Baked Cajun Garlic Butter Cod was delicious! The Risotto was excellent and the service was fabulous! read more

Shanty On 19th - Baked Cajun Garlic Butter Cod - New American Near Me - Allentown, Pennsylvania

Decided to give this place another try. Obviously not going to get superior service for a third time. Was totally surprised to get the best server I've ever had. She said hello, I'm Pamela and I'll be your server. Must say I was blown away as she lived up to the best server ever. She took care of our table as if we were the only people there. I didn't want for anything. She moved from table to table so very graceful as if she was born for it. My only concern is the lack of calamari on the menu, otherwise it was very satisfying read more

Food was so so. I had patronize this restaurant years ago for brunch and loved it. Not this time. The Avocado Toast was unappealing The poached eggs were boiled eggs. The avocado had no texture or flavor. This dish could have used flavor and texture. It was flat. I see this place as the beginning of the end for this establishment. read more

I love their outdoor seating. It's just a whole Sunday brunch vibe. The breakfast needs lots of work which is why I gave the low rating . Every year I'm hopeful it will get better. read more

Really wanted to support Allentown business district and restaurants. Very good Italian Wedding Soup. Rolls seemed like they were frozen perhaps? Disappointing bruschetta. Service was decent. Recommend the salted caramel cheesecake and Dark Horse Pinot Noir. I don't think I will Be Venturing back anytime soon. The restrooms were well-lit and clean. read more

Shanty On 19th - Very beautifully presented. Lacking in robust flavor. Too bland. - New American Near Me - Allentown, Pennsylvania

Spacious restaurant and staff was nice and helpful. I was not impressed with my entree; I got the steak frites with blue cheese butter on a bed of fries. (Two pieces of steak-decent size- with a melon ball of butter.) Meat was a little too well done for me. I am not a crustacean person I found out- I had a reaction to the mussels later. The lamb chop appetizer was tasty but had a lot of fat on it and not much meat. Great walking distance to the theater. Maybe just a pit stop for cocktails next time. read more

Shanty On 19th - Mussels - New American Near Me - Allentown, Pennsylvania

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Oh boy...we were rooting for this place following Gordon Ramsay's renovation a few months ago. The meal started off on a good foot with the Bavarian pretzels which were perfectly prepared and delicious. Not much went right from that point forward. Both the crab cake and ribeye steak came recommended by our server. ($20+ each!) The crab cake was soggy, fries and mashed potatoes were cold and my "medium" steak was served raw. The mashed potatoes were 50% butter and 50% potato. The ribeye was $22 and resembled a thinly sliced cut of meat you'd order from a low end diner in western New Jersey. This was a sad meal in general and wasted time I'll never get back. All in all....I spent $73 for a 1-star experience. #wiltedlettuce read more

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To quote my friend after a recent visit to the Shanty: "If someone invited me to dinner at the Shanty, I'd be like 'Yeah ok.' But I'd never make the suggestion to go there." It's mediocre. It always has been, and a makeover from Gordon Ramsey can't fix that. The show certainly was thrilling and fun to watch! And the novelty of trying dishes hand-picked by Gordon was exciting. But it's still nothing special. My pre-makeover experiences have involved: a handful of happy hours, some drunken karaoke, and a TON of Jameson shots during the annual West End St Patrick's Bar Crawl. I enjoyed the peanut butter pie and french fries. I never witnessed people yelling or fighting, nor did I ever see people spitting in food preparation areas. I also diligently read restaurant health code violation reports, and I am acutely aware that the show overdramatized some of the claims of poor sanitation or food storage. Post-makeover, the booths were replaced by petite tables - too small for a group of 3 or 4. The floor and walls are the same, and the party room attached to the dining room is untouched by celebrities - still clad in wood panels and mounted fish. There is a lovely and creative ceiling decoration made out of cigar boxes and plants. My experience with food post-makeover occurred the day after the "big reveal" was filmed, well before the show aired. It was alright. All the food was presented beautifully. The calamari was good. My friend enjoyed the wings. I got the pan-seared scallops, which were cooked sufficiently and paired nicely with a grainy mustard sauce. My friend was impressed by the Shanty Burger - which, judging from the other reviews on here, seems to be their signature dish now. My other friend got the fish and chips and liked it. We did not order dessert, opting instead to walk nearby to the Udder Bar. If only they had kept the peanut butter pie! read more

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First time back since the secret camera crew was at the Shanty for a week... ssshhh The new decor was really nice and I'm glad they improved the lighting. The space is more open and contemporary but still welcoming. We got the burger and two of pastrami sandwiches. It was all delicious! The fries were hot and crisp and tasty with a little fresh parsley. $3 lagers make every meal better! read more

Shanty On 19th - Perfect pastrami sandwich - New American Near Me - Allentown, Pennsylvania

Stopped in here for drinks before but came for dinner recently. The drinks are awesomely priced, lots of cool cocktails if that's what you like and they are at very good price points compared to pretty much anything and anywhere similar in the whole city. Good weekly bar specials too. We both got burgs an they were both extremely tender and grilled perfectly. The seasonings and such made them very savory, we were very surprised! Service was great, drinks were great, and the food is also great. read more

Shanty On 19th - 19th St Burger - New American Near Me - Allentown, Pennsylvania

I always look at the menu and read up on some reviews before trying a restaurant for the first time. Usually though, regardless of what I read, I like to advocate my own opinion. This is one of those times where I should of listened to the reviews. My girlfriend and I were both extremely disappointed. She actually thought I was being generous giving them two stars. I thought the service was decent, and the salad bar was pretty good, which was my reasoning. Everything else was lousy. We started off with the Bruschetta with Crostini. The bruschetta was bland and the crostini bread was dry and hard. It was edible but probably the worst bruschetta I ever had. For lunch I ordered the 19th Street burger and she ordered the Chicken Ciabatta sandwich. The burger was overcooked and burnt (ordered it medium) and the chicken on my girlfriend's sandwich was so tough she couldn't cut it with a steak knife. If the cook can't handle preparing a burger and a chicken sandwich correctly when the restaurant is slow, how can I trust him to make anything at all? I will most likely never be returning. read more

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My experience with this place has been pretty hit or miss. -salad bar has the basics - salad base, some vegetables, coleslaw, pasta salad, and some dressings. Nothing too exciting. -drinks are usually flavorful but weak. -bathrooms are always clean. -live music nights can get really loud. During our last visit we went for Happy Hour. The drinks were weak and the food was lackluster. -slider patties were definitely overcooked and dry. The onions were briefly cooked -not cooked down and carmelized also lost the raw crunch. -calamari was half good, half overcooked and rubbery. -highlight was the tacos, specifically the fish tacos. The Sriracha chicken tacos needed more spice. read more

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First time here ... the service was good, prices are fair and the food tasty! Good size menu with various options .. that's a plus. The restaurant I feel could be a little cleaner but not awful by any means. The pierogies were great The Mojo Pork Tacos were yummy ... just needs a sauce to pull it together. Flour tortillas were slightly fried, I would have preferred not fried, but they were good. The pork was really flavorful . My BF has chicken cheesesteak... he said it tasted good, it is a sliced up chicken breast. Solid garlic flavor. The fries were amazing!! We would certainly come back. read more

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we ordered the shrimp spring rolls... unique and like nothing Ive had before, really scrumptious. My wife had the salmon caprese and she loved it, and the burger was one of the best Ive ever had. Awesome atmosphere and friendly service, we will definitely be regulars here! read more

The decor on the inside is really cool and that's the most impressive thing about this place unfortunately. The food is average and the price is too high for what you're getting. The Cajun chicken pasta was not spiced, it just had peppers in it. The blackened salmon was okay but the glaze was over cooked and hardened into candy. I think they need to rethink the size of their plates if they plan to give portions that are on the smaller size because the dishes look sad with that much empty plate. I'm sure there are better places to eat nearby. read more

Went for Brunch on Sunday with Family. Waitress Joanna 5 star- Omelets 5 star- French Toast 5 star- Eggs Benedict 3.5 star (Eggs over cooked on both dishes)- Coffee 5 star. Place was very clean and spacious will go back but ask for Eggs Benny less done. Overall GREAT experience. The photo is my West Ender Omelet DELICIOUS read more

Shanty On 19th - West Ender Omelet - New American Near Me - Allentown, Pennsylvania

I enjoyed a solo lunch here of lobster bisque and the scallops dish. I would suggest everything was prepared well with good flavor and proper searing techniques. Nothing was out of the box or intriguing but it was good food done right. The service was timely and the place was decently appointed. I understand the restaurant has changed hands several times recently and that Chef Ramsey had to come in to help them out with their culinary woes- it seems it had a positive effect. While the reviews on Yelp don't seem to be very flattering, I would eat here again with anyone willing to make sure I don't have to solo lunch again. read more

The service was sub-par. Bartender did not serve our Blue Moons with the orange, no biggie. But when I noticed the regulars with oranges I became discouraged. The food was horrible. Chicken was overcooked and drier than a rock, roll was stale, and bacon was undercooked. Barbecue sauce was from a jar. The patty melt my wife ordered well done, was raw-not rare-raw meat. The kicker, Joe the owner did nothing to satisfy our experience. There are great restaurants within walking distance to the Shanty, do yourself a favor and enjoy dinner at any place other than the Shanty. Do better Joe, you should be ashamed. read more

On one hand, I really want to give it a 4 star. On the other, the total experience led me to give it a 3 star. It was a nice day out, so we sat outside. Very nice outdoor seating area. Took me a while to find someone to seat us. I had to wait inside by the bar to try to get someone's attention. The bartender was busy and didn't acknowledge me, and finally about a few mins a waitress came and got us seated outside. The food was good. Between 3-4 star. Since it is seafood, I didn't mind paying a bit more. But I can't justify the shrimp scampi being $22. An Arnold Palmer (1/2 lemonade and half ice tea) was almost $4, and the lemonade was made by powder. Really? Don't ever charge $4 for powder lemonade, please. I had to send it back for an pure ice tea instead, and didn't get it until after I've almost done with my meal. After meal, the waitress never came back. We needed to pay the bill since we needed to leave. I finally had to go inside to settle the bill, again after waiting for quite a while because my waitress was now the bartender! I definitely felt like chopped liver at this point, since she was so busy with the busy bar she totally forgot we were out there. I am not sure I'd come back. I really want to see them succeed since it is nice to have a restaurant like this in town. But if they don't start giving people their money's worth, they may not survive for long. read more

We got the Mac n cheese with Gouda cheese. 6/10 love the noodles but lacks flavor. Could have used a better blend of cheeses as well as seasoning. Good Halloween atmosphere and decor. Overall food could have been much better. read more

Shanty On 19th - Mac n cheese with Gouda cheese - New American Near Me - Allentown, Pennsylvania

Delicious food. Probably the best risotto I've ever had. It was very empty when I visited but that's not a bad thing for a customer. I got the Mahi Mahi and it was delicious. My wife loved her Chesapeake chicken as well. read more

Decided to try this restaurant out after watching 24 Hours to Hell and Back .. I mean its pretty convenient since we were near Allentown for our vacation at that time .. first of all the atmosphere was awesome and the food was incredible! the staffs were very pleasant and inviting .. and the owner were there to make us feel 'special' but not too much to the point of annoyance .. I ordered the Mussels and my Girlfriend ordered the Boom Shrimp (or whatever it was called) for our Appetizer and for our Entree we both ordered the pan seared scallops.. and it was the most delicious meal i've ever had in any restaurant ever! the flavor was awesome and overall it was THE BEST RESTAURANT EXPERIENCE WE HAVE EVER HAD! if we got the chance to be anywhere near Allentown again we'll definitely come back! read more

Decided to give it a chance because it's close to the Civic theatre but you are better off going to Wert's or Ringers Roost! Service was okay. Our server was young. She had trouble answering questions about the menu or beer. Maybe she was new? The food...meh! read more

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I want businesses in my neighborhood to succeed, so I want to like this restaurant. And I did, when it first reopened (in...2014?). The first couple times my husband and I dined here, we both ordered burgers, and they were juicy, tasty, and properly cooked. "Hooray! A good burger in the West End!" I thought. The place clearly had some kinks to work out--the waitstaff never seemed to know which craft beers were on draft, and what pairs better with a burger?--but I figured that, with time, they'd learn. Nope: The next couple times I went, my "medium" burgers were blackened. The last straw: I was served an "IPA" that tasted more like a Blue Moon. I moved on to places that know their beer and burgers--the Trapp Door in Emmaus, Bolete in Fountain Hill, even the nearby Tavern on Liberty--and kind of forgot about The Shanty, despite its proximity. But wait! Gordon Ramsay came to fix it up! My husband and I decided to give it another try, after Gordon's visit but before the episode's premiere. First impressions: Well, it looks a little better. They got rid of the godawful uplighting that gave the old bar area a Senior Prom vibe. But, why is a video poker (?) machine the very first thing you see when you walk in? And why is the drunk guy who's playing it quicker to greet us than the hostess? We sit down. The waitress gives us the drink list and immediately tells us--surprise!--that the draft list is out of date. "What's on draft right now?" I ask. She rattles off the standard water-beers and struggles with the seasonal and craft offerings. "Sweet...something? Hold on, let me go check." She leaves, returns, and says it's the Sweetwater 420. I say, "What kind of beer is that?" She says, "Um...." I say, "I think it's an IPA. Hold on, let me Google it." Yep. Googlin' my own beers. Not an improvement, Gordon! She brings the beer out, and whoa. I immediately say to my husband, "Do you smell that? Is the waitstaff out back smoking weed?" There's a sudden reek of marijuana...and it's THE BEER. Through some more Googling, I learn that Sweetwater makes a beer called the 420 Strain G13 IPA, which is meant to smell like cannabis. I'm guessing that's what I was drinking, but who knows! The waitress certainly didn't! The burgers came out. Mine was "medium" and charred on the outside. My husband's was "medium rare" and charcoal-briquette-like. I would give this place one star, but the fries were good. I know reality TV is all smoke and mirrors, but it's almost comical how little changed here as a result of Gordon's intervention. I guess educating a waitstaff on beer names and styles, or educating your chefs how not to blacken a burger, doesn't make for good TV, but that's what this place really needs. read more

The lamb was great tasting, very savory. The ravioli was good but I got a little tired of the pumpkin sauce after awhile, it would make a great shareable app. The bacon pork tenderloin was delicious could not get enough! Our waitress was very knowledgeable and made great recommendations. Would definitely come back! read more

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Zowie,wowie! The Shanty has become a top-notch restaurant! They've gone from "Bleah" to " Yeah." My previous (and first) Shanty experience didn't go well. I enjoy local live music. I decided to go when they booked a popular band. They put the band in a small room that opened off of the main room just past the entrance. The full rick band took up around 1/4 of the space. Between the music overpowering the small room and booming thought the entire place, the overspill of patrons crowding out the entrance and an overwhelmed staff, I simply gave up trying to get service or a seat. I didn't review them because I never actually was a patron Fast forward to a month or so ago. I returned because they booked another good musical group (T&T). The place is redone. The musicians are in the main room and in a space that fits. The furnishings and decor are new. The layout seems more open and less cluttered. I didn't know it at the time, but afterward I was told that the menu was changed thanks to consulting with the chef from the "Kitchen Disasters" TV series. The selection certainly wasn't the typical "bar food" fare. It was a full house as it was my previous. This time the music matched the venue. There were no traffic bottlenecks. The staff were quite busy but not overwhelmed and the fare was far better than fair. Bravo. Keep it up guys. read more

This place was great years ago, not so much now! Bf and I went there,happy hour $2 drinks can't beat it. I got the Bourbon Shrimp and Grits, very tasty, but 5 Shrimp for $18 are you kidding me?! No salad, waitress didn't know if they hadbread- wtf restaurant doesn't have bread?! She came back 10 minutes later with a toasted garlic roll, cost $1.50, no butter with it, no salad..and bonus, got the poopers an hour later! Bf got the Ribeye buttered steak, it was tough very grissly! -$28 Vegetables were very good as was baked potato . Very disappointing! Perhaps sandwiches and drinks are your best bet at this place..chef Ramsey did a makeover on this place a few years ago and he needs to come back! read more

DO NOT RECOMMEND... No Mask - No Gloves. We've been here before and it was just an OK place to go. Now with COVID, I was absolutely blown away that the Chef had NO GLOVES on when handling food! No, not the cutlery or plates, the cheese for the salads, lettuce, bread, etc. No mask, no gloves! Really? Isn't this the required rule now? I hope we don't get the virus. read more

The Shanty is a continuous evolution in improvement. I know when it first opened their were some mixed reviews but I have seen a restaurant that listens to it its customers feedback and makes necessary adjustments. What more could you ask for? I have become a regular and there are many aspects that I love about this place. There burgers are AWESOME! The staff is friendly, engaging and very customer service oriented. The management takes great efforts to assure your experience is a positive one. I am a big fan of small plates so I love appetizers! They have implemented some fabulous happy hour specials that are great for a quick bite and cocktail after a day of work. I recommend you try this place and if you have before, come back again as you will be pleasantly surprised by the changes! read more

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Served cold sausage in my breakfast sandwich and the sausage was definitely frozen and low quality. The drink menu table tents had drinks from Christmas time still up and salt and peppers weren't full. Needs a new Front of House manager and cook. read more

The Shanty was a ten out of ten experience when I went there after Gordon's renovations. The place was gorgeous and the staff was all really nice. The service and food was all amazing. Nothing bad to say about this place. I would recommend going here any day of the week. read more

Shanty On 19th - This was the tenderloin wrapped in bacon with Brussel sprouts and mash potatoes. - New American Near Me - Allentown, Pennsylvania

Wow the food is horrendous. Very friendly staff but that can't even come close to making up for the food being dry and overall nasty. Also got to hear an employee cursing out another employee. Not the entertainment I was expecting. read more

Not much on the inside. Pretty much a hole in the wall! We've been there twice for the food. It was outstanding! I had the salmon 2 different ways. My husband had steak. Delicious! read more

Best pierogies ever. Excellent food and service. Staff made us feel welcome with personal visits.

I always loved the shanty, tonight I extra loved it !!! I brought my mom in after seeing a show at the civic theatre. it was a perfect dinner to end our night. the good, drinks and service were great. read more

Fries were 10/10. Good service and good food. Live bad was nice too. 9.5/10 overall bc the sliders said potato bread but it was regular hoagie bread :((( read more

Stopped in on NYE with my son and husband for a few cocktails. we ordered the Filet Crostini and Lamb chop appetizers. Excellent. Watching the chef cook was fun, had a friend that let me try his Cod dish - again excellent. Everything going out looked delicious. Have tried the wings - better than most places we have been recently. We will definitely be back to try more. Love the changes! read more

The staff are constantly disrespectful and spiteful. I use to go there all the time with family but they continually charge for extra alcoholic beverages. Do not recommend due to the female bartenders disrespect. read more

I'll be honest. We've been wanting to go here for a while now since the Ramsey visit. Went in a little after 6 on a Thursday night. The bar was almost full but the dining area had three booths taken with a total of six people. There were also six people outside. We sat and the server came over right away and got our drink order. Drinks came out quickly and we placed our order. We ordered the crab hush puppies as an appetizer. My wife ordered the scallops, my daughter got the crab cake sandwich and I had the bone in ribeye. It took three attempts for the server to understand that we wanted the steak butter on the side. Kept asking about it. Anyway... Appetizer took quite awhile to come out. (About 25 minutes) Didn't taste much crab. Mostly breading. They were ok. My wife ordered another drink and after about 10 minutes of waiting for it the server walked by and looked at us and said "oh yeah". And came over with the drink. The food finally showed up about 10 minutes later. Scallops were ok. Four of them and small. My daughters sandwich was above average according to her. I tasted her fries. They tasted...I dunno...dirty. Like the potato wasn't washed off. She didn't complain about it but I tasted it. Weird. My steak was ok. Cooked ok and on top of mashed potatoes. We all tasted the mashed potatoes and we all had the same reaction "eh". If it wasn't for the tiny chunks of potato, I'd say they tasted like instant. They probably weren't...but suspiciously consistent. After our meal, my wife tagged me in a Facebook post as being there. I looked at their Facebook page and low and behold Thursday is wing night. I said to my wife "well THAT would have been nice to know about an hour and a half ago". I love my wings. I would have had wings. We asked the server when we were looking at the menu what the specials were. He pointed to the insert. No mention of wing night anywhere in the restaurant. When we left the chalk board outside didn't even mention it. Again. Weird. Ramsey come back!!!! Overall I'd say food was ok and service was below that. $84 for the above listed food. Not gonna come back. Very disappointed read more

This is definitely the best restaurant in the area. I've never had a bad experience with this establishment and found the food to be quite delicious, wether it's from a burger to a steak. The bartenders are very friendly, good drink selection, and one of the best food items is the bourbon shrimp and grits. Absolutely delicious. read more