The Lunch Ladle — Restaurant in Manheim Township

This was my first time visiting this establishment and unfortunately will likely be my last. We had trouble understanding the flow of the place. There was no signs posted (that we saw) explaining the cost of the buffet or what was included. Two different people had to explain what we were supposed to do if we wanted the salad bar and soup option. The staff was very friendly, but for the price we paid, the quality of the food on the salad bar was less than good. I had to show an attendant that the greens were slimy, and later when I added peas as a topping to my salad, they tasted slimy and like they were turning bad. It appeared that much of the selections were old. I did not eat most of the salad. The soup of the day was pretty good, but I did not care for the second kind that I tried. While I was in the bathroom, my partner saw an attendant drop a bread knife on the floor and then pick it up and continue using it. Overall, we didn’t feel that we got the value for the money we spent and would not...

The Lunch Ladle is a gem! Met the owner by chance at a local tasting room, and my cousin and I decided it was going to be our lunch stop at the end of our "cousin's trip" to Lititz.

I got the soup and salad bar, she just got the salad bar. The crab bisque soup was one of the best I've ever had- the bisque was as delicate as the crab itself,so did not overpower the crab. The creamy beef and broccoli soup was also delicious! The ground beef chunks added a different taste to a soup standard.

The salad bar had the usual standards, but besides the iceberg lettuce, they offered a spring mix, and baby spinach as well. There were also some of the traditional Lancaster area go-tos:: pickled eggs & beets, ham salad, potato salad, etc. While we didn't choose the hot bar, the theme for today was Asian, and boy, it looked yummy.

So, while slightly off the tourist-trap trail, The Lunch Ladle is a great place for lunch when you're in the Lancaster, Mannheim, or...

First time here and we wasn't sure what to expect. There were only a couple of people inside so the place was plenty comfortable, airy and clean. Hot bar was delicious. Nice homestyle meal. The salad bar had plenty of fresh offerings. The meal also came with soup. We tried the seafood gumbo and white chicken chili. Both were very tasty. Since there wasn't table service, we weren't sure if we should bus our own dishes. It was a little confusing. The ladies at the counter were nice. The guy that filled in briefly was not so pleasant. Overall, we enjoyed the meal and...