Local Must-Eats in Lancaster, PA

When in Lancaster, PA, try unique eats like scrapple, sweet bologna, whoopie pies, and Wilbur Buds that reflect the area's heritage and PA Dutch roots. These tasty treats hold warm memories and highlight our ancestors' resourcefulness.

Scrapple

Start your day with this local favorite – scrapple! If you love pork or breakfast meat in general, this regional dish is for you, as it’s traditionally made from pork and spices then fried and served for breakfast. It may not be the most glamorous of foods, but it’s rich and very tasty, especially topped with ketchup or maple syrup.

Whoopie Pies

It’s hard to resist a Lancaster County whoopie pie. These tasty treats are made from two cake-like cookies with sweet cream in the center. There are many varieties including chocolate, pumpkin, and red velvet. Legend has it that when farmers and children would find them in their lunch pails, they would shout “whoopie!” Just one bite, and you’ll understand the why.

Stroopies

Stroopies are a Lancaster-made Dutch stroopwafel! It's two cinnamon waffles with caramel in the middle, meant to be put over a mug of warm tea or coffee to warm the stroopwafel. Chocolate covered, espresso, original, and other flavors make this a delicious treat.

Chow Chow

This sweet and sour side dish is both tasty and resourceful. Chow-chow is a combination of vegetables, typically the odds and ends left at the end of the harvest, which are pickled and served to accompany a typical PA Dutch meal. You’ll find carrots, onions, cauliflower, cucumbers, celery, corn, peppers and beans in this colorful veggie mix.

Sweet Bologna

From our neighboring town of Lebanon, sweet bologna is a local staple. This sweet, smoky sausage is typically enjoyed on a sandwich or as a snack. Sweet bologna dates back to the 19th century and reflects traditions of Western Europe. Locals love the tangy flavor of this beef-based sausage that’s cured and smoked to perfection, often paired with mustard.

PA Dutch Chicken & Waffles

Chicken & waffles tend to look a little different here than other places. Rather than fried chicken and syrup, it's chicken in a gravy over waffles, made even better when paired with mashed potatoes

Chicken Pot Pie

In Lancaster, we do chicken pot pie a little bit differently. This hug-in-a-bowl is a stew-like meal with hearty broth, tender slow-cooked chicken, carrots, potatoes, and savory square noodles but… no crust! If you’re a fan of the chicken pot pie in a crust, we definitely recommend trying our version. You can’t go wrong with this hearty meal.

Wilbur Buds

Hailing from the charming town of Lititz, Wilbur Buds are little morsels of chocolate heaven. They made their debut in 1893, and have been a favorite ever since. Today, you can visit the museum and shop in Lititz to pick up a bag of milk chocolate or dark chocolate buds (or both) to enjoy. We bet you can’t eat just one!

Shoofly Pie

Shoofly pie is a staple of Pennsylvania Dutch dining, a molasses crumb cake dating back to the 1880s! There's also a difference between "wet bottom" shoofly pie, which has a gooey layer form at the bottom and is more popular, and "dry bottom" which is more cake-like.