Out and About

Actions

A piece of Amish paradise: Roberts store offers a taste of new community's home-cooking

A cashier at The Chuckwagon
Posted

ROBERTS — Those who have stopped at The Chuckwagon know the sandwiches are unbeatable, and the fresh-baked goods are worth the detour.

The Roberts deli and grocery store always has a packed parking lot. It opened its doors at 8159 U.S. Highway 212 in 2020 and has since made a name for itself selling Amish goods.

The Chuckwagon Sign along Hwy 212
The Chuckwagon Sign along Hwy 212

“We do breads, cookies, pies, cinnamon rolls, and then we do some specialty bars and stuff like that,” said Edward Hertzler, the owner of The Chuckwagon, on Wednesday. “We try to carry things you can’t find just any place."

Spices for sale
Spices for sale

Simply put, The Chuckwagon is a fan favorite.

“We’re having the special today, the deli sandwich, and it’s very good,” said Michael Klaudt, a customer from Laurel, on Wednesday. "The Whoopie Pies are great. But yeah, the deli sandwiches are hard to beat."

Michael Klaudt
Michael Klaudt

Unbeatable, and the reason for repeat customers.

"My wife and I probably (visit) three times a year if not more,” Klaudt said. “You need to come visit, it’s a great place."

Sandwich making process
Sandwich making process

The Chuckwagon has a unique twist, thanks to its Amish roots.

“I have all Amish girls working here,” Hertzler, an Amish man himself, said. “We moved here in February of ’20."

Edward Hertzler
Edward Hertzler

In 2019, Carbon County saw a large number of Amish families move to the area. Hertzler said church leadership considered the price of land and whether locals would welcome newcomers and decided Roberts would be the perfect spot to relocate. Montana has an estimated Amish population of 1,185.

The Hertzlers came from Michigan, but Amish communities can be found across the United States.

"We are originally from Pennsylvania, and we were talking about Amish stores and whatever," said Wendall Mosemann, the father of the Mosemann family, on Wednesday. "He wanted some Scrapple and some Lebanon Bologna. So that’s sort of why we stopped, and then we were kind of hungry, so we got the sandwiches."

Mosemann Family
Mosemann Family

The Mosemann family was traveling through Montana when they caught wind of The Chuckwagon, and knew they had to make a stop to see what the store had to offer.

“We got the special of the day. To make it easier, when we go out, we normally get a lot of the same,” Wendall, the father of eight, said. "We have a large family, so a lot of times we’re stocking up on bulk food."

Spices for sale
Spices for sale

But the Mosemanns aren’t the only out-of-state visitors the store has served.

“We’ve had people from all over. We’ve had people here from Alaska, Florida, Texas, the Carolinas. Quite a few of the eastern states. We had a couple here from Nova Scotia,” Hertzler said. “I love interacting with the public."

A cashier at The Chuckwagon
A cashier at The Chuckwagon

No matter where you’re visiting from, The Chuckwagon is excited to welcome you.

To learn more about The Chuckwagon, click here.