On Mother’s Day, I not only show appreciation for my own mother (I love you Mom!), but it is also my duty to show some appreciation to my own wife by giving her a fantastic day with her boys! Ohio was also celebrating National Tourism Week, which ran May 5-13, 2012. The Ohio tourism industry also teamed up with Groupon, offering some great deals to get out and see various attractions across the State. By now, you should realize that we are kind of addicted to Groupon!

The thing is, Groupon presents us with some very attractive offers and also brings to our attention some attractions that we either had not been aware of prior or had always wanted to see. So when Groupon had an offer for a place called Historic Sauder’s Village in Archbold, Ohio, I knew it would be a perfect opportunity to show my wife a great Mother’s Day. One of my wife’s favorite types of attractions growing up as a little girl was historic sites and reenactments, so that also was a good reason to try out this place called Sauder’s Village.

Truth be told, I have lived in Ohio my entire life, and I never heard of Sauder’s Village. It is amazing to me that there are some many things in your backyard (well 3 hours away from Cleveland) that you never realize existed. It just goes to show how valuable it is to get out and explore your surroundings.

In actuality, this is one instance where we did not purchase a Groupon for our adventure with Momma InACents. Since our kids were free (ages 5 and under), it was actually cheaper for us to use our AAA discount than purchase the Groupon. I appreciate the idea and opportunity presented to me on Groupon though, and there will be plenty of other opportunities from them to entice me.

After a leisurely drive out in the middle of no-where Ohio, we arrived at the Sauder Village attraction. The plan was to first eat at The Barn for a Mother’s Day buffet followed by a day at Historic Sauder’s Village. We arrived a couple minutes after the restaurant opened (11:00 AM) and the parking lot was packed. The Historic Sauder’s Village did not open until noon, so I was rather surprised how packed the place was so early, despite knowing that it was also a holiday.

Luckily we did arrive right near opening though because we were able to get in and were seated immediately in the upstairs balcony. By the time we left and hour later the lobby was packed and there was a substantial wait.

I have a couple quick housekeeping items about The Barn.

1) If you have kids, and the place is crowded, I absolutely recommend sitting in the upstairs balcony. The buffet is the same food, and the area is much smaller. This means it is perfect for kids to be a little bit of “kids,” as well as shorter lines for the buffet.

2) Our InACents family is not big buffet people. While they are good at offering an assortment of items for kids sometimes picky tastes, we do not like the “overeating” syndrome associated with eating at a buffet. As much as you try and limit your intake, it is so easy to eat too much at a buffet.

Upon first look at the buffet, we were actually sort of put-off at the small buffet and limited options. Half of the buffet was an assorted salad bar, and the other half was hot items. One the menu were fried chicken, roast beef, ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, dressing. Along with lettuce and assorted dressings, there was also fresh fruit, tapioca pudding, coleslaw, a frozen cherry whipped cream dish, cottage cheese, macaroni salad, and an Oreo whipped cream dish.

Also served were assorted salad toppings, breads, sticky buns, apple butter, and desserts.

Now for the good part. Absolutely every item on the menu was FANTASTIC! I do not know for sure, but I could swear everything was homemade including the salad dressings and croutons. Both my wife and I agreed the coleslaw and macaroni salad may have been the best we had ever eaten. I had the chicken and roast beef with mashed potatoes and corn, and it was all absolutely terrific. As I type this, I am craving it again.

Sorry for the lack of pictures, but for once I actually felt awkward taking photos of the food buffet with so many people around, and I did not feel like explaining it was for a blog review on Mother’s Day. Just take my word for it that the meal was great, and the barn atmosphere was wonderful!

Next up will highlight our day in Historic Sauder’s Village.

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Groupon links above do provide me with a commission, but all opinions are our own.