The Complete Guide to Food Allergies in Hershey, PA
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Making memories during family vacations is one of my favorite things in the world.
However, selecting a location for a fun trip could be tricky when your child has food allergies. I’m constantly figuring out what my daughter is going to eat wherever we go.
I’m neurotic about how many EpiPens we have, when they expire, and what bag I packed it in. I’m constantly checking if I have enough of her snacks in case we are in a situation where there’s nothing she can eat. If you have a child with food allergies, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. Our many trips to Hershey, PA has our allergy routine pretty down pat! Here’s a breakdown of where you can find allergy-friendly places to eat when visiting Hershey hotels or attractions.
Food Allergies at The Official Resorts of Hersheypark
The Hotel Hershey
The Hotel Hershey is a beautiful luxury hotel with a beautiful view of the park and a full-service spa. Select each restaurant to view its allergen information. **NOTE – some of these may change based on the season.
Cocoa Beanery – This is our go-to place for a quick breakfast before the park. You can also get a light lunch.
The Circular – This is a traditional American restaurant with a beautiful view of the gardens. Make sure to read through their detailed allergy information.
Harvest – Harvest is another American restaurant option for the whole family.
Poolside – Pick up a quick lunch when you get hungry by the pool.
Iberian Lounge – If you can leave the kids with someone, enjoy yourself an adult cocktail at the Iberian Lounge. They also have over 100 whiskeys! Here is the light food menu.
Trevi 5 – This delicious Italian restaurant has an indoor and outdoor section. I recommend the lemon fettuccine.
Hershey Lodge
Hershey Lodge is one of our favorites because it has the most amazing hotel pool we’ve ever seen. Actually, it’s more like a mini water park. You can find general information about dietary restrictions at Hershey Lodge.
Hershey Grill – A classic American grill with options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I recommend the Cuban sandwich.
The Forebay – The Forebay is an upscale steakhouse great for celebrations.
The Bears' Den – This is a cool hockey themed restaurant for the entire family. Food allergy information at the bottom of the kids’ menu.
Fire & Grain – A modern restaurant with a fantastic fireplace where you can enjoy breakfast or dinner.
Cocoa Beanery – Similar to Cocoa Beanery at The Hotel Hershey, this is a great place to eat breakfast by a fireplace or soup, salad, sandwich for lunch.
Cocoa Cabana – When you need a little break from Hershey's Water Works, grab a meal at Cocoa Cabana. The mac and cheese bites are to die for!
Hersheypark Food Allergy Information
As families, we go to Hersheypark for rides and thrills. As a food allergy mom, sometimes this means having a pit in our stomach watching our child eat at a new place not knowing how he or she will react. Do not fret, Hersheypark makes it easy to plan ahead.
Check out the Hersheypark dining page where it lists out every restaurant in the Park. Each restaurant page will provide any food allergy information. For instance, the Overlook Food Court offers special options including gluten and dairy-free.
Here’s a list of restaurants at Hersheypark that offer allergy-friendly dining:
Chick-fil-A – gluten-free
Chickie’s & Pete’s (The Boardwalk) – nut-free
Decades – gluten-free, nut-free
Dietz & Watson Country Grill – gluten-free
Dispatch Pizzeria – gluten-free, nut-free
Founder’s Kitchen – gluten-free, dairy-free
Kosher Food Truck – nut-free, dairy-free
Laff Trakk Beverage – nut-free
The Outpost – gluten-free, nut-free
Overlook Food Court – gluten-free, dairy-free
Tower Fries – gluten-free
Snacks/Ice Cream:
Pier Side Slush – gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free
Pioneer Pete’s – hand-rolled pretzels are nut-free
Rita’s Italian Ice – nut-free
Skyrush Slush – gluten-free, dairy-free
The Swirl – gluten-free
**This is just a short list I made for you to start with. Make sure to check each individual item for specifics.
When my family visits Hersheypark, we only ever eat one thing – Chick-fil-A. This is not because there aren’t any other options, because there obviously are. My kids are obsessed with Chick-fil-A and there aren’t any by where we live so this is our treat! Note, that the chicken nuggets at Chick-fil-A DO contain 100% refined peanut oil.
Hersheypark Stadium Food Allergy Information
There are a variety of concessions stand at the stadium. No allergy information is listed online as options change so make sure to ask when upon your arrival.
Hershey's Chocolate World Food Allergy Information
Hershey's Chocolate World has a food court that includes a cocoa and coffee shop, pizza shop, ice cream & milkshake shop, and a s’mores area. There is no allergy information online so ask upon your arrival.
Hershey Story Museum Food Allergy Information
The Hershey Story Museum has The Pantry Cafe with a selection of breakfast options along with sandwiches, salads, and dessert for lunch. There is no allergy information online so ask upon your arrival.
Hershey's Candy
As soon as you arrive at Hershey, PA, you are literally surrounded by chocolate and other candy. From the street signs to the bedsheets to the restaurant checks, they ALL come with candy. Fun right? Well, make sure you know which candy you and your child can have before you get there.
First, a quick quote about allergies directly from the Hershey site:
“Because, on occasion, the list of ingredients can change, we strongly encourage you to check the ingredient label on the package each time before you make a purchase, which is recommended by Food Allergy and Research Education (FARE).”
Since my daughter is allergic to peanuts and tree nuts, I tend to stick with the classic Hershey's Chocolate Bar, and Hershey Kisses. You can read more details on the ingredients on their site.
Allergy-Friendly Must-Haves
Because Hershey, PA is just a few hours from New York, it’s a great place for us to get away even if it’s just for the weekend. Here are my go-to snack options for the road trip and other allergy-friendly products that I have for my daughter when we travel.
Made Good Crispy Squares – Made Good makes healthy organic snacks completely free of the top allergens
Ella’s Kitchen Nibbly Finger Snack Bars – My daughter has been eating these since she was a toddler
Food Allergy Bracelet – Have your child wear this bracelet so all are aware of his or her food allergies
EpiPen Carrying Case – Easily store you or your child’s EpiPen and other emergency products in this case.
EpiPen Alert Tags – Add these tags to any bag carrying an EpiPen.
Make sure to check out all my favorite travel accessories.
PRO TIP: Pack these snacks in every bag for easy access.
The best thing that I can recommend for anyone with a food allergy child is to know before you go. Do your research beforehand and you will be fine. That way, there is no guessing and no unexpected trips to the ER. I am NOT a doctor, I am just a mom so I hope that you will do proper research before you go. Thankfully, The Sweetest Place On Earth makes it easy for food allergy parents to plan a visit.
Are you a food allergy family that has visited Hershey, PA? What was your experience like?