I am all for menus that contain an element of surprise because the chef makes something different and delectable, more often than not. Cool. But, after such high anticipation and expectations based on a friend & fellow foodie's recommendation, I was underwhelmed. I really had my mind and mouth set on pancakes, but the special pancakes of the day contained coconut (1 of 2 food allergies I cannot consumer in any form). So, I opted for the omelet of the day and it was, meh. The omelet itself had a fluffy/airy texture that was unique and enjoyable - it contained goat cheese, zucchini, and onions, with micro greens sprinkled on top. It was just ok, nothing I would be in a hurry to order again. The home fries/potatoes were good. It was a light brunch. I checked Zest's dinner menu and it seems to have a better variety of options that are more compelling to me. Perhaps, next timeI am in the area I will stop by for dinner. The rooftop idea is genius and cozy, but the space was a little too cramped/crowded for me. The service was okay. I would go again, just not for brunch. read more

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I was seated last year on the left side looking out to Main Street bridge and Lehigh mountain and college and just sitting there felt nice and "wealthy". The food was amazing but felt like to much design less plate. I like dropping money on food because I enjoy cooking and tasting different cuisines, flavors and looking for different types of dishes in every chef's kitchen. I've been all over the world; Bethlehem, Allentown, Scranton, NY, NJ, San Francisco, Hawaii, Dubai and I'll say I'll only come here to impress a date and that's it. The bathrooms are very exquisite I'll say cuz that day I posted that bathroom on my snap, let's say I hit records. Be back soon with my girlfriend and staff are nice. read more

We were greeted with smiles, and from start to finish we all agreed that this was a fabulous experience, a great way to spend an evening. SHOUT OUT: our server, Ashley was nothing short of sensational. Her cocktail suggestions were "top shelf", as well as her friendly yet professional demeanor and her thoughts on possible choices to order made our night more than memorable. Kudos to the chef, bartenders & entire staff-an A+ rating Again, thank you Ashley, you totally topped off our Tuesday... read more

Interesting location. Seventh floor of office block up a elevator across a bridge on hard concrete floors not even up to ABE airport and finally into a restaurant carved out of an office floor. Good reception area and warm staff. Now the reasons to go there. The food and the view. Nearly the best salad ever. Great short ribs. And first grade mango spring roll with superb sauce followed by ace duck. Now the outside seating goes around three sides. We chose 7-30 with one hour before sunset and our location resulted in blinding sun until sun hit horizon. Mistake. View from our west side roof of factory and the road to Main Street. read more

Zest is great-- the service is great, the atmosphere is wonderful, the drinks are to die for. The dinners I've had at Zest have been SO tasty and I love going there. However (and this is why I'm giving 4 instead of 5 stars) their brunch food is not good. I've gone for brunch twice now, because I wanted to give them a second chance, but it's been bad twice-- specifically the breakfast foods. The waffles and the pancakes were hard and not fluffy at all, and the vegan sausage sandwich was really dry. Basically: absolutely go here for lunch and dinner, absolutely go here for drinks, and go here for brunch IF you plan on ordering lunch food rather than breakfast. If you're super into traditional breakfast foods, maybe try somewhere else. read more

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This was the second time we've dined here, first time was on the 4th of July outside on their rooftop, which was lovely to see the fireworks go off in the surrounding areas. The food & drinks were so good that we said we'd be back so we found ourselves back once again with family. This time we chose to dine inside, we had a lovely, peppy waitress who was so friendly and entertaining. We ordered a nice Tempranillo wine to start along with Mussels & Clams; roasted tomato cream, black eyed peas, bacon, fennel and Short Rib Buns; pickled peppers, scallion, black garlic aioli, both were delicious. I, along with another friend ordered the pasta special, orrichette pasta with grilled chicken, bacon, black eyed peas, in a creamy brandy sauce, another in our party ordered the bone in strip steak which was cooked perfectly served with garlic roasted mashed potatoes, asparagus, red onion confit, noir reduction. Lastly the last person ordered the Grilled Swordfish; accompanied with forbidden black rice, artichoke, tomato, house remoulade, all dishes were delicious and large portions, we all couldn't finish our meals. However we did manage to have after dinner drinks or special coffees, espresso martini; svedka vanilla vodka, kahlúa, baileys, chilled espresso. Country Pumpkin; vodka, kahlua, baileys, house made pumpkin puree, brown sugar cinnamon rim. RLD; raspberry vodka, limoncello, cointreau, lemon juice. All n all was a great evening, filled with great food, lovely drinks, happy conversation and a friendly waitress, I will say the wait time was a little bit long given the small amount of patrons that were in the establishment at that time but luckily we were in no hurry and were enjoying each other's company. The waitress did inform us & apologize for the wait time. read more

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I've been here 3 times - all for different occasions and I have yet to be disappointed. The GinThere, Done That and French Pear are my 2 favorite drinks!! I'd also recommend coming here for happy hour - especially with the outside view! The crab & mango spring rolls are my favorite appetizer on the menu!! I've also tried the scallops, boneless beef short ribs, and their venison medallions - all of which were very tasty. Their filet mignon was okay, but you could go to a different place for that. *Bonus points for attentive staff: A fly flew into my drink (the French Pear) and when I mentioned it to the waitress, she had brought me a brand new drink. I found this incredibly thoughtful considering I had already drank more than half of my drink (I wanted every last drop, it was THAT good lol). There's also a parking garage and if you bring your ticket, they will validate it for you! read more

The food was delicious as always. Great service and great drinks. This is my 4 times here and I can't complain. read more

ZEST bar+grille - Crab and mango spring rolls - New American Near Me - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

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A cool spot in Bethlehem. Nice rooftop seating for a better view of downtown. Don't get too close to the edge. The food was good and service is friendly. Came here a company dinner and I can say I'll be coming back for a dinner in the future! Started with a nice tuna tartare which was nicely dressed. Tuna was fresh and you can tell it wasn't frozen or old. Entree was the Fillet Mignon which was cooked perfectly. Dessert was the chocolate tarte. Highly recommend. read more

ZEST bar+grille - New American Near Me - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

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I visited ZEST for my first visit this past weekend. It was a beautiful setting for my friends post wedding brunch. We had the crispy chicken wonton appetizer which was a delicious 5 star item. I ordered the chicken and waffle sandwich with breakfast potatoes. The bride also ordered this item and agreed it was over cooked and dry. My husband had the burger and didn't have any complaints. I would visit again for another meal. As someone who is not local to this area, I had a bit of trouble locating the ground floor door but once I did, there were clear markings to direct to the rooftop spot. read more

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I was here with a party of six, and we had a fantastic dinner at this place. From the moment we walked in, the staff was professional in every way. The view is really cool, everything we ordered off the menu was delicious, and the drinks were just right. Our server, Jocelyn, did a fantastic job of making our evening the best it could be. We all really enjoyed this place, and if I lived in the area, I would definitely go back. read more

ZEST bar+grille - Spicy mango sorbet - New American Near Me - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

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Horrible experience at this restaurant from start to (a very quick) finish. My s/o and I went there to eat dinner for date night, experienced a delay huge delay waiting for a table despite having reservations days in advance, and despite another group of women being seated 10 minutes after us, they ordered their food prior to us even being introduced to a waiter or placing drink orders. We stood up, left, and will never be back. An unfortunate letdown and somewhere I'll never be able recommend to colleagues, friends, or family. read more

Staff was accommodating and professional. Food was amazing along with the drinks. Really neat atmosphere looking over the city in the rooftop bar. read more

The atmosphere is very nice but the service was sub par and food was nothing special. We made the reservation stating it was 3 birthdays and asked for a table by the window. They tried to put us at a high top by the bar and seemed annoyed we asked to be moved to the empty table by the window. Then the table next to us had a nice birthday dessert provided (they said the mentioned her birthday was next week). It was our literal birthdays and no dessert was provided. Oh and should I mention them when we asked our waitress about what was in a dish she told us to "read the menu".. when I politely said my older eyes had difficulty seeing it her response... "you can use a flashlight"!!! Highly disappointed!! read more

ZESTsational!!! The aesthetic, the food and drink menu options, and the friendly staff (Everette was my waiter) make this swanky joint a must try! I was here for drinks during a Bethlehem Event and the bar was great! Today I had lunch here during restaurant week; I started with the crab and corn chowder and then I had the Asian greens salad with salmon....it was DE-LISH!!! A great lunch break spot, and I will be sure to come back for dinner... the dinner options look fantastic as well! read more

ZEST bar+grille - Asian Greens Salad with Salmon- Delish!! - New American Near Me - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Zest was amazing- Delicious food, good views, excellent service! You get what you pay for! read more

ZEST bar+grille - Outdoor seating area & coconut mojito - New American Near Me - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

We had dinner last night after the Juneteenth celebration and the food was AMAZING! OMG, the appetizers, entrees, desserts were AMAZING and the Pear drinks were AMAZING! read more

ZEST bar+grille - Amazing - New American Near Me - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

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Can I please give this 10 stars??? This was my absolute favorite dining experience of my week in Bethlehem. I saved it for last on my list of reviews because honestly, where do I start? There are so many good things to say about it. Firstly, it is a little odd the location and how to get there, but it definitely makes for a unique experience. The seating is very well done. I appreciate the reservation system and how organized everything is. The great service starts with the hostess and continues all through the night, no matter who you deal with. They are very accommodating and friendly. It does take a while to get your food, I will make sure that is stated, but it is WELL WORTH THE WAIT!!! Knowing it would take a while for entrees, I ordered a salad with the dried fruit and nuts and goat cheese on top. It was phenomenal and large. Very fresh, green, and full of texture, which is what I love in a dish. One thing I've noticed is how beautifully their food is displayed on the plate. It is very Insta-worthy. The last thing I got was the Airline Chicken, and let me tell you, I can still taste every part of that dish. The corn Maque choux is actually a Cajun thing, and they did it very well, I was surprised!!! The mashed potatoes were perfectly prepared like a dense cloud. Chicken was exceptionally seasoned and tender. Even the veggies were well-roasted. The gravy perfectly married everything together. I will definitely miss this place and dream of it for years to come. read more

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Dinner at Zest was wonderful. Went for our anniversary and the staff made it special. We were given a table with a great view. Every staff member we met wished us happy anniversary, including the busboy. Our server Caroline was exceptional. And the food was fantastic - imaginative seasonings and sides and good sized portions. Started with the soup since it was a chilly day and it was very tasty. I had the duck and it was cooked and seasoned perfectly. My wife had the scallops and was extremely happy with the amount of veggies in the risotto. Added a side of asparagus since it's the season and it was grilled nicely with a perfectly paired sauce. Had to skip dessert because we had tickets for a show in Allentown but they all looked good. We will definitely return. It was one of the best restaurant experiences we have had in a while. read more

This review is one star because if i had made it last year, it would have been 5 however zest took their best entree off of the menu, so here we are. They changed from the delicious, mouthwatering chicken entree below to the Airline Chicken Breast, commonly found on Delta flights. Here's the picture of last year's chicken, because this year's entree wasn't worth a picture, much less $28 for the cold, unseasoned plate we were served. Very disappointing, do better and bring. this. back. read more

ZEST bar+grille - Chicken entree from last years menu. - New American Near Me - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Came here on a special occasion just for drinks and dessert! They do require reservations (or highly encourage) but we were able to make reservations on the same day on a Friday after 8 pm. The parking garage for the location is a bit tricky. You drive past the main sign and you will see a sign for a parking garage that has a plastic sign for Zest parking. They validate for 2 hours on your way out using the ticket from the garage so keep it! Just follow the signs to the main door of the restaurant from inside the parking garage. We waited very very briefly for our table and were seated outside as requested. The restaurant has a modern, hip vibe but there were all kinds of patrons. The view is beautiful from the rooftop. Everything menu item seems well crafted and elevated. My partner had the Paloma which he liked and I had a drink that I cannot remember the name (it's pictured) but was a bit strong for me. We had two desserts as well. We had mini cakes (sponge and devil's food) which were adorned with orange jam and cream but I would call it deconstructed. My favorite was the strawberry and chocolate ice cream! They also had sorbet which was nice for a dairy-free option. All desserts are made fresh in-house. The wait staff was very nice and fun. My only complaint was that the plastic/glass wall that was on the rooftop was very dirty with smudges and lots of marks which made it difficult to take a nice picture without getting up. Overall, nice experience for a rooftop setting! read more

ZEST bar+grille - View from the outdoor seating - New American Near Me - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

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So we went to Zest in '19 shortly after it opened and it was good, but not great and I gave them 5 stars due to being new. Obviously it wasn't over the top because we just returned now with our of town guests to show off the views. Well the atmosphere and views were there and pleased that we got seated outside to see the Steel Stacks. Now for the pros: -Great professional service. Waitress was amazing!!! -Atmosphere -Appetizers were good Cons: -Drinks took forever to get delivered. They probably could have milked another $30 of drinks out of use if we got them faster. We were sucking down our water waiting in between drinks. -2 of the Martinis ordered were watered down. -Entree's - 3 out of 4 were not good. The duck was way too fatty (Wegmans sell better quality) and the beans were bland and chalky. The sea bass was only seasoned on one side and the special (pasta) was bland. The reason I'm reviewing this place again is because I wanted to see if they stepped up their quality of food and drink, but it got worse. I certainly won't steer folks away from here because the overall experience was still good and staff is awesome. Hope this review helps. read more

Great atmosphere and scenery. The food was very good, accompanied by a good drink menu. read more

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*review based on whiskey/bourbon offerings only Selection: Lots of bourbon and whiskey drinks available. Though questionable choice turning the Bootlegger's Old fashioned into a rum based drink haha. Cocktails: Cherry Bourbon Sour $11 - A solid choice reminiscent of an Old Fashioned. Packed Lunch $11 - Wouldn't be my first choice but I'd be interested to try it. Sound like a PB&J with the Peanut Butter Whisjey and berry puree. Third & New $12 - Pretty straightforward forward rye whiskey drink. Mulling Mule $11 - Fruity mix with the Jack Daniel's Apple and spiced pear liquor Brown Hound $14 - Bourbon drink but since this has grapefruit I avoided it. Southsiiide Sasquatch $12 - Local Social Still Sasquatch Bourbon but since there's chocolate flavored bitters I avoided it. Other notes: Nice outdoor terrace seating. Large windowed view from the inside. Happy Hour M-Th / 4-6 and Fri 3:30-6 read more

My favorite restaurant in the Lehigh valley! I love how the menu is always different, as well as the drinks. I always find something new to try and enjoy it every time! The cocktails are AMAZING and come out perfect every single time! There are no words for the food. The seasonal menu changes are always exciting. This place is perfect for quick drinks and apps, and especially full dinner service. I wish I could come here more often. Hats off to Zest, they truly impress me every time! P.S. please never ever take the crab and mango spring rolls off the menu read more

ZEST bar+grille - New American Near Me - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

I've been wanting to try this restaurant for a while. The views of Bethlehem are amazing, definitely ask for a window seat! The food was good, but everything can out of the kitchen warm. Nothing was hot and it seemed like it might have been sitting for a few minutes before it got to our table. It was a Friday night and the place was slammed. Our waitress was super nice, but she didn't come back until we were done with our meals. I'd definitely be willing to give it another try, but it didn't knock my socks off like I was hoping it would. read more

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Overall - WOW! I highly recommend and enjoyed my experience here. A gf of mine recommended we meet here for Sunday brunch to catch up, and I'm so glad we did! There's plenty of parking, which is right next door. I also loved all the signs that help you get to the restaurant so you're not wandering around lost. The hostess was friendly and sat us promptly at our time. We both ordered spicy bloody Mary's which were SO GOOD! My friend got the biggest cup of coffee ever and she said it tasted really good. I'd love to come back just to try the mimosa tower (definitely not just a one person job). For food, I ordered the caprese Benedict! WOW! Probably one of the best I've ever had. It had so much flavor. Everything was cooked perfectly. However, my friend got the pulled chicken sandwich and said it was awful. She said it lacked so much flavor. She didn't even touch it for more than a bite or two. I thought portions were a good size as well. The only issues I had were with the server who was very lackadaisical. It took her a few to get to us, refills were hard to come by, and we had no silverware for a few minutes once our meals arrived. Also, being in this industry, you need to be very aware of your guests and their plates. The server should have seen that my friends plate was practically untouched and inquired about it. Overall, I definitely can't wait to come back. The food was excellent and I'd love to give dinner a try! read more

Pricey, but love the menu. I especially enjoy the rooftop dining experience. Friendly staff, great food, and convenient parking.

The food was very good at Zest. The crisp bao buns were excellent! Drinks were on point! Enjoyed the evening with a great view and great food. read more

BFF dinner- celebrating our time together with the Curious Monkey dessert. So so good and big enough for 2-3 to share. read more

ZEST bar+grille - BFF dinner- celebrating our time together with the Curious Monkey dessert. So so good and big enough for 2-3 to share. - New American Near Me - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Last night we had dinner with our daughter and her friends. I had the honey glazed duck with shredded brussel sprouts and fingerling potatoes. My duck was well seasoned and the skin had a slight crisp and was fatty good. My sprouts and potatoes were a good accompaniment with my main dish. I shared the goat cheese/candied pecan salad with my wife. The salad was well dressed and was generously plated with candied pecans. I tried my daughter's pork chop and it was thick and well cooked (and tasty). My wife enjoyed her salmon but was not a fan of the bamboo rice. I tried the rice and it needed to be cooked a little longer because there were some crunchy under/uncooked pieces. But overall, we enjoyed our dinner and would come back. read more

Decided to have a date night with my queen and stumbled upon this Gem. Atmosphere- very modern, city, chic, upbeat , fresh and AMAZING view. Servers and staff- Polite, kind, attentive, knowledgeable and personable. Food- the food was on point, the steak tasted great even though they over cooked it a bit. Lobster tails had great flavor, not tough but nice and tender. Muscles and clams with Chorizo, wow!!! Crab spring rolls were on point as well. We love the fact that they have NON ALCOHOLIC mojitos - ( they have alcohol ones too) read more

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Drove an hour and 15 mins for the mimosa tower, I mean to see my niece Zest is located on a rooftop and has the most welcoming setup. The host and everyone attending are super attentive and kind. My cousin spilt water (no alcohol was consumed at this point) all over the table and within 30 seconds there was a waiter helping clean up. The mimosa tower served about 8-10 glasses depending on how much you filled your glass. It wasn't diluted you could taste the alcohol just enough. I could see this sneaking up quickly. I ordered the short rib hash it was a little salty for my taste buds but the flavor was there. Chicken and waffles also were ordered and it was a bit strange that there wasn't any additional syrup Included but the waffle was soft and the chicken was crunchy. You needed the extra syrup though. The zest burger was ordered medium rare but there was no pink at all in the burger. He didn't seem to mind and said the rest of the burger really went well together. You can't say no to dessert! So we had the pear in a jar and the peanut butter tart. Both were fantastic! However, I wish the pear at the bottom was warm. The whipped topping was an explosion in your mouth. My favorite dish for this visit. read more

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The drinks we started with were excellent (Zangria and Cherry Bourbon Sour), and our server was very nice and attentive. We opted to split appetizers instead of getting entrees. In order of what we liked (top choice first), we got the Spiced Pecan and Goat Cheese Salad, Crispy Chicken Dumplings, Short Rib Buns, and Crab & Mango Spring Rolls. The goat cheese on the salad was milder and had a texture more like feta compared to what you find typically. But the salad was still good and had balanced flavors. The dumplings were good and had a nice sauce. The other 2 were definitely lacking. The buns needed sauce or some sort of acid to add some moisture and a pop of flavor. The spring roll filling was mushy and lacked texture, more like bread filling at Thanksgiving. I wouldn't order the latter 2 again; my wife says none are worth ordering again, not for the quality you expect at a place like this. read more

Always love coming here! Great service, food and drinks! Can't beat the rooftop view of Bethlehem

While visiting family in Bethlehem we went for my sister's birthday. Beautiful views of south side Bethlehem which has dramatically changed over the last 35 years! I was impressed. Food was excellent. I had the fresh fish with my husband having the pork chop. My sister also had fish with her husband having a filet. All were very good. Service was attentive to our needs. Only surprise here was the age of the crowd. Very young for the cost of the menu. I suppose this has changed too over the years. In my 20s/early 30s this restaurant would have been a stretch. Our party of 50/60ish felt out of place. read more

Zest is a go to spot for me whenever I'm in Bethlehem. For the most part I tend to order a ton of apps for the table as opposed to one entree because I like to try a taste of everything. Zest is the perfect restaurant to do this at due to their vast menu. There's something for everyone and it's all delicious. Below are just some of the things I've had, but the crispy chicken dumplings are great along with the filet mignon. And you must get a drink because they're creative and delicious!! read more

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It was good food, but it is expensive. The inside was freezing, so my whole party had to wear our winter coats the whole dinner. They also added 20% gratuity onto our individual receipts with a party of 5 with no warning nor was it on the menu or website. Transparency with prices would've been nice, especially considering the price and ambiance. read more

ZEST bar+grille - Veggie and grain bowl - New American Near Me - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

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Second experience at this restaurant last night. First experience was within two weeks of opening so I overlooked the shortcomings. The best thing this place has going for it at this point is the atmosphere in my opinion. We had the unfortunate experience of having the same server on both occasions. Very stiff, lacks energy and charisma plus very slow. I'm really surprised she is still there since she totally lacks personality and has a fake, insincere smile. We prefer our servers to have energy and personality. Drink order took approximately 10 minutes to arrive after ordering. While it was a Friday evening it was not overly busy. We were able to walk in and get a very nice window table immediately. I ordered Bombay Sapphire and Tonic. If you like to taste the alcohol, tell them to fill the glass partially since they serve it in a tall glass of I'm guessing 8 ounces. It was like drinking a glass of tonic. Back to the service. Our server took our order when she delivered the drinks and said she would be right back with bread. We ordered at 9:07. Bread arrived at 9:21. Our entrees arrived 5 minutes later. I had the king salmon. I ordered it medium rare but it came out well done. The fish itself had no flavor - go figure, salmon w/o flavor. Anyway, the crispy skin was good and the surrounding flavors were tasty although carrots were softer than I would like. The portion of fish was generous but significantly more rice than I would eat. My girlfriend had the scallops which I did not sample. She said they were good. Neither of us cared for the burnt onion purée. There was no baby arugula that we noticed and the risotto was underwhelming. All in all our experience undoubtedly was tainted by the server but as a regular at 3501, Zest will have to improve greatly before I would become a regular there. I'll give it another try in three months or so. read more

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Okay, so I'm only leaving this review because there was a couple sitting next to me that was completely ridiculous and will probably say horrible things about this establishment. Long story short... me and my friend had a wonderful experience! The waiters/ waitresses and manager were all wonderful. The ambiance and food were phenomenal as well as the drinks. I will definitely be back!! read more

ZEST bar+grille - Filet mignon - New American Near Me - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania