The Best Restaurants/Diners in The Lehigh Valley (Allentown, Reading: price, shopping center)

[Lehigh Valley Native]

Not to derail my own thred, but do any of you older natives remember eating at The Patio restaurant or the Oasis snack bar? They were both in the Hess's on Hamilton blvd.
I remember fashion models and strawberry pie at the Patio and great hot dogs at the Oasis.

[milledge44]

i totally forgot about penn pizza in bethlehem.... they have the best pizza

[janeannwho]

The Patio had a reunion a few years ago with a gallery opening etc. My sister went to it. They had hamburgers in an oven for the kids. Great big hot fudge sundaes, and yes the Oasis had the best hotdogs, they had a relish that I never have seen anywhere else. Who used ot eat at the Paddock? with all the fish tanks? or the Brass Rail, mmmmm, mmmmm good, especially the one on Hamilton Street.

[janeannwho]

Too busy
I was home a few months ago and they were all still there. The Lantern is in northeast Bethlehem, if you follow Union Blvd towards Northeast Middle School you will find it. Yoccos is still in Allentown and I was to the one on Catasaqua Road by the airport last time I was home, I know the Potts lovers will howl. Stahley's is right over the border in Allentown on Hanover avenue. The Oasis is on Schoenersville Road past Bennigans and the WaWA. Gromans I am not sure is still there on the west side nestled behind Broad St. Mach's Gute is an old dive with cheap drinks and great food on Linden Street near Liberty high School. There is really no reason to ever eat in a fast food chain in the Lehigh Valley. Celebration on Union Blvd, etc are right there across the Allentown line. Bon apetit.

[Icy Tea]

Anybody remember Jay's Steaks in Allentown? They had some all over, I went to one in Lancaster. As I recall it was sort of a Philly style, cheese wiz with a pickle but they gave you sauce. They weren't bad, but stingey with the meat. What happend to them?

[Lehigh Valley Native]

Originally Posted by Icy Tea

Anybody remember Jay's Steaks in Allentown? They had some all over, I went to one in Lancaster. As I recall it was sort of a Philly style, cheese wiz with a pickle but they gave you sauce. They weren't bad, but stingey with the meat. What happend to them?

They had great hoagies and steaks.
They went out of business for the most part. Most locations were sold to Subway, although I think 1 or 2 Jay's is still open, but they aren't the original owners.

[Lehigh Valley Native]

Originally Posted by janeannwho

The Patio had a reunion a few years ago with a gallery opening etc. My sister went to it. They had hamburgers in an oven for the kids. Great big hot fudge sundaes, and yes the Oasis had the best hotdogs, they had a relish that I never have seen anywhere else. Who used ot eat at the Paddock? with all the fish tanks? or the Brass Rail, mmmmm, mmmmm good, especially the one on Hamilton Street.

Yes, the relish was the best.

Brass Rail on Hamilton closed a few years back, but the one on Lehigh street is still going strong. I don't remember The Paddock, but I have fond memories of Walps.

[janeannwho]

Walps!!! I grew up as the daughter of Coal crackers who came to town to work the railroads. Apparently they were treated badly by the Pennsylvania Dutch natives as children and thus I was forbidden to eat at Walps, haha. Times have changed for the better all around, but I can remember going to Walps as a teenager just because I could -- rebel that I was. Had good Potato Filling. Trainers corner with the big lobster, never ate there, but you knew you were almost home from the shore when you saw that Trainers lobster. There used to be a good seafood restaurant called Kings off the old ramp on the west side of the Hill to Hill Bridge. I think it was on one of the avenues.

[loose cannon]

I know where that old Kings restaurant is. I knew a woman who l lived by there. The hatred and racism of the Dutch still exist. They have moved towards hating Latinos and other minorities. Just read the MorningCall topix message board for multiple examples of racism.

[janeannwho]

This is not in Bethlehem, but the Ritz at the Farmer's Market is great too. Does Widow Brown's still exist anywhere? Or the Cascade Lodge? or the Gourmet Inn? or the Castle in Reading?