10 Ohio Buffets That Locals Say Still Taste Like The ’80s
Remember the days when buffets were the pinnacle of dining out?
Piling your plate high with everything from mac and cheese to soft serve ice cream was the ultimate treat.
While many restaurant trends have come and gone, some Ohio buffets remain frozen in time, serving up the same recipes and vibes that made them local favorites decades ago.
I’ve traveled across the Buckeye State to find those magical spots where the food still tastes like 1985.
1. Mrs. Yoder’s Kitchen (Mount Hope)
Last summer, I stumbled upon this Amish Country gem while trying to escape a sudden downpour. What a happy accident! The checkered tablecloths and wood paneling haven’t changed since Reagan was president. The fried chicken here has that perfect crunch-to-juiciness ratio that modern places just can’t seem to replicate.
Homemade noodles swim in broth so rich you’d swear your grandma was back in the kitchen. Locals pack the place after church on Sundays, many having eaten here since childhood. The pie selection alone is worth the drive—each slice bigger than your hand and made from scratch that morning. No fancy fusion cuisine or deconstructed classics here—just honest-to-goodness cooking that transports you back to family dinners circa 1982.
2. Der Dutchman (Walnut Creek)
Stepping into Der Dutchman feels like walking through a time portal! The first time I visited, an elderly server named Mabel called me “honey” and insisted I try the broasted chicken—advice I’ve followed religiously on every visit since. The salad bar alone spans an entire wall, featuring those classic gelatin salads nobody makes anymore but everyone secretly loves. Their mashed potatoes achieve that perfect consistency between smooth and lumpy that chains have long abandoned in favor of the powdered stuff.
Families still gather around the massive oak tables just like they did when I was a kid wearing velcro shoes and a side ponytail. The restaurant’s massive windows overlook Amish farmland, where horse-drawn buggies clip-clop by as you feast on apple fritters that haven’t changed their recipe since 1977.
3. Schmidt’s Autobahn Buffet (Columbus)
Sauerkraut so tangy it makes your eyes water! That’s what keeps bringing me back to this German stronghold in Columbus. The buffet line still features those stainless steel warming trays that were all the rage when MTV actually played music videos. Bratwurst, schnitzels, and spaetzle sit proudly alongside American classics like mac and cheese.
The decor hasn’t been updated since the Berlin Wall fell—think dark wood paneling, beer steins lining high shelves, and servers in traditional dirndls. My uncle Frank first brought me here after a Buckeyes game in 1989, and I swear the potato pancakes taste exactly the same today. The dessert section features Black Forest cake so rich and dense it would make any modern pastry chef blush. No Instagram-worthy plating here—just heaping portions that remind you of a time before anyone counted calories.
4. The Amish Door (Wilmot)
“You haven’t lived until you’ve tried our corn pudding,” the owner told me on my first visit in 2018. He wasn’t exaggerating! This family-owned treasure has been serving the same recipes since bell-bottoms were unironically cool. The buffet area features hand-carved wooden signs that have yellowed with age, pointing diners toward comfort foods that modern restaurants have long abandoned.
Their chicken and dumplings—with those thick, chewy dumplings that defy gravity—transport me straight back to watching The A-Team while finishing homework. Kids still run around the penny candy section while parents load up on pot roast so tender you could eat it with a spoon. The sweetest part? The same families who worked here in the ’80s still run the place, greeting regulars by name and remembering your favorite dessert (butterscotch pudding, in my case).
5. Rob’s Restaurant (Brookville)
The green carpet at Rob’s hasn’t changed since 1983—and neither has their incredible breakfast buffet! My first morning there, I watched in awe as the cook flipped pancakes the size of hubcaps while singing along to Bon Jovi on a radio that might actually be from the Reagan administration. The waffle iron has been making the same perfect squares since most of us were watching Saturday morning cartoons.
Their bacon stays miraculously crisp under heat lamps in a way modern places can’t figure out, and the biscuits and gravy remain thick enough to stand your spoon in. Truckers still sit at the counter alongside families and retirees, all digging into hash browns that are somehow both crispy and tender. The coffee comes in those thick white mugs that seem indestructible, served by waitresses who call everyone “hon” and remember exactly how you like your eggs.
6. Old Country Buffet (Dayton Area)
Against all odds, this chain survivor in the Dayton suburbs continues serving up nostalgia by the plateful! While most locations nationwide have shuttered, this particular spot remains frozen in amber—complete with those brown plastic trays and partitioned plates we all remember. The carving station still features a perpetually smiling man in a tall white hat, slicing roast beef paper-thin or thick-cut depending on your preference.
My childhood birthday parties often ended here, and I still instinctively head for the taco bar first—with those hard shells that inevitably shatter on first bite. Families continue the tradition of the “clean plate challenge” before hitting the soft-serve machine with its magical lever that creates the perfect ice cream swirl. The salad bar’s ranch dressing has that distinctive taste that modern versions can’t replicate, and yes, they still have those yellow Jell-O cubes with fruit suspended inside like prehistoric insects in amber.
7. Rax Roast Beef (Lancaster)
Holy flashback, Batman! Walking into one of Ohio’s last surviving Rax restaurants is like stepping into a time machine. The first time I revisited after 20 years, I half-expected to see my younger self wearing LA Gear sneakers and arguing with my sister about whose turn it was on the Nintendo. Their famous “Endless Salad Bar” still rocks those clear plastic sneeze guards and stainless steel containers filled with pasta salads that haven’t changed their recipes since the Commodore 64 was cutting-edge technology.
The signature roast beef remains sliced whisper-thin and piled high on those slightly sweet buns. Most surprising of all? The cheese sauce for the potato bar maintains that impossibly smooth consistency that modern health regulations have somehow ruined elsewhere. Families still fill those red plastic baskets with curly fries and BBC sandwiches (beef, bacon, and cheese—a combo invented before “artisanal” was even a restaurant buzzword).
8. Stewart’s Drive-In (Mansfield)
Carhops on roller skates! I couldn’t believe my eyes when I pulled up to Stewart’s last summer. While not technically a traditional buffet, their weekend “All-You-Can-Eat Cruise Night” buffet tent transforms this 1950s-founded spot into a smorgasbord of American classics. The root beer still comes in frosted mugs so heavy you need two hands if you’re under 12. Their burgers maintain that distinctive flat-top grill flavor that chain restaurants have spent millions trying to replicate.
My dad used to bring me here after Little League games, and the taste of their onion rings instantly transports me back to 1988. The buffet features those metal warming trays with the blue flame canisters underneath, keeping everything at that perfect temperature. Locals arrive in classic cars on Saturday nights, creating an atmosphere straight out of “American Graffiti” while loading plates with corn dogs, chili, and those crinkle-cut fries that somehow taste better than any other potato configuration.
9. Arthur Treacher’s Fish & Chips (Cuyahoga Falls)
“Would you like malt vinegar with that?” The question nearly brought tears to my eyes when I found this surviving Arthur Treacher’s location last year. One of the last standalone locations in America, this time capsule still serves their weekend “Captain’s Feast” buffet exactly as they did when mall food courts were the height of culinary adventure. The fish remains encased in that distinctive crunchy batter that somehow stays crisp under heat lamps defying all laws of food physics.
Those famous “chips”—thick-cut potato wedges dusted with sea salt—still come wrapped in faux newspaper just like when I was wearing Underoos and watching He-Man. The hush puppies maintain that perfect golden-brown exterior with a steamy, soft interior that modern fast food can’t touch. Most impressively, their coleslaw hasn’t changed its recipe since the days when “The Cosby Show” was America’s favorite Thursday night activity—tangy, slightly sweet, and the perfect complement to their tartar sauce.
10. Boyd & Wurthmann (Berlin)
The pie case at Boyd & Wurthmann should be declared a national treasure! First visiting this Amish Country institution on a rainy Tuesday in 2016, I watched in amazement as a server used an actual metal cash register with those satisfying ka-chunk buttons. Their breakfast-to-dinner buffet operates from a converted lunch counter that’s been serving hungry travelers since before color TV was standard. The scrambled eggs contain visible bits of butter that modern health departments would surely frown upon. Locals crowd around formica tables that have witnessed first dates, marriage proposals, and generations of family gatherings.
The roast beef has that fall-apart tenderness achieved only through slow cooking and decades of perfecting the recipe. Most charming of all are the handwritten menu boards with prices that seem to be from another era entirely. No credit cards accepted—cash only—just like when phone booths were on every corner and “social media” meant sharing the newspaper over coffee.