Unearth The Voyage
Northern Indiana’s Amish Country is famous for more than beautiful farmland and handmade crafts. It’s home to some of the most satisfying comfort food you’ll ever taste, from towering slices of homemade pie to warm cinnamon rolls that practically melt in your mouth. Whether you’re craving hearty family-style meals, freshly baked breads, or bulk foods to stock your pantry, these stops deliver authentic flavors and old-fashioned hospitality that make any road trip memorable.
1. Blue Gate Amish Bakery (Shipshewana)
If you’re the type who could spend an hour just staring at a bakery case, this place was made for you. Blue Gate’s bakery operation focuses entirely on scratch-made Amish baked goods, and they bake fresh six days a week. Cookies, pies, cinnamon rolls, breads, and sweet treats line the shelves, along with jars of homemade jams and jellies.
Everything here feels personal, like it was baked by someone’s grandmother that morning. Because, honestly, it kind of was.
This is also the perfect stop if you need edible souvenirs or a gift basket for someone back home. Grab a few jars of apple butter, a dozen cookies, and maybe a loaf of fresh bread. Your car will smell amazing all the way home, and your passengers will keep sneaking bites.
2. Das Dutchman Essenhaus (Middlebury)
Essenhaus is the kind of place where you arrive hungry and leave wondering why you thought you needed dinner later. This Amish-style restaurant in Middlebury is built for serious appetites, with generous portions of comfort food that hit all the right notes. Fried chicken, pot roast, mashed potatoes with gravy, buttery vegetables, and homemade bread are just the start.
Then comes dessert, and that’s where things get tricky. The dessert menu is long, the slices are huge, and everything looks incredible.
You’ll probably end up ordering something even though you’re already full, and that’s okay. That’s the Essenhaus experience. Go for the traditional comfort-food favorites, stay for the just-one-more-bite vibe, and maybe loosen your belt a notch before you stand up.
3. Das Dutchman Essenhaus Bakery (Middlebury)
Forget the restaurant for a second. The bakery side of Essenhaus is a full-blown destination all on its own. With more than 30 varieties of pie, plus breads, rolls, cookies, and take-home goodies like apple butter and homemade noodles, you could easily spend half an hour just deciding what to buy.
And here’s the thing: you should buy more than you think you need. Those dinner rolls? Get an extra bag. That jar of apple butter? Grab two. The noodles? Toss a few packages in your basket because you’ll kick yourself later if you don’t.
This is the perfect place to build a road-trip snack bag and stock your trunk with pantry staples that’ll remind you of this trip for weeks to come.
4. Essenhaus Foods (Middlebury)
Ever wish you could bottle up the taste of Amish Country and take it home with you? That’s basically what Essenhaus Foods does. This is the take-it-home version of Amish-style cooking, specializing in old-fashioned Amish noodles, along with pantry staples like apple butter, soup bases, salad dressings, and more.
The noodles are the real MVP here. Thick, hearty, and perfect for chicken noodle soup or any dish that needs a comforting carb boost. You’ll wish you’d bought them earlier in your trip because once you try them, you’ll want to go back for more.
Stock up while you’re here. These are the kinds of ingredients that make weeknight dinners taste like you spent all day in the kitchen, even when you didn’t.
5. Rise’n Roll Bakery & Deli (Middlebury)
Some bakeries are known for their bread. Others for their cookies. Rise’n Roll? They’re famous for one thing above all else: the Cinnamon Caramel Donut. It’s the house legend, the must-try item, the reason people drive out of their way and stand in line before sunrise.
And yes, it lives up to the hype. Soft, sweet, gooey, and dangerously addictive, this donut has a cult following for good reason.
Rise’n Roll describes itself as an Amish-style bakery that bakes everything preservative-free, so what you’re getting is fresh, simple, and made with care. Order the cinnamon caramel donut first, obviously. Then pretend you’re just browsing while you pick up a few other treats to go. No judgment here.
6. Dutch Country Market (Middlebury)
You know that feeling when you walk into a store for one thing and leave with a cart full of stuff you didn’t know you needed? Welcome to Dutch Country Market. This is the kind of stop where browsing is dangerous, in the best possible way.
Their selection is massive: bulk foods, deli meats and cheeses, fresh produce, baked goods, candies, coffee, tea, and more. You’ll find baking mixes, snacks, pantry treasures, and plenty of things that make great edible gifts.
Pack light when you arrive, because you’ll need room in your car for everything you pick up. This is a top-tier spot for road-trip provisioning and stocking up on treats that won’t melt the second you step outside. Bring a cooler if you’re serious.
7. E&S Sales Bulk Foods (Shipshewana)
E&S Sales has been a Shipshewana staple for years, and once you step inside, you’ll understand why. This is bulk foods done right: baking ingredients, grains, spices, snacks, plus a solid selection of meats, cheeses, baked goods, and those beloved Amish noodles everyone raves about.
If you’re into cooking or baking, this place is basically a treasure hunt. You’ll find ingredients you didn’t know existed and staples you’ll want to stock up on before heading home.
Here’s the pro tip: pack a cooler before you visit. Seriously. Once you see the selection of meats and cheeses, you’ll want to load up, and you’ll need somewhere to keep everything fresh on the drive. This isn’t a quick in-and-out stop. Plan to browse and enjoy it.
8. Yoder’s Meat & Cheese Co. (Shipshewana)
Yoder’s is where you go when you want to build your own feast from scratch. With 150 cuts of meat, 80 varieties of cheese, and a lineup of in-house smoked meats, this place is a carnivore’s dream and a cheese lover’s paradise rolled into one delicious stop.
Whether you’re planning a picnic, stocking up for a cookout, or just grabbing snacks for the road, Yoder’s has you covered. The smoked meats are especially worth splurging on, and the cheese selection is overwhelming in the best way.
This is the kind of place where you’ll find yourself saying, “We’ll just eat this in the car,” and then polishing off half your haul before you even leave the parking lot. Bring a cooler, bring your appetite, and bring your shopping list.
9. Country Lane Bakery (Middlebury)
Country Lane Bakery takes the whole “made from scratch” thing seriously. They bake more than 30 kinds of pies, grind flour fresh before baking whole grain bread, and turn out cinnamon rolls that smell so good you’ll want to buy a dozen before you even taste one.
Everything here is homemade, and you can taste the difference. The crusts are flaky, the fillings are generous, and the bread is hearty and satisfying in a way that makes you wonder why you ever bought the grocery store version.
Don’t leave without grabbing cinnamon rolls and something packed for tomorrow’s breakfast. Future you will thank present you when you wake up to fresh bakery treats instead of stale cereal. Trust the process, stock up, and enjoy every bite.
10. Country Lane Bakery 2.0 (Shipshewana)
Country Lane’s Shipshewana location brings the same scratch-made goodness as the original, but with a downtown vibe and a coffee-shop setup that makes it perfect for a quick break. Cinnamon rolls are the star here, but you’ll also find breads, cookies, pies, and other homemade baked goods that’ll tempt you the second you walk in.
The seating area is a nice touch, especially if you’ve been wandering around Shipshewana’s shops and need a place to rest your feet and refuel. Grab a coffee, pick a pastry, and take a breather.
This is the ideal sweet stop between shopping and exploring. Whether you’re fueling up for more browsing or winding down after a full day, Country Lane 2.0 delivers the cozy, delicious experience you’re craving.
11. Yoder Popcorn (Shipshewana)
Yoder Popcorn leans hard into nostalgia, and it works. Made in the heart of Amish Country, this isn’t your average grocery store popcorn. They offer multiple varieties, including their famous Tiny Tender, which pops up small, crunchy, and incredibly snackable.
The packaging is cheerful and old-fashioned, making it a great gift or souvenir. But let’s be real: most people buy it for themselves and snack on it all the way home.
Make sure to sample a few varieties before you commit. Each one has a slightly different texture and flavor, and once you find your favorite, you’ll want to stock up. Grab a bag (or three) and enjoy the ride. This is road-trip snacking at its finest, and it’ll disappear faster than you think.
12. Shipshewana Auction Restaurant (Shipshewana)
Located right on the Shipshewana Trading Place grounds, the Auction Restaurant is the kind of spot that fuels flea market shoppers, auction-goers, and hungry travelers looking for a solid meal. Chicken and noodles are a house favorite, along with homemade pies and breakfast haystacks that are as filling as they are delicious.
The restaurant operates in connection with flea market and auction days, so hours and availability can vary depending on the season. It’s worth checking the schedule before you make the trip, especially if you’re planning around market days.
This is comfort food at its most straightforward: hearty, homemade, and served with a side of small-town charm. Perfect for refueling between browsing booths and hunting for treasures at the market.
