Comfort Food: Mary Yoder’s Amish Kitchen

As soon as customers enter Mary Yoder’s Amish Kitchen, they’re greeted by a bakery case packed with homemade sweets. Raisin-filled cookies, peach pies, cream-filled doughnuts and more await those who travel to Middlefield to get a taste of a simpler way of life.

“It’s 2025, and they’re still driving horse and buggy, don’t have air conditioning and don’t have the Internet in their house,” says Josh Miller, whose family owns Mary Yoder’s. “Amish food represents a part of their life too. … It’s more of just a rich, simple flavor that’s … very straight to the point kind of food, without adding a lot of flair and spices to it. It represents a culture of simplicity.”

Set in the picturesque heart of Amish Country in Geauga County, Mary Yoder’s is surrounded by fields and farms — it’s not uncommon to see a horse and buggy passing by the kitchen. Visitors can partake in the buffet or order a variety of Amish breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes, including Amish-style roast beef, broasted or baked chicken, noodles over mashed potatoes and more. Lots of butter and starches go into its hearty foods.

“You can buy mashed potatoes anywhere, but … our restaurant’s mashed potatoes is done just a little bit different. There’s no shortcuts, we use real potatoes,” says Dan Miller, Josh’s father. “It’s more of a comfort food.”

One of the most popular meals at the kitchen is a Manhattan — a sandwich with pork or beef, cut in half and finished with mashed potatoes. The whole dish is then covered with gravy.

“That’s probably one of the biggest ones that is … a cultural thing,” Dan says. “They still do process their own hogs and make their own bacon and cure their own stuff. So, meat and potatoes is a big thing in the Amish culture, because they could raise it all.”

Many of the recipes used at Mary Yoder’s come from the real-life Mary Yoder — an Amish woman who was the mother of one of the kitchen’s original founders. Guests can purchase a book of her recipes in the attached gift shop, which also features jams and jellies, stuffed animals, signs and devotional books.

“A big amount of our staff is all Amish, and so I think that’s part of the draw, too, is coming to a place and getting to talk to Amish people,” Josh says.

In the large, quilt-lined dining room, there’s an atmosphere of homey authenticity. Expansive tables offer ample space for families and groups — Mary Yoder’s has even hosted a few small weddings.

“Food represents so much more than just eating something. It represents community. It’s where you think about how you meet with your friends, how you meet with your family, how you connect with people,” Josh says. “You grew up eating fresh peach pie out of grandma’s oven, and then 30 years later, hey, you can still get that. It’s a part of drawing back to, Hey, here’s where I came from. This is part of my culture.”

14743 N. State St., Middlefield, 440-632-1939, maryyodersamishkitchen.com