A Perfect Mercer County Saturday: Six Stops, Breakfast to Bed

Six locally owned stops across Mercer County, breakfast through the next morning. One route, no chains.

You do not need a week of planning to get a good Saturday out of Mercer County. Here is one already built: six locally owned stops, breakfast through the next morning, all of it inside the county and none of it a national chain. It starts with a pancake you will not finish by yourself and ends with a night inside an 1890 landmark. There is a thread running quietly through the whole route, too, and you will spot it at the last stop. Watch the quick tour, then take the full itinerary with you.

Breakfast: Breakfast at Tiffany's, Sharpsville

Start on South Walnut Street, early enough to get a table. The draw is the pancakes: oversized, in flavors like peanut butter chocolate chip, and genuinely big enough to split with whoever came with you. If you would rather start savory, there are chorizo bowls and the full run of diner classics. Saturday hours are 7am to 2pm, so there is room to linger over coffee before the day gets going. (Worth knowing for next time: they are closed Monday and Tuesday.)

Breakfast at Tiffany's

Diner · Sharpsville

Morning: Buhl Farm Park, Hermitage

A few minutes down the road, give the morning to Buhl Park. It is 260 acres, it is free, and it has been both since 1915, when Sharon steel industrialist Frank H. Buhl and his wife Julia handed it to the public. The lake at its center, Lake Julia, is named for her. There is a nine-hole golf course, a pool, a summer concert series, and Movies Under the Stars, but you can also just walk the grounds and let the pancake settle. Over 400,000 people a year come through.

Buhl Farm Park

Park · Hermitage

Lunch: Lock Stock & Barrel, Sharpsville

Back into Sharpsville for lunch, and this is the one stop with a clock on it. Lock Stock & Barrel closes at 3pm on Saturdays, earlier than it does on weekdays, and it is closed Sundays entirely, so get there with time to spare. The shop has been building giant submarine sandwiches since 1972 on fresh-cut meats, in portions that make the chain version look like a snack. The local following is loyal, and it has had five decades to get that way.

Lock Stock & Barrel

Sub shop · Sharpsville

Afternoon: Wendell August Forge, Grove City

Head east to Grove City for the afternoon. Wendell August Forge started in 1923 in Brockway and moved here in 1931, and it is still America's oldest and largest forge making hand-hammered metal giftware. It pioneered hammered aluminum giftware in 1930, and the History Center walks you through the century since. One note, because it changed recently: the flagship store and History Center now sit inside the Grove City Premium Outlets (Suite 955), and production moved to Slippery Rock in 2024. This is the place to see the work and the history, not the hammers in action. Open until 8pm on Saturdays.

Wendell August Forge

Artisan metalwork · Grove City

Dinner: Iron Bridge Inn, Mercer

Dinner is west on Perry Highway at the Iron Bridge Inn, a lodge of a building with fireplaces and rustic decor that has aged into the good kind of familiar. The kitchen runs to hickory-smoked BBQ, slow-roasted prime rib, steaks, and seafood. Saturday hours are 11am to 10pm, so the table can be as late as the day requires. (And if the day goes well enough that you extend it, they do a Sunday brunch.)

Iron Bridge Inn

Steakhouse · Mercer

Stay: Buhl Mansion Guesthouse & Spa, Sharon

Do not drive home. End the day at Buhl Mansion, the 1890 house Frank Buhl built as a wedding present for Julia, now on the National Register of Historic Places and open as a guesthouse. There are ten guest rooms furnished with antiques, several tucked into the turrets, plus fireplaces, jetted tubs, gardens, and a full-service spa. Here is the thread you may have missed: you spent the morning in the park the Buhls gave to the public and the night in the house they built for themselves. The same couple bookends the whole route.

Buhl Mansion Guesthouse & Spa

Guesthouse & spa · Sharon

Back to All Guides

In This Guide

1.Breakfast: Breakfast at Tiffany's, Sharpsville
2.Morning: Buhl Farm Park, Hermitage
3.Lunch: Lock Stock & Barrel, Sharpsville
4.Afternoon: Wendell August Forge, Grove City
5.Dinner: Iron Bridge Inn, Mercer
6.Stay: Buhl Mansion Guesthouse & Spa, Sharon

More Guides

Things to Do for Older Adults in Mercer County

Scenic drives, community meals, historical landmarks, and relaxed outings perfect for retirees and seasoned locals.

Wet Basement? A Mercer County Guide to Waterproofing and Foundation Repair

Why Mercer County basements leak, the warning signs to watch for, your repair options, and how to hire a waterproofing or foundation contractor you can trust.

Mercer County Museums and Local History

A local's guide to the museums, historic homes, and landmarks worth visiting across Mercer County, PA, from the Historical Society Museum in Mercer to Wendell August Forge in Grove City.

Things to Do with Kids in Mercer County

Playgrounds, farms, fairs, and family-friendly fun - a parent's guide to keeping the kids entertained around the county.

Things to Do for Couples in Mercer County

Date nights, weekend getaways, and quiet escapes - the best spots for two in and around the Shenango Valley.

5 Local Eats Worth the Drive in Mercer County

Five locally owned spots across Mercer County worth going out of your way for. No chains, ever.

A Mercer County Weekend for Two: Six Stops, One Overnight

A weekend away without a week of planning. Six locally owned stops across Mercer County, breakfast to check-in. One route, no chains.

Community-Powered

Know something we missed?

This guide is built by locals like you. Share your tips, favorite spots, photos, and corrections to make it better for everyone.

Contribute to This Guide

Built by Locals,
for Locals

Every guide on this site is shaped by people who know Mercer County best.

Help Build This Resource

Share What You Know About Mercer County

Our guides grow with every tip, correction, and photo from people who live here and love it here. Whether you have a favorite spot to add or a detail to fix, your local knowledge matters.

Suggest places, activities, and hidden gems
Share photos that show off the county
Flag outdated info or corrections
Get credited by name with a link to your site

Contribute to This Guide Browse All Guides