Absolutely fabulous!!! The menu has such a wonderful assortment, including creative and unexpected…read moremashups, and plenty of vegetarian options. Quality was on point and the prices were really reasonable. Staff was working hard, but still really friendly and efficient. Definitely a must try! Check out the cheese curds with honey, tarragon, and macadamia nuts for a crunchy and unique dish. They paired beautifully with the house made pickles.

We sat outside in what they call the "garden room." The ambience and lighting were cozy and…read morepleasant, and it was comfortably warm despite the 30°F temperature. Unfortunately, there was a strong cold draft at floor level, leaving our feet uncomfortably cold throughout the meal. The hostess was sweet and greeted us with a smile. The food service was unremarkable. Our waiter was not particularly friendly nor personable. The drinks were a weak start. The red sangria was poor. The bourbon cocktail was an odd mix of bourbon, apple cider, and other elements--an awkward, Frankenstein-style whiskey sour that simply didn't work. Worst of all, both drinks were served in thin plastic cups, which immediately cheapened the entire experience. I ordered the falafel sandwich and specifically requested a toasted bun. It arrived not just room temperature, but cold. I sent it back, and it returned burning hot... the bottom soggy... literally too hot to pick up... with no browning or color change, clearly microwaved. Microwaving is not toasting. At that point, the sandwich was inedible. I removed the bun entirely and ate just the falafel, which was dry and largely tasteless. At this point I knew coming back to this restaurant was a mistake. Food timing was another issue. The dishes took roughly 45 minutes to arrive after the drinks, possibly longer. We were all getting annoyed and what started out well when we first walked in turned negative. I wasn't impressed on my first visit years ago... and this second visit confirmed it. Between the poor drinks, cheap plastic cups, ridiculously long wait (with no explanation nor apology), and careless food execution, there's no reason to return.

Yep, it's official: THIS. PLACE. ROCKS!!…read more Everything my coworkers & I ate here was amazing, from the pierogis to the home style chicken to carrot cake trifle...all of it was top notch! The service and atmosphere are fantastic as well. I highly recommend having a meal at The Shelby next time you're hungry; it'll be the best decision you make that day.

Food - 4/5 Service - 4/5 Ambiance - 5/5…read more Short Rib Quesadillas - short rib, chef's cheese blend, and sautéed onions, served with guacamole and sour cream. Fantastic! 8.6/10 Bao Buns - house made chicken sausages, sweet chili aioli, and cilantro. 7.8/10 Shrimp Rice Bowl - teriyaki shrimp, steamed rice, sesame, kimchi, dippy egg, pickled jalapeños, bok choy, oi muchim. 7.5/10 The Shelby Burger - two four ounce local beef patties, American cheese, Shelby sauce, lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles. Solid. 7.7/10 French Fries - hot and crispy. 8.1/10 Chicken Parm - bucatini, crispy chicken breast, Nonna's sauce, chef's cheese blend. The chicken had crispy edges and the pasta was al dente. 8.2/10 Mac and Cheese - cavatappi pasta, Shelby cheese sauce, and Parmesan cheese. Rich, creamy, and a great table side. 8.4/10

Wait, Marta, I'm not done completing my review!…read more So, it's Sunday, and we're due to attend the college wrestling match up the street at PPL Center. We Are. We haven't been to downtown Allentown since shopping at Hess Brothers back in the day. The area was clean, updated, transformed, modern, full of folks mulling through the streets. If I had not googled restaurants near the venue, I wouldn't be aware of such a nice variety. We decided to dine at Max & Butters down the boulevard, tucked sideways on the lower level of the building. We entered, staff greeted us and since prior reservations took up all the tables, we sat at the bar which allowed us to engage with staff and so, we met the hostess Lara, rockstar servers Raul and Paige and ultimately chief cook and kitchen magician, MARTA. What a delight to view the entire cooking area where the flames were a 1/2 foot high over the commercial stove, frying bacon, eggs and all the breakfast goodies, the smells wafting throughout. Ok, a plate of rib eye steak and eggs accompanied by fresh broasted potatoes. $20 10/10 Then my egg plate, bacon x 5 and potatoes, side of toast. 10/10 $13.95 And that cup of coffee, rich & robust, almost tasted like Turkish coffee, extremely good. $2 It's the feeling of gratitude and joy when you visit a place after decades away, not knowing the restaurant choices and encounter a truly amazing place in downtown Allentown.

It was a nice Saturday in mid-May and my girlfriend and I wanted to try someplace new. We landed at…read moreMax and Butters. We had hoped to sit outside but a family had their kids running wild so we ducked inside. The establishment is one long, eclectic rectangle with a hodgepodge of art and decoration without any noticeable theme or cohesion. They served me a wonderful Reyka martini and we had breakfast for dinner because the dinner offerings didn't leave an impression. My girlfriend had three over-easy eggs with smoked bacon and I had a grilled chicken omelet with gruyere and spinach with a side of potatoes. The omelet was excellent. The potatoes could have been a crispier by they were fresh. My girlfriend enjoyed her dish as well. For a Saturday, it was strange that they had only one server and one cook in the kitchen. Even so, our server was wonderful and kind. We hope to return soon and actually have breakfast for breakfast!

If you're looking for a place where the food never disappoints, the staff actually likes people,…read moreand there are enough TVs to watch three games at once and still miss a fourth, Copperhead Grille is your spot. The staff is always friendly and on top of it--no eye contact avoidance, no "I'll be right back" disappearing acts. Just solid service from people who seem genuinely happy you're there. Now the food: the wings are legit. Crispy, saucy, and dangerous in the "I should stop but absolutely will not" way. The burgers are equally guilty. Juicy, flavorful, and gone way too fast. Every time I come here I say, "I'll try something different," and every time I fail because the wings and burgers win again. And let's talk TVs. They're everywhere. Behind you. In front of you. Possibly in the bathroom (unconfirmed, but wouldn't be shocked). Perfect for watching a game without craning your neck or negotiating channel control with strangers. Bottom line: Great food, great people, great place to park yourself for a game and accidentally stay way longer than planned. Copperhead Grille delivers every time.

We showed up for dinner in terrible weather with a group of 10, and they handled us impressively…read morewell. Our waitress was fantastic--attentive, patient, and on top of everything despite the chaos outside and the size of our party. The mozzarella sticks are absolutely worth the hype. The breading is thick, crunchy, flavorful, and actually stays on--easily some of the best we've had. We all ordered standard bar food and had zero complaints across the table. Overall, a really solid experience. We'll definitely be back.

Great food, good atmosphere and solid service. Would recommend!…read more Thanks for a great burger!

Ringers is an inviting restaurant on Liberty Street across from the Allentown Fairgrounds. Plenty…read moreof seating choices with indoor bar and dining room and outdoor (covered) porch and a patio. Incredibly friendly, awesome staff. I parked on street but they also have off street. Nice tap menu and a large food menu I had an ahi bowl. Fantastic. Ahi, pickled onions, sprouts, tomato.

Pennsylvania Rye Company is a New American restaurant and whiskey bar located on Hamilton Street in…read moreAllentown. It's open Wednesday through Saturday from 4:00 PM to 2:00 AM and Sunday from 4:00 PM to 12:00 AM. My friend and I made our first visit early Friday evening. The service was good, and the food more than lived up to expectations. We started with tender, well-seasoned beef skewers, crispy buffalo wings over blue cheese, and perfectly cooked roasted cauliflower paired with a tasty tzatziki sauce and pickled onion. For my entree, I ordered the maple-glazed short rib. It was incredibly tender, practically melting in my mouth, and came with creamy sweet potato puree and roasted shallots. My friend ordered the rich, deeply flavorful bolognese. Although she received the small plate portion rather than the entree, it wasn't a major issue as we had more than enough food. There are still many items on the menu I'd like to try, and after such a strong first visit, I'll most certainly be back.

I want to give this spot a 5 star so bad, nothing wrong with PRC at all I just save that last star…read morefor restaurants that are the greatest in my opinion. But, I will be coming back here, and I usually don't like visiting a place I already went to twice but the food here was really good so coming back is a must. We had the Pork shank, Cuban, PRC Burger and chicken for the kids and yes I tried everything and yes all was delicious. Highly recommend this spot and yes its good for kids too, no kid menu but my kids liked it so idk bring the kids along if you want. Price wise was good as well. Two adults, one teenager, and two girls, 6 and 8, with a beer and one mix drink $100

This gem is definitely one of a kind in Allentown. The owners are a sweet Dominican couple. The…read morewife runs the front of the house and the husband is the chef. The service is amazing. Rosy and Nelson are very nice and accommodating. You can substitute pretty much anything on the menu. The food is great and the presentation is very original. The morir soñando was BANGIN (it's my favorite, so I am very particular). The restaurant was spotless (yay). The bathrooms are extremely clean (woop woop). Definitely returning to this establishment.

Ordered the goat, rice with pigeon peas and empanadas. Everything was delicious. The goat melted in…read moreyour mouth and the sauce was delicious! Definitely ordering again!

Very welcoming. Service was spectacular and breakfast came out nice , hot and full of flavor.read more

I stayed at Staybridge Suites in Allentown, and the diner (fortunately open 24/7) was only two…read moreblocks away. The menu is a throwback to the 60's and 70's, lol. I was gobsmacked to see "Liver and Onion," which was the bane of my childhood. Yuck! I asked whether people actually ordered it, and apparently it's quite popular. Amazing. There are NO gluten-free bread, pasta, or baked dessert items. So I ordered a Monterey Chicken Sandwich with no bread, and a side of fruit salad, to go. Got back to the hotel, and there was a very thin piece of chicken breast topped with a huge piece of ham and melted cheese, accompanied by naked lettuce, tomato, and a slice of onion. Sigh. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. And there was no fruit salad. I called them and said that I didn't get it, and could I please pick it up in the morning? They very graciously said yes. Looked at my receipt, and no side was listed. That's why I didn't get it--he didn't note the order. I didn't want fries because I had some at lunch. This is a real middle-America diner. Nothing fancy, except the desserts, which looked incredibly delicious and made me sad. The salad bar was kind of scary. Lots of goopy things drenched in white stuff. Not a lot of healthy raw veggies, although there were empty bins that may have held them earlier. It's a nicely-decorated place, and they have GNOMES!! I didn't go in the lounge area, since I just got takeout and went back to the hotel. Service was very nice, polite, and friendly.

A new place on East side! The glasses are cold, the drinks are spot on and the food (at least the…read moretacos) are great. They had plenty of servers who knew their stuff and the ambiance is a darker sports lounge vibe. Love's menu is quite eclectic as they traverse the food landscapes of "American", Hispanic, and Asian. Their sushi bar looks interesting- I look forward to trying it when I return and I'll update my review accordingly. I was surprised how empty the place was on a weekend night- I hope they can survive and thrive as a fresh hangout on the East side.

Hey everyone so I decided to try this new spot in Allentown call Love's Lounge. I think it's been…read moreopen for about a year. The waitress is nice and very attentive. They have a little outside seating and all the way in the back is a lounge area. They are open from 12pm to 2am. We went around 7pm on a Saturday evening. FYI they do have their own parking. It wasn't that packed around that time. Their food menu is nice. So we order for drinks a Honey comb and a The Uprising as well as the Pink Dragon . The uprising is pretty much a tequila sunrise lol the only difference is they added whipped cream on top.For appetizers we order the sweet and hot wings with the bone(they have a boneless option as well). As well as the bacalaitos. For the entrees we order the surf and turf (lobster tail )mofongo with garlic sauce ugh just amazing. The other entree was white rice beans and toastones with churrasco . If you like hookah they do serve that as well let me not forget for all my sushi lovers they do have a sushi station and when I say the chef makes the sushi look so pretty you get to see it made right in front of you . The only downfall I would bring up is that gratuity is all ready included and sheeesh it's 18%. Other than that I would go again to see how the vibe is for the lounge at a later time . Oh and to get some more food because that mofongo was delicious.

Service was great. And food was amazing as always.. they never disappoint.. always a great…read moreenvironment

I was here for a business dinner. It's definitely a more upscale place - it certainly looked nice…read more I did try the following: - Butternut Squash Soup: Ok. I find just about all butternut squash soups taste about the same. It was fine, but not special. - Duck a l'Orange: OK. The duck itself was pretty good, the skin was crisp and the meat was tender. Everything else seemed an after thought - the parsnips, blood orange, confit and chilis - they tasted ok but felt more like random ingredients than one cohesive dish. Service was also fine. They did what would be expected, nothing more and nothing less. Overall it was a somewhat average meal. The ambiance certainly felt more upscale, and the food had the same inspiration but didn't really come through on the execution.