I'm rather surprised to be giving a 4 to a smorgasbord, but I am. They deserve it. We were heading home from a long weekend on the road, and wanted something more than fast food, so decided to give this a try. It's obvious this is a local hangout. I was surprised how many of the wait staff knew the customers by name! Still, we received prompt, friendly service, even though it was evident we didn't know our way around. Everything I tried was great! One thing that impressed me was that they were constantly turning the food on the buffet tables. I'm not a fan of buffets as sometimes the food seems a bit old, but that wasn't the case here. Everything was fresh, hot and tasty. The price was quite reasonable for the amount of food (all you care to eat). This goes on our list of places to stop in town! read more

Chambers has been an occasional must for me for years. I eat fairly healthy at home. I don't know how to fry foods. I press napkins into pizza to absorb as much fat as possible because I think it's gross. However....my mom was an excellent home cook - healthy, well-rounded meals that included some fried, some bacon fat, pies & cobblers & shortcakes. Chambers is all of that. It fills not just my stomach but my soul. Good old home cooking -- fried chicken, mashed potatoes & gravy, green beans with bacon fat, homemade bread, pan desserts. All I can eat. The place is clean. The staff is friendly & keeps the glasses filled. I don't feel rushed like I'm a mere commodity like so many Indy restaurants. My only request is that they rent cots in the parking lot for food-coma recovery. But it's worth it to me. read more

Food was ok but nothing special and a little pricey for what it was. Went for Mother's Day lunch as my parents love the spot! It's a buffet so can't say much about the service, but everyone was nice enough. Just not my vibe! read more

GREAT FOOD!! Highly recommended. Service is great, . Really love eating here. Family friendly.

Mostly the food was good but I'm not much for all you can eat bars. I always eat to much and feel yucky when I leave. I'm better if I order from their menu especially for breakfast and it was very good. read more

DISCLAIMER: This is a review of the breakfast ordered from the menu. I stopped in here for brunch with work friends on our way to a conference in French Lick. A billboard pointed us to this fine establishment. It's a typical locally owned restaurant with plentiful seating and homey feel. I ordered a simple breakfast of fried eggs, bacon and hash browns. The eggs and bacon were good; the hash browns were not. They were McDonald's style hash browns made a from a frozen slab of potatoes dropped into the deep fryer. HOWEVER - This is a smorgasbord restaurant. They had the food out for the lunch crowd. And it all looked delicious! One could eat themselves into a coma at this place. So despite my below average breakfast, I want to visit here again and try the smorgasbord. If I do, I will update my review. read more

The service was awesome, the waitresses were very friendly, one problem I seen was a child probably 8 or 9 years old waiting on people! is this actually a thing? I have never been to a food establishment with a child that young working, not to mention all the other children that were running around in the kitchen, behind the buffet bar! I don't even want to imagine what is being flung into the food while they are all trapsing around with their dirty little feet and hands. It disgusts me, the food is subpar at best very bland "homemade" food should never taste like nothing. The kid waiting tables and running around the kitchen unsupervised was just mind blowing, can the owner not afford to pay the adult waitstaff so they resort to child labor?! kids belong at parks or at home not working or running around while customers are trying to eat. read more

Always wonderful food and service great job guys And I can't wait for this horrible pandemic is over so we can get our lives back read more

Only old people go here. Probably because the food is extremely bland. It's very dated and could use a nice refresh.

We go virtually every Monday evening for Family Night, $9.50, all you care to eat. The food is constantly replenished and is FRESH! Nothing sitting in warmers here! Staff is quick and courteous, foods great, and the Chicken Tortilla soup... OH MY!!! it's my FAVORITE! read more

Went to this restaurant due to the good reviews. Not sure why they call this an Amish restaurant, because there was not one Amish person in there. All of the food was EXTREMELY greasy. I had a terrible tummy ache on the way home. The desserts were extremely dry. Won't be going back. read more

I was born and raised a good country girl not far from Chambers and my family always loved this place. Papa and I went back to visit a couple weeks ago and stopped in again for lunch. So now that I'm a self-proclaimed city gal, I do agree that it's country. Large hardwood tables in a big open room with the buffet at one end. Decor is sparse but it's clean. I've never eaten anything off the menu, always buffet so can't comment on that part. The salad bar is huge, and everything appeared very fresh. They have BEETS, as well (IMO, you don't have a real salad bar unless you have beets in Indiana)! They also offer 2-3 different creamy salads (Papa's always been a big fan of the pea salad), and a soup or two. The hot bar offered fried, breaded pork tenderloins, fried chicken, salisbury steak and an assortment of sides like mashed potatoes, brown gravy, and mixed vegetables. Don't forget the bread and apple butter! They have thick cut white bread, wheat popover rolls and fried biscuits so you have a choice of mediums with which to slather that delightful spread onto! My plate consisted of a tenderloin, mashed potatoes and brown gravy along with some mixed veggies and a wheat roll with apple butter. I ate every last bite on that plate! Skipped dessert since it was lunch time, but they had a couple baked goods on the counter (a cake and ? cobbler)...they also have a soft serve ice cream machine which totally tempted me! If you're into clean/organic/vegan eating, this is not the place for you. It's country cooking for sure and butter/animal fat is used liberally. But if you're like me and you appreciate this kind of meal once in awhile, then check it out! It's a bargain; through the week the sign said they offer lunch pricing for dinner. Our waitress was friendly and efficient and made sure our glasses were always filled. Check it out sometime! read more

Chambers Smorgasbord - My salad with beets. Not particularly artful, but definitely fresh and tasty! - American Near Me - Spencer, Indiana

This little local place is not the place to go for health food. Lots of fried and lots of starch. That said, we got here right as fresh food was set out. It was pretty good. If you're looking for home cooked comfort food, and lots of it, this is the place. The Friday night buffet had fried fish, fried chicken, chicken tenders, fried shrimp and fried clams... You get the idea. Mashed potatos and gravy, green beans and baked beans for sides on the hot sides. A salad bar with build your own as well as some pre-made options- potato salad, apple walnut salad and cole slaw. Then an ice cream machine and home made desserts to finish. The highlight for me were the fried biscuits and homemade apple butter. Remember that this is Spencer, where the fall festival is the Apple Butter Festival, so they know their apple butter in this little burg, and fried biscuits are the best way to enjoy it IMHO. So I skipped the desserts and had biscuits and apple butter for dessert. Save room, make room... Whatever you need to do. My family of 4 found something for everyone. That's always a plus. Noticed a few signs for reference- lunch prices extend into dinner on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Sunday is higher price than the rest of the week. During the summer they do smoked meats on Saturdays. All FYI... For when you come check it out. read more

Chambers Smorgasbord - Fried biscuits and homemade apple butter- with dinner... Or dessert... Or in my case, Both! - American Near Me - Spencer, Indiana

stuck in the past and not a good way. over priced, greasy foods and needs a complete redo. it is at the same level of service and food as hilltop restaurant, that is not a good thing. read more

We stopped in for a late lunch (2-ish) and found a decent crowd. I'll echo all the positive comments from others. SUPER friendly staff, genuinely so. Everything on the buffet was surprisingly fresh for such an odd time of day. Large and varied selection on the salad bar. A large selection of meats and sides on the hot bar. 2 kinds of homemade bread, homemade rolls, and of course fries biscuits and apple butter. A great change of pace from the standard fast food fare right on the highway. Well worth the 3 block trek off of highway 231 to get there! read more

There aren't many options in Spencer that aren't fast food, so it's great that Chambers is available. It really works well if you are with a large family group, as we were. The food is heartland food and for that style, pretty good. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, country-style green beans, fried cauliflower -- you get the picture. The salad section was surprisingly well stocked and fresh (for a weekday lunch no less). Dessert section was so-so, but I won't complain since they had a chocolate brownie and soft serve ice cream. The highlight for me though was one item. It's the reason I gave them a 4 rounded up from 3.5 instead of down to 3. That item was the deep-fried biscuits. OMG. I could have made a meal from those alone. I love hushpuppies and deep-fried biscuits, so when I visit Indiana, I try to indulge (and you can't find them anywhere around where I live in Southern California where almost nothing is fried, let alone biscuits). I don't think I've ever had better. Those alone were well worth the visit here. read more

The days of home cooked delicious food have passed this mainstay of Spencer. The food comes from a can and the breakfast omelets have been tasteless the last 3 trips home. I am not alone in my thoughts as we were there during breakfast rush and there was no rush. If you won't keep your oil clean and hot enough for delicious fried biscuits what does the kitchen look like? Bob Chambers is likely spinning in his grave. So sad! Please comment and follow me for more reviews! read more

We stopped for lunch and the smorgasboard that day included sausages and kraut, roast beef, fried chicken, mashed potatoes and more including salad with fixins. A plus for me was the marshmallow salads, which reminded me of family gatherings. The one had apples and nuts and the other one had coconut, mandarin oranges and pineapple. Yum! There were also a few dessert options, and the peanut butter fudge thing was great. The decor was a bit sparse but service was friendly and the lunch buffet was $7.75, which did not include drink. read more

This place took me back to my childhood memories of eating at Poe's restaurant in downtown Martinsville. And I found out that just like Poe's everything you see was prepared in house. Great place. read more

Freaking delicious!!! The staff was VERY friendly and welcoming to an "outer-towner". The food was fresh, HOT, and kept coming just like the customers! I loved having 2 eggs cooked over medium from the kitchen. If something isn't right for ya, speak up they WILL make it right! Best buffet in indiana!!! I WILL BE BACK, with friends and family...Thank you ALL for making a great end to the week. read more

We had ate at least once every year for 20 or more years good food and service. But our last time had unfriendly service so we left

Being an extreme city-slicker and horrified of anything south of Chicago, I have to say that even though I had the worst expectations, I was still taken aback by the food here. Bland, flavorless, and near to frightening is how I'd describe my omelet. I thought at first they had melted a Barbie arm or something to hold it all together, but then I realized it was in fact American cheese. The last time I saw American cheese in a restaurant, I was 5 years old. Really? Are there no cows in Indiana? Considering the slim options near McCormack Creek State Park, you're probably better off having a Slim Jim and a cheese stick from the nearest gas station. The homemade apple butter is the only thing keeping this from a 1 star. read more

Damn the cholesterol, full speed ahead. This is comfort food heaven. I don't get in the area often, but I always stop here when I do. If possible I get here while it is still a breakfast buffet. You can order off a menu but almost no one does. read more

I finally got around to going to Chambers Smorgasbord. I was always a little apprehensive about going in that place because I tend to look at an "All You Can Eat" buffet as a personal challenge. Haha. Now that I've gone there, I'm really sorry that I waited so long. I went with a friend of mine that grew up in Owen County, so she knew a lot of people in Spencer. I kinda felt like I was at a great, big family get together. All the people that worked were so friendly that they made you feel like you were right at home. The selection of food was excellent. And everything was delicious. The desserts were great.You have to try their fried biscuits and apple butter. Important note: Monday night is a special discounted price. It is very, very affordable. I gave it 4 stars because it is just not a place that you go to lose weight. LOL read more

I'm kinda torn on this place ... Just had dinner here last night for the first time . It has such a charming "real home cooked meal" feel to it, that I loved, EXCEPT it was more home cooked meal from "uncle bobs" instead of "grandmas". - hopefully that makes sense. So I'll start off with the service ... Mediocre, at best ... We had reservations for a group of 10, when we showed up the server kinda just pointed us in the general direction of our tables, and told us it said "reserved" on it ... Ok thanks ... Then when she came to take drink orders, that's just what she did ... No greeting, no introduction, no general instructions on how the establishment worked (buffet or off the menu ... We were only offered buffet, not a menu in sight). We didn't see her much after that. Food- like everyone else has said ... The apple butter and biscuits were probably the highlight of the meal ... Meats were bland, Potatoes too salty (I'm still bloated)...I will admit I was oddly intrigued by the carrots ... I think I may have liked those more than I even wanted to. Overall ... Meh. It's basically a sad combination of Cracker Barrel meets Denny's, served as a buffet. It could have great potential though... That's why I'm torn. read more

It's a smorgasbord of good food. Brown beans, fried fish, dumplings, fried chicken, green beans, salad bar, fried bread and desserts. It's good food for a good price. Come with an appetite. read more

The food is good , they have a low price on Monday's for dinner but the rest of the week and the rest of the meals are a little more expense because they do not have any competition in this town. Barb T read more

Chambers is certainly nothing fancy, but it's a buffet stocked with some pretty good home cookin'! The prices are more than reasonable, and everyone in my large party seemed pleased. I'm a somewhat picky eater when it comes to a normal, midwestern family spread (see also: I'm not really into mayonnaise based foods), but I enjoyed the chicken strips, salad bar (plenty of fresh veggies and the staff was almost anal about keeping it clean and stocked), mashed potatoes, cornbread, and green beans. The pineapple upside down cake was also excellent. read more

Great Buffet. Monday Specials are awesome. Good Service.

Friendly staff. Has an old timey and homey feel to it. The food is exceptional and tastes like grandmas. It's warm and soothing to the soul. It's a wonderful buffet style place. You get a lot of food for your money. read more

I've been here a few times over the years. I even went there when it was at the original location years ago. There's a lot of good food on the menu. They do have a buffet. The prices are very reasonable. If you go on Monday evenings be prepared for a large crowd. At this time Monday night is a $5 per person buffet. If you do go, always sit down stairs. If you go upstairs it's pretty filthy. read more

Great small town restaurant with decent prices. The breakfast buffet is the best part.

Monday nights are special deals that pack the house. While the buffet is simple, the food is good, hot, and plentiful. Good service and on Monday, exceptional prices. Worth a visit, you just might go back. read more

Always a great treat. Never eat anything more than the buffet. But that works for me. I drive an hour to eat down here in spencer. Some of their service has gone by the way side and I was lucky enough to find a huge hair in my mashed potatoes on Mother's Day, but I won't let that keep me from coming back. Sad that's what keeps them from being 5 stars. read more

Fairly pricey for what amounts to a run-of-the-mill smorgasbord, but it's good for what it is, with a nice honey atmosphere that makes it worth dropping by once in a great while. read more

Stopped in for lunch, being from out of town heard about it. Was Great food. Real nice down home type restaurant with a great food buffet.$ 9.75 was total bill for me including 2 refills of their sweet tea. Not bad at all in my book, will definitely return when I'm in town. read more

I wasn't impressed by the service or food the day we went. My hubby said I should expect it because its not a 5 star restaurant BUT for $13 a person I expected more. Most staff seemed to hate their work and I felt we burdened them just by walking in the door. Next time we pass through we will just drive on. read more

It's a buffet. but you can also order from a menu. The lunch buffet actually looked good (especially the salad bar), but we opted for breakfast. Be warned: breakfast is whisked away at 10:30 on the dot, even on weekends, and boy do they make sure you know that. It's a typical breakfast bar: overcooked scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage (the patties were pretty good), biscuits and extremely bland gravy. The service was extremely friendly. read more

do the smorgasbord and load up on fried chicken, fried biscuits, and apple butter!

My family and I have liked this place in the past but after our visit today, I'm not sure we will be back. We arrived at 4:05pm - strange time to eat, I know, but our waitress said the buffet had been torn down and would be ready at 4:30. In the meantime we could have salad bar. No problem. Happy to wait to have "fresh" food. The salad bar was great, as usual. Love the variety and selection. The dinner buffet was ready on time but it was far from "fresh". I think the country fried steak was leftover from lunch. It was cold and awful. And no white gravy for country fried steak???? Instant mashed potatoes- really? My husband had spinach that was "refrigerator" cold. The chocolate pie was tasteless. We told our waitress about the country fried steak and spinach and I didn't see anyone do anything about it. We also told the waitress we were disappointed in the food tonight. Her response "Sorry". Hate to see a once good restaurant go downhill. read more