Olde Dutch Restaurant and Banquet Haus Review in Ohio’s Hocking Hills

The Olde Dutch Restaurant and Banquet Haus is located in the Remple’s Grove area of Logan, Ohio, in the Hocking Hills region.  Known for its simple, Amish style, fare—The Olde Dutch Restaurant and Banquet Haus is a rather popular dining spot for both locals and visitors alike.  We were able to visit The Olde Dutch Restaurant and Banquet Haus on a recent trip.  What was our review of The Olde Dutch Restaurant and Banquet Haus?

Location and Parking.  Olde Dutch Restaurant and Banquet Haus is a convenient drive from Old Man’s Cave and the Hocking Hills Canopy Tours—and is in the heart of popular tourist stops like Adventure Golf, the Logan Antique Mall, the Hocking Hills Craft Mall, the Hocking Hills Canoe Livery and Camping, and the Olde Dutch Ice Cream and Pizza Shoppe.  Our itinerary for the daytrip included Old Man’s Cave, the Logan Antique Mall, The Hocking Hills Canopy Tours, and the Hocking Hills Craft Mall—so the Olde Dutch Restaurant and Banquet Haus was the ideal stop for a late morning breakfast.  The large parking lot was busy with visitors even on the cool, rainy morning.  We hoped that local popularity was a positive indication.

Entering Olde Dutch Restaurant and Banquet Haus.   The restaurant has two main entrances—one labeled private for the Banquet Haus entry.  There was a wedding reception booked for the afternoon of our visit.  We stepped into the restaurant entrance—and right into the crowded, gift shop.  I felt a little discouraged—it was a little like walking into a truck stop with afterthought, vacation gifts.  There was no way to enter the restaurant without weaving through the cramped gift shelves.  I had hoped that the gift shop would be loaded with local, artisan items—while those offerings may have been there, I wasn’t inclined to search for them through the other items. 
 

Seating and Ordering.  We were seated near the windows after a few minutes—and could watch the deer in the enclosed petting zoo area beside the restaurant.  

While I knew that the Olde Dutch Restaurant and Banquet Haus was popular for its buffet—I was not aware that there was not an actual breakfast menu aside from the buffet.  There was a small lunch menu—but, we were about 20 minutes too early for lunch.  This meant two things—we had no choice but a buffet breakfast and we only had about 15 minutes to eat. 

 

The food.  Okay—we go to a restaurant primarily for the food, and since Olde Dutch Restaurant and Banquet Haus was so busy that morning, we had high hopes for the food.  Again, I was a little disappointed.  While the food was truly simple, homestyle, comfort food (fried bacon, sausage, hash browns, sausage gravy, pancakes, French toast,  eggs, and typical breakfast bar fare)—it, unfortunately, reminded me of the breakfast bar at a Holiday Inn.    I didn’t have the home cooked feel—more of the processed, packaged food feel.  

There was little seasoning and the foods were very plain.  I cannot say that the food was bad—it wasn’t.  It just wasn’t what I had envisioned.    We were able to see the lunch buffet as the employees made the entrée changeovers.  The fried chicken, noodles, and a dessert bar seemed a little more appealing than the breakfast selections. 

The service.  The servers, dressed in long dresses, were less than attentive.  We saw our server twice during our visit.  Once to get a drink order and again to drop us the bill--tell us that we only had five minutes left for our meal.  She even admitted that she “forgot about us” as we sat with empty drinks for most of our meal.

Checking Out.  We were again driven to the crowded, gift shop to pay for our meal.  At this point, the entry area was more crowded with lunch guests waiting for seating.  The area was probably made more crowded than usual by guests forced to wait inside to avoid the light drizzle outdoors.  The one restaurant cashier line was shared with gift shop guests and took a while to pay and exit.

Final thoughts on The Olde Dutch Restaurant and Banquet Haus.   This was not my favorite restaurant in the Hocking Hills—but, it was actually not my least favorite either.   I think my daughters would enjoy it.  I know that watching the deer during the meal would be fun for them—and the mild food flavors would especially appeal to my two younger girls and probably even to my mother as well.  I do think it is a good alternative for family travelers seeking to avoid fast food stops for a quick, sit down meal.  I would visit again—but, for lunch next time.  I do think I would personally order from the menu should I visit again—but, I am willing to give it another chance.



Disclaimer:  This review was not sponsored--it was just an experience that I wanted to share with readers.  As always, all opinions are my own and are not influenced by the business or service reviewed.