Der Dutchman
Amish Buffet · 3713 Bahia Vista St, Sarasota, Florida 34232
★★★★½ 1 review(941) 955-8007
Menu Items
Reviews
-
Classic Homestyle Foods, Featuring Broasted Chicken on an Amish Buffet.
While visiting Sarasota, I couldn't resist the allure of eating at the buffet that proudly claimed the title of #1 buffet in the US, by USA Today Newspaper. But was it the best buffet I've ever had?
The buffet boasts that food is made from scratch, using fresh ingredients, they way they do in Amish and Mennonite Communities.
**Salad Bar**
For my first plate I visited the salad bar. I plated some coleslaw, salad with thousand island (which they sell in the store ), some pasta salad, and croutons. The coleslaw was on the plain side, the pasta salad was average, and the thousand island was good, but not overly unique.
A basket of fresh baked rolls was brought out, which I topped with the unique squeeze-bottle peanut butter spread adorning each table (also sold in the store at the front). The rolls and spread were a nice start to the meal.
**Broasted Chicken**
The spotlight shifted to the buffet's famed broasted chicken for my second course. I had to Google this, to see how "broasted" chicken is prepared. From the USA Today article ("Der Dutchman’s broasted chicken is marinated, breaded and broasted under pressure to create a crispy outside, and juicy inside.").
The skin was crispy, but a bit dry in spots, had good flavor, was seasoned nicely, but seemed like it might have been sitting out a while. So when another batch came out I went to get another piece, hoping it would be a bit better. The meat again was decent, but not steaming hot, and seemed a bit drier than expected.
**Comfort Food**
Plate number two featured an array of comfort foods: mac-n-cheese, creamed corn, dressing, loaded mashed potatoes, fried fish & tartar sauce. The creamed corn, when compared to Texas creamed corn which has a decent amount of sugar and heavy cream, was pretty bland, it wasn't much different from. The fried fish was good, with a nice crispy batter, tender and moist inside and fresh flavor. For buffet fried fish, it was pretty decent. But the star of this plate had to be the loaded mashed potatoes. I'd go as far as to say these would easily earn a spot in my top 5 best made from scratch mashed potatoes. They were loaded with melted cheese, and a decent amount of garlic. In fact the garlic flavor would probably be the deciding factor for most people on this item.
**Dessert
**My last plate was the dessert plate, a scoop of sweet potatoes, a scoop of bread pudding, and a scoop of cinnamon apples. The sweet potatoes were very sweet, with marshmallow that was fully liquified. The bread pudding was good, not the best I've had, but the topping on it was unique. It was a sweet translucent slurry, that if I had to guess, maybe had corn starch, vanilla, egg whites & sugar in it.. Whatever was in it, it would be great on a lot of desserts, and I wish I had the recipe. Last up was the cinnamon apples, and while they were decent as well, the sauce they were in was a bit plain, I was hoping for a sweeter pie like filling flavor.
**Amish Storefront**
Now to talk about the Amish store located at the front of the buffet. They have a huge selection of items, from baked pies, to pan pies, cheeses, fudge, preserves, home made dressings, jellies, and many other items. Take a look at the photos for an idea of all the items they sell. Its pretty impressive.
**Summary**
While not earning a top spot for the best buffet I've ever had, especially when compared to the opulence of Las Vegas buffets, this homestyle haven held its own. Combined with the many items for sale that are hard to find outside of Pennsylvania Dutch country, or the Amish areas of Ohio, it offers some unique finds.
In conclusion, the buffet, while falling short of its USA Today bestowed #1 title, presents a worthy option for those seeking a homestyle cooked meal. Whether for the culinary adventure or the charming Amish store, it's a stop worth considering.
Der Dutchman - Temp signage
Der Dutchman - Storefront
Der Dutchman - Salad Bar
Der Dutchman - Mac-n-Cheese, Loaded Potatoes, Dressing, Creamed Corn, Broasted Chicken.
Der Dutchman - Broasted Chicken
Der Dutchman - Cinnamon Apples, Sweet Potato Casserole, Bread Pudding.
Der Dutchman - Daily Specials
Der Dutchman - Upstairs Gift Shop
Der Dutchman - Dining Area
Der Dutchman - Dessert Menu
Der Dutchman - Buffet Items
Der Dutchman - Salad Bar Items
Der Dutchman - Sandwiches & Beverages
Der Dutchman - Pies & Ice Creams
Der Dutchman - Jelly & Cookie Dough
Der Dutchman - Cheeses & Sausages
Der Dutchman - Butter Rolls & Cheese Curds
Der Dutchman - Fudge
Der Dutchman - Preserves, Nuts, & Other items.
Der Dutchman - Sausage & Cheese's
Der Dutchman - Sausages
Der Dutchman - Pies
Der Dutchman - Fried Pies
Der Dutchman - Unknown Pie
— Paul