked in, there was loads in every, nook and cranny," Amorray added. Advertisement "There must have been thousands of people in there and I was not expecting that just because we already had a 30 minute wait and there was a huge line behind us. "Honestly I was kind of overwhelmed when I went in because I was expecting the amount of food but not the amount of people." But after tucking into her first plate, Amorray said she fully understood why so many people flocked to the world famous Pennsylvania buffet. Amorray was also blown away by the number of drinks available. Advertisement I tried one of the world's most expensive buffets – and made my money back in just one plate By The Sun's Assistant Travel Editor , AS the Sun travel desk's resident foodie, I could hardly resist trying the The Grove Hotel in Hertfordshire went viral earlier last year when TikTok foodies discovered its Glasshouse restaurant where everyone dines en masse, but in five-star luxury. Costing a whopping £82 per person at the weekend, there is certainly enough to choose from. After several, overly-generous spoonfuls of I prowled the platters of sizzling Asian grub arranged temptingly in tandoor bowls and loaded into terracotta dishes, before heading straight for the crispy Thai fish cakes. The fish section was part of one of 10 dining areas at the buffet. This includes a carving station, AKA the place to pick up your classic roast dinner and trimmings with slices of rare roast beef, flakey wellington and crispy roast spuds all laid out with gravy. There was a sushi station with hand-made California rolls placed delicately alongside huge tubs of wasabi and seaweed salads. The robata grill is where everything from whole seabass to juicy steaks are scorched over an open flame and there's also fresh pasta and pizza stations. If all this isn't enough to wrap your head around, you can also order directly from the chefs, doting on each station, when there is something in particular that you fancy that isn't on display. So the real question is: would you pay that much cash for dinner? Much like the food on offer at the buffet, Shady Maple provided almost every kind of soft drink imaginable. The star of the drinks show was a huge soda fountain to the side of the room. This had all kinds of soda in it from cream soda, vanilla coke and even root beer as well as all the regular options. A coffee machine, hot chocolate station and milkshake stand meant everyone's taste was catered for. Advertisement Alcohol was the only notable exception on the menu. Read more on the Irish Sun And no tipping is expected at the restaurant. Amorarry recommended anyone in the area to head to Shady Maple if they get the chance. 9 The quality of food on offer has been widely praised by many visitors over the years Credit: Shady Maple Advertisement 9 Amorray, 29, filmed her trip and posted it online to her 440,000 Instagram followers Credit: amorraytravels / Instagram
The Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
I ate at world's biggest all you can eat buffet – it cost £10 with NO time limit… but here's what it's REALLY like
A FOODIE who filled up her plate at the world's biggest buffet for just £10 has spilled the beans on her tasty experience. Serving up giant steaks, extra thick milkshakes and Amish pie, the huge restaurant serves up enough grub for 10,000 people every single day. 9 9 9 9 Shady Maple Smorgasbord has transformed East Earl, Pennsylvania into an unlikely tourist hotspot in recent years. Hungry Americans and fascinated tourists regularly flock to the 100,000 sq ft buffet to try and take on the world's biggest buffet. In recent years it has even become famous on social media through food bloggers and popular influencers. One of these is New York-based influencer Amorray Marcano who visited Shady Maple back in April. She told The Sun: "I'm a content creator so I like to show cool things in the New York area and around it and I had no clue that the largest buffet in America was so close to me. "So I wanted to go just because of its reputation of being the largest and serving up to 10,000 people in a day." Amorray, 29, filmed her trip and posted it online to her 440,000 Instagram followers. She said one of her biggest concerns going into the buffet was the quality of the food. Most people usually head down to a buffet as a novelty dining experience where they can fill their plates high and try out as much food as their stomachs can handle. But the food is typically seen as below par due to it usually being left out under a heat lamp for some time before being eaten. Hotel guest reveals unique buffet breakfast and people have been left stunned Shady Maple is far from an average all you can eat place though as it even boasts an impressive 4.6 star rating online. Amorray said she was "pleasantly surprised" by the taste of the food on offer. She admitted: "There were hits and misses, but there were certain things that were actually really good. "The night I went they were serving catfish. And I don't really eat catfish normally, but thought I'll try it and it was so good. "It was cooked really well and just delicious. "There were some things that I didn't love. I would say some things might've been a little dry or some things maybe needed a little bit more seasoning. "But the things that were good were great, like their beef brisket, the steak and of course the cajun catfish." The whole buffet is open Monday to Saturday and welcomes in hungry guests from 7am all the way through to 7:30pm. 9 9 9 During the day, they serve up a breakfast, lunch and dinner offerings. The breakfast costs just $13.99 (£10) during the week and lunch will set you back $19.99 (£15). The price for dinner varies depending on exactly what type of food you want to treat yourself to but a standard price is $26.99 (£20). This encompasses grill items, 46 salad bar items, three soups, six homemade breads & rolls, four cheeses, eight different meats, 14 vegetables, ten cold desserts, three hot desserts, eight pies, six cakes, sundae bar and countless drinks. Special options are also available throughout the week including steak night, seafood night, wings night or even the grand menu. Amorray was amazed by the cheap price of the unlimited food. She continued: "I would see people sit down, they would eat, and then they would go back for more and you could stay for as long as you want. "So realistically, you could stay there for hours so it's a great bang for your buck. "For the night that I went, it was like $27 and the amount of food you get for that is easily worth way more than the price." One thing that did leave a sour taste in Amorray's mouth was just how busy the buffet was. Amorray and her friend queued up for 30 minutes outside at around dinner time due to the long line of excited guests. The influencer was mainly shocked by this due to its little known location. Not only is East Earl a tight knit community in Amish country but it also has a population of under 2,000 people. This means the town can sometimes be packed out with over five times the number of residents due to the popularity of the restaurant. "When I went in, I thought there's not going to be that much seating. But then once I walked in, there was loads in every, nook and cranny," Amorray added. "There must have been thousands of people in there and I was not expecting that just because we already had a 30 minute wait and there was a huge line behind us. "Honestly I was kind of overwhelmed when I went in because I was expecting the amount of food but not the amount of people." But after tucking into her first plate, Amorray said she fully understood why so many people flocked to the world famous Pennsylvania buffet. Amorray was also blown away by the number of drinks available. I tried one of the world's most expensive buffets – and made my money back in just one plate By The Sun's Assistant Travel Editor, Sophie Swietochowski AS the Sun travel desk's resident foodie, I could hardly resist trying the UK's fanciest buffet, also one of the world's most expensive. The Grove Hotel in Hertfordshire went viral earlier last year when TikTok foodies discovered its Glasshouse restaurant where everyone dines en masse, but in five-star luxury. Costing a whopping £82 per person at the weekend, there is certainly enough to choose from. After several, overly-generous spoonfuls of caviar, a few servings of beetroot-cured salmon and seven superbly crafted sushi rolls, decorated with dainty herbs, I felt I'd made a good dent in 'getting my money's worth' – a statement that had been thrown back and forth between my buffet partner, Mum, and I. I prowled the platters of sizzling Asian grub arranged temptingly in tandoor bowls and loaded into terracotta dishes, before heading straight for the crispy Thai fish cakes. The fish section was part of one of 10 dining areas at the buffet. This includes a carving station, AKA the place to pick up your classic roast dinner and trimmings with slices of rare roast beef, flakey wellington and crispy roast spuds all laid out with gravy. There was a sushi station with hand-made California rolls placed delicately alongside huge tubs of wasabi and seaweed salads. The robata grill is where everything from whole seabass to juicy steaks are scorched over an open flame and there's also fresh pasta and pizza stations. If all this isn't enough to wrap your head around, you can also order directly from the chefs, doting on each station, when there is something in particular that you fancy that isn't on display. So the real question is: would you pay that much cash for dinner? Much like the food on offer at the buffet, Shady Maple provided almost every kind of soft drink imaginable. The star of the drinks show was a huge soda fountain to the side of the room. This had all kinds of soda in it from cream soda, vanilla coke and even root beer as well as all the regular options. A coffee machine, hot chocolate station and milkshake stand meant everyone's taste was catered for. Alcohol was the only notable exception on the menu. And no tipping is expected at the restaurant. Amorarry recommended anyone in the area to head to Shady Maple if they get the chance. 9 9
Daily Mail
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
I went to America's biggest buffet - what it's really like for the $13.99 all you can eat with NO time limit
A food blogger has revealed her jaw-dropping experience of America's largest buffet - where prices start at just $13.99 and diners can stuff themselves for hours with no time limit. Instagram influencer Amorray Marcano documented her visit to the enormous Shady Maple Smorgasbord in East Earl, Pennsylvania. The establishment spans a whopping 100,000 square feet and has reportedly served up to 10,000 hungry customers in a single day. 'We had three hours to try the largest buffet in America, and it was shocking how much food they have for the price,' Marcano shared with her followers in a recent viral post. The massive eatery, which has become something of a legend among foodies and bargain hunters, offers all-you-can-eat feasts with prices that vary by meal. For example, breakfast starts at just $13.99, lunch at $19.99, and dinner at $23.99, not including a 12 percent service fee. Despite the enormous size of the place, Marcano still had to reportedly wait about 30 minutes for a table during her dinner visit. But in her opinion, the experience was well worth it. The establishment spans a whopping 100,000 square feet and has reportedly served up to 10,000 hungry customers in a single day 'The amount of options is insane,' she revealed in her video review. 'They have multiple self-serve stations offering coconut shrimp, fried chicken, meatballs, shrimp and grits, mac and cheese and healthier options like vegetables and salads.' They also offer made-to-order stations which provide freshly prepared options including grilled fish, steak, and carved brisket. She mentioned trying the catfish, which she said was 'actually pretty good'. The drink selection was also impressive, with 'a wide variety of juices, sodas, coffee, and even milkshakes'. But of course, no buffet experience would be complete without dessert, and Shady Maple doesn't disappoint in that area either. Marcano described the sweet options as 'endless,' highlighting traditional Amish specialties like shoofly pie, which she found 'super rich and sweet'. After the lavish meal, she said her dinner, which cost approximately $27 including the service fee, represented excellent value. 'I think it's a great deal, especially because there's no time limit,' she said, before challenging her followers: 'But would you try it?' The Shady Maple Smorgasbord in East Earl, Pennsylvania, was named the best buffet restaurant in the US earlier this year The restaurant, located at 1324 Main Street in East Earl, recommends visitors check their website before arriving to take advantage of potential discounts and view current menus. The Shady Maple Smorgasbord is situated in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, an area known for its large Amish population and traditional cuisine. Many users were enthused by the idea of trying the lavish buffet. 'I love a good buffet!! This looks awesome - so many options!' one user commented. One user humorously commented: Omg I went here! I got lost and couldn't find my way back to the table.' Others did not find the idea too appealing. 'Pass,' one user wrote next to a laughing emoji. Another emphasized the downsides of too many options: 'Too much food overwhelming!' Marcano described the sweet options as 'endless,' highlighting traditional Amish specialties like shoofly pie, which she found 'super rich and sweet' The buffet's number one spot was decided by experts and USA Today readers for its annual list earlier this year. 'The food is excellent here at Shady Maple... The atmosphere at Shady Maple is wonderful,' customer Don Mann told FOX 43 last July. The Shady Maple Smorgasbord was founded by Marvin and Miriam Weaver in 1985 with the concept of 'all you can eat for one price.' The then-new restaurant building had over 300 seats, and a one to two-hour wait was not uncommon, according to its website. Following a building remodel, the buffet had over 500 seats available for customers. However, after the buffet's kitchen became crowded, the restaurant's operators decided to build an entirely new building. Since the Weavers' retirement, their sons Phil and Lin Weaver took over as president and CEO of Shady Maple. According to Shady Maple President Phil Weaver, the business already had the land, and after five years of planning, the 110,000-square-foot building was opened in 2000. Food quality manager Sumer Smith insisted that Shady Maple Smorgasbord is 'not like your average restaurant' Not only is the eatery famous for its long buffet, it's also known for its 'deliciously authentic Pennsylvania Dutch cooking,' according to its website. 'It is a high-paced restaurant. It's not like your average restaurant. But I always say it's the biggest, smallest kitchen in the world,' food quality manager Sumer Smith told FOX 43. Smith discussed some of the food selections with Localish and revealed one of the restaurant's most popular dishes is beef brisket. However, she also gave shoutouts to the restaurants mashed potatoes, potato cakes, fried chicken, and corn fritters. 'One of our sayings is that "Every bite matters" - like every single piece of food that goes out of the buffet is important and must be to our standards of excellence,' Shady Maple CEO Lin Weaver said. 'It's just the kind of food Lancaster County is known for.'
