Ritz BBQ has a cool vibe when you pull up to their parking lot. You get the old fashioned, vintage, feeling right away. Ritz BBQ is a far away as beling a BBQ place as you can get. The clientel is mainly old folks like me, I'm now 70 - yikes! In observation mode, my wife and I were seated at a table and my visions of Ritz being a great place to eat quickly faded away as I looked at the food being served to others! Neverthe less we ordered dinner. My expectations had been shot down from the sky by the time the dinner arrived. This made the food easier to swallow, notwithstanding my dissapointment of the dining experience. The visions of yesteryear shined thru this retro looking place despite the lack of quality, well prepared food. At best Ritz is a low quality diner. I notice Ritz is rarely crowded when I pass by and Iwonder how they keep the doors open. Their ice cream is good, not great. It's consisteent with the average food served at Ritz. They offer a good variet of flavors to choose from. However, just a short drive from Ritz is, The Udder Bar. I stop at Ritz for ice cream because the line is always very long at Udder Bar, and I grow impatient at times. Even though I'm retired with nothing much to - go figure! I wish I had something more positive to write about food wise! Nothing real bad about the food at Ritz, but also nothing real good! read more

Great sandwiches and menu! Friendly staff! Close to home and convenient. Wait staff is excellent!

The Ritz has a cool sensation of yesteryear with a kind and wonderful serving staff. The place is relatively quiet and is always clean. My girlfriend loved her BLT with fries (no tomato and added American cheese). I needed protein and got the meat lovers breakfast (three eggs, bacon, four sausage links, and an amazing ham steak). The rye toast came dry and overdone and the home fries were bland. They have homemade ice cream and I enjoyed the black raspberry (though too sweet) and my girlfriend loved her soft serve vanilla with sprinkles in a wafer cone. read more

Ritz Barbecue - BLT - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Allentown, Pennsylvania

See all

Friends and I came here prior to a DCI show at J. Birney Crum stadium. My one friend grew up in the area and remembers this restaurant well as a kid. The expectations I had were much higher than what I got. First of all Ritz Barbecue is not really a barbecue restaurant. It's more of a diner that also serves their own special style of barbecue. The place is set up in 50's style decor and plays music from the era. It appeared clean and well kept. For food, I ended up with a cheesesteak and sweet potato fries. My friend had the creamed chipped roast beef, and my other had the barbecue. We also all split a sampler appetizer which had chicken fingers, pierogies, mozzarella sticks, fried pickles, and onion rings. Everything we got was ok. Nothing special to note. The appetizer platter had nothing well done to write home about. Average and disappointing food overall which would have just earned two stars. But, they hit a home run with their ice cream sundaes. One of their most popular flavors is butter brickle. All of us got that and my one friend loaded up with two other flavors. The sundaes come with whip cream and a cherry. These were the best part of our meal and probably only worth coming here for. One extra star just for the ice cream. Our waitress did a fine job and was quite honest about what to avoid and what sold well off the menu. She kept the drinks full the whole meal. $35 each total for the three of us including tax and tip and paid in cash. Ritz Barbecue charges an extra 4% if you pay by credit card. read more

See all

Was visiting family in the area and took my 75 year old brother to Ritz BBQ for a cheese steak. The restaurant has not changed much since I was a kid! Service was friendly. Interior space is cute and the food was decent. read more

The Ritz was always one of those places so simple and you could always trust. Our meal tonight was such a letdown. Lettuce with Bacon Dressing was so overdressed(not a huge portion of lettuce that was literally in a pool of dressing). The hot open face roast beef was a huge portion but overly dry that gravy wasn't going to revive. Well there's always desert, desert never disappoints - guess again. Dry, dry, dry like it's been in that case for more than a week. It will be awhile before we take a chance again. read more

Haven't dined here for decades, but what a great experience today! Had delicious pork & sauerkraut; spouse had veal parm. Friendly, attentive service. Enjoyed great diner-style atmosphere & homemade cream with great, unusual flavors. Only suggestion is to rotate 60s music more frequently; it must drive the servers crazy. Highly recommended. Dine here & ditch the fast food (it's neither fast nor food IMO.) read more

very rude person taking the orders. food isn't that good very bland. prices are high!! board outside reflects raised prices!!

My friend and I debated whether to go to the Ritz at the fairgrounds or the reopened Brass Rail for steak sandwiches. Out of feeling nostalgic we picked The Ritz. BAD DECISION! The steak meat had zero seasoning nor flavor. The sauce added no flavor either to the sandwich. Also, the steak rolls used must disintegrate immediately upon adding the ingredients into it. Everything fell out of the bottom. Service was fine but we vowed never to try it again. read more

A really good breakfast and reasonable. I had three eggs, shredded hashbrowns, bacon, and a piece of scrapple. She had pancakes and bacon our waitress is very nice and friendly, and the place is very clean.! read more

We were only one of three tables occupied for breakfast. After waiting 15 minutes, I asked the waitress if she would take our order. She snapped at us and was very rude. My wife never got her bacon and she was given the wrong breakfast potatoes. My omelet had possibly the worst bacon I ever had. Fatty and chewy. I will never go back. read more

Different Cheesesteak #1171. This is why I love the Philadelphia Cheesesteak Adventure!! I did know that Allentown was more than a Billy Joel song. I didn't know about the Allentown Fairgrounds. A'town F'grounds is the only place in the entire universe that you can see; Blue Oyster Cult, Brad Paisley, Blippi, Jeff Dunham and a Demolition Derby over a long weekend. That's not fact checked but come on. I got a cheesesteak. I got caught up in the excitement and also got a Pork Barbeque sandwich. The cheesesteak was $11. Typical for that region, soft roll, house made sauce and pickles. The meat had a nice flavor and was easy to eat. The sauce had a good flavor without trying to over power everyone else. The cheese worked for this cheesesteak. I think they melted it onto the roll. I love a good pickle. And a bag of chips!! The Pork Barbeque was a little bit of a let down. It had a lot of weight. The pork was lacking flavor. Definitely got nostalgia points in every category. read more

See all

I wish for food poisoning. Like seriously, the food I had there was so bad that I wish I would just flat out get food poisoning and be sick for the next couple of days so I could lose a couple of pounds and maybe get an extra day off of work in return for facing this horror As a Sweeney Todd fan, I would take a lot of enjoyment to find out that what served here is human and not beef, pork, turkey or chicken, because then they were released to be a story to tell. Ever since trying to consume what they call a barbecue beef sandwich I have been singing the worst pies in London... Trying my hardest to figure out how to WordSmith new lyrics to say the worst barbecue in Allentown. I get it, there's a certain catch to the place - and maybe their ice cream is OK, I think it's kind of hard to mess that up... But seriously just stay away. It's just horrible. read more

Ritz Barbecue - Enjoy my artistic rendering of what it feels like to eat there. The place is not as gross as this, but close - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Allentown, Pennsylvania

We've been many times for ice cream- the Shoofly pie ice cream is incredible. Rich flavor and tastes just like the pie, even with crust. Amazing. Tonight we went for dinner too- also delicious! Had the scallops and potato filling and it was excellent. read more

Had lunch here with brother after they reopened. Onion rings were served hot and were good. Their onion rings are my favorite, although last time were not that good. We both ordered Roasted Turkey entree. Brother's sides were fries & baked beans. He enjoyed everything, but has not wanted to return to Ritz for another meal. We usually try to eat healthier than what is served at Ritz. My sides were cole slaw and baked beans which were both good, but contained too much sauce. Most of my turkey went home for dog after draining gravy. Didn't care for fries. We both got scoop butter brickle ice cream, which was good. I got hot fudge on the side, which went well with butter brickle ice cream. Fried cauliflower bites were okay. Corn nuggets pretty good. This eatery has been in business for over 90 years and atmosphere reflects that long history. Service was good for the most part. read more

I've always loved this place so I was sooo happy when it reopened after being closed for several months. The Ritz is classic neon diner and has been here since the early 1900s. There's nothing fancy about it, but it is oozing with nostalgia, housed on the historic Allentown Fairgrounds. Haven't been inside since the reopening, but if nothing has changed, then there is an indoor dining room with old fashioned booths. Beneath the glass table tops are vintage photos, many from early Allentown Fair and Allentown Farmers Market events. There's also a take out window and picnic tables outside. Two items they are known for are barbecue and homemade ice cream. I ordered both and ate my ice cream while waiting for my turkey bbq to be cooked. Dessert before dinner because I'm a grown up and I can. There looked to be at least 40 ice cream flavors on the menu. I picked Shoo Fly Pie. If you're not familiar, shoo fly pie is a molasses crumb cake and Pennsylvania Dutch staple. For $3 I had a big scoop of ice cream in a cone. I always order the turkey barbecue, but they also have pork and hamburger. Not sure how they come out, but with the turkey, the sauce is always poured on top, never mixed. Some people don't like that. You can get raw or cooked onions, and it's served on a big roll. $7 and they throw in a bag of chips. The BBQ sauce is sweet and has a very slight jelly-like consistency. My only complaint about this visit is that they gave me a LOT of sauce which made the sandwich difficult to eat. I was a mess by the end of it. Lol. Totally worth it!! read more

Ritz Barbecue - Homemade Shoo Fly Pie ice cream at the oldest ice cream joint in the Lehigh Valley. Probably. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Allentown, Pennsylvania

See all

Visited the place on a late Sunday afternoon. Ordered a special, Chicken Pot Pie, comes with salad and applesauce. The pie was okay, but the KFC Chicken Pot Pie half the price, bigger, and tastier. The salad dressing was some sweet honey something. Salad was boring, noting but iceberg lettuce and shredded carrot. For $12.50 expected a bigger Chicken pie. My kid's cheese burger 8 Oz., fries were extra $2.50. Cheese Burger was good according to my kid, fries were good, tasted like checker's, probably were. Overall, pricey for what you get. This restaurant showed a single $ in the reviews, yet was more like $$+ read more

Ritz Barbecue - Ritz BBQ specials menu, ridiculous prices - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Allentown, Pennsylvania

BBQ is PA Dutch bbq, shredded meat with a tomatoey sauce and onions. Different than the usual bbq but still really good. The Ritz also serves dinners, sandwiches, salads and great breakfasts. And great ice cream! read more

Went to the Ritz for Thanksgiving dinner, all I can say is that it was awful and I pity the families that got takeout. We sat down and they couldn't get order right, veggies were cold and pies didn't even taste like the fruit that was supposed to be in it. It a nice atmosphere but those are days gone by. Have a Happy Thanksgiving but if your smart you'll do it somewhere else. Do yourself a favor for a couple bucks more go to the East Penn Diner and have a Thanksgiving meal you can really enjoy. read more

I had the cheesesteak it was mediocre at best. Not a good roll at all. Wife had a hot turkey sandwich and loved it. Great service nice people. read more

We were excited to try out the mom and pop looking restaurant, especially intrigued by the sign outside that says they make their own ice cream. In anticipation of a special desert I decided to order something simple. I ordered a grilled ham and cheese as well as french fries. My husband ordered cheeseburger and fries. Food came rather timely, but before the first bite of my grilled ham and cheese something didn't seem right, it had a very odd smell, and after my first and only bite the best I can say is that it was not made with butter, but more likely made with a very cheap cooking spray and cooked on a very dirty grill. My husband reported his burger to be just a basic burger, nothing special. Staff did not check on us until they came to ask if I would like a box. I informed her that no I would not like a box because it was nasty. I was not even asked if I would like something else. The grilled ham and cheese was taken off our bill. As I was paying I did get to see some of the kitchen, it was very dirty, with food on the floor. If I had noticed that on my way in I would not have even bothered to order. Because of the awful sandwich and minimal waitress attention, I can not even comment on the ice cream that they make themselves. read more

Ritz Barbecue - Worst grilled ham and cheese ever. With a burnt to a crisp dry. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Allentown, Pennsylvania

Good Dutchy dinner food. It's a nice friendly family place. They have a good selection on ice cream and pies as well. read more

See all

The decor is very out dated and sloppy looking toured the kitchen area . I have a Cheesesteak and fries with a burger on the side. The Cheesesteak meat over fried . The fries weren't to bad . I asked for my burger to be well done . My burger patty was thin , thinner then McDonald's and still couldn't get it well done when I bit it it was pink . Sloppy looking servers that didn't look happy to be there . Alot of elderly people in there and then it hit me . They have no taste and they eat whatever you put in front of them . Well not me , I remember the Ritz when it was good . It should have gone away in beautiful memory when they sold the place instead of going this root . Never again read more

The Good: Very large crowd at lunch (mostly older/retired age folks). Friendly and helpful staff. Didn't have to wait for drink and food order to be taken. Main food came in what seemed liked less than 5 min. Super fast. Waitress checked in a few times after being served. The Bad: Not impressed by Chef's Salad. American cheese and lunch meat was under whelming. Something seemed to taste "funny"/bad in it. Ranch dressing was good. Biggest complaint is how I smelled after leaving. All my clothes smelled like being in a grease kitchen. I reaked (sp?) and had to go back to work. Sent this to their email address on their web page (info@ritzbarbecue.com) but it bounced so posting publicly. Sorry, can't recommend Ritz. read more

So as I am a long time resident who moved away from the valley years ago, the ritz is the one place that you need to stop by when your in town The BBQ specials and the ice cream I can contest to by saying are fabulous. Price is average for the area , and history on some of the tables is worth looking at. However, the service this time around was extremely below average Kara W. was the only sever at 545pm today and she was more worried about her mobile phone then the two tables she had. Not once did she walk over to ask me how things were, but she could sit there and text for 20 minutes. No communication with her tables, which is something ppl look forward to when coming to a historical place like the ritz. Let me emphasis that the food is fabulous , and the only reason for the low rating is because of the service read more

Ritz Barbecue - Turkey BBQ special, plain - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Allentown, Pennsylvania

Not what it was in the past... the turkey barbecue is just sliced lunch meat. We did not eat it. The roast beef for the open faced sandwich was very tough. I wish they were what they used to be, but I can't recommend this place anymore. read more

Worst experience ever. Host was rude. If you weigh more than 100 lbs. You won't fit in their booths and the removed all the tables and only offer booths. The place was also not very clean. They made no effort to accommodate us. We were a party of 3 with one handicapped person. We walked out without eating and will never go back. They didn't seem to care about the COVID guidelines. read more

So glad this place reopened. We had a nice lunch enjoying the nostalgia of restaurant. The food is basic, good food! Nothing fancy but takes me back to when I was a kid. Not many businesses left like this read more

We ate breakfast on Saturday morning and the food was great. Waitress had hot coffee refills and came back a few times to check on our party. Overall A+ read more

Open for breakfast..8am...breakfast great....omlets terrific, huge selection....coffee kepted full and hot...waitresses friendly...fast service...oldies music nostalgic atmoshere...bathrooms clean...shoefly pie,whole pies to go...this is a must for breakfast read more

Fantastic!! Great service, crab cake sandwich, pork bbq, pork and kraut, sundae .. all delicious! Nothing bad to note. Can't wait to go again, wish they delivered. read more

Went on a match.com date here with a man called Bobby. He was a nice man, a recovering alcholic and maybe one month policeman. He told me that cops know the real truth like cars get stolen at the mall and they don't report it. He said that he took me here since it reminded him of good times old fashioned ones with his parents. They do have good ice cream here and sandwiches. Fries are good. Thick with Heinz ketchup the local favorite. Not all the menu is good as other reviews say you have to order Dutch. read more

Go for the milkshakes and dessert. Blueberry cheesecake shake was delicious for $3! The peanut butter chocolate cake was dry and just okay. Nostalgic dinner that has been around for a long time. My aunt remembers concerts here when she was young. The waitress was great about filling drinks, recommending the barbecue. Unfortunately the food wasn't completely up to par. You get what you pay for. Cheap and decent portion size meals Don't look for a vegetable here. This place is more about the comfort food. Cheesesteak had a lot of meat with pickles on top and was good size. Fries were a little undercooked. Coleslaw was good and fresh. Grilled chicken salad had a funky tasting marinate on the grilled chicken. Lettuce is bag iceberg lettuce. Onions and tomatoes tossed in with American cheese slices. Would have eaten if the chicken didn't have such a funky feet smelling taste. read more

See all

My son and I were in town for the weekend and always look for nostalgic places like this. The food entrees were very bland. The reason I would come here is for the ice cream. Super portions piled high. we had a hard time finishing. Overall, nice people, decent food, great ice cream. read more

For a Happy Days blast from the past, or just a good old fashioned ice cream joint, check out the Ritz. It is always packed. I was there Friday evening and ordered a draft root beer from the window (it's that kind of place). Standing at the window and sipping on my root beer while waiting on my change took me back to the 1970's. If I were older, I have the feeling it could have taken me back even further. A woman I know who just retired last year told me that when she went to William Allen High School in the 1950's, she and her friends would head over to the Ritz for burgers, fries and shakes. Her memories are of sitting on the hood of a 1958 Chevy in a circle skirt. It's the kind of place to rekindle those memories. If you're in the Lehigh Valley for one of the auto or truck shows in Macungie or you're visiting the America On Wheels Museum in Allentown, swing by the Ritz Barbecue for the full experience. read more

Ritz Barbecue - Ritz Barbecue: Allentown Institution - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Allentown, Pennsylvania

I had pre-ordered Thanksgiving meals for take-out on Thanksgiving Day. Ordering was very easy. Pick-up was very easy. And the food was absolutely delicious! The generous portions allowed for a left-over feast the next day. The ease of ordering and pick-up combined with the delicious and abundant amount of food made for a perfect Thanksgiving meal...and there were no dishes to clean up afterward! Many thanks to everyone at the Ritz! Loved it! read more

The perfect summer stop for ice cream. I had the maple walnut, delicious and their own make. Also sampled the hot fudge sundae with nuts. Delicious! Servings were a good size, prices are reasonable and loads of parking. Cannot rate the other food this was a ice cream only stop. read more

See all

Was so looking forward to trying the food here ..... Son ordered a cheesesteak ( he said it was ok) I ordered a cheeseburger- dry roll , dry burger And we ordered a large fry ( would hate to see a small) If we ever go here again - it would be ice cream only - others say it is good ..... read more

Great chicken tenders and fries basket but the best part of the meal was the peanut butter Sundae.

Well.... there is nothing to brag about. We had a party of 8. Service was good. No issues with that. The food was nothing for us to come back. I don't know. Just nothing great. Wish I had more to say. read more