Penn State
“My dining hall experience at Penn State has been amazing so far. Almost every day my freshman year, I ate at the ‘Pure’ station in the dining hall. They are Top 9 Allergen certified and Kosher, as well as have a completely separate kitchen. It was so nice to feel safe eating while away from home. In addition, at the other dining halls, you can order ahead of time if you report your allergy to the dining services. This is done through their app. They bring out your food with your name, all packaged up, and delivered by a chef. In addition, they have all the allergen icons and a great ingredients system online for each menu item. Finally, there are a bunch of stations throughout the dining commons, such as salad bars, pizza and pasta bars, and MTO sandwich stations. These have allowed me more freedom to eat when the main buffet contains one of my allergens. Plus, all the staff members are so nice! Recommend Penn State to everyone with allergies.”
Gigi’s Southern Table
“I have visited Gigi’s Southern Table twice now and have had a pleasant experience both times. The only nut I saw on the menu was pecans in a shareable dip and house salad. I was safely able to eat a pulled pork sandwich, fries, and green beans! They also have symbols for gluten-friendly options.”
The Corner Room
“I have eaten here several times and have always had a good experience! The Corner Room is a casual restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Their menu is very simple, making it super easy to navigate allergies. As always, I notify the waiters of my allergies and have always been taken seriously! I have safely eaten the their classic burger, breakfast platters, and blueberry pancakes. This was a great win because it can be difficult to order pancakes at breakfast places due to nuts being put in the batter (here it is just blueberry and regular). In total, they have either no nuts or VERY limited use of nuts. Highly recommend!”
Federal Taphouse
“Detailed menu and delish food! The only nuts I saw on the menu were peanuts and coconuts. Make sure to notify the server of allergies.”
McAlister’s Deli
“No tree nuts on menu! This sandwich shop is located in the Hub on campus, a central student center. They have many sandwich options and everything always tastes delicious. There is also a very helpful allergen menu online. They do use peanuts in 2 products: kid’s PB&J and peanut butter Rice Krispie treat. You can order online and input your allergy through the PSU Eats system. They also take LionCash! Highly recommend!”
Irving’s Bagels
“Irving’s is one of the top two bagel establishments known State College. I usually just get the whole bagels (not cut and with no toppings) and have never had an issue! None of their bagels continue nuts themselves, and they are delicious! Make sure to notify them of your allergy, as they do have peanut butter as a spread and use coconut in their smoothies. In addition, they have pesto on a sandwich. When I went and asked in 2022, they said it did not contain nuts, but that may have changed!”
