Das Dutchman Essenhaus — Restaurant in Middlebury

There's not enough words to describe this food experience! The first view coming up the drive during the holidays as the sun sets brings to mind a Norman Rockwell painting and a warm friendly feeling. The entryway is a beautiful welcome to the friendly faces that greet you at the desk. Yes, there's a wait usually but it's not long and they notify you as soon as a table is ready, butttt in the mean time there's the very beautiful store which wraps around and offers a wide array home goods, cooking tools, comfy clothing toys, games & so much more! This is a definite family friendly and group friendly location. In the event the wait is a little long feel free to enter the bakery....SWEET FREAKS BEWARE😁 The smell of deliciousness will overwhelm you as you walk towards the bakery and take in the view. Baked goods of all shapes and sizes will grab your attention and the huge variety of breads and rolls will as well. The store also offers an array of sauces, gravies, salads, cheeses and appetizer fixins! Of course there are many chocolate and candy treats for your enjoyment as well...and did I mention there's food lol. As I get called to my table I walk past the large buffet that is offered and it couldn't be more appealing. The salad bar includes various greens as well as vegetables and accompaniments to try. I got lucky and came on a night when the chicken soup was a choice...even if you just take a small portion this is a must taste ! Finally.. the main event...yessss that pot roast boasted chicken and roast pork you've been waiting for. It all sits in good company next to the mashed potatoes, veggies, stuffing , mac & cheese and of course gravy. The Amish Ghoulash was a table pleaser for sure as well as the noodle Casserole. There are a variety of sweet treats including chocolate and white sheet cakes and mud pudding. My super friendly and very diligent server Naomi deserves a HUGE shout-out for the friendliest efficient service she offers and always with a smile. If you choose not to take buffet option there is a very palate pleasing menu you can order from. This is definitely worth the drive and most pleasant food / shopping...

Just not as good as it used to be. Before they commercialized and expanded, they were so much better. Bigger is not better. Food quality is hit and miss. The breakfast buffet is better.

The chicken, mashed potatoes and chicken noodles were good. The roast beef was burned and salty. The beef and noodles was pasty. Everything seems to be prepared in such a way to fill you up fast, including the salad. It's difficult to feel like you got your money's worth.

Each time you go, different food may be better than last time. Maybe the chicken was dry, overcooked, and breading falling off. Maybe the noodles had no flavor. There's too much inconsistency.

Not sure if they even have a menu anymore since the buffet is so prominent. If they do, stay away from it. Last time I ordered from menu I was extremely disappointed. Their only focus is buffet and bakery.

The bakery is hit and miss, too. The pie crusts aren't as good as they used to be. Some flavors are lacking as well. Cookies are usually decent. But you will definitely pay for anything from the bakery. Mass production practices haven't helped quality, and you'll be overcharged for the experience.

There is so much junk for sale in the restaurant as well. Anything from books to rugs. Doubtful anything is made by Amish or even in the area. But they charge like they're paying authors and weavers themselves.

Is it worth checking out? Yeah. Is the food decent? Yeah, but hit and miss. There's lots to see. Not everyone is Amish just because they dress that way. But the staff in general seem to go out of their way to be friendly and helpful. Expect decent food, but don't be surprised if everything isn't up to snuff.

I grew up in this area. Restaurants in general have suffered. You'll be hard pressed to find an excellent example. Unless.... you find an Amish household that serves dinner to the public. There are some around. You'll have to do some research...

Long- time Essenhaus customer-- since it was the small white restaurant on the curve. Last few times i have been thinking the quality is lacking that has been its hallmark. Last night was very disappointing...the bathroom in the bakery needed cleaning and care....the rug in the dining room is dirty and worn with multiple spills from the day evident at various places...the young man in charge of the buffet dipped a rag in a bucket and proceeded to wipe the underneath edge of the glass buffet cover with the cleaning water dripping into the food below!! I actually went to him and said that certainly couldn't be how he was taught to do that. He was very disrespectful in his response. We could not get any waitress to get us coffee at the end of our meal so I asked this same young man if he could find someone to get coffee. He ignored the request until I asked him again. The food on the buffet was generally dried out out and messy in its display. It simply needed refreshing. We were there at 6:30, not near closing, so no excuse for the food to be so poorly kept. The dessert with the buffet is minimal and nothing special. Their famous pies are nit included in the buffet price. The lettuce on the salad bar was yellow and going bad. The chicken and pork were both good. The ham was thinly sliced and dried out. The potatoes and dressing and gravies were simply not up to their standards of the past. Frankly, I would not recommend the Essenhaus right now. Go downtown to West on Warren for a delightful menu served beautifully or go to the Hilltop for good home cooking or to The Village Inn on Main Street for wonderful.homecooking and great pies. I have no affiliation with any of these places, but if you are looking to eat in Middlebury, there are some other places with better food and better prices than the Essenhaus. It looks like a case of resting on...