Lamb Shawarma, Daddy’s Place
650 Northampton St, EastonThe garlicky, tender meat in this wrap is just one of the highlights. You’ll also find velvety tahini and tart pickled turnips, along with parsley and tomatoes. It’s a strong lunch—provided that you don’t have any important face-to-face meetings in the afternoon.
Charred Octopus, Molinari’s
322 E 3rd St, BethlehemIt’s not always on the menu, and it can take on various accompaniments when it is, but regardless this dish is a must-order largely because this modern Italian restaurant does it so well. The curled tentacle is always cooked just-tender, and then singed with a char that naturally elevates the seafood’s natural sweetness.
Scrapple, East Penn Diner
1418 Chestnut St, EmmausWell, you know that this PA Dutch delicacy would make it onto the list at some point. But what makes the pork product especially delicious at this diner? They cook it right. Both sides are griddled till crisp, yet the inside is still soft. Top it with ketchup, top it with syrup, or don’t top it at all. However you eat it, no scrapple tops East Penn Diner’s scrapple.
Escargot, Henry’s Salt of the Sea
1926 Allen St, AllentownIf you’re never witnessed the culinary ballet that is Henry’s open galley kitchen in full service, reserve a seat at the bar, order a lager and these garlic-and-butter-bathed beauties, and behold the spectacle. The snails emerge from the broiler sizzling and pungent, ready for you to take a tiny fork to. Then you sip. And then repeat.
Glazed Donut, Mary Ann’s Donut Kitchen
1601 Liberty St, AllentownYou can have your fancy-pants rose-petal and cardamom seed “artisanal” donuts, but don’t pretend that there’s anything better than a tried-and-true, straight-down-the-middle, well-made-with-love regular donut and some coffee from a pot. Mary Ann’s does that best.
Two Yocco’s Dogs with Everything and a chocolate milk, Yocco’s
Various locationsTwo, because one is never enough. With everything, because ketchup clobbers the deeply meaty flavor of the hot dog, a flavor better highlighted with a swipe each of mustard and chili sauce and rain of diced onion. And a chocolate milk, because you’re going to need something to wash it all down.
Italian Sausage, Giacomo’s
700 Cattell St, EastonTucked away up on College Hill, you’ll find a mecca of Italian delicacies and grocery items at Giacomo’s. The arancini (rice balls) are delicious, but the must-try items here are the five varieties of housemade Italian sausage. Get it on a sub with peppers and onions or order it by the pound. Pro tip: Grill the whole sausage rope, intact, and break it up when it’s almost cooked. You won’t be chasing a bunch of links around the grill and it will be much easier to cut up when cooked.
A Small—Ah, Heck, Who Are We Kidding—Large Famous Nachos, The Chicken Lounge
3247 Hamilton Blvd, AllentownThis bar goes big when it comes to their towering pile of chips, jack cheese, refried beans, guacamole, sour cream, taco sauce, and (deep breath here) jalapeno peppers. It’s the kind of nachos that you eat with a fork and, upon unearthing the chips below, discover a powerful secret: the chips are those in the style of Doritos Nacho Cheese.
California Cheesesteak, Crossroads Hotel
1443 Main St, HellertownYes, a true Lehigh Valley cheesesteak comes adorned with a marinara-style sauce, and, yes, this long-running establishment serves those cheesesteaks. But you’d be remiss if you didn’t also try their take on the unsung spin: savory chopped steak, sweet sauteed onions, fresh lettuce, tangy tomato, creamy mayo, and sour pickles—all tucked into a toasted roll. Banana peppers are optional, but, really, they aren’t.
The Sweet Heart Roll, Sumo Sushi
3174 Tilghman St, AllentownYes, a true Lehigh Valley cheesesteak comes adorned with a marinara-style sauce, and, yes, this long-running establishment serves those cheesesteaks. But you’d be remiss if you didn’t also try their take on the unsung spin: savory chopped steak, sweet sauteed onions, fresh lettuce, tangy tomato, creamy mayo, and sour pickles—all tucked into a toasted roll. Banana peppers are optional, but, really, they aren’t.
Blueberry Lemon Ice Cream, Owowocow
1262 Simon Blvd b106, EastonYou don’t just taste a scoop from this shop—you experience it. The cream and milk are organic and local. Ditto the fruit and raw honey. And without knocking chocolate or vanilla, there’s something extra special about this sweet-tart flavor combo that creates cravings all year round.
Chicken Wings, Coal Lounge & Grill
81 W Broad St, BethlehemThis West African restaurant skips all the fire and brimstone of “atomic-hot” sauces and serves up a dry-rubbed grilled wing that is missing a key flavor other wing joints typically forget: chicken. These aren’t dinky wings either. They’re meaty, hearty, and belly-patting in satisfaction. Though Coal classifies them as an appetizer, two orders make a dang good meal.
Cauliflower with Extra Lemonaize Sauce, True Blue
1301 Chestnut St #18, EmmausThese tender, roasted florets, perfumed with Mediterranean spices, would be delicious on their own. But then there’s the sauce—my my, the sauce. It’s garlicky, lemony, and altogether heavenly. So, go on, double up for dunking.
Onion Rings, Wert's Cafe
515 N 18th St, AllentownThe onion rings at Wert's Cafe keep locals coming back again and again. Sliced very thinly and with a light breading, there's a reason these are 'famous' at this Allentown hidden gem.
Famous Colonial Pizza, Colonial Pizza & Spaghetti House
136 Spring Garden St, Easton“The Colonial” has been open since 1947, and this pie has been around about that long too. You could credit the novelty of its “upside-down” presentation—that’s mozzarella on the bottom and pizza sauce on the top. Though you can also credit the crisp-soft crust, the powerfully tomato-y sauce, and the perfect amount of gooey cheese.
Aw Shucks Corn, Coca-Cola Park
1050 Ironpigs Way, AllentownYou’ll find their stands at Lehigh Valley festivals, but your most dependable source of juicy roasted corn, liberally buttered, and dusted with a lip-tingling blend of salt, spices, and Parmesan cheese, is where the Iron Pigs play, when the Iron Pigs play. This is also a must while "festing" at Musikfest.
Butterscotch Pudding, Bolete
1740 Seidersville Rd, BethlehemThis James Beard-nominated farm-to-table restaurant features a rotating menu that leans on the seasons. But there’s one menu item that’s always available—this luscious blend of egg yolks, cream, vanilla, brown sugar, and Scotch that’s topped with candied pecans and fresh whipped cream. Served in a Mason jar, it’s spoonful after spoonful of amazing.
Lengua Tacos, La Placita
158 N 12th St, AllentownThis Mexican deli and grocer makes a mean enchiladas verde and a formidable cemita, but its lengua tacos are legendary. Diced, spiced, and griddled, the chunks of meat are rich and robust, yet well-balanced by chopped onion, cilantro, and a good dousing of freshly squeezed lime juice. Wrapped up in two corn tortillas a piece, you’ll want to tuck into at least three of them.
The Grand Tower, 3rd and Ferry Fish Market
56 S 3rd St, EastonSome meals are quick bites. Some meals are events. Grand indeed is this three-tiered feast of all things seafood. There are oysters. There are clams. There are shrimp, mussels, a chilled lobster tail, and hunks of jumbo lump crab meat. For good measure, there’s even some tuna tartare and ceviche too. And there’s abundance, yes, but that’s exactly the point.
Steamed Dumplings, Jenny’s Kuali
102 E 4th St, BethlehemThese pillowy pockets of porky deliciousness are made in-house. Drizzled with an umami-packed sauce and scattered with thick-sliced scallions, they’re simple but by no means one-note. However many you enjoy, you’re always left thinking, “It would be nice to have another.”
The Cure Pizza, Birthright Brewing Company
57 S Main St, NazarethThis craft brewery cranks out some incredibly creative beers (a stout called How Many Licks that’s brewed with Tootsie Rolls, for one). But their secret weapon is a wood-fired pizza oven that blasts out charred and blistered pies laden with surprising toppings. The Cure, in particular, carries red and white sauce, mozzarella and parmesan, plus capicola and prosciutto from Nello’s Specialty Meats, a nearby butcher.
Crab Pepper Masala, Biryani City
1894 Catasauqua Rd, AllentownThis Indian restaurant’s expansive menu includes mounds of biryani, flurries of curries, and table-space-gobbling dosas. Yet this dish, a one-two punch of fresh crab and peppercorn sauce, is a standout for both its heat and flavor. They don’t always have it, but when they do, pounce.
Fettuccine Con Funghi, Sette Luna
219 Ferry St, EastonTwirling through a plate of this pasta feels like treasure hunting. One bite may bring you a hunk of crumbled sausage, another a nugget of wild mushroom, and another still a morsel of creamy goat cheese. Lightly sauced in a marsala demiglace, this is no regular ol’ plate of spaghetti and meatballs.
Breakfast Mac n Cheese, The People’s Kitchen
639 Linden St, BethlehemThis could very well be the most sumptuous way to start your day in Lehigh Valley. Inside a small(ish) cast-iron skillet, The People’s Kitchen layers potatoes, mac and cheese, hickory-smoked bacon, and maple sausage. You’ll want to pay the extra buck for the fried egg on top. And coffee. Lots of coffee.
Chicken Avocado Arepa w/ Pink Sauce, La Bicicleta Arepa Bar
12 S 8th St, AllentownCornmeal-based buns, griddled and split, and then stuffed with shredded chicken and mashed avocado. You have a choice of sauces, but there’s only one real choice: the sweet and creamy salsa rosada, also known as “pink sauce.”
