Amish restaurants

We live in West Tennessee (Jackson), and would like to visit an Amish community not too far from here 1-2 hours. We also want to eat in an Amish restaurant. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks

Amish restaurants

There is a Amish settlement in Marion KY. However, I don%26#39;t remember any restaurants there. Have you ever been to Shaker Village near Harrodsburg? It%26#39;s a beautiful place and while it%26#39;s not an active community, there is a wonderful restaurant there and is definitely worth a try!

Amish restaurants

I will check that out.Thanks for the reply. Oh, is that an Amish restaurant?

http://www.shakervillageky.org/dining/

That gives you an overview of the place. It%26#39;s really worth a visit sometime. However, if it%26#39;s the German influenced Amish you%26#39;re searching for, I don%26#39;t know of any in KY. There is a link to Marion where you can ask the question, however. The majority of Amish settlements are in Ohio. There you%26#39;ll find cheeses, restaurants, quilys and crafts shops.

There is one in Crofton, KY which would be just a little over 2 hours from Jackson. I haven%26#39;t been there, but have friends who have raved about it. I believe it%26#39;s only open on Fridays, but can find out more if you%26#39;re interested. We don%26#39;t have an Amish restaurant in our county, but I worked closely with the Amish community here (as well as a horse-and-buggy Mennonite community) - so just give a yell if you%26#39;d like to visit them.

There is an Amish community in the Sonora area as well but there is nothing there for tourists. If you go to Glendale (neighboring town) you will find that they sell their goods in some of the stores and even in the truckstop off the Interstate. In Elizabethtown you will sometimes see them in their buggys on the road travelling to town to shop. One family usually sets up their buggy off of Dixie Hwy on Saturdays and sells handcrafted items and some goodies. If you do go to Glendale, there are many nice antique shops and a restaurant called the Whistle Stop. Although not Amish food, it is still worth a stop. Would I travel several hours for it? Probably not. It is not like Lancaster or Shipshewana where it is geared to visitors and you are guaranteed a glimpse into the lifestyle. Good luck in your search.

I think many people confuse the 19th century Shaker sect with the Pennsylvania Amish who have relocated here in small bunches over the last decade or so. FYI- Kentucky is not the native home to the Amish. Our culture and cooking have been in NO way influenced by the Amish religion and lifestyle, so I%26#39;d never suggest someone who is for what ever reason fascinated by them to come for an Amish-based pilgrimage. Kentucky has much to offer, but if you have a real thing for the Amish, go north.

I know this is probably way past time for your trip, but Marion, Kentucky has a good working relationship with the Amish in their community. They have a map for those wanting to tour Amish farms, and they also have guided tours. You can find more information here: www.kentuckyliving.com/article.asp…

That article has a link to the Marion, Kentucky web site, which gives more details.

I live in Nashville, Tennessee, and, interestingly enough, when I was looking for an amish carpenter to build my kitchen cabinets, I turned the corner at the monthly Nashville flea market, and there was an amish man and daughter with a booth of knives! He told me they were from the Jackson, Tennessee area, which I thought you%26#39;d find interesting. I asked if he knew any Amish carpenters who build cabinets, and he pulled a cell phone out of his homespun shirt and began to call around.

After about five phone calls, beginning with the first number he gave me, I eventually found my carpenter in Kentucky. He was a pleasure to work with and did a masterful job! If you know anyone interested in Amish cabinets, tell them they%26#39;re well worth the wait! His cabinets, installed, with granite countertops was about the same price that Lowe%26#39;s estimated for their standard cabinets, uninstalled, with granite countertops, and the Amish cabinets are custom and of much higher quality.

I%26#39;d be happy to connect anyone with him - because of the economic downturn, he is currently waiting for more jobs, and, as I said, he does a masterful job and was a pleasure to work with.