[ Foodie Tour ]

One More Bite, One More Block!

Not a one-reservation food city. It's a choose-your-own crawl: dumplings to tacos to cocktails to late-night pizza, all within a few flat blocks. Start light, keep moving, and one more bite becomes one more block.

  • Choose Your Own Crawl
  • Shareable
  • Date Night
01

Who's this for

This is for couples, friend groups, visitors, and locals who like eating with a little momentum behind it.

Not a formal tasting menu night. Not a rigid itinerary. More like a choose-your-own downtown crawl where every stop changes the mood a little.

Maybe you start with cocktails and small plates. Maybe you bounce between tacos and sushi. Maybe the entire plan falls apart after somebody says, “Wait…there’s another place right around the corner.”

That’s the point.

02

The Crawl.

Start light. Keep moving. Follow the energy. Downtown Allentown’s food scene works best when you treat it less like a checklist and more like a flowing night out. One stop leads naturally into the next — cocktails become appetizers, appetizers become dinner, dinner becomes one more drink somewhere else.

Sharables & Starters!

The first stop should open the night up, not end it.

Small plates, cocktails, sushi rolls, tacos, and places that encourage ordering “a few things for the table” create the rhythm for the rest of the crawl.

  • Mexican

    Tacos Y Tequila Allentown

    Tacos Y Tequila brings big flavors and downtown energy together in one spot. Street tacos, margaritas, an outdoor patio, and live music make it an easy choice before a show or a night exploring the city.

  • Japanese

    Okatshe

    Sushi, ramen, and izakaya plates that hit. Order one of everything family-style, sit at the chef’s counter if there’s room. The main event most nights you’re downtown.

  • Asian

    Ume

    A modern Asian fusion restaurant known for its fresh sushi, creative rolls, and stylish dining atmosphere that blends contemporary design with bold flavors.

  • Whiskey Bar

    PA Rye Company

    Whiskey, neat, in a glass with weight to it. PA Rye is the grown-up bar of the block — quiet enough to talk, loud enough to feel social. Two seats at the bar is the move.

The Main Course!

Every foodie crawl eventually lands somewhere that becomes the center of the night.

The place where everybody orders one more round. The table gets louder. Nobody checks the time for a while.

  • Dessert

    Rosa Blanca

    Cuban dessert and pastries that go several rounds with the rest of the menu. Tres leches to split, espresso if you can still hang. The right way to wind it down.

  • Italian

    Simpatico

    Italian, candlelit, the kind of place you linger at long enough to order another bottle. Service paces the table well — you can stretch a meal into a whole evening.

  • Restaurant

    The Dime

    An upscale restaurant and bar offering modern American cuisine, craft cocktails, and a refined dining experience with a stylish, contemporary atmosphere.

  • Brewery

    Brü Daddy’s Brewing Company

    A lively brewpub known for its handcrafted beers, scratch-made menu, wood-fired artisan pizzas, and welcoming atmosphere for friends and families alike.

Global Flavors!

One of downtown’s strengths is how quickly the food scene shifts block to block.

Indian. Latin. Japanese. Mexican. Thai-inspired dishes. Family-run kitchens beside polished cocktail spots. The variety is part of what makes the crawl feel alive.

  • Indian

    Aroma of India

    A popular restaurant serving authentic Indian cuisine featuring rich curries, tandoori specialties, and traditional flavors in a warm, welcoming setting.

  • Mexican

    La Cocina del Abuelo

    Comfort food, bold flavor, and the kind of place that feels rooted in family and tradition.

  • Restaurant

    La Bicicleta Arepa Bar

    Colorful plates, casual energy, and one of downtown’s easiest “why haven’t we tried this before?” discoveries.

  • Restaurant

    Parillon Latino

    Big flavor, no unnecessary polish, and exactly the kind of hidden gem that makes food crawls memorable.

Under-the-radar Downtown!

Some of the best stops aren’t the biggest names.

Tiny counters. Unexpected bakeries. Family-owned restaurants tucked between bars and galleries. Downtown rewards people willing to follow curiosity instead of ratings lists.

  • Quick Bites

    Wafa’s Kitchen

    One of the quieter gems downtown — the kind of place locals recommend once they know you’re actually exploring.

  • Quick Bites

    Delicioso Pizza & Subs

    Reliable family fuel. Pizza slices, easy seating, quick turnaround, and zero overthinking required.

  • Chez’s Delicatessen

    Old-school downtown energy and a reminder that not every memorable food stop needs mood lighting and cocktails.

  • Restaurant

    Elsa La Reina Del Chicharrón

    A destination for people who know what they’re looking for — and a great story afterward for the people who didn’t.

  • Quick Bites

    Kyle’s Courthouse Deli

    Grab lunch to-go and bring it into Arts Park. One of the easiest ways to turn the afternoon into something slower and more memorable.

One More Stop!

The best foodie nights usually end with someone saying:
“We’re already down here…might as well hit one more place.”

That final stop might be dessert. It might be espresso. It might just be somewhere quieter to sit for twenty more minutes before heading home.

Downtown Allentown works because the night doesn’t abruptly end after dinner. The energy keeps unfolding one block at a time.

  • Coffee

    The Cozy Crumbs Cafe

    A quieter treat stop with neighborhood energy and enough sugar to power the walk back to the parking garage.

  • Sports Bar

    Sports and Social

    A high-energy sports bar and social venue featuring wall-to-wall TVs, craft cocktails, shareable bites, and a lively atmosphere built for game days and group gatherings.

  • Coffee

    La Vida Café

    Tucked beside the Art Alley near 6th Street, La Vida feels like the right starting point for a slow-moving creative day downtown.

03

Real. Good. Times.

Photogenic by design. Submitted by people who were actually here. Upload your photo below to land on the wall.

04

[ Local Secrets ]

The stuff people who live here actually tell each other.

  1. 01

    After-dinner affogatos at Gems & Joe

    Espresso, gelato, and suddenly nobody wants to go home yet.

  2. 02

    Ask for the secret gelato flavors at Simpatico

    The best flavors usually never make it to the menu board.

  3. 03

    Do You Hear the Music?

    Between ArtsWalk performances, PPL Center events, pop-up musicians, festivals, and community programming, there’s a good chance your family outing accidentally turns into live entertainment halfway through the day.

  4. 04

    Cozy Crumb is worth the detour

    Just far enough off the main drag to feel like a real find.

  5. 05

    Rosa Blanca’s espresso martini

    Word on the street? Best in town.

  6. 06

    The crepe cake at Choco B

    Multi-layer chocolate perfection. Zero regrets.

05

Share.

Send it to whoever you're going with — or to yourself for the walk over.

  • Facebook
  • X
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
  • Copy link
06

Stash the car.

Park here, walk Hamilton, you're set. Plenty of decks, reasonable rates, and on-street meters fill in the gaps after 6pm and on Sundays.

Map loading…

Mapbox token required (define DAA_MAPBOX_TOKEN in wp-config.php).
07

Right now.

74° Overcast Feels 68° · H 76° · L 62°
  • Tonight 62°
  • Tue 78° 53°
  • Wed 76° 62°
  • Thu 90° 63°

Overcast skies tonight mean it’s time for a cozy drink and a good conversation.

Updated 6:24 PM · Allentown, PA