Ive been coming here every week for the last 3 months up from lancaster and everytime without fail have bin welcomed with the big smile and exuberant energy of Ques. she has consistently provided fantastical service and most definetly needs a raise. love you ques. -huddy read more

Hands down, this is the BEST Southern restaurant in the area... by far. Honestly, I don't even know where to begin. I'm from New York, and my sister moved to Pennsylvania, so she introduced me to this spot. Now every single time I visit her, I somehow end up right back here because the food is just that good. They used to have a second location that closed, but honestly, it doesn't even matter because this one was always my favorite, the food here is on another level. We always start with the Brussels sprouts, the fried green tomatoes, or the hush puppies. You simply cannot go wrong with any of them. The appetizers are always hot, fresh, and packed with flavor. And then there's the mac and cheese... absolutely to die for. Even the children's mac and cheese is ridiculously good. Creamy, cheesy, comforting, exactly how mac and cheese should be. Their salads deserve their own shoutout too. The goat cheese salad with pickled eggs is perfection, and the Caesar with cornbread croutons? Genius. It's the kind of detail you don't expect but end up craving every time you think about it. But of course, the real star of the entire place is the cornbread. Truly heavenly. They serve it warm, and the whipped butter melts right into it, it's honestly dangerous how good it is. I could eat the entire dish by myself without hesitation. The service is always great, quick, friendly, and welcoming. It's one of those places where the vibes feel just as good as the food tastes. On weekends, it does get packed, so making a reservation is probably a smart idea. All in all, I HIGHLY recommend this restaurant. The food, the atmosphere, the consistency, everything hits. I will always come back whenever I'm in the area, and yes... mostly because the cornbread is truly that good. read more

We had a 7:00 PM reservation and were not seated until almost an hour later. Completely unacceptable, especially during the Christmas season. Once seated, our server was the only bright spot of the night, he was amazing and clearly doing everything he could. Appetizers came out quickly and were good: the cornbread was delicious and the cauliflower app was solid. Then everything fell apart. We waited over an hour and fifteen minutes for our entrees, even though the restaurant had basically emptied out by then. When the food finally arrived, some dishes were cold and others were dried out from sitting under a heat lamp. For a place charging these prices, this is unacceptable. What made the experience worse was management's complete lack of accountability. The GM never came over to apologize, acknowledge the delay, or offer any form of compensation, nothing, despite us being patient, polite, and spending over $400. At that price point, basic service recovery should not be optional. This was a frustrating and disappointing experience from start to finish. There's clearly a reason reservations were easy to get during the height of the Christmas season. We will not be returning. read more

Great food, quick service, and easygoing setting. The cornbread was amazing! The butter on top was sweet and delicious. I tried the fried chicken sandwich, it was very good but I kinda regret not getting the jambalaya or shrimp and grits. If I'm ever back in the area, I know a great place to eat! read more

I visit New Orleans regularly and the Bayou always hits the spot when I am craving the Louisiana feel. Service is always great. The food is as good as you're going to get outside of Louisiana. read more

How have not been here yet?? Stopped in for lunch on a random Tuesday. The place was open all to me and a cute older couple at the bar. I had one of the most unique and yummy Cubans I've ever had. It was huge and the sauce was amazing. The bread was perfect and the bit of N'arlens flair was evident and perfect! The fries were great too and the service was spot on. I'll be back with friends when I can put a proper dent into their menu. read more

The Bayou - Bayou Cuban - New American Near Me - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

We waited almost an hour for our food. After 30 minutes or so, our waitress told us that the kitchen was "backed up" but offered nothing to make it up to us. (She should have brought us something to nibble on, offered free drinks, etc.) Eventually the food began to arrive one dish at a time, so I had to sit and watch my dining companion eat while I waited for my food. She complained several times with no reaction from the staff. I asked to speak to the manager but was told he was unavailable. Finally -- and only after being specifically prompted -- our waitress agreed to comp us on dessert, and discounted the bill by five dollars. When something goes wrong, a server should offer to make things right immediately, rather than acting like it's of no consequence. The food was good but the indifference of the staff ruined the experience. read more

My wife and I wound up a Bayou because our first two choices were closed due to the new year holiday. This was our first time here. We were greeted quickly and were seated immediately. The atmosphere is very cozy and has that southern feel as the name implies. Our waitress (Ques) was absolutely fabulous! She gave us suggestions on menu items and took our drink orders. I had a blue Bayou (delish) and my wife had the voodoo juice (also wonderful). Our appetizer was fried green tomatoes that were amazing. The two entrees were crispy catfish for myself and the spare ribs for the wife. Sides were collard greens, dirty rice, corn bread and hoppin John's. I have to say, everything came out in a timely manner and was absolutely awesome! We couldn't say enough how glad we were to wind up here by chance. Ques is by far, one of the best servers we've met. Instead of telling you how good the food and service is, try it for yourself and hopefully you will agree that this is a great place. One regret! I didn't try the Hushpuppies!! I'll be back for them. Thank you Bayou and a bigger thank you to Ques for making a great place even better. read more

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Oh my! Delicious! We shared the Fried Catfish with Collard greens with maple and rice. The catfish was cooked perfectly. The greens were delicious, with lots of flavor. The rice was good, a little spice for me, but he didn't think it was spicy at all. We ordered a side of the Brussels Spouts, absolutely delicious! Also, ordered a side of the cornbread, the best I've ever had. Cute little place, off the beaten path. They were kind enough to lower the radio. The waitress was friendly and attentive. If I didn't live 1.5 hours away, I definitely would be visiting a lot. We rated it a 5 star which we don't give out that much! read more

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Love this spot, which is one of the only restaurants in Bethlehem open on Mondays. It's a lifesaver for business meals on Monday evenings! The food, also, is phenomenal. The hushpuppies and the crab beignets are outstanding appetizers, and I always go for the salmon entree. It's always good, but lately the salmon has been truly perfectly cooked. So delicate and flaky, and the seasoning and sauce has been unreal. The only reason I can't give five stars is because of how hard it is to bring vegetarians or (even harder) vegans here. I know that that's not the specialty here, but in 2025 having at least one or two options for vegetarians and vegans is pretty standard. Almost everything here (including the desserts) is cooked with pork or pork fat. You can go a ways by substituting sides, but adding one vegan entree would make the restaurant accessible to a much wider group of people. We're so lucky to have this spot in Bethlehem... can't wait to be back! read more

Overpriced and I got chicken it was dry Service was good and ambience The one in Easton was better so sad it closed read more

We both enjoyed the jambalaya! It was very good. and the portion was large. We both ended up taking more than half of our plate home. The waitress was extremely nice. It was crowded on a Thursday night, but not loud.. read more

The atmosphere inside was decent looks like a great happy hour spot. I ordered the crispy catfish a waffle for my kid and Nashville hot chicken Mac n cheese. The catfish was good came out piping hot, the greens had a bit of a bite along with a sweet and spicy hit at the end. The rice was very bland, kind of mush and a bit very cold compared to the rest. The waffle was fluffy and had good flavor without syrup. The Mac and cheese was underwhelming, probably bc of what I was expecting vs what I got. Wasn't terrible experience as I would go again and try other items. Wait staff very friendly and welcoming and not a long wait time for a Saturday around lunchtime. Price point I guess is standard, the fish plate was about $30 and the total bill for all the above items was about $60. read more

I'll start by saying that the ambiance and vibe of The Bayou was wonderful. I ate at the bar around 5:00 and it wasn't busy yet. The bartender and wait staff were great. I ordered the shrimp po' boy with fries and the po' boy was really disappointing. It seemed as though they had run out of shrimp in the kitchen. As pictured, there was a sparsely arranged single layer of small shrimp on the bread. I probably got a sample of shrimp in about every other bite I took of the sandwich. And the shrimp were so over cooked that they had the pull of beef jerky. The sub roll that was used in the sandwich was great though! The fries served with the po' boy were delicious! read more

The Bayou - New American Near Me - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

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The food, drinks and service were perfect. We enjoyed the fried green tomatoes with bacon jam, outstanding . I had the shrimp po boy on garlic bread, fantastic. My friend enjoyed a monster size Nashville hot chicken sandwich, delicious. So much food we had to take half home. Try the voodoo punch, while feeling like your New Orleans. Love this place read more

Delicious meal again last night at The Bayou. Our kids enjoyed delicious mac n cheese and apple slices (could be more apple). I enjoyed the Nashville hot chicken sandwich with deliciously seasoned fries and the sweet mash casserole was devoured by all of us. My Hubby enjoyed his jambalaya and i enjoyed the bites he shared with me. Our waitress was happy to offer suggestions and was running her butt off all night. Can't wait to come back!! read more

The Bayou - New American Near Me - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

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Stopped back again during our annual exploration trip to Allentown and Bethlehem and Bayou is always on our list for great eats. With a dog we love that we can sit in a covered cool outdoor area to enjoy the delicious food. The staff was so enamored with our dog that it made it like coming home again. For this trip around, we decided to focus on appetizers and drinks and these are some of our staples. The fried green tomatoes are always 100% outrageous the white wine clams again 100% outrageous every time this time we tried something new the cast iron pierogies and I'm glad we did. It was so tasty and everything is so beautifully plated . For our beverages, my wife ordered the best drink ever the jalapeño margarita if I wasn't driving a long trip home I certainly could've put two down myself, but I would've been down on the ground and out for the count so she enjoyed that I had a beer and there were so many beer options to choose from it's great that they offer tastings. Be sure to see our scrumptious food photos and don't blame me if you drool on your iPhone while you're looking at this in read more

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Service is friendly and knowledgeable. Food was delicious and true to the region the restaurant is named after. I think that Michael needs paid time off to go to New Orleans for research purposes. read more

The bayou used to be one of my favorite spots in the Valley a few years back. In the present, I can't say the same. As a lot of the old favorites are still on the menu, the attention to detail that was once a standard at this restaurant has gone by the wayside. Whether it's been burnt fried chicken, sloppily made sandwiches, or just not feeling the food is getting the same love it used to, the place just isn't the same anymore. At one time I would say this was a top 5 restaurant the Valley had to offer, I haven't been able to say that for a few years now. read more

The food and service were AMAZING! We stopped in for a quick bite to eat and were not prepared for the amazing taste and portion. 10/10 would recommend. Legitimate New Orleans flavors with a great experience read more

It's so hard to find great places to eat quality food...food that is well thought out, and catered to perfection. I truly enjoyed this place. The fried chicken was moist and tender. I am not a fan of yams, but I loved these yams! They were smooth with not too much sugar. The gumbo was perfect!! Not too spicy, the right amount of meat, and the flavor was out of this world. Well done chef, well done! We will Be back. Oh, and our server was amazing!! And so was the bartender. read more

We celebrated my Aunts birthday here, and the service was wonderful. It's a large bar in the center of the restaurant, but plenty of seating at tables around it. Parking across the street is convenient. The food was delicious!! Not quite like New Orleans cuisine, but delicious in its own style. I loved my chicken and waffles. The drinks cocktails were good. My family were all happy with their meals and loved this venue. read more

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I've been to The Bayou once before and had a great experience. The food was delicious, and I was looking forward to coming back to try more of the menu. Unfortunately, today's visit was a letdown from start to finish. We arrived, ordered quickly, and were excited for another good meal. It took quite a while for our appetizer to come out, but we didn't think much of it... until we noticed another table that had been there before us still waiting for their entrees. They looked understandably frustrated, and we overheard the server apologizing and mentioning they'd be comped for some of their items. After we finished our appetizer, our server said our entrees would be "right out." Fifteen minutes later--nothing. In that time, a party of five who arrived after us had already received both their appetizers and all their entrees. We checked in again and were told it'd be "another minute," but after several more minutes of waiting with no food or updates (about an hour and twenty minutes after we first ordered), we gave up and asked for the check on just what we'd received. A different server brought the check and apologized but didn't offer to comp anything (not even a drink), which felt like a real miss in basic customer service. We waited again for our server to come by and take our card but after a few minutes without her coming by, the other server said she would just take care of it. The whole thing just left a bad taste, which is a shame because the appetizer was tasty. What made it even more disappointing was noticing a possible pattern... both our table and the other group who waited ages for their food were people of color, while the larger party that came after us and got their food promptly was not. I'm not making any accusations, but it's hard not to notice. Overall, the kitchen delays happen, but the lack of communication, empathy, and simple gestures of goodwill turned what could've been a forgivable hiccup into a frustrating experience. Sadly, it's enough that we won't be returning despite how much we enjoyed the food the first time. read more

We went on friday with 5 people and we had to sit at the bar because there were reservations all night! Good food and vibes. Recommend you get there for happy hour and try the apple pie mule and the old bay shrimp! The other food was fine- nothing too special. I would go back and try other things! read more

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Came here for lunch and a date . Getting the jambalaya and buttermilk fried chicken. Definitely will come back read more

The Bayou - The Blue Bayou! 4-5-25 - New American Near Me - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Been to the restaurant twice. Food is good and consistent. Service is just at minimum. The staff tend to be more attentive to their friends and regulars. Ambiance can be loud. read more

Love this place been a couple times! Service is fantastic and the food is amazing. Especially the cornbread.

The staff has a great attitude by are completely overwhelmed and unavailable for customers. Food took an hour before being served. My wife' had chicken which was warm and I had a burger which was cold. Her fries were hot and mine were not. Drinks were good but service was slow, needed another wait staff for efficiency. They did replace by burger since it was cold. The staff was apologetic and were hustling. The burger, the second time, was great and so were the fries but couldn't give a better review. Almost a 3 star, have had better meal and service there before. read more

When in Bethlehem go to the Bayou. It doesn't disappoint. Maybe the only thing that could've made this better would have been to sit outside. But, it was just a bit chilly for that. There is outdoor seating. It's so happened we stumbled in on "Chicken & waffle Wednesday". Lucky us! Being as this chicken was one of their recommended meals of course that's the direction we went. There's a menu I attached for this special Wednesday offering. You'll see a few options on there. Had to go with the "Nashville" hot waffle. Absolutely outstanding! Hot but not super hot. Amount of chicken on the sandwich was huge. Too much to eat for one sitting. The waffle at the base was delicious. The chicken is nicely coated with a jalapeño thousand island dressing combo. Sweeeet! read more

The Bayou - chicken and waffle Wednesday special. Nashville hot. - New American Near Me - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Great homestyle cooking and comfort food. The cornbread and buttermilk fried chicken are fabulous and make the hour drive trip worth it! Service also very good. read more

Fantastic food and drinks at the Bayou! The gumbo was delicious, lists of meat and flavor. Catfish was crispy and served with tasty sides. Our daughters chicken with waffles came out a bit later than the other food but it was amazing and huge twice large pieces of large boneless chicken thighs and a big waffle. Would recommend requesting the syrup be put on the side. Our waitress was attentive and took off the waffle dish from our check without us even complaining about the delay. read more

The Bayou - Happy hour menu - New American Near Me - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Probably my wife and I's 25th time eating there , always great food except this time really bad. Sat at the bar for a late lunch / early dinner around 3:30 4:00 range Friday Jan 2nd... 2026 all I can assume is one of the owners and his children came in his kids sat at the bar 3 young kids running all over the restaurant yelling , running behind the bar to the point the poor bartender had to ask them to keep it down they also were running around in the kitchen as our food was being prepared. Such a shame when you're used to a great meal and great atmosphere and this is happens it used to be a great place ... We will not be back unfortunately. read more

Went on a Saturday. Needed a reservation very busy. Sat at bar instead. Food was fabulous. Fried green tomatoes app was tasty and addicting The catfish was perfectly cooked and crispy and not dry. The flavor was very good. Enjoyed the meal and will come back. Drinks were tasty and well balanced, Wonderful vibe great place to come I'll be back read more

In town for business. I am from South Carolina and was a bit skeptical about southern food in Allentown, PA.... Boy was I wrong. This place is awesome. Everyone at the table really enjoyed the food. I had the Jambalaya and it was every bit as good or better than what I've had in NOLA. This will be a go to place when I return! read more

STILL so yummy!! Came back after nearly 5 years and STILL so delicious! I don't know why I've stayed away so long. Got the sharable Crab Cake, Chicken and Waffles, Catfish PoBoy, and of course, the Beignets. It's pricier than I remember but inflation. And the service was sparce. But the food: AMAZING! read more

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My husband and I are here for the weekend visiting my best friend, we stumbled upon this place and decided to order and it was fantastic. We literally feel into a sleep coma after because the food was that good. Definitely come to this place or order food definitely recommend. read more

I visited on July 13 for dinner. Service was slow. They were out of many things. Wanted fried green tomatoes . Then I said I would have Brussels Sprouts. They were out of them also. Drinks were weak. I usually enjoy coming to this restaurant but not this time. read more

Food was great, decor was inviting, staff was super! Had a burger and shrimp tacos. We will be back. :)

Fried green tomatoes, buttermilk fried chicken to die for. I would love to write a long review but, for a place like this everything on the menu is a winner. Stop in and eat everything on the menu. LOVE THIS JOINT read more

Bacon jam on the fried green tomatoes! So good but could have been hotter. Pirogies with crab and lobster sauce, amazing. French onion soup delicious! Husband had Nashville hot chicken. Too spicy for me! Salad, hamburger and brisket po boy for the rest of us! Tory was a great server! Thanks for the great meal!! read more