Blue Gate Restaurant

When Mel bought the restaurant in the mid-1980s it was named "Der Strudel Haus." He wanted to change the name, partially because it was difficult to pronounce and remember and so that customers would realize it was a different (and better) restaurant.

He decided on the name "Blue Gate" because it was short and easy to remember. It had been used for a Sarasota, Florida restaurant 35 to 40 years before, but the restaurant closed and the name discarded.

When the newly built Blue Gate Restaurant & Bakery opened it doors on August 4th, 2001 in Shipshewana, the entire town was invited over for dinner. As one of Indiana's largest restaurants, the Blue Gate comfortably seats 600 (more than the town's population). Built to reflect the surrounding community, the Blue Gate resembles a rambling white farmhouse, similar to those that dot the surrounding Amish countryside.

An award-winning restaurant serving a world famous Family Style meal that features pressure fried chicken and 3 other meats, real mashed potatoes, Amish noodles, plus lots of other sides and 25 varieties of pies to choose from! Browse our menus, read where the Blue Gate Restaurant got its name, and more below.

Menu | Where did the Blue Gate name come from? | Hours | Location