18 Incredible Restaurants in Bethlehem, PA You Need to Try
Bethlehem was founded by Moravian settlers in 1741, and its historic district still feels like a small colonial town, with stone buildings along Main Street and the Sun Inn, which dates to 1758. Across the Lehigh River, the SouthSide grew up around Bethlehem Steel, whose old blast furnaces now light up the SteelStacks arts campus. Good restaurants fill both sides of the river.
This guide covers 18 places, from a colonial tavern and an Irish whiskey bar to a Peruvian rotisserie, a sandwich shop that has been open since 1979 and a farm-to-table restaurant in a former stagecoach inn. Ratings and review counts come from each restaurant’s Google listing in October 2026.
Bethlehem Brew Works
Bethlehem Brew Works is the Fegley family’s brewpub at the corner of Main and Broad streets, listed at 559 Main Street, Suite 101, in the heart of the historic district. The family opened it in 1998, when downtown was struggling after Bethlehem Steel’s decline, and the decor and menu nod to the city’s working-class heritage. In 2008, then-candidate Barack Obama stopped in for lunch and tried the house ESB.
With 4.4 stars across more than 2,100 Google reviews, it’s a dependable place to pair a house beer with pub food. Start with the Bavarian pretzels, which come with a small cup of beer and cheese soup for dipping. Fegley’s French dip, slow-cooked roast beef with gruyere and ESB gravy, is a signature sandwich, and the Pig Iron pulled pork, Steelworker’s Chili and beer-battered haddock and chips are other solid choices.
Reserve a table through Toast on the website, or join the waitlist online. The bar stays open late and the kitchen runs later on Fridays and Saturdays, but check hours before you go, especially around holidays, since the restaurant closes on Easter, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Make sure you book the Bethlehem location, because Fegley’s also runs a second Brew Works in Allentown.
Address: 559 Main St #101, Bethlehem, PA 18018
Website: thebrewworks.com
Tavern at the Sun Inn
The Tavern at the Sun Inn is a colonial-inspired restaurant and bar on the second floor of the historic Sun Inn, at 564 Main Street. The Moravians began building the inn in 1758 and opened it to travelers in 1760, and its guest list included George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams. The nonprofit Sun Inn Preservation Association runs the building, and the tavern has operated here since 2016.
Guests have given the tavern 4.4 stars across more than 300 Google reviews. Chef Billy Gruenewald, who also owns The People’s Kitchen, runs a small, seasonal menu. The summer 2026 menu listed a soft pretzel with house cheese sauce, the Moravian brat (a bratwurst with shallot jam and red cabbage slaw), a shaved strip steak sandwich called the Lafayette, and tuna tartare. Expect some dishes to rotate as the seasons change.
The tavern is open Wednesday through Saturday, and the website says to call 610-419-8600 to reserve. The Sun Inn museum offers self-guided tours during tavern hours, so come early to look around. In late fall and winter the Rathskeller, a colonial cellar bar, opens, and the patio overlooking North Green serves a lighter menu in good weather. Check hours before you go.
Address: 564 Main St, Bethlehem, PA 18018
Website: suninnbethlehem.org/tavern
McCarthy’s Red Stag Pub
McCarthy’s Red Stag Pub and Whiskey Bar is an Irish and British Isles pub at 534 Main Street, in the historic district. It grew out of Granny McCarthy’s Tea Room and bakery, which Neville Gardner opened in 1997, and became the Red Stag in 2013. Stag antlers, wood paneling and enclosed booths give the dining room a cozy, old-world feel, and the kitchen still bakes scones.
With 4.6 stars from more than 2,100 Google reviews, it’s a favorite for Irish pub food. Try the Scotch egg, a boiled egg wrapped in boar and apple sausage, breaded and fried, and served with Guinness fondue. Cottage pie, beer-battered fish and chips, and the chicken Leitrim boxty (chicken, leeks and mushrooms in blue cheese sauce on a potato crepe) are reliable mains. Sticky toffee pudding makes a good finish.
Whiskey is the other draw. Flights come with three whiskeys in three-quarter-ounce pours, grouped by region or style, from Irish and Scottish to American and Japanese bottles. The kitchen serves breakfast all day, including a full Irish breakfast, and opens at 9 a.m. on Sundays. The website doesn’t list reservations, so call 610-861-7631 for groups, and check hours before you go.
Address: 534 Main St, Bethlehem, PA 18018
Website: redstagpub.com
Tapas on Main
Tapas on Main is a Spanish tapas restaurant at 500 Main Street, in Bethlehem’s historic district. It opened in May 2011 and won “Favorite New” in Lehigh Valley Style’s Decadent Dish awards that year. There is an intimate dining room, and you can step down into a cozy bar and lounge. Seasonal outdoor seating on Main Street draws a crowd in spring and summer. The chef and co-owner is Rafael Palomino, a cookbook author.
Rated 4.3 stars from more than 1,600 Google reviews, it’s a place to order several small plates and share. Good starting points on the current menu are the garlic shrimp in a garlic broth with tomatoes and scallions, beef meatballs with romesco sauce, almonds and Manchego (a Spanish sheep’s milk cheese), and bacon-wrapped dates with blue cheese. The menu also lists blue crab croquettes, grilled artichokes, sautéed octopus and three paellas.
Reservations through OpenTable are highly recommended from Thursday to Sunday, and the restaurant takes them for lunch and dinner every day. The seasonal sangrias are a house specialty, and the website lists a weekday happy hour from 5 to 7 p.m. plus a weekend happy hour from 3 to 5 p.m. Parties of six or more pay an automatic 20 percent gratuity. Check hours before you go.
Address: 500 Main St, Bethlehem, PA 18018
Website: tapasonmain.com
Casa Del Mofongo
Casa Del Mofongo is a Dominican restaurant at 553 Main Street, in the historic district, with a dining room and a patio. The namesake mofongo is fried plantains mashed together with garlic, and the menu lets you build your own: pick a protein, a base such as green plantain, sweet plantain or yuca, and a sauce. Empanadas, rice dishes and a long list of seafood fill out the menu.
Casa Del Mofongo holds 4.4 stars from more than 800 Google reviews, and the house specialty is the thing to order. The Mofongo Bowl tops mashed green plantains with sautéed steak, chicken or fried pork chunks, Dominican fried cheese and avocado sauce, and the Casa Bowl pairs skirt steak with sweet plantains over rice. Empanadas, pica pollo (Dominican fried chicken) and asopao, a soupy rice dish, round out a meal.
You can reserve a table through Toast and choose the patio or the dining room. A lunch special and a dinner special are posted on the online menu. Listed hours run Tuesday through Sunday and end in the early evening, earlier than many downtown restaurants, so check before you go. Parking is on the street.
Address: 553 Main St, Bethlehem, PA 18018
Website: toasttab.com/casa-del-mofongo-553-main-st
Lu Taqueria
Lu Taqueria is a fast-casual Mexican spot at 559 Main Street, Unit 3, on the lower level of Main Street Commons in the historic district. It started as a food trailer in 2022, working breweries, wineries and festivals, then opened this first storefront in early 2023 in a former pizza shop. “Lu” is a play on the word “love,” and the owners say they keep the menu small and make their marinades in house.
Its 4.9-star rating across more than 400 Google reviews is hard to beat. Gringas are the specialty: a flour tortilla folded around melted cheese and meat, like a quesadilla. Get one filled with al pastor (marinated pork with pineapple) or birria (slow-cooked, spiced meat). The corn tortilla tacos, including a two-taco birria order and shrimp and cauliflower versions, and the Cali-style burrito with crispy cheese and papas bravas are also worth a look.
This is a quick, casual stop, and you can order ahead through the website. Handmade churros are on the sweets menu. The restaurant has offered late-night hours on select nights, which makes it handy after dinner, so check current hours before you go. Lu also has a second location in Hellertown.
Address: 559 Main St Unit 3, Bethlehem, PA 18018
Website: lutaqueriapa.com
The Flying Egg
The Flying Egg is a breakfast and brunch restaurant at 451 Main Street, in the historic district, with indoor and patio seating. It is a sister to Tapas on Main, run by the same proprietor, Juan Carlos Paredes. The kitchen cooks from scratch and uses Breakaway Farms eggs, and the menu runs from Benedicts and omelets to vegan breakfast plates and a build-your-own omelet.
The Flying Egg’s 4.2 stars from more than 1,100 Google reviews rest on the eggs. Try one of the Benedicts, such as the Shorty with braised short ribs or South of the Border with chorizo and chipotle cilantro hollandaise, or the Three Meat Skillet with bacon, sausage and chorizo, cheesy biscuits and poached eggs. For something sweet, the cinnamon roll French toast comes with house-made icing, and the chicken and waffle is topped with gravy and a fried egg.
Unusual for a breakfast spot, The Flying Egg takes reservations through OpenTable. It is open every day, with weekday hours from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and weekend hours until 3 p.m. A seasonal cocktail list is available, and curbside pickup and online ordering are offered. Check hours before you go.
Address: 451 Main St, Bethlehem, PA 18018
Website: theflyingeggbethlehem.com
Twisted Olive
Twisted Olive is a casual bistro at 51 West Broad Street, in the historic district, serving food from around the world with a twist. Chef Steve Kershner and his wife, Sherri, opened it in 2013 and took the name from their favorite restaurant, the Black Olive in Baltimore. Kershner worked in the kitchens of the Hotel Bethlehem and the Apollo Grill, and Lehigh Valley Style readers voted him the valley’s favorite chef in 2009, 2011 and 2014.
Twisted Olive’s 4.5-star rating from more than 900 Google reviews owes a lot to one showstopper, the steak on a stone: raw filet mignon served on a 600-degree granite stone so you can cook it to your liking at the table. Other favorites on the dinner menu include Twisted Olives (panko-crusted, with housemade chorizo and parmesan), Moroccan-spiced lamb meatballs, super lump crab cakes, short rib ravioli and braised lamb shank.
The restaurant recommends reservations for both indoor and outdoor seating, and it takes them on OpenTable. Wednesday is BBQ Night with house-smoked meats, Tuesday is Taco Night, and live music plays on Thursday evenings. Parking is available in the Walnut Street garage. Dinner is a moderately pricey night out, and Monday is dinner only, so check hours before you go.
Address: 51 W Broad St, Bethlehem, PA 18018
Website: twistedolivebethlehem.com
Apollo Grill
Apollo Grill is a casual but upscale restaurant and bar at 85 West Broad Street, in the historic district. It opened in February 1999 and says it helped pioneer Bethlehem’s restaurant scene. The menu is built for grazing, with more than 30 appetizers, and the bar stays open late. Apollo Grill also takes part in Historic Bethlehem Restaurant Week, held twice a year, in winter and summer.
It holds 4.7 stars across more than 1,900 Google reviews, and it rewards a share-everything approach. Look for the Mesa fried calamari with marinara, sweet and hot peppers or lemon aioli, Asian beef short rib lettuce wraps, filo-wrapped asparagus and prosciutto, and the ahi tuna tartare with fried wontons. For something heavier, try the crab macaroni and cheese, the Apollo crab cakes or the braised beef short ribs.
The restaurant asks you to call for reservations at 610-865-9600, and it will take emailed requests if you confirm by phone. It is open Tuesday through Saturday for lunch and dinner. Thursday brings a happy hour from 5 to 6:30 p.m., and there is a Saturday brunch menu. Reservations are especially wise during Restaurant Week, when a three-course lunch and four-course dinner are offered.
Address: 85 W Broad St, Bethlehem, PA 18018
Website: apollogrill.com
Edge Restaurant & Lounge
Edge Restaurant & Lounge is a New American restaurant at 74 West Broad Street, Suite 220, in the historic district. It has served downtown since 2002 and cooks from scratch, with Executive Chef Kyle Abel running the kitchen. Parking is easy, since the attached North Street Garage connects to the restaurant by a pedestrian bridge on the fourth floor.
With 4.4 stars from more than 1,000 Google reviews, Edge has the range of a long-running favorite. The new October 2026 dinner menu includes lump crab cakes with wasabi napa slaw, crispy pork belly with hot honey glaze, bulgogi lettuce wraps and tuna tartare with crispy wontons. Among the larger plates are braised short rib, a coffee and cacao rubbed duck breast, and a filet mignon with burgundy demi-glace.
Book through OpenTable or call 610-814-0100. Edge also serves brunch, runs a happy hour with bar bites, and hosts a monthly wine dinner that you request through the website. Main plates run on the pricier side, so it suits a special night out. Check hours on the home page before you go.
Address: 74 W Broad St Ste 220, Bethlehem, PA 18018
Website: edgerestaurant.net
Billy’s Downtown Diner
Billy’s Downtown Diner serves breakfast, brunch and lunch every day at 10 East Broad Street, just east of Main Street. The diner says it won the title of Best Breakfast in Pennsylvania in 2018 and a Decadent Dish Award for the best breakfast that tastes like dessert. It is known for French toast made with challah dipped in a crème brûlée mixture, plus a menu of eggs Benedict, bowls and gourmet salads.
Billy’s has 4.4 stars from more than 1,500 Google reviews, and the French toast is the draw. Try Mic’s Cannoli Tower, with cannoli cream, strawberries and chocolate chips, or Paz’s French Toast with chocolate hazelnut spread, strawberries and bananas. The Original Snazzy Pancake is a chocolate chip pancake with peanut butter wrapped around a banana. For savory plates, there are several Benedicts, chicken and waffles, and the Caliente breakfast bowl in a crispy tortilla bowl.
The Bethlehem diner does not take reservations, so plan for a possible wait on weekend mornings. Call-ahead seating and reservations are offered only at the Easton location. It is open seven days a week for breakfast and lunch, and closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Indoor and outdoor seating are available, and you can order online through Toast. Check hours before you go.
Address: 10 E Broad St, Bethlehem, PA 18018
Website: bethlehembreakfast.com
Tre Scalini Ristorante
Tre Scalini is a small Sicilian restaurant at 221 East Broad Street, in an old Colonial home. Chef Santo Ingarao grew up in Palermo, and he and his wife, Robyn, opened the restaurant in 2006 to feel like home. It serves dinner only, and it is BYOB, so there is no liquor license and you bring your own beer, wine or spirits.
Tre Scalini’s 4.7 stars from more than 300 Google reviews reflect a menu built around pasta and Sicilian classics. Start with the barbecued octopus, then try the homemade pappardelle with a Sicilian-style ragu, rigatoni alla Norma with roasted eggplant and ricotta salata, or bucatini all’Amatriciana with smoked bacon and pecorino. The capellini with scallops, shrimp and jumbo lump crab is the splurge, and a grilled fish of the day is also offered.
Reservations are by phone only: leave a detailed message and the reservationist will call you back. Tables are held for two hours, parties top out at eight, guests must be 16 or older, and the dress code is business casual. It is open Tuesday through Saturday evenings. Bring cash, since there is a surcharge on cards and no separate checks, and book early for weekends. Dinner is on the pricier side.
Address: 221 E Broad St, Bethlehem, PA 18018
Website: trescalini.net
Kinoa
Kinoa is a small Peruvian restaurant at 518 West Broad Street, west of the Main Street core. The menu centers on pollo a la brasa, Peruvian rotisserie chicken marinated in the house sauce, along with ceviche, grilled skewers and stir-fries. Quinoa appears in a salad, a soup, fried rice and even a red bean burger, and the kitchen turns out sandwiches and wings for a casual lunch.
Kinoa earns 4.8 stars from more than 600 Google reviews, with plenty of praise for lomo saltado, beef stir-fried with onions, tomatoes and soy sauce, served with fries and rice. Also worth ordering are the rotisserie chicken combo, ceviche de pescado (fish marinated in lime juice), jalea (a fried seafood platter) and chicharrón de pescado, crispy fried fish nuggets. For something lighter, try the flatbread with shredded chicken in a creamy ají amarillo sauce.
Hours are short: the restaurant is closed Monday, closes at 7 p.m. most days and at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and opens at noon on Sunday, so check before you go. Lunch specials run Tuesday through Friday until 3 p.m. Online ordering is available, and the dining room is small, so ordering ahead can help when you are with a group.
Address: 518 W Broad St, Bethlehem, PA 18018
Website: kinoaperuvianrestaurant.com
Social Still Distillery
Social Still is a micro-distillery, cocktail bar and restaurant at 530 East 3rd Street on the SouthSide, in a century-old former bank beside the old Bethlehem Steel works. The building began as Gosztonyi Savings and Trust, which helped Eastern European steelworkers settle in Bethlehem, and later became Union Bank. The restoration kept the original ceiling, used an old safe as the host stand and turned a former vault into a whiskey-aging room.
It has 4.6 stars across more than 400 Google reviews, and the kitchen pairs spirits distilled on site with an American fusion menu. Order the steamed mussels Provençal style with pancetta, leeks and white wine, Papa Sarge’s pierogies with caramelized onions and dill crème fraîche, the Social Stack burger or the pan-seared crab cakes. Cocktails are built on the house spirits and made with fresh ingredients, and the shop sells bottles.
The restaurant is open Wednesday through Saturday, so check hours before you go. Reservations are available through Toast Tables, and walk-ins are welcome. Larger signature plates are served after 4 p.m. Christkindlmarkt runs on weekends at the SteelStacks campus on the SouthSide from November 13 to December 20 in 2026, so book ahead if you plan to dine nearby on those weekends.
Address: 530 E 3rd St, Bethlehem, PA 18015
Website: socialstill.com
The Goosemen
The Goosemen, known as The Goose, is a packed sandwich shop at 102 West Fourth Street on the SouthSide, and it has fed Lehigh students and neighbors since 1979. Robert Goosley and Mike Corcoran opened it, and the name plays on Goosley’s surname. Tony and Debbie Silvoy now run it. In the days of Bethlehem Steel it opened at 5 a.m. for shift workers, and its walls are covered in decades of photos and flyers.
Rated 4.9 stars from more than 800 Google reviews, the shop works off a stack of paper plates, each naming a sandwich and listing what’s on it. Classics include The Geuben, corned beef with sauerkraut, melted Swiss and Russian dressing on toasted rye, and the Black-Out Hoagie with boiled ham, turkey and American cheese. The Santa Fe, with Santa Fe turkey and pepper jack on a Portuguese roll, and the breakfast sandwiches are also worth a look.
Expect a line at the counter at lunch, and take a minute to read the plates before you order. The website lists weekday hours from early morning to mid-afternoon, shorter hours on Saturday, and Sundays only on select dates, so check before you go. Online ordering is available during store hours, and the shop is known for big sandwiches at friendly prices.
Address: 102 W 4th St, Bethlehem, PA 18015
Website: thegoose.com
Roasted
Roasted is a breakfast and lunch café at 22 West Fourth Street in the SouthSide Arts District. It opened in 2017 in the space that had been Blue Sky Café, and the kitchen cooks from scratch with local ingredients and plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. The menu names Misty Valley Farms eggs, G&M Maple syrup and Homestead Coffee Roasters coffee.
Roasted’s 4.6-star Google rating, from more than 600 reviews, rests partly on its pancakes, which are a specialty. Try the caramel apple pancakes or a savory version such as the El Chico, with chorizo, jalapeños, caramelized onions and cheddar jack, served with two over-easy eggs. Other standouts are the banana bourbon French toast, the fried egg Reuben on grilled rye, chorizo hash and the Cooper scramble, with goat cheese, roasted beets, brussels sprouts and walnuts.
Roasted is open Wednesday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and closed Monday and Tuesday. The café gets busy at the lunch rush, so an early start helps. Vegan pancakes, tofu scrambles and other plant-based swaps are available, and you can order for pickup online. Check hours before you go.
Address: 22 W 4th St, Bethlehem, PA 18015
Website: roastedbethlehem.com
The People’s Kitchen
The People’s Kitchen is a breakfast and lunch spot at 639 Linden Street in Northside Bethlehem, away from the Main Street historic district. It has served the neighborhood for more than 10 years, and it is run by chef Billy Gruenewald, who also leads the kitchen at the Tavern at the Sun Inn. The menu offers creative twists on diner classics, with French toast sandwiches, crepes and plenty of egg dishes.
Rated 4.7 stars from more than 700 Google reviews, French toast is a specialty. The Croissant French Toast comes with a topping of bourbon banana, berry compote, triple chocolate or espresso cannoli. The Queen is a French toast sandwich with bacon, banana and Nutella. Other standouts include shrimp and grits crepes, with cheddar grit filled crepes and chipotle barbecue sauce, a mac and cheese with a potato bottom, and Aunt Barbara’s quiche.
The People’s Kitchen does not take reservations or call-ahead seating. Seating is first come, first served, your whole party must be present to be seated, and it cannot seat parties larger than five. There is no parking lot, only street parking, and takeout may be paused on busy weekends. It is open daily from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. except Tuesday, so check hours before you go.
Address: 639 Linden St, Bethlehem, PA 18018
Website: pkonlinden.com
Bolete
Bolete is a farm-to-table restaurant in a stone-walled former stagecoach inn at 1740 Seidersville Road, in Salisbury Township, outside downtown, so plan on a drive. Chef Lee Chizmar and Erin Shea began the project in 2007 after moving from Boston to the Lehigh Valley, where Lee grew up. The James Beard Foundation has nominated Chizmar for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (2015) and the restaurant for Outstanding Restaurant (2019).
Bolete holds 4.7 stars from more than 900 Google reviews, and The Philadelphia Inquirer called it one of Pennsylvania’s best restaurants in July 2026. Chizmar changes the menu daily around local farms, and mushrooms appear often. Recent dinner menus have included Puffin’s Rock oysters with roasted shiitake mignonette, a mushroom Caesar, steak tartare, house-smoked pork chop and seared dayboat scallops. The Maine lobster roll and Lancaster grass-fed burger are more casual.
Reserve on Resy or call 610-868-6505. Dinner is served Wednesday through Saturday, and Sunday brunch runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dinner is one of the pricier meals on this list, while brunch costs less. A vegetarian option is always available, and the restaurant accommodates allergies. Some GPS apps send people to the wrong address, so use 1801 Broadway, which is catty-corner from the restaurant.
Address: 1740 Seidersville Rd, Bethlehem, PA 18015
Website: boleterestaurant.com
Final Thoughts
Bethlehem is easy to eat your way through on foot. Main Street and Broad Street hold most of the dinner spots, the SouthSide is the place for sandwiches, brunch and a cocktail near SteelStacks, and Bolete is worth the short drive for a special meal. From mid-November through December, holiday crowds fill the city, so book ahead.
Planning the rest of your visit? See our guide to the best things to do in Bethlehem, PA.
Main photo, from left: CHUTTERSNAP, Jon Parry and David B Townsend / Unsplash
