Excellent, definitely a place to stop if you're looking for a great meal for a reasonable price. The selection is awesome.

This place was shut down several times in recent years for a large number of violations during inspections. It's very rare for an establishment to be shut down until violations are corrected. Yet here we are and their latest inspection on 03/31/26 has -28- violations, including these: Inspection Violations: 3/31/2026 COCOA DINER 590 E MAIN ST HUMMELSTOWN, PA 17036 717-566-6002 --Food Employee did not follow proper handwashing procedure. Food employee did not wash hands for adequate amount of time of at least 20 seconds. --Observed food ingredient storage containers, bottles, shakers, rolling bins, in the entire facility, is not labeled with the common name of the food. --Food Employee observed changing tasks that may have contaminated hands without a proper handwash in-between. Observed employee touching numerous dirty items, handles, etc. and not wash hands and change gloves before touching food or food contact items. --Food Employee observed donning single use gloves without a prior hand-wash. Observed employee put gloves on after instructed and not wash hands prior. --The Person in Charge did not demonstrate adequate knowledge of food safety in this food facility as evidenced by this non-compliant inspection. --The Person in Charge did not demonstrate adequate knowledge of the PA Food Code as evidenced by incorrect responses to food safety questions. --Observed food, which was cooled, was only reheated to 96.7 to 115.1 °F for hot holding and not 165°F for 15 seconds as required. Some, not all foods were removed for proper heating. --Observed commercially processed food was only heated to 96.7 to 115.1 °F before being placed in the steam table and not to 135°F for hot holding as required. Some, not all foods, were removed for proper heating. --Food utensils on the cook-line area observed stored in a container of water which is not maintained at 135°F. Water was room temperature 71.7 degrees. Discussed alternative ways to store equipment in heated to 135-degree water. Utensils were taken to the dish area. Violation was corrected on site. --Food dispensing utensil in food observed stored in the food and not with handle above the top of the food and the container: Ice Machine with ice scoop stored with handle touching ice. Two large rolling ingredient bins with scoops coming in contact with contents stored. Ice Scoop stored inside of the ice machine with handle coming in contact with the ice. A bowl, no handle, was observed in the cracker meal box stored under the table near the dish machine. Corrected on site. --Observed an employee place his cell phone on both bain marie cutting boards and drink continuously from an open coffee cup and place this cup on both bain marie cutting boards. --A food employee was observed touching ready-to-eat foods with bare hands while making breakfast to order. Corrected on site. --Observed foods (sausage links, meatballs in red sauce, chipped beef gravy, sausage gravy, etc.) being held at 96.7 to 115.3 °F, in the hot hold area, rather than 135°F or above as required. Not all foods were removed for proper re-heating. --Observed numerous boxes of food stored directly on the floor in basement walk-in freezer area, rather than 6 inches off of the floor as required. --Observed an open carton of raw eggs stored on the top shelf over numerous ready-to-eat food items in the Avantco single door refrigerated unit. Corrected on site. --Observed some, not all, foods in the upright refrigerators and freezer units and area stored open with no covering. --Observed a five (5) gallon pickle bucket filled with use bread and the heels of bread. Discussed with Management and Owner and was told it was to feed the birds. Discussed that this food cannot be stored in the kitchen with foods for human consumption. Discarded on site. --Eggs held at 68.5 °F, on a shelf next to the cook line area, rather than 45°F or below as required. Corrected on site. --Numerous bags of frozen raw chicken was observed thawing in standing water in the one of the three-bay sinks, which is not an approved thawing method. Discussed to keep water running on the food for proper thawing and every time I entered that area of the kitchen, someone turned the water off. --Observed no food items (commercially processed and food prepared in the food facility) in the walk-in cooler and upright refrigeration units, and being held for more than 24 hours, is not dated marked with the date it was opened or made. --Observed single-service, single-use articles stored in kitchen area which were not in the original protective package or inverted to protect against contamination. --Observed single-service, single-use articles stored in basement dry storage area directly on the floor, and not 6 inches above the floor. read more

I have eaten at this diner before and enjoyed the quiet attentive atmosphere. But this last visit will most likely be my last. First concern is the building looks run down. I was not sure if the establishment was open at first. Once inside it was freezing. Those apart of the migraine community know that we don't do well to drastic temperature change. So I decided to order my food to go. I could hear the waitress complain that I asked for my food to go after being seated and declining a drink. I order the strawberry French toast with turkey bacon and scrambled eggs with cheese. When I got to the counter to pay she said 26.89. I said come again. She repeated the total and explained the turkey bacon was an up charge. Lastly the eggs were an additional expense. So my question is did I receive bad service or is the economy so bad we pay over 25 bucks for breakfast food. Or possibly both. I will say the food was good but not that good. I could have gotten the same thing at Dennys. Again, this will be the last time I entertain this business. read more

Don't waste your time nor money for subpar food. Ordered omelet with spinach, broccoli, tomato only. Got charged for a feta omelet $14.99 when it should have been $8.99 plus the extra toppings. Asked for extra extra crispy homefries. I got mush - nothing crispy. For $20 Ill stay in Hershey to spend my money. Service was nice yet flustered. read more

I met a new friend today for an early lunch at 11:30 a.m. There is plenty of parking, and it is not too busy this morning. I was seated quickly and attended to it right away. It's quiet enough to enjoy a nice lunch: a Patty Melt with fries and a cup of green tea with honey. The diner got pretty busy as the lunch crowd entered, but it was still peaceful enough to converse. read more

Cocoa Diner - Hot Green Tea with honey - Diners Near Me - Hummelstown, Pennsylvania

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Just wanted a nice exit breakfast after a weekend at Hershey Park. Ordered 2 eggs, hash browns, and ham. A basic breakfast meal. Honestly one of the worst diner meals I've ever had. Ham was soaked in brown grill grease. Hash browns had no seasoning at all and were barely cooked. My eggs were supposed to be over medium but were over easy (this was the least of my worries) I should have just ordered toast by itself because that's all I ended up eating. The staff was fine. Never asked how my uneaten meal was. So I decided to write this review. Good luck, cocoa diner. read more

This place is the first place I have ever been too where I was so turned off by the affect that I didn't eat or drink anything. Firstly the diner is run down, not maintained, but it was crowded with locals so I thought maybe it's a greasy spoon sort of place. Well when we got our coffee there were stains on the cup...I thought maybe she spilled when bringing us the coffee, nope, you could not wipe the stains off. They don't appear to be washing dishes, they just run water on them and back out into the fray they go. This was where I drew the line. Also, we got buttered pasta for my daughter, we got a plate of boiled spaghetti and they literally gave her a plastic cup of pancake butter to butter her own pasta. This place is the pits. read more

I never get to this area anymore. I was looking forward to go here. Service was fast and on top of our order and keep the plates cleared of the table. Our meals came out in good time and were hot. Unfortunately flavor was just average. Nothing was special. Prices were ok. Still and ok choice if you don't want to go to a chain restaurant. It's getting 4 stars because they did nothing wrong. But like I said food was just average at best. read more

Clean, fast friendly service. Good breakfast and the usual diner food. Would eat there again. Order the hamburger steak and and you can feed 4! Large portions, all the refills you need. Family owned Desserts! read more

Friendly, good food, good prices and extremely clean, nice hometown atmosphere! One of our favorite places to dine.

Clean, kind, efficient service. This is a typical "American" diner. I had 2 eggs, sunnyside up, they were perfectly cooked. The hashbrowns were good. The sausage was also good, not great, but good. I did not use the restrooms, but the place was clean. I would return. read more

Stopped in this traditional local diner for breakfast. Must be a regular spot for some locals, because it seemed like everyone at the counter turned to see who was coming in as we walked in the door. Service was prompt and friendly, and the food came out reasonably quickly. Wife ordered eggs Benedict. She enjoyed it... but it was very obvious that the eggs were fried rather than poached. Because of that, the taste profile was off and they had been fried hard enough that there was not a lot of runny yolk like you want from a poached egg. It was covered with copious amounts of hollandaise sauce that was fine, but she said almost certainly packaged rather than made in house. Ham was also a bit gristly. So, decent but not great. Son and I had biscuits and gravy, eggs, and hash browns. Scrambled eggs were perfect diner eggs. Hash browns are actually shredded unlike a lot of diners that will list hash browns but bring you home fries. These were probably the best hash browns I've had in the area. Really nice. Biscuits were good and soft. The gravy was overly thickened, and oddly had a sweet taste to it. Sweet does not belong in a sausage gravy. Also lacked a lot of the peppery flavor you hope for with a gravy like that. After salting and peppering heavily, it was decent. It's just not great, and I hesitate to even say good. No real complaints overall. We ate and were reasonably satisfied. Some items were very good - eggs and hash browns; some need some work to make good or great, and it's sad to see something like eggs Benedict use a fried egg rather than poached. That's not Benedict. Would stop again if options are limited, but not a place I'll seek out. Wife and kids said - it's decent; it's food if you're hungry. No complaint, but no ringing endorsement. read more

Cocoa Diner - Biscuits and gravy - Diners Near Me - Hummelstown, Pennsylvania

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We ate here yesterday for the first time. Our breakfast was very good, nice and fresh and well-cooked. The wait staff was very friendly and pleasant. What impressed me the most was the cleanliness of this diner. It was immaculate in the dining area and even the restrooms were clean and well taken care of.There are lots of mirrors inside and they were all super clean and spotless. We will definitely return whenever we are back in the area. read more

Let's start with service and ambiance. This is a classic diner design with plenty of booths, but also tables that can accommodate large parties. The staff is friendly and experienced. they constantly monitor if you need a beverage refill, a plate cleared, or any other service. They are very friendly and knowledgeable about the area, which is a big help if you are a tourist. There is plenty of parking. As for the food, it is excellent. The food is tasty, well-prepared, quickly served in large portions and at a very reasonable price. We recently ate breakfast there and enjoyed the eggs benedict and the farmer's platter and it was more than we could eat. There is nothing better than a classic locally owned diner for any meal of the day, and the Cocoa Diner delivers on all counts. read more

Gone down hill over the years. Went on a Sunday afternoon which used to be pretty packed, but we were one of two tables seated in the whole restaurant. Nothing wrong with that but it made more sense soon. The Apple Cinnamon French Toast was some stale toast with chunky apple sauce poured over it. Water cup had something stuck to the bottom that floated to the top when I pushed it with my straw. The eggs I used to get all the time barely tasted like anything. Super disappointing to see a great spot fall like this. read more

A spot that's open late is always what's good either after a few rounds or in this case after a good amount of hours at a chocolate infused theme park! Coming here I really didn't know what I wound end up getting but what I discovered was a good mix of everything one could want to fuel their long night! Of the many options I totally had to go with the French Onion Soup as that's one of my favorite kinds out there and this was was perfect as the soup had a delicious flavor to it the bread in the bowl was perfect and that melted cheese made it just oh sooo scrumptious! The Philly cheesesteak was also yummy it was just what you'd expect it to be but the interesting part was it came with a side of marinara sauce which added just that much flavor when I poured some onto the sandwich. The onion rings were of a beer batter and perfectly fried making for some delicious rings that were just what's good in ring form of course! Overall this was a perfect stop for us on or way home after the park who knows when and if I'll get back here again but it's definitely not out of the question as going to Hershey is always a good idea! read more

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We like to try little diners in our travels but this was a swing and a miss. I ordered the potatoe skins, the potato was non-existent, they should call those can cheese and greasy bacon in a skin. My youngest ordered the hot dog, it looked like one of her plastic grill toys. The fries on both of my daughters plates were cold and hard with zero seasoning. My daughter ordered the monte cristo and the ham looked like it was from Christmas of 2023. Also ordered a chili and a salad. They should call wendy for some pointers. I was kinda wishing we would have went to Wendy's after this experience. My wife gave the salad a 4/10 only because she had to listen to us complain about our food. I mean a salad is pretty hard to mess up. In short, I'd avoid this place. read more

Stopped here for a " lunner", which I call a midweek lunch and dinner. It was after 2 pm and I was seated immediately. The menu had many selections for a diner operating during COVID. Employees were wearing masks and cleaning in between customers. I decided on the roasted Turkey with stuffing, baked potato, cole slaw, and a tossed salad. The turkey and stuffing was your average diner quality and quantity. My baked potato, tossed salad and cole slaw was up to par. Service was very good and quick. Now, for what I paid for my meal, I would still be hungry if I had fast food at the many establishments near this diner. And, I'm sure it would have cost me more than the $11.95 plus tax. read more

Cocoa Diner - My check at the Cocoa Diner. - Diners Near Me - Hummelstown, Pennsylvania

We stopped here for dinner after spending the day at Herhseypark. Easy, short drive from the park. Lots of parking. We thought they might be about to close at first as it was pretty late, but an employee saw us and waved through the window to welcome us in. Clean bathrooms. Desserts looked amazing, but we were too full to try them--next time! I had the turkey platter with mashed potatoes, gravy, and "Dutch filling." Dutch filling is essentially stuffing and mashed potatoes combined--it's so delicious and filling! Others in our group had haddock, chicken pot pie, and soup. Everything was scrumptious and tasted homemade. Idk why the rating on here isn't higher--the Google Maps rating is higher. Would definitely stop here again! read more

Arguably the worse diner I have ever experienced. Poor quality food. I tasted like "open a can and dump it on a plate". No attention to detail. The desserts looked good but our waiter brought the bill without asking if we wanted any. You are seriously better off going to any other restaurant in the area. The only positive thing I can say is that the staff were friendly. read more

We stopped by here after spending the evening at Hershey Park. We wanted to try some local eats and was pleasantly surprised by the antiquated feel of the place! Think mid-70s diner atmosphere; it was almost like the entire restaurant was stopped in time. We waited for a good 10 mins to be served b/c host/cashier looked like he'd rather be elsewhere. Once we were able to sit down, the menu was extensive and detailed. There's literally anything for anyone. Lots of options if you have dietary restrictions, if you have picky guests/kids in your party, and even a 65+ menu! We settled on the crab cake sandwich & strip steak. Yes, I had low expectations because I come from Texas where cattle is prevalent and steaks are good lol, but $18 for a strip steak?! That's a deal I haven't seen elsewhere, so I wanted to try it out. Strip steak comes with your choice of soup or salad, onion rings, and 2 choices of sides. I chose clam chowder as my soup, and rice pilaf & fries for my sides. Sandwich came with fries. Steak was underwhelming, bland, and super overcooked to the point where it was chewy. Crab cake sandwich made us super sick afterwards. Rice was bland and dry. Clam chowder & onion rings were the only things I'd come back for. Portions were generous but for lackluster food and subpar service, I can not justify coming back. We were sincerely hoping for a pleasant experience that echos what some have mentioned about "a hidden gem", but our experience certainly wasn't it. read more

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Place was alright. However when I was asked how much I wanted to tip on a $30 bill the waiter/manager started arguing I should tip $12. Such a weird experience. I won't be back. read more

Stopped here this morning for a hangover breakfast and absolutely loved it! Service was a little slow but it was worth it for the delicious food. You get huge portions (look at those pancakes) for a really reasonable price and everything was so fresh and delicious. The parking lot is really weird but that's the only negative thing I have to say. read more

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Very disappointed. Thought it was a bit classy for a diner...but just no... Food was ehhh...I ordered an omelette with home fries. The omelette did not have much crab meat as it was supposed to. Could not even taste it. Hash browns were not brown...just barely warm. I prefer crispy as most do I think. Just very blah...would not reccomend it at ALL!! read more

they seriously messed up a simple spaghetti with meatballs, the sause was cold and felt like out a straight up microwave. the fried shrimp were tasteless and dry, it was unbearable to eat. The staff for real does not give a shit at all, half of them are either on their phones or sit in customers table. Whats even more messed up is that they sell all that shit for a lot of money, like you could get a much better food somewhere for less than that. McDonald's would be a much better option in comparison to this place. read more

Love this place! After living in Northern VA for just over three years, it's nice to walk into a restaurant and be treated like they actually want you to be there. I was greeted on a dreary Saturday morning with a nice "Good Morning, darling!" I'll take it! So friendly. The food is good too. I had the meat lovers omelette. It was probably not great for my cholesterol, but it sure tasted good. The prices are great too. Give this restaurant a shot! read more

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Had brunch, strawberry pancakes and ham & cheese omelet. It was all very tasty fare but maybe I was just hungry‍. All in all very satisfied and reasonably priced. Also very popular. read more

Place closes at midnight...nit sure what else there is to say, but Yelp is making me take this longer....Update your website

We went here Jan 1 2024 during lunch. My wife ordered lunch and I ordered breakfast. Poached eggs came out like hard boiled eggs. I showed the waiter and he went to get eggs to replace. He brought me another set of poached eggs about 10 minutes later after I was done eating the rest of my meal and they were done the same way hard. Another 5 minutes go by and I was finally able to get his attention. I showed him the eggs he served me and a picture of the way they should look from a website. He shrugged his shoulders and made a comment about it being lunch time like I should have ordered lunch. . We had previously been to this restaurant at breakfast time with no issues. We have plenty of local restaurants to choose from in our area but, this one is no longer one of them. The waiters condescending attitude is the main reason. read more

My wife and I went to the Cocoa Diner in Hummelstown Pa on Thanksgiving Day..I ordered a turkey dinner and found a piece of hair in my food...I told the waitress and showed it to her ...She replaced it with another turkey dinner and the same thing happened again found a piece of hair this time on the edge of the plate...I told the waitress that this very very unacceptable especially two times ...I would have given this diner a O rating .....I will never go to this diner again ... read more

Very sweet staff! And if you have your looking for a nice meal and fresh dessert - stop in

We have been to this restaurant 5 times in the last few years (2019- 2021) and likely will not go again. The 1st and 2nd times were above average for a Diner experience and food. We thought we had found our favorite Diner and were quite happy (they are not easy to come by). The third time was average. Giving the place more chances, the 4th and 5th times were, well, terrible and a waste of money (which angered me). It is possible the pandemic years took their toll, we don't know. Something went wrong. The wait staff went from smiling and attentive to non-smiling, impatient, and inattentive the last 2 times. This means they all seemed in a bad mood, would not talk much and did not come around to check on drink refills at all. The made us feel like we were disturbing them! I left a tip the last time but not sure why I did. Maybe, like others, they are just over worked now, or all the staff are now just family members and friends. The food as I stated started out good but whittled down the last few visits to being bad, as in not cooked correctly, appeared to come from the cheapest food distributor possible, didn't look appetizing, and had a below average taste for what was expected. I ordered the Greek Salad this last time and it was just not good in the least or well balance in the ingredients. Keep in mind this place is owned by Greeks. Like I said, maybe it was the pandemic and loss of revenue. But still, when eating out you want good quality and service and are not simply out to pass your money to someone else. The restaurant itself still appeared to be clean, so no complaints there. I can no longer recommend this place to locals or travelers to Hershey. Maybe it will make a comeback or end up like so many other restaurant stories, going from good to bad permanently in a downward spiral. It is a hard business. read more

This looks was our third time eating here for breakfast. We were seated immediately. Our server greeted us and bought our drinks and took our orders. Highlight of our visit. Our food came out quickly. I had a ham and cheese omelette. My husband had the sausage omelette. Both of our had browns were crispy to the point of being I burnt but uncooked mashy potatoes on the inside. They were horrible. My omelets was so cheesy it was hard to eat. Never saw the server again until it was time for the check and it was not crowded. Very disappointed read more

Do not eat here! (At least for dinner) Service is beyond slow it took an hour and 5 min for our food to come out from the time we sat down. We saw people who came in 15 min after us and got their food before us, no acknowledgement from the waiter. Our waiter never checked on us, not even once, just brought drinks and food, no check ins. It was an awful experience and I highly do not recommend this place. The food was good, so what I do recommend, is to order take out. read more

I totally agree with so many others. It seems like they are only welcoming to locals atmosphere was awkward. Blonde older lady who appeared in her late 50's who was the hostess was rude and often would be whispering , talking and pointing when talking to the older bald man there. My French toast almost glowed yellow as if only old yolks were used. Was way too expensive for the quantity of food received. More than 3 dollars for small cup of milk. I should have went to the store and bought a gallon instead. Never plan on going back was not welcoming or pleasurable experience. read more

This place never disappoints. The service is always great, and staff incredibly friendly. Some meals are slower than others, but everyone is experiencing staffing shortages, and we're always taken care of by everyone when we come here, not just our server. The portions are huge, and there are almost always leftovers. Will definitely remain one of our staples! read more

Nice local diner. I had the Chicken Cocoa special and my girlfriend had the Dutchman's Platter. There was a lot of crab in the crab cake on my dish -- I would get it again... I got a side salad as my chosen side and it was larger than I expected. I had coffee which was fine (not burnt or anything). We arrived for an early dinner (late lunch) on a Sunday. Looks like they have a small regular crowd too. We were full (portions are generous), but they have Sysco (brand) food service pies in their display case -- so they aren't homemade. That was disappointing and easy to say "no" to. read more

Cocoa Diner - Chicken Cocoa: grilled chicken breast topped with crab cake, fresh broccoli and Hollandaise sauce, served with soup or salad & 1 side. - Diners Near Me - Hummelstown, Pennsylvania

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It's a diner, so you already know what to expect. Located in a convenient spot between Hershey and Hummelstown, service is quick and the food is to be expected. read more

It's supposed to be 0 star!! Tonight my family and I were in this restaurant. The food was absolutely terrible and cold. What we ordered was not tasty, even the eggs. Liver was old and stinky. We ordered a lot of different dishes and ate almost nothing and left disappointed. This is the worst thing we spent our money on! We should have talked to the manager or someone but it's Mother's Day today and we didn't want to spoil our mood. We don't recommend this place for sure!!!!! read more

We stopped in for breakfast after finding the one the hotel offered was not that appealing. Delicious! Wonderful service and great food. I had the Sourdough French Toast and Husband eggs and pancakes. Everything was cooked perfectly and served hot. We were both impressed. read more