User Reviews for Allentown Restaurants

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Aladdin Restaurant
Oct 11, 2009 by kim from bethlehem

Overall Rating: 2
Food:[1] • Service:[1] • Atmosphere:[3]

• Nice decor.
• Worst food I have ever ate.

“You can get better food at a Taco Bell.”

Aladdin Restaurant
Oct 11, 2009 by mike from allentown

Overall Rating: 1
Food:[1] • Service:[1] • Atmosphere:[1]

• I liked leaving there.
• Food. Just unpleasant.

“Worst service and food I have ever had.”

Paese Mio Inc
Jul 17, 2009 by Steve from Lyons, PA

Overall Rating: 9
Food:[9] • Service:[8] • Atmosphere:[7]

• It was busy and noisy.
• It was busy and noisy.

“Real Italians work and eat there, very family.”

Youell's Oyster House
Mar 18, 2009 by William from Philadelphia

Overall Rating: 9
Food:[9] • Service:[9] • Atmosphere:[8]

• Great food and service.
• Reservations recommended.

“My wife and I have been traveling from Phila (50 miles) to dine at Youell's Oyster House, once a month since our first visit last summer. We have found that they offer a better selection, quality and preparation than we find at any oceanside restaurant. The regular menu offers, a wide variety of fish and shellfish, particularly crab meat. The chef's features are not to be missed. We enjoy the soft shell crabs, paella and bouillabaisse, as well as a number of fresh fish selections. We try to save room for dessert. The pies are great.”

Pistachio Bar & Grille
Feb 3, 2009 by Jason from Emmaus

Overall Rating: 5
Food:[1] • Service:[6] • Atmosphere:[6]

• Decent service, no bread though.
• Bad food, lacked flavor. Sub par value.

“Good service, bad food. Duck egg rolls: the duck was horribly over cooked, hard as a rock. And there was a very doughy, undercooked piece of the wonton wrapper in the egg roll, very unappealing. Jambalaya risotto: lacked flavor, was expecting more of a spicy, Cajun type dish. This dish was very underwhelming. I have been to Pistachio 3 times now and have had sub par experiences every time. The food and experience is just not worth the money. Go to TGI Fridays in the same parking lot, you will know what your going to get.”

Henrys Salt Of The Sea
Dec 23, 2008 by Chuck from Emmaus

Overall Rating: 10
Food:[10] • Service:[10] • Atmosphere:[8]

• 1 of the best 2 restaurants in Allentown!
• Usually crowded!

“A place for holidays, birthdays and special occasions. Very good food. Expensive, but worth it. Good drinks, very good staff. Waitress always recites 5 or 6 specials, in addition to the menu choices. Small salad bar, that has everything. Always a basket of crackers at each table, with many types, Captain's Wafers, Sesame Sticks, etc. The cooks make the food next to the bar; you see them at work and hear the sizzle of the food being prepared and see it being flipped in the frying pans. I get there 2 or 3 times a year; always a special treat.”

Charlie Brown's Steak House
Dec 23, 2008 by Chris from Bethlehem, PA

Overall Rating: 8
Food:[9] • Service:[7] • Atmosphere:[9]

• Overall, very good.
• Stick with beef - it's their forte. Seafood is so-so.

“Charlie Brown's is a good restaurant for steak and beef. The salad bar is wonderful, with lots to choose from, and fresh bread. Just watch your bar tab; someone asked for an extra shot of Jack Daniels in her drink, and the waitress charged her for a 2nd drink, not for a shot.”

Robata Of Tokyo
Dec 13, 2008 by Bert from Coopersburg

Overall Rating: 10
Food:[10] • Service:[10] • Atmosphere:[10]

• In the winter time try the Ankimo which is traditionally made Monk fish liver. Yum!
• It might be hard to find a space at the sushi bar sometimes.

“Absolutely the best sushi place in the Lehigh Valley and beyond! This place is actually owned and operated by a Japanese family, not an imitation Chinese or Korean sushi restaurant. You can find authentic, traditional Japanese style food here, not generic, imitation Japanese food. They have many hibachi tables that are operated by chefs who was once featured on the Johnny Carson show. I've been eating sushi for over 25 years. Trust me you will Love it and won't be disappointed!”

Big Woodys Pizza & Sports Bar
Nov 29, 2008 by Phil from Allentown, Pa

Overall Rating: 8
Food:[8] • Service:[7] • Atmosphere:[8]

• Familiar faces every time! Employees tend to stick around which usually means it is a good work environment!
• If I had to pick one negative it would be some of the older locations, some look a little run down!

“Well, I have been a regular at several Woody's locations for many years and I always enjoy the atmosphere, the food, and the employees. They have a great staff that is friendly and for the most part is timely with service. Now if you are looking for a romantic night on the town then this may not be the place but if you want to kick back with some friends and family and watch a game then this is the place. Food and drink prices are decent enough as well.”

Chicken Lounge
Nov 20, 2008 by Doug from Allentown

Overall Rating: 1
Food:[8] • Service:[1] • Atmosphere:[2]

• Good food.
• Terrible service.

“Value for money and good food is all I can say. We came in and waited for someone to seat us and finally one guy from a table of 4 which was the whole staff yelled for us to sit anywhere. Took forever to get our change, it was really ridiculous. Never will go back.”

Pistachio Bar & Grille
Jul 28, 2008 by Pat from Allentown

Overall Rating: 1
Food:[2] • Service:[1] • Atmosphere:[2]

• Plenty of parking?
• Poor service, overpriced menu and ala carte everything.

“Our party of 10 visited your establishment for a business lunch recently and unfortunately we were all quite disappointed not only with our meals but the overall restaurant's experience. First issue, our lunches took a very long time to be prepared and served. While other tables around us were offered different varieties of freshly baked multi grain breads and rolls, our large table, on the other hand, was only given a few tiny, (and rock hard), crustini croutons with a tad of hummus, one of which almost damaged my colleague's dental work. The overall quality of the meals were also lacking given the high priced selections offered. We also felt the menu lacked a reasonable amount of more appropriate lunch type portion selections. And finally right next to our table, either a waiter or manager was yelling at one of the cooks about some other order. Highly unprofessional conduct given it happened on the restaurant floor, and not to mention, right next to our table! It was extremely embarrassing to all of us. I have been to Pistachio's many times in the past and have never had this sort of inexcusably poor experience for any meal before in the past. So you can imagine my complete and utter disappointment and embarrassment as I had actually highly recommended your restaurant to all my business associates. Even after contacting the owner directly, he was basically non apologetic and offered me nothing in return for my poor treatment. Such a shame the management has ruined this once quality restaurant.”

Youell's Oyster House
Mar 30, 2008 by Lisa from Allentown

Overall Rating: 10
Food:[10] • Service:[10] • Atmosphere:[8]

• Best seafood restaurant around.
• Didn't have room left to enjoy dessert.

“My husband and I celebrated our anniversary over the weekend. The food was outstanding and the service great. This place is awesome.”

Robata Of Tokyo
Mar 28, 2008 by Nancy from Bath

Overall Rating: 10
Food:[10] • Service:[10] • Atmosphere:[9]

• Absolute best sushi in the Lehigh Valley!
• Not open for lunch.

“Lehigh Valley's original Japanese Steakhouse. The hibachi side is great for families, groups, or couples. The sushi bar offers the freshest fish around. The owner (actually Japanese) is very generous with his portions, too. .”

Robata Of Tokyo
Mar 1, 2008 by Mike from Allentown

Overall Rating: 10
Food:[10] • Service:[10] • Atmosphere:[10]

• Sushi is excellent. The Shintos are wonderful hosts.
• None.

“Best sushi in Allentown. They've been there for 25 years. Park in the lot directly across the street. It's our favorite restaurant.”

Aladdin Restaurant
Feb 17, 2008 by Debbie from Palmerton

Overall Rating: 10
Food:[10] • Service:[10] • Atmosphere:[10]

• Wonderful atmosphere - mesmerizing, like stepping into another world.
• I can only say good things about this restaurant - it will always be my favorite.

“Aladdin is the one restaurant I return to again & again. The decor is beautiful, relaxing, & inviting. The service is very friendly & attentive, yet professional & non-obtrusive. The food is amazing. I have sampled much of the vegetarian portion of the menu, my favorite being the special maza - a sampling of 12 assorted middle eastern specialties in mini-portions. I adore the mango nectar, Turkish coffee, & Baklava! I have always left there feeling very satisfied with the experience & looking forward to my next visit.”

Pistachio Bar & Grille
Jan 16, 2008 by Marie from Mertztown

Overall Rating: 4
Food:[3] • Service:[5] • Atmosphere:[3]

• The concept of the restaurant: creating a "hip" mood in an otherwise unhip city.
• Quality of food, cleanliness of restroom, dishes.

“The menu at Pistachio's is huge, so choices are difficult to make. But usually that's a good problem to have as a diner. But it's also a clue that most of their stuff is at least partially microwave or boiling bagged, so I looked for something I thought couldn't be ruined. I saw a Kobe hamburger on their special's menu and checked to be sure the burger could be done to medium rare. My burger arrived beyond well done, so charred; in fact that it almost has a medicinal taste. When the coffee was served at our table, both the pitcher of creamer and milk had to be sent back because there was unidentifiable "stuff" hanging from the inside walls of the pitchers. The new pitchers came back clean, but the new cup of coffee that one of the diners asked for (she had put the milk into the coffee before the filthy pitcher was discovered) came back with a ton of coffee grounds floating on top. Then I went to the Ladies Room. The sinks looked like they are 50 years old-huge calcium deposits on the fixtures, paint chipped off the sinks. In a word, yuck! I might have accepted this level of poor maintenance and grunge from a McDonalds, but from a place that's positions it selves as more upscale.”

Pistachio Bar & Grille
Jan 4, 2008 by beth from Allentown

Overall Rating: 1
Food:[5] • Service:[1] • Atmosphere:[8]

• Ambience.
• Owner.

“Awful service- obnoxious and Slowed!! Repeatedly requested drinks, bread and water while waiting for our entree salads which took forever (when we asked our waiter -his reply was that the pastas are handmade-too bad we didn't order pastas-he was dumber than we thought.) Worst of all was the owner Sid who not only didn't help but also condescending- Food was good - but not worth the price or wait or aggravation. Our doggie bags were never received either. Every time we go we swear we won't return - but this is absolutely it!”

Chicken Lounge
Dec 26, 2007 by Patrick from Bethlehem

Overall Rating: 1
Food:[3] • Service:[3] • Atmosphere:[1]

• Nothing is outstanding. Odd that the place endures.
• Smoke. Unkempt appearance. Staff.

“It is always smoky inside. The general appearance is dingy, some strange people hang out there and the service is hit or miss. Sometimes good, sometimes you have to track people down. The place is in general slack, poorly run and above all, anybody who does not smoke should not go there. I will never go back, though I have some friends who like the place for some unknown reason. Nachos are Nachos, and they are good at most places. That's sort of the claim to fame here, but they are not exceptional and they don't make up for the atmosphere and management.”

Chicken Lounge
Dec 5, 2007 by nATALIE from Allentown, PA

Overall Rating: 5
Food:[8] • Service:[1] • Atmosphere:[8]

• The food is great!
• The service blows.

“I really love the lounge. The food is fantastic and I love that you can see the kitchen. It's so disappointing to go their sometimes cause you know that you have to ask for everything. If you aren't a regular they don't care if you are there or not. It's also not good for some people who aren't from the area to just walk in there. It's a seat yourself kind of place and people don't know that. I really do like this place but really I absolutely hate going there because it takes forever just to get your drink then get a waitresses attention to get food then wait for it. Then locate your waitress just to get the check, and then you see that they are all outside the restaurant smoking cigarettes.”

Youell's Oyster House
Sep 5, 2007 by Carol from Emmaus

Overall Rating: 9
Food:[10] • Service:[8] • Atmosphere:[8]

• Great seafood. The freshest around.
• Couldn't get a reservation on Saturday - gets busy sometimes.

“Just moved here from out of state. Youells was recommended by everyone we spoke to when asked for a good seafood restaurant. The atmosphere is casual fine dining. Service is moderately paced. The food is excellent, even the steaks. The crabmeat is not to be missed; however, we've enjoyed everything we have tried. We are "hooked" on Youells.”

Aladdin Restaurant
Aug 2, 2007 by Clement from allentown

Overall Rating: 8
Food:[10] • Service:[6] • Atmosphere:[7]

• Food is superlative.
• Bathroom needs renovation; but it's clean.

“Excellent authentic Middle Eastern cuisine. Kafka, kusa, kibbee, baklava; you name it, they have got it and it tastes great. Saturday evenings a belly dancer if often present. With the BYOB status, this experience can be a ball. Do not plan on getting in and out in an hour. Do plan on the evening. You will enjoy the food and the experience; it's worth the wait.”

Pistachio Bar & Grille
Jun 25, 2007 by Valerie from Allentown

Overall Rating: 2
Food:[7] • Service:[3] • Atmosphere:[8]

• Food was good, cooked to specs.
• Service, timeliness, temperament.

“I recently went to hotel with a good friend of mine and his friends who were from out of town. We sat outside in the sun. As it was 90 degrees out, we moved our chairs and table into the shade a bit more. Our server showed up ten minutes after we sat down, was Very informal and took our drink order, we got our waters ten minutes later, without the lemon we'd requested, and she took our appetizer order. At this time, she informed us that her fat little manager was upset that we'd moved the table and that we would have to move it back. We complied. This was over lunchtime, mind you, when it was relatively calm- maybe 10 tables total in the restaurant, and we were the only table this girl had. Our food took another twenty minutes, she checked on us about ten minutes later. Basically, it took Forever for anything to get done around there. We waited five minutes for our check that she split. Waiting, she came out and told us that the credit machine was down because her manager had decided to mess with the system and informed us that it would be another few minutes. We said we'd already waited long enough, why not wait some more. To which she replied He has a bad temper, which offended the other couple- I wouldn't recommend this restaurant to an enemy.”

2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Youell's Oyster House
May 22, 2007 by Chad from Macungie

Overall Rating: 9
Food:[10] • Service:[9] • Atmosphere:[8]

• Great crabmeat dishes.
• Sometimes no tables available on weekends.

“Big variety of fresh seafood. The crabmeat dishes are great. Not fine dining, but not too casual either. Service is good, but sometimes it's very busy. Great value for some of the best seafood I've had. I'd recommend this restaurant.”

Pistachio Bar & Grille
May 15, 2007 by Jane G. from Whitehall, PA

Overall Rating: 5
Food:[5] • Service:[4] • Atmosphere:[8]

• Atmosphere was okay, though more appropriate to a drinking crowd.
• Bad food, bad service.

“I took a friend to Pistachio for her birthday, along with her 3 year old daughter, since it was recommended by a friend (in spite of the negative reviews). It was very disappointing from the first moment. An older man - possibly a manager - was trying to argue with the hostess as we waited (though to her credit she tried to put him off) - very inappropriate behavior that should have waited until no customers were present. Then a simple request for lemon with my water was ignored and had to be requested again, along with an extra small square of bread that came with the hummus/tomato dip - there where 3 of us, and we were given only two little squares of bread. Both things were a lack of attention to detail on the part of the waiter, who was chatty when at the table but did not give good service overall. The stuffed pork chops were over-priced, tough and had a little, tiny slit where I assume the stuffing was supposed to go, though nothing was in it - so much for "stuffed" pork chops. The sauce was thin and watery and lacked flavor, the broccoli was a good tender crisp, and the mashed potatoes were fine, though much too large a serving. I appreciate good food at whatever price, but at $19.95 for the entree only, no soup or salad included, this was a poor bargain for the money, as well as being tasteless. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone who likes good food and good service. I did not have a occasion to use the rest room, so can't speak to the cleanliness per a previous review.”

2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Pizzariffic Inc
May 11, 2007 by Mobashar from Allentown

Overall Rating: 10
Food:[10] • Service:[10] • Atmosphere:[10]

• Pizza is excellent.
• Did not care for the wings too much.

“Awesome food and great prices!”

Youell's Oyster House
Mar 10, 2007 by Ken Smith from Coopersburg

Overall Rating: 3
Food:[4] • Service:[6] • Atmosphere:[4]

• None.
• Overpriced for the quality of the food and service.

“Nice little out of the way location. Seated quickly, but a party of four seated at a table better suited for 6-8 which made conversation difficult. Fairly quick service, but house wines overpriced for quality. My wife and I both started out with the crab bisque-tasty, but not much crab (seafood bisque from my favorite fish market is way better). Before the soup arrived we were treated to a bread basket-a very small 1/2 loaf of fairly tasteless white bread and lots of saltine crackers in their cellophane wrappers. For entrees my wife choose the crab imperial-not bad but needed something-was sort of bland. I choose the "broiled combination # 3"-lobster tail, flounder, and shrimp stuffed with crabmeat. Very disappointed (1 shrimp, very small piece of flounder, and a 4 oz? Tail) and it all tasted the same-very fishy. ”

Chicken Lounge
Feb 15, 2007 by Anthony from Macungie

Overall Rating: 1
Food:[2] • Service:[1] • Atmosphere:[1]

• Leaving.
• Everything.

“Recently had a drink and some bar food there. Witnessed the manager count money on top of the food prep station. Then, watched him plays a video game and proceed to cook raw chicken and handle other raw food without washing his hands. The staff (including other chef) sits at tables and smokes, and does not wash hands before serving or making food. Place is always smoky with unkempt servers and staff. Bathrooms never clean disgusting place.”

1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Aladdin Restaurant
Nov 5, 2006 by Ashley from Nazareth, PA

Overall Rating: 10
Food:[10] • Service:[10] • Atmosphere:[10]

• The atmosphere is my favorite characteristic of this restaurant because of its Arabesque theme.
• Nothing to complain about at all! A very positive dining experience for the whole family!

“Absolutely wonderful! The food is excellent; the atmosphere is very romantic and is even a great place for the whole family. They even provide belly dancing entertainment on Saturday evenings which is a very fun experience! Highly recommended!”

2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Pistachio Bar & Grille
Oct 22, 2006 by Katie from Allentown

Overall Rating: 6
Food:[7] • Service:[5] • Atmosphere:[5]

• The flat bread and occasion with the olive oil were delicious, as was the California vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.
• I, as a middle-aged, single woman, am obviously not the clientele that Pistachio hopes to attract, since I was pretty much ignored.

“I was definitely not cool enough to be in this restaurant. I waited over 5 minutes to be seated, even though the restaurant was only 1/4 full. I waited another 10 minutes to be approached by a waitress. The waitress was pleasant. The meal, Bistro Steak Caprese, was flavorful. When it was delivered, my server said the steak knives were being washed and would be coming. The steak didn't really need the steak knives, thank goodness, since they never arrived. The steak was to have been served over asparagus, but what arrived was green beans, nice but cold. There was to have been basil with the tomato and mozzarella, but that also must have been out, since there was no basil to be seen. The steak had a very nice taste, but it, too, was cool.”

6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

Hunan Springs
Jun 27, 2006 by Alex from Chicago

Overall Rating: 10
Food:[10] • Service:[10] • Atmosphere:[10]

• Great Staff and beautiful bar.
• Only open till 9 P.M.

“I'm a frequent traveler to China. And the food here was superb! The closet thing to being there!”

Youell's Oyster House
Jun 12, 2006 by james from allentown

Overall Rating: 10
Food:[10] • Service:[10] • Atmosphere:[10]

• Just plain great.
• Need a reservation on weekends.

“Really good, fresh seafood and shellfish. Reasonably priced. Casual atmosphere - recently renovated - really cool curved granite bar. Cute waitresses and good service. The crab bisque is the best I've had. Soft shell crabs are not had better anywhere. Homemade pies finish a great meal.”

Youell's Oyster House
Mar 7, 2006 by Peter from Philadelphia

Overall Rating: 10
Food:[10] • Service:[10] • Atmosphere:[9]

• Nice wine and martini selection. Complimentary oysters and clams on the 1/2 shell during happy hour.
• None, now that they are completely smoke free.

“Spending three days a week in Allentown on business allows me to dine out quite frequently. Additionally, I have traveled extensively in the US, Europe and the Mediterranean Youell's Oyster House has provided me with the best seafood dining I have yet to experience. More often than not I indulge in the wide variety of Maryland crabmeat offerings; however, the chefs features are not to be missed. The soft shell crabs are the most outstanding I have ever experienced. I highly recommend this restaurant for any individual who has an appreciation of fine seafood.”

Youell's Oyster House
Mar 7, 2006 by sharon from bethlehem

Overall Rating: 10
Food:[10] • Service:[10] • Atmosphere:[9]

• Freshest seafood and great atmosphere.
• Not open Sunday.

“Our family has been going to Youells for three generations. Hands down it has the best seafood, fresh and reasonably priced. We usually get the Jumbo Lump crabmeat dishes (crabmeat imperial, crab cakes, augratin). But they have really good steak and chicken dinners for non seafood patrons.”

Youell's Oyster House
Mar 7, 2006 by dimitri from Allentown

Overall Rating: 9
Food:[10] • Service:[9] • Atmosphere:[9]

• Jumbo lump crab meat the best I've had. Great bar, non- smoking.
• Very busy, need a reservation on weekends.

“Excellent fresh seafood. Oysters and clams couldn't be fresher. Crab meat dishes better than when I vacation on the Chesapeake Bay. The lumps of crab meat are the biggest and best we've experienced. They have a variety of 1/3 pound lump crab cakes that they rotate on the menu (Maryland, Vietnamese, Mediterranean, Creole etc.) Crab bisque is to die for and homemade pies finish the meal perfectly if you have room left I would describe You as casual fine dining and very comfortable in any circumstance. Seasonal menu additions can't be missed: shad and roe in the spring. Soft Shell Crabs all summer. A variety of fish fillets and whole fish rotated on the menu. ”

1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Pistachio Bar & Grille
Mar 6, 2006 by Rob from Leesport, PA

Overall Rating: 7
Food:[9] • Service:[7] • Atmosphere:[6]

• Good food good prices.
• Poor housekeeping, ugly bathrooms (think turnpike).

“Pistachio was a great place to get a very good meal. The service was ok, nothing special. Sort of slow considering it was not really busy when we were there. We had a group of 7 people, and all the meals were delivered to the correct person, and the waitress kept a slow eye on our table. However, the staff seemed very unconcerned, standing around in groups gabbing about who knows what. They should have spent some time cleaning, as we noticed trash laying on the floor in the kitchen area (open to the public eye. No one seemed to care about that. The bathrooms also seemed like the New York subway, not in a trendy good way, but in a neglected way. The atmosphere was southwestern. Very cool and colorful. The main area and the bar area where both clean and well kept. I think the staff thought they could entice repeat business with exposed cleavage. not my business. I might go back again. The food was excellent and not too expensive. Average meal at our table was around 25 dollars including a drink or two. Recommended, but keep your back to the kitchen.”

7 of 7 people found this review helpful.