A Lancaster Restaurant You Must Try

Everyone loves a great meal. The smells and taste of our favorite food can be an amazing indulgence. Having two boys ages 16 and 12, and a husband who loves his meat, we have long since passed the stage where a “happy meal” makes them happy. Many times after a nice sit-down meal, our boys will finish their meal only to follow with “I am still hungry” or just simply snatching a bite or two off their sister’s plate when she is not looking! Because of this great teen phenomenon, sometimes, we willingly sacrifice quality for quantity. We may not have the best-tasting food but at least my guys can get filled up!

While on our recent trip to Pennsylvania, we spent a couple of days in the Lancaster area. We had made plans to go see play production of “Jesus” at Sight & Sound Theater. As we were preparing for our trip, my husband mentioned the trip to one of his friends. Immediately, his friend said, “There is a place at the bottom of the hill you have got to eat at! It is the best Lancaster Restaurant “. So taking his friend’s advice, we found our way to that very place, Hershey Farm Restaurant and Inn.

A Destination

Upon our arrival, we found far more than just a restaurant, but a destination! As their name implies, they do have a hotel on the property. We did not stay there but walked in to get animal food (more on that in a moment) The inn was nicely decorated and clean. Of course, my kids noticed that they also had a nice swimming pool and a playground out back.

The Property

After purchasing our animal food, we made our way around the property. They had several trails throughout the property one of which wrapped around a beautiful pond equipped with nice shade trees and a few chairs to just enjoy a beautiful day. As we continued our walk, we came to another playground ready for the kids to play on.

Just beyond the playground was their barn. In it, we found many animals. From big fluffy rabbits to alpacas, peacocks, and chickens, they were all ready to see us, maybe for the food but none the less gave us a great time as a family with lots of smiles, giggles, and laughs.

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The Restaurant

We made our way into the restaurant. As soon as we opened the door, we were met by the amazing smell of what would soon be an unbelievable meal. We were quickly seated by our waitress and then given a brief overview of their Grand Smorgasbord (or buffet, as we call it here in the south) After taking our drink orders, it was time for the meal to begin.

They had everything from fresh salads to several choices of soups, a potato bar (their bacon dressing is amazing!) you could literally make a full meal but that was just the beginning! Also, they had several local treats such as brown buttered noodles, Dutch ham balls, and soft pretzels but also many of the standards such as green beans, fried chicken, buttered corn, coleslaw and more. They also had a great bread selection with several different kinds of spreads and kinds of butter. The Whipped Cinnamon Maple Butter was just heavenly!

Of course, when you have a six-year-old, you are also looking for the kid’s side of things. Trust me, they are well taken care of. From chicken nuggets to macaroni and cheese, cheese pizza to french fries, all the essentials were covered!

Now, my boys, including my husband, made several trips to the grill. There they serve several hand-carved types of meat from their carving station as well as cooked to order menu items. While we were there my boys had Philly cheese steaks, a cheeseburger with fresh grilled onions, and some chicken fettuccini alfredo.

The Desserts

To top it all off was a trip to the HUGE dessert bar! There we found Shoofly pie, soft serve ice cream, soft pretzels and a chocolate fountain with all kinds of things waiting to be smothered in chocolate. You could even make your own whoopee pies!

With such a vast selection, one concern would naturally be… was it good or were you doing that whole quantity for quality thing again. It was not just good it was absolutely amazing. Everything we ate seemingly became a new favorite and our whole meal was filled with comments such as, “Oh, this is good” or “did you get some of this?” and “You have got to try this!” For further evidence, you would have needed to see how many plates our family went through.

The Gift Shop

Once we finished our meal, we spent some time browsing in their gift shop. There were many great items to look at and purchase. They sold everything from oils and natural products to souvenirs, handmade local gifts, and even some of the goodies served in the restaurant!

Hershey Hotel Farm Restaurant and Inn was a great place with even a better meal! This will be a must-have anytime we are in the Lancaster area. In fact, as we woke up the next morning, our oldest son asked if we could go back for breakfast! Just as our friend said to us, you have got to try the Hershey Farm Restaurant and Inn. You will be so glad you did!