"Fuddruckers" almost sounds wrong to say; I'm worried my tongue will get twisted and I'll instead say a not-so-pleasant version of this restaurant's name.



Alas, this is a family-friendly restaurant, and in a fast-casual style that focuses on hamburgers. And, there is not a single location in the state of West Virginia, so when I stumbled upon one in Pennsylvania, I had to check it out.



"Some people are driven to create the world's fastest cars or the world's tallest buildings. Our calling is only slightly less glamorous but a whole lot tastier. We were born to create the World's Greatest Hamburgers®. A mission of this magnitude requires an obsession with quality, and it all begins with Fuddruckers fresh, never frozen, 100% USDA All-American premium-cut beef. Choose from 1/3, 1/2, or 2/3 lb patties and we'll always grill it to order, just the way you like it. Of course you don't put the World's Greatest Hamburger on the World's second greatest bun. Not if you want to remain the World's Greatest Hamburger. Our sesame-topped buns are baked from scratch in our restaurant bakeries all day long. It's the only way to get that perfect combination of crisp crust and melt-in-your-mouth, fresh-from-the-oven taste. Not fresh from-a-truck taste like everyone else. Ah, there's nothing like that new bun scent," according to the website.



From there, you get to "Build Your Own" toppings from the produce bar - tomatoes, lettuce, sliced onions, dill pickles, pico de gallo, cheese sauce, honey mustard, and even more.



So, I had a burger with American cheese, red onion, mayo and cheese sauce. Plus onion rings with a variety of dipping sauces. The perks here are that you can make sure the burger is made how you like it and you can add as much or as little of any toppings that you'd like. The cons are that it is like buffet-style, and that can be a bit of an ick factor. Overall, it was an OK burger - a bit dry and could use some seasoning - but nothing I couldn't make up for with plenty of toppings.



Grade: B

The Hershey Pantry is a beloved local restaurant in the area that is known for breakfast, lunch and, obviously, brunch.



I started with the Hot Chocolate with whipped cream topped with Hershey’s Syrup and a Hershey’s Kiss. Surprisingly, the chocolate itself was closer to the dark side, but the toppings and syrups sweetened things up.



I ordered the Crab Florentine with crab, spinach, poached eggs, hollandaise sauce over an English muffin. This is a familiar dish, but it is always tasty, so I really enjoy it. I love the combo of the lightly sweet crab meat with the savory eggs and sauce and, there's something luxurious about having eggs benedict for breakfast because it's not one of those dishes I'll make at home. It's just for special occasions.



Overall, breakfast here was a nice and delicious way to start the day in Hershey, Pennsylvania.



Grade: A

Here is my wrap-up of my trip to Hershey, Pennsylvania. I had bites and mostly drinks all over the property, and I wanted to share some odds and ends from the butterfly atrium and the vineyard.



While the butterfly atrium had a bar with a delicious fruity beer, the vineyards had a wide variety of wines, which, of course I opted for a sweet white.



you would probably think that most of the wines are sweet, considering we are at Hershey. But I definitely sampled some of the others and they do have some wines on the dry side, both white and red.



And, the lodge is not to be missed. Of course, it is where I stayed, but there are also a few different dining options.



At the lobby bar, I enjoyed this Hershey's chocolate caramel martini. Caramel vodka and chocolate liqueur combine to make this treat.



I don't think I'm a huge fan of dairy with booze in general. It's taking me some time to come around to boozy milkshakes, but I can't deny it is tasty.

While staying at Hershey Lodge, I stopped by the Cocoa Beanery.



"Cocoa Beanery is an all-day coffee shop, serving up eats, ice cream, drinks, and treats in the heart of Hershey Lodge®. Stop in for snacks, grab-and-go meals, specialty coffee, espresso, rotating flavors of ice cream, and your favorite Hershey's candy toppings," according to the website.



I went for a cookies and cream, ice cream, topped with marshmallows. It is almost impossible for this to not taste good, right? It is kinda unfair. But, this was sweet and satisfying, and simultaneously familiar, but with a little bit of a unique spin.



Have you been to Hershey Park?



Grade: A

At the Hershey Lodge, there is a restaurant called Fire & Grain.



"Experience the energetic and engaging atmosphere of Fire & Grain®, featuring gathering tables, a fire wall, and a full service bar. Enjoy an innovative restaurant menu for breakfast and dinner, crafted with re-mastered comfort foods and flavorful cocktails. Dine with us for any occasion! Fire & Grain is a comfortable and unique restaurant for a birthday dinner, an easy-going breakfast with family, or a fun night out for cocktails with coworkers," according to the website.



I ordered the New York strip steak with crispy herb potato wedges, roasted mushrooms, shallots and horseradish bernaise. This has a few of my keywords: mushrooms, horseradish, etc. I enjoyed this, but it was all a bit heavy. It was a little overcooked, the starch, so that horseradish bernaise would have been perfect if it was amped up x10. And maybe some fresh herbs!



Grade: B

If you are a chocolate fan, there is no greater place in the world than Hershey Park.



Think of an amusement park - add chocolate and unique experiences - and you'll have Hershey Park, Pennsylvania.



I traveled here for a conference and enjoyed all of the lodging, history, and local sites.



They also have a museum and amusement park rides. But, I want to share about the chocolate world experience.



The space has a few different pieces: a store, a history ride, and some custom chocolate opportunities.



For example, one of the first stations I visited was a mega Reese cup that you could customize.



You start with a large, ridged chocolate cup. Then, you have a peanut butter face that can have all sorts of mix-ins.



I added M&Ms, pretzels, and marshmallows. This was all packaged up into the biggest Reese cup I've ever seen and, it was fun to know that I kind of had a hand in creating it.



Moving onto the next station: Custom chocolate bar.



You get to choose the filling, topping, and even the package design.



I added butterscotch chips to my chocolate bar and added sprinkles to the top.



And for the packaging, I was sure to add my name, because it's rare that I get to find it out in the wild.



There are some fun skits, like one where you learn how to taste the differences in chocolate.



I also really enjoyed the little ride through the building for you learned about the history of Hershey.



And, of course, there is shopping. A lot of shopping.



There is everything from specialty limited edition sweets to wearable merch.



I picked up some Hershey Kisses that were influenced by global flavors.



I also made my own custom mix of M&Ms.



They had these giant canisters with every single flavor you can think of.



If chocolate, isn't your thing, Hershey does also own Twizzlers & Jolly Ranchers.



This was a really fun experience.



I think they have some thing for everyone.



Have you ever been?