The history of Shady Maple dates back to 1962 when Mr. and Mrs. Henry Z. Martin (Miriam Weaver’s parents) originally started selling produce at a roadside stand located underneath a large maple tree in front of their home.  Marvin & Miriam Weaver took over the business in 1972 and built a block building with garage doors to sell produce & grocery items in partnership with IGA.  The grocery expanded multiple times from 1975 – 1980s.

In July 1985 Shady Maple entered a new business: the Shady Maple Smorgasbord. The concept of “all you can eat for one price” took off in a new restaurant building with over 300 seats. The restaurant was an immediate success, routinely commanding hours-long wait times — which is no mean feat in rural Pennsylvania! Today, after a series of remodels and renovations, the smorgasbord can serve up to 1200 customers.

The buffet is about 200-feet-long and generously complimented by four live-action grill stations. The food served at Shady Maple is straightforward and no-frills — the kind that brings literal meaning to the phrase “meat and potatoes,” with all sorts of roast, smoked, or fried meat accompanied by understated sides of potatoes or vegetables. Despite the simplicity, Shady Maple attracts over a million visitors a year.

Perhaps it’s a matter of quality ingredients; perhaps it’s the modest price point, with an all-you-can-eat dinner going for $23 a head; perhaps the shoofly pie just slaps that hard. In any case, in a world that grows increasingly homogenized, it’s great to see such a unique establishment thrive.

According to historicsmithtoninn.com; thetakeout.com