Laurel Hotel

Definitely a litte town in the woods. This is the one place in this town I would recommend. The few times I have been..my food has been pretty decent. If you do go..I would say hit them on a Friday or Saturday so you can do the buffet. It seems to be better on these two days.

What can I say about Laurel that hasn't already been said about "Deliverance"? This is not a quaint little destination by any means. Laurel has a bad reputation for good reason. If you hear banjos, RUN.

However! It's worth the drive and the possible buckshot injuries to get yourself to the Laurel Hotel for their Friday and Saturday buffet. You can choose from either the Country Buffet ($13.95) or the Seafood Buffet ($17.95). There's really not a huge difference between the two, as long as you're not a rabid crab/frog leg fan (which we are not). There's still a variety of seafood (mostly of the fried variation) on the Country Buffet.

The chicken and dumplings are worth the price alone. Filling, flavorful and homemade... can't beat that. There's green beans, mashed potatoes, pan-fried chicken... just like you remember Grandma making them. In fact, this whole place kind of smells like Grandma's. Comfort food, old stuff and just a hint of mothballs. It's very clean, though, and the waitress we had, Terry, was very helpful in explaining buffet protocol. We left very satisfied... drove right home and went to sleep on account of the food coma. We'll go again, I'm sure.

Apparently you can also take the scenic Whitewater Valley Railroad from Connersville to Laurel in order to eat there. I'd almost suggest that over driving, as State Road 121 is nothing short of treacherous.