10 Best Restaurants in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, Pennsylvania

At this waterfront spot in historic Wrightstown, you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the Susquehanna River while seated at the outdoor bar, eating wood-fired pizzas topped with ingredients grown on site. Directly across the river on the original ferry route from Columbia, this popular bar and restaurant also has a glass-walled dining room to enjoy the scenery year-round. Several menus are offered, from lunch and dinner (pork-belly BLT or baked oysters from Virginia) to a mammoth fixed-price Sunday brunch buffet, complete with a waffle station, omelets made to order, and a make-your-own Bloody Mary bar. Expect weekly dinner specials and seasonally inspired favorites.

Located in a Victorian-era building in downtown Lancaster, Annie Bailey's is a traditional Irish pub, from the dark wooden bar and furnishings sourced in Ireland to classic menu staples like shepherd's pie and fish-and-chips. There are at least 10 rotating beers on tap and an impressive selection Irish whiskey. The owners have transformed the second floor into Conway Social Club, a speakeasy (you knock and wait for the green light to enter) serving craft cocktails and globally inspired small plates.

This family-owned brewpub is located minutes from the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center. Beers range from Double Citra Pillows (a hazy IPA) to Hiding in Plain Sight (a hoppy lager) and the menu includes appetizers, salads, and sandwiches.

Locally known as Dipco, this welcoming pub next to Central Market is a fun haunt for a nosh and a pint, especially when there's live music on the weekends. Sandwiches, house-made chili, burritos, as well as nightly specials, are among the many menu options. The building, as is the case with so many in downtown Lancaster, is more than 100 years old.

This buffet-style eatery has been a local institution since 1929, offering views of Amish farmland and enough food to satisfy any appetite. The spread here is lavish, with a good selection of Pennsylvania Dutch specialties at the daily smorgasbord. There's an à la carte menu, and even beer, wine, and spirits are now available. The attached shopping complex includes a quilt shop.

The newest dining option at the expansive Plain & Fancy Farm complex is catering to individual families and groups under 20. The menu is a variation on the traditional Amish theme, featuring various smoked meats, but still with many of the country sides like chowchow and pepper cabbage; the "Smokehouse Sampler," a fixed-price feast, is the heartiest offering. Beer and à la carte dining is also available. Also on the grounds are shops selling everything from quilts to baked goods, and attractions like the Amish Experience.

For smaller groups interested in an all-you-can eat experience, Plain & Fancy's sister restaurant, Miller's Smorgasbord, is 3 miles away.

In a restored 1869 railroad hotel, this eatery has the atmosphere of a speakeasy from the Roaring '20s with newspapers from the era and gangster portraits adding to the period flavor. Entrées include broiled crab cakes, seafood pasta, and tenderloin tips on toast, a Lancaster County tavern favorite that dates to Prohibition, as well as items with some cutesy, Prohibition-era names like machine gun linguine and a flapper salad. The menu is huge, but there are a variety of plates both big and small.

Originally a hardware store from the mid-1700s, this Victorian building in the center of town is now home to a casual bistro. It's owned by the company that also owns the local newspaper (hence the name) and is outfitted with a classic mahogany bar, tall leather booths, and an exposed baking hearth. Salads, sandwiches, and burgers dominate the menu, with a rotating selection of seasonally inspired dishes featuring local produce and meat. The Park Bar in the adjoining brick courtyard is lovely for cocktails and light fare in warm months.