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Sit-Down Restaurant · Palmyra, PA
Lazzaro's Italian Bistro is a sit-down Italian restaurant at 49 N Railroad Street in Palmyra, PA — a step above casual, with fresh pasta, seafood dishes, and an impressively broad gluten-free menu that makes it one of the more accommodating options in the region.
Our take Palmyra is about a 20-minute drive from the Hershey area — a nice excuse to see a bit more of Lebanon County, and Lazzaro's is one of the better sit-down dinners in the region.
Lazzaro's fills a specific gap in the Hershey-area dining landscape: a proper Italian bistro where you can actually linger over a nice meal without driving to Harrisburg. The seafood dishes are worth calling out — shrimp fra diavolo, seared sea scallops over risotto, mussels and calamari, seafood fra diavolo — it's a serious menu for a small-town Pennsylvania bistro. What really sets it apart is how well they handle dietary needs: roughly 90% of the menu can be made gluten-free, and the kitchen treats that as a normal request rather than a burden. Whether it's an adult night out or a family dinner where someone has restrictions, Lazzaro's tends to work for everyone at the table.
Lazzaro's occupies a spot on Railroad Street in Palmyra that feels tucked away from the main drag — part of its appeal. The menu is Italian-American bistro fare done with care: housemade pastas, fresh seafood, stuffed shells, vegetarian dishes, and a selection that covers both lighter appetizers and full entrees. The gluten-free commitment is genuine — they note they are not a fully gluten-free environment (cross-contact is possible), but the kitchen makes an effort that most GF diners will appreciate. Takeout is available as well, so it works even if you'd rather eat back at your hotel.
Two things worth knowing before you go that often surprise visitors: Lazzaro's is BYOB — there's no liquor license, so bring your own wine or beer if you want a drink with dinner. And the menu is broader than the seafood reputation suggests: alongside the housemade pastas there's a full chicken, veal, and steak lineup — Chicken Marsala, Saltimbocca, Osso Buco, Steak Alla Griglia — plus a real pizza menu (Bistro, New York-style, white, and gourmet, in personal and large sizes). The kitchen has run since 2012, built around the owner's childhood in Italy, and the setup is family-friendly enough for a table with kids while still working for a relaxed adult dinner.
Open Wednesday through Sunday; closed Monday and Tuesday. The official site currently lists service from 11 AM to 10 PM (note: that's a later close than older listings showed). Restaurant hours change often, so confirm on lazzarositalianbistro.com or by calling (717) 832-6111 before heading out.
49 N Railroad St, Palmyra, PA 17078
Lazzaro's Italian Bistro is in Palmyra, PA. The map shows both pins — Lazzaro's Italian Bistro and our shop in Grantville — so you can see exactly where it sits relative to us.
A sampling to show the range — the full menu is larger and changes. No prices are published online; confirm current offerings on lazzarositalianbistro.com.
Very — the restaurant states that around 90% of the menu can be prepared gluten-free, including pasta dishes, seafood, and stuffed shells. That said, it is not a dedicated gluten-free kitchen, so those with celiac disease should discuss preparation details with the staff directly before ordering.
Yes, and they recommend making them for busy nights — particularly Fridays and Saturdays. Call (717) 832-6111 to reserve a table or check availability.
It's one of the better options in the area for that kind of meal — more intimate than a chain and more polished than a casual pizzeria. It works well for anniversaries, birthday dinners, or any evening where you want a relaxed sit-down experience over a proper Italian menu.
Yes on both. Lazzaro's is BYOB — there's no liquor license, so bring your own wine or beer (confirm any corkage policy when you call). And it's not just pasta and seafood: the kitchen makes a full pizza menu — Bistro, New York-style, white, and gourmet styles in personal and large sizes — alongside chicken, veal, and steak entrees.
Yes. The restaurant has highchairs, wheelchair access, and on-site parking, plus vegetarian and vegan options on top of the gluten-free menu, so a mixed table tends to work out. For a bigger party there's an on-site banquet room, and they offer full catering in trays sized for 10, 20, or 30 people — catering orders include their homemade bread.
Lazzaro's is right in the middle of Palmyra, so it's easy to build a relaxed evening around dinner here. Since it's BYOB rather than a bar, a couple of nearby stops round things out nicely.
Same-town brewery — a natural before-or-after stop for the adults who'd rather have a craft beer poured for them than bring their own.
An easy Palmyra dessert stop to finish the night if the kids have room left after dinner.
Another Palmyra Italian-leaning spot in our guide — handy if you're weighing a casual slice against a full sit-down meal.
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Visiting the Hershey area and need a mechanic? NextGen AutoWorks is a family-owned shop in Grantville, about 12 minutes north — we handle auto repair, tires, and PA state inspections. Traveling and something went wrong? Here's what to do if you have car trouble near Hershey — or book an appointment.
Verified via: Lazzaro's Italian Bistro (official site) · Lazzaro's Italian Bistro — Yelp · Lazzaro's Italian Bistro — Tripadvisor · Lazzaro's Italian Bistro — official menu page · Lazzaro's Italian Bistro — official 'Locate Us' (hours) · Lazzaro's Italian Bistro — official catering page
Lazzaro's Italian Bistro is an independent local business we're featuring in our guide — we're not affiliated. Details are from the business and public sources and were accurate at the time of writing; please confirm current hours before visiting.