Love a good buffet? Pennsylvania has the best 2 in the nation, USA Today says
If you’re a fan of buffet spreads, then Pennsylvania might be a great place for you to dine out.
That’s because, according to USA Today, Pennsylvania is home to the top two buffets in the country. The publication released its 2025 10Best buffet restaurants list in June, and restaurants in Ronks and East Earl gained top recognition.
Miller’s Smorgasbord in Ronks, about two and a half hours from State College, took second place in the list. The article describes the restaurant as “warm and homey.”
“It offers a soup and salad buffet in addition to its popular traditional smorgasbord buffet, which includes dishes like Swedish meatballs, Lancaster County chicken corn soup, chicken and waffles, baked ham with cider sauce, and Pennsylvania Dutch shoofly pie,” USA Today says.
The restaurant’s website shows its “all-you-care-to-eat” buffet menu option for $31.99 for adults, $15.99 for 10- to 12-year-olds and $12.99 for those 4 to 9 years old. Anyone younger than 3 eats for free.
The buffet comes complete with an appetizer station, soups, a salad and bread bar, a carving station with three different meats and more.
Popular review site Yelp shows the restaurant with an average review of 3.6 stars.
“Food wise, you really can’t go wrong! My favorite [part] was the fried chicken, roast beef and broccoli salad!!! The chicken was fried perfectly, not dry and flavorful! The roast beef was also very tender,” one review reads.
“I cannot say how much I loved my experience at Miller’s. Could tell the food was fresh, a wide variety of food to suit many tastes. Service was top notch,” another says.
Miller’s CEO Tom Neely told the Centre Daily Times in an email the restaurant was honored to receive the 10Best recognition.
“For nearly a century, Miller’s Smorgasbord has proudly served guests from near and far with hearty, made-from-scratch meals that celebrate the rich culinary traditions of Pennsylvania Dutch Country,” Neely said. “This recognition is a tribute to our team’s unwavering dedication and to the generations of guests who continue to make Miller’s a part of their family traditions.”
Shady Maple Smorgasbord in East Earl, also about two and a half hours from State College, took the No. 1 spot in the 2025 ranking.
“Shady Maple Smorgasbord serves delectable Pennsylvania Dutch dishes in East Earl, Pennsylvania, and just might be the largest buffet in the country,” USAToday’s article reads. “The well-prepared comfort food is offered on a 200-foot-long smorgasbord, and the space is designed to offer a cafeteria-style ambience.”
Shady Maple has breakfast, lunch and dinner options, and judging from the restaurant’s website, there’s no loss of variety.
“Dinner includes featured grill items, and 46 salad bar items, 3 soups, 6 homemade breads & rolls, 4 cheeses, 8 meats, 14 vegetables, 10 cold desserts, 3 hot desserts, 8 pies, 6 cakes, sundae bar & many beverages,” the restaurant’s website reads.
The cost per diner differs by offerings. Steak night comes in at $26.99, seafood night at $29.99 and prime rib night at $26.99 — just to name a few, according to website pricing.
The restaurant’s Yelp page shows an average review of 3.7 stars.
“So many options to choose from that I got lost going back to my table several times,” one review reads.
“So much food! They had steak and ham and hamburgers and brisket and ribs and chicken and lots of veggies and salads and desserts galore!,” another says.
The Centre Daily Times has reached out to Shady Maple for comment on the recognition.
