First time and we were excited to try this place based on great reviews, but sadly, it was a disappointing experience that has left me surprised by the positive reviews. Yes, it's a very old building but the atmosphere needs serious attention- peeling wall paper and an overall vibe that just feels disconcerted. The upstairs should not be used- avoid. Took a long time to get drinks because the server could not find glasses. When we did get our drinks, two of the glasses were filthy. I had the sense they were taken off another table and not washed. Took an hour and a half to get our food, which was ok, but did not make up for the lack of ambiance and long wait. Sorry, it's a no for me. needs read more

We were greeted with smiles, and from start to finish we all agreed that this was a fabulous experience, a great way to spend an evening. SHOUT OUT: our server, "Fairgrounds Fabulous Frank"was nothing short of sensational. His cocktail suggestions were "top shelf", as well as hus friendly yet professional demeanor and his thoughts on possible choices to order made our night more than memorable. Kudos to the chef, bartenders & entire staff-an A+rating Again, thank you Frank, you totally topped off our Tuesday... CHECK OUT the photos- from the exquisite French onion soup to the seafood and lobster flights to the award-winning Hess's strawberry pie... Magnifique. read more

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This place is a gem in Allentown. Has the old school feel especially with how old the building is. The service was great! The food was very good, not the best seafood I've had, but good enough to return. We will be back! read more

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omg ! Omg ! OMg ! OMG !!!!!!! I have been reading about this place for awhile ... So today on a trip to Allentown we had dinner here We started off with crab bruschetta as a appetizer ( awesome) My partner had the salad and coconut shrimp platter with roasted potatoes and veggies and said was delicious I had the lobster bisque, lobster roll and and lobster mac n cheese ( OMG !!!! ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS ) ( pictured) And to put us in a food climax/coma ... for dessert the original Hess's strawberry pie (pictured (OMG !!!) The atmosphere, the service the food was outstanding Definitely going back and I suggest you check it out, you will not be disappointed read more

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Fairgrounds Hotel, located on North 17th Street in Allentown, is a historic American restaurant known for its seafood. It's open Tuesday through Thursday from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM, and Friday and Saturday until 9:00 PM. It had been a few years since my last visit, and the menu has expanded quite a bit since then, including the addition of the lobster flight, so I decided it was time to stop back in. I started with the crispy calamari, perfectly cooked and tender, with a mix of rings and tentacles. After the calamari, I moved on to the mac & cheese flight, a rich, creamy trio of lobster, crabby cheddar, and homestyle five-cheese. Next up was the French Onion Sea Hag soup, a luxurious twist on the classic. The cheese melted and crusted on the crock, topped with shrimp and scallops, made every bite irresistible. Finally came the main event, the lobster tail flight, featuring tails from Maine, South Africa, and Brazil. The South African and Brazilian tails were firm, tender, and flavorful, while the Maine tail, though sweet, was a bit mushy. All lobster is served with a butter warmer, which I consider essential. My buddy ordered the Admiral's Surf N Turf, with an 18 oz tomahawk and a 5 oz South African tail. The steak was well seasoned and cooked to a juicy medium-rare, though his lobster was mushy, much like my Maine tail. For dessert, he ordered the strawberry pie and said it was one of the best desserts he's ever had. Service was solid overall, though slow at times, which is understandable on a busy Friday night. All in all, it was a great experience, and my buddy and I really enjoyed ourselves. read more

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The food, service and ambiance is wonderful! We go here often and never had a bad entree!!

Service was great. Our waiter was friendly and prompt. The restaurant itself was cute and unique. I had a problem with the food. It's was bland. I had the French onion soup, scallops with potato's and veggies. The French onion soup was not good to me. It was creamy (I have a thing for texture) it wasn't like a normal French onion soup. My boyfriend couldn't eat it as it was too salty. The scallops were well cooked but super bland as if they broiled them and that's it. Not taste. Veggies were mushy and very salty (I LOVE salt). The red potatoes were the only part of my plate that I enjoyed. My boyfriend enjoyed his clam chowder but also thought his fish, scallops, crab cakes were bland and wasn't crazy about it. read more

Fairgrounds Hotel - Seafood Near Me - Allentown, Pennsylvania

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We were walk in's and sat at the bar. We were told by someone that sits at the bar every week, that the bartender was the best. Unfortunately, not so. Food was decent. But service could use some help. Not less than 5 minutes after getting our appetizers, our dinner arrived. Not ideal for a higher priced meal. Drinks were ok. Food good. Will not go back anytime soon. Henry's Salt of the Sea is MUCh better for the price!!!!!!! read more

100% recommend this place if you're looking for really good seafood. This is a hidden gem of Allentown... a best kept secret for amazing, delicious seafood. Heather at the bar will take care of you too, whether you're at the bar or not. All the staff are wonderful. The original owners love cats and while there are no cats there, they're memorialized in many of the paintings and wall art. It's interesting. Just go. read more

Check this place out if you're in the Allentown area! It's a little quirky, but cozy. It's a casual, cool place to get some great food and drinks. The menu has something for everyone. They were very accommodating when we told them that one of the guests in our party had a shellfish allergy. The food was delicious. Service was on pointe. read more

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Checking out seafood places and saw this one. Looks nice... but way too many health code violations over the years and most recently. If they can't even maintain commonsense health standards, I'll pass. My rating on this alone "not good" is justified. Clean up your act. read more

AC our server was amazing! He was fast, courteous and funny! He definitely added to a great dinner experience. The was the second time we have eaten there and we were joined by our friends who had never eaten there. The food is fresh, plentiful and delicious. It's our new go to place for dinner especially the seafood offers. The restaurant is old and could use a little TLC. read more

Food was fantastic, we had the lobster rolls and lobster bombs, and the strawberry pie dessert was huge and delicious. Our server was super helpful. Will definitely be going back! read more

We had reservations in Feb. Once Gilligan sat us, the problems began. We were sat at a table that shouldn't have been there. The table to our right was one foot away. The table to our left was two feet away. We felt like we were all sitting together. Terrible and nothing romantic about it. It must've been our waiter's first day on the job. We finally received our drinks 20 mins later. The one napkin was dirty. The one fork was dirty. The lobster flight was chewy and tough. The broiled haddock was tasteless. I ordered a second glass of wine but after 15 more mins, we said forget it and just got the check. Never again will I be a patron here. read more

Reservations are important!! Place gets packed!! Decor with Cat stuff is comical Food was delicious Server was very attentive read more

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The best thing on the menu is the lump crab meat! Would try the salad next time too. read more

I have to be honest that when I got there I wasn't expecting much. However our friends that we went with just said their food will change your mind. I have to say they were right. My wife's meal looked delicious I can't remember the name but it had cod, stuffed shrimp, crab and something else. Delicious is the word for this. I had the sirloin and crab legs, next time I'll double up on the crab legs, no butter needed which says a lot. The peanut butter pie was perfect and possibly the best I've had. Our server was excellent I think his name was alexandro I believe. He was great and very engaging with us. He was great. If you remember your server and meal you know your dinner was perfect. read more

The food was fantastic. I had the lobster flight and my wife had the crab legs. She said hers were fantastic. My meal was good, I liked the two of the 3 lobster tails . I also had the strawberry pie it was fantastic. The service was great. I highly recommend this place. read more

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Server was awesome and food was great! The decor is a bit weird but we really enjoyed the experience. Drove about an hour for the experience and it was totally worth it. I won't be a regular due to the commute, but I'll certainly be back. read more

Fairgrounds Hotel - Lobster Tail Flight w/ lobster mac & asparagus - Seafood Near Me - Allentown, Pennsylvania

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We returned to the Fairgrounds Hotel for dinner after a disappointing dinner a couple of years ago. The "old hotel" ambiance, with Allentown memorabilia is not pretentious and is comfortable. We ate at a booth in the bar. The bartender is responsible for the diners in that area. She was attentive, but as the restaurant became busier the bar demanded most of her attention. Our meals were underwhelming. The clam chowder and French onion soup were intolerably salty, most likely using a prepared soup base, not made in-house. The French onion soup was more like gravy than soup. We couldn't eat it. Anyone who cooks knows the basic rule: once over-salted, the damage cannot be undone. The sirloin fillet was cooked to order but was unusually tough and left unfinished. The fried filet of haddock was the best of what we ordered. The vegetable medley was bland and the red potatoes under cooked (some were hard and inedible). We ordered dessert to make up for a mediocre, if not poor, dinner. The strawberry pie saved the day. It was fresh and tasty, although the "whipped cream" was most likely from a can. Dining here is not a bargain. We decided it was an experience not to be repeated. read more

After a fun time at the Allentown Farmers Market we had 4:30 reservations at the Fairgrounds Hotel. Absolutely delicious! The hostess was so friendly and sat us right away. Leann was our waitress and she was so attentive! We had the best food and so reasonable! Started with steamed clams, hot bread and wine and beers. We had the seafood platter and steak and shrimp. So delicious! We will definitely go back! Drinks, appetizers, and entrees were $100 for two. Lovely place, old posters and lots of cat pictures. read more

Delicious find and the service was nice and friendly. The parking could be better, but not bad.

Pretty internet pictures can grab a foodie to drive an hour for good foods. So you never know who will show up lol. Was this slice of pie worth an hour drive? It's arguable. If you're going to make such a trip just for the food, at least order actual seafood entrees too. In my case, I was headed to a friend who lived in the area. So it was definitely worth it in that case. I surprised him and his mother with a slice each too. I tried to e-mail and the. call in advance and they told me to call the day of. No response by e-mail. My schedule worked out that I arrived at 1140. So rather than try to call between 12-1 PM, I showed up at their doorstep too early. The staff seemed a bit weirded out that I was trying to get in early but they were happy I knew what I wanted too. They don't sell a whole pie- only by the slice. If I lived near here, this would probably be a go to spot for me. read more

Fairgrounds Hotel - Fresh strawberry pie slice (special) - Seafood Near Me - Allentown, Pennsylvania

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Table of six to celebrate two February Birthdays with famous strawberry pie For dessert. My cousin and I had the delicious Lobster Flight. Also recommend seafood combination. Thank you to our waiter Alex he was friendly and gave us outstanding service. Looking forward to our next visit. Third time there food and service wonderful. Old Victorian landmark with cat decor theme pictures and statues not my thing, but told owner loves cats. read more

Enjoyed dining here for NYE. Three different types of Lobster from differing areas. Service is superb & very considerate. Food is delicious as are the drinks. It was really nice on the second floor. Decorated with a Victorian flair. The place was dimly lit & attractive. Soft music was relaxing and romantic. Excellent experience in this attractive restaurant. I highly recommend it any time. read more

Kudos to the staff at the Fairgrounds Hotel for making our dining experience enjoyable and successful! Josie was our server who welcomed us with answers to all our culinary questions, (such as, are the lobster tails in the flight wild caught? (and they are!)) and helped us with plating amounts so we didn't over order appetizers and entrees. She even hand-washed cloudy, wine glasses! Her service was spot on and the courses came out beautifully timed. She surprised us with a piece of peanut butter chocolate cheesecake to-go because she overheard it was my husband's birthday. Suffice to say, we will be back! Our sincere compliments to the chef with regard to the quality and quantity of the seafood delights and the impeccable service with which it was served. We thoroughly enjoyed the lobster trio flight and lobster fra diavolo for our dinners at very reasonable prices; what a total treat for a mid-week date night! J&J read more

After walking through the Allentown Farmers Market for a few hours, we decided to stick around and dine at the Fairgrounds Hotel right down the street. Leann, our ROCKSTAR server, sat us in a main dining room booth. What a pleasure! Her timing was on pointe, appreciated her courteous manner with awesome communication. Thursday is $5 Clam Night, product delivered direct from Chesapeake, MD. Sweet, small clams yet BIG flavor elevated by the brown butter burner. The fresh fish, MahiMahi, lightly blackened accompanied with house veggie: green beans, real mashed potatoes and lobster bisque. All fresh, hot and well seasoned. My husband enjoyed the broiled seafood combo, side of lobster Mac & cheese ($6 up charge) plus a house salad. The lobster Mac & cheese was fave side Fresh rolls in basket. Junior, another server, stepped in when our server welcomed a Christmas party group of 25 and she resumed serving us intermittently to the end. The owner & chef, Dom, stopped by to greet us, shared about the Chesapeake clam source, the fresh fish options and menu recommendations. Shout out to him and kitchen staff for preparing awesome food. It's always nice to know the restaurant owner is also the chef in a business where passion and product overrides profit. read more

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Food was amazing! So glad we tried this place. Can't wait to go back! Super crowded even on a Wednesday night!

Well, we saw this restaurant on Facebook and thought we'd take the drive (1hr 5min) The atmosphere is historic and very inviting. Our server (Alex) recommended the lobster trio and we took his recommendation, then much to our surprise Alex brought out real browned butter heated with a butter warmer candelabra. The tails were prepared perfectly, the lobster was not over cooked and was very tasty. The overall experience is something you will not get at a chain. The meal was superb and then we ordered the Strawberry Pie as a take home dessert, WOW. This is a must try for the seafood enthusiast, we will be returning to try the steaks which I'm sure will be of the same mind blowing satisfaction. THIS IS MUST TRY, Reservations Recommended read more

Lobster Bisque was pretty good but wasn't served hot enough. Cole slaw was good, french fries were okay, bread was okay. Lobster Grilled Cheese contained too much cheese, not enough lobster. Lobster Roll was pretty good, chargrilled burger few years ago also pretty good. Chicken fingers for toddler were unseasoned and bland. Strawberry Pie contained extra large strawberries in strawberry glaze, plenty whipped cream. Crust was okay. read more

Great food especially the lobster on lobster night. Terrific sides and main courses. Old time ambiance with modern food. The kind of place you tell your friends about and love the chance to talk & tell them. Service is fine! read more

Lobster Roll - worst I've ever had. Not just because it was Connecticut style, but also I think the lobster was an afterthought. It was 70% bread, and 30% lukewarm lobster. The place was dark and grungy, the drinks were... fine. The bartender was friendly and overly busy. Maybe it's just because I'm not a local. read more

Fairgrounds Hotel - "Lobster" roll, mostly roll. - Seafood Near Me - Allentown, Pennsylvania

I can't believe the reviews under 5 starts honestly. This place was AMAZING. I drove over an hour to eat here and was not disappointed. MAKE A RESERVATION. We didn't and ate at the bar which wasn't terrible because service was good and there was plenty of space. We had the lobster trio and the lobster flight. I think pricing was good for how much food you get. Loved the artwork and atmosphere. Will be back!! read more

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We went to Fairgrounds Hotel for dinner tonight. Everything was fantastic. Old hotel decor. Seating, drinks , appetizer, service, lobster flight, chicken Parmesan and strawberry pie for dessert, which we brought home. We will be back! read more

Ok , my wife and I went here tonight for our 1 year wedding anniversary. We've wanted to try it for years. We sat in a booth in the bar area. We ordered mozzarella sticks for an appetizer. My wife got fried shrimp and I got the supreme surf and turf at 59 dollars. We get the salad , salad's good Then our dinners come out. If you've been following along you're realizing that they never brought the apps out. I said oh we never got our app and we didn't get the little candle with the melted butter. Then our waitress that was also the bartender I guess was telling someone , the kitchens doing whatever they want tonight , they forgot the mozzarella sticks just comp it. Saying it as though we couldn't hear her, saying it like we just ordered stuff but didn't really want it. I ordered them because I wanted them. I think she just forgot to order them and then wanted to loudly explain that it was the kitchens fault. This is why I have a problem with waiters not writing it down. They think they're hot shit and I don't need to write it down because I'll remember. And it if I don't I'll just blame the kitchen. The mozz sticks came out when we were finishing our dinners. Mistakes happen, I get it. It was more the dismissive way she said oh we forgot it just comp it. Nobody decided to mention anything to us nobody said hey did you want those mozzarella sticks We know you ordered them but f you here's your dinner. We're not even gonna charge you for it. And the icing on top was the candle that they brought out with the melted butter wasn't lit. At that point I just had to laugh. The food was good I love the decor. But man it's so disappointing. Waiters everywhere, write it down you're gonna forget. Don't blame the kitchen for something you didn't put in. Recommend ? Maybe. . Maybe you'll have better luck. The foods good besides the frozen mixed veg of broccoli stems and carrots. Foods good service needs a lot of work. Don't sit near the bar because they are only concerned with the tipsy regulars sitting right in front of them. read more

Food and service were excellent. Small dining room. Reservations highly recommended if party more than 4 people.

Last night we celebrated my parents 50th anniversary. The waiter was amazing with service and hospitality. The lobster tail, steak, lobster bisque, and the sides were perfection. Would definitely recommend the restaurant to visit for any occasion. The drinks were on point. The pricing is affordable. Highly recommended. read more

I hope this gets read by the owner and taken seriously. My only complaint was that it appeared that the salad was plated 1 or maybe even 2 days in advance. It was wilted, spring mix was more than half rotted, cucumbers were soggy and the red onions were placed on the salad in large chunks??? That's a first for me! We will be returning and hope we can update this review. The remainder of the meal was very good, mashed potatoes were delicious as were the green beans served on the side. The steak and lobster were good as well. I hope they can correct the deficiency with the salad and continue with the other offerings at their reasonable prices. read more

Dinner came out 2 minutes after my clams were served. Lobster flight was delicious, but during the entire meal I kept thinking this bitter tastes burnt. I asked for more and it was the same, so I just finished my meal. When I got up to use the restroom, the table next to me had golden butter. I questioned the server about the butter to see if it came from different vats. I told him I thought the butter tasted burnt and he said, oh.. I gave you browned butter. That's what one of the other tables wanted. I said I didn't even know that was a thing.. I've always had golden clarified butter. His response was oh I am so sorry. Yep.. me too. What made him think that's what I would want to without asking me. Coconut mojito was watery too. read more

Friendly but overwhelmed bartender. Host forgot about us. Waitresses ignored us. Eventual waitress visibly annoyed to be serving us. Not given bread even after asking. Would give benefit of doubt due to current variables such as difficulty hiring staff but other tables didn't appear to be having trouble. Food didn't come close to overcoming service problems. read more