Where do I even begin... I was born down south and thought I knew Southern cooking until I walked into The Bayou! We started lunch with cornbread, I've never had cornbread so good in all my life! We also ordered the house made Pierogis. If you've ever been to a Polish church fundraiser where Grandma Kaminski is hand making Great Gramma's Pierogis, you won't be disappointed! If you've never had Pierogis well, sit down and enjoy the ride! My main dish was catfish cooked to perfection, who knew catfish could taste so good? That's not the end though, the catfish was accompanied by collard greens. I know, I grew up down south and though I knew what good collard greens were.... Well, I don't know what I've been eating all my life because these collard greens at The Bayou eclipse everything I've ever had! I won't bother trying to describe it just stop whatever you're doing and go get some now! Bottom line, if you enjoy friendly service, in a warm inviting atmosphere and Southern cooking, look no farther! read more

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So sad we found this place right before we move out of the area--easily some of the best food we've ever had! Dining room is cute, and there's a gorgeous little patio area in the back that's well shaded and has fans to keep cool. Food is delicious and perfectly southern. A friend with a sensitive stomach joined us and was nervous to get anything fried. She ended up taking a risk and getting the shrimp po boy, & she said it was amazing without leaving her feeling gross or being greasy. I'm sure we'll end up craving this enough after moving that we'll be back! read more

Excellent service and food delicious and perfectly prepared. Relaxing casual atmosphere.A definite go to place

This score should be a 4.5. There are times when the food is excellent and other times it's just very good. The ambiance and menu options reflect the Cajun lifestyle you'd expect from a place called the Bayou. Drink options and staff are above average although the price for quality is average. Check out both locations, since they offer a slightly different experience. read more

Excellent service, excellent food! Definitely will return in I'm in the area - the flavor was fantastic and the portions were generous

Absolutely love The Bayou! They have a great selection of NOLA style food anywhere from snacks, small plates, desserts and cocktails. We had brisket po' boy, peach salad, chicken thighs, fried green tomatoes, and beignets (all delicious). The food and drinks were great, but what really made the experience extraordinary was our waitress. She was very knowledgeable about what was on the menu, gave tips on what to try, and was so friendly! Will definitely be back! read more

The Bayou - New American Near Me - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

I had an issue with doordash delivering the wrong order to my house. I called Bayou, and the person on the phone was more than helpful and accommodating in making sure my order got to my house ASAP. My correct order ended up coming within the next 15 minutes, with my food still being warm and delicious! The Nashville Hot Chicken is incredible! read more

These people don't know what real Cajun food is!!! The gumbo was thick and scorched. Ordered the braised beef rib and is was about 2 oz. worth of meat!!! The collard greens that they stacked on top of it were tough from being unde undercooked, with bits of apple, and just straight up nasty. To top it off, this place is way overpriced. read more

Great service and food. Highly recommend the mac and cheese although it's way more than one portions worth. Definitely make reservations on busy nights! read more

The Bayou - Mac and cheese! - New American Near Me - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

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Service was good, and by far the best fried chicken I'd ever had! Also amazing bread and butter pickles!

Great food, better service, nice ambiance. Check them out you will leave, full & with a big smile

Started reviewing this restaurant by mistake, so I'm just going to leave a five-star rating here because I've never been to the place. I'm sure it's pretty nice though read more

3rd visit to the bayou, and assuredly my last . With ownership now expanding to 4 valley eateries, we visited the bayou last saturday at approx 1pm. The potatoe salad served with my sandwich was pungent and in process of spoiling. Both my dinner companions had dishes containing shrimp and informed me the next day, both felt sick and spent several quick trips to the bathroom. Sent a message on company website the next day and not even a reply. Complacency, will kill a bussiness! read more

A great northern version of some New Orleans/ southern dishes. I came here with a group of friends so we tried a lot of the dishes. Must orders: collard greens, mac and cheese, fried chicken, peanut butter chocolate mousse dessert. Skip: fried green tomatoes, dirty rice, sweet potatoes, beignets. The location (with ample parking) is excellent. The service is good. Overall, a good fix for a craving of some comfort food. read more

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Local place; my family eats here often. Can't go wrong with the shrimp and grits. Also the burger (before they changed the menu) was one of my faves.... but I've never had anything I wanted to send back. I enjoy the full flavor seasoning and occasional spice. I also enjoy the eclectic and creative bar menu options. All in all a good place for nibbles and drinks or a full family meal. read more

Best restaurant in the Lehigh Valley with a Southern feel! I love the warm, comfortable atmosphere every time I come in. Please get the mac and cheese, it is AMAZING. The bread used for many of the dishes is very airy and pretty basic. Other than that, the dishes include a great amount of flavor and taste. read more

The Bayou - New American Near Me - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Some of the best fried chicken you'll find ever!!! The potion size is massive, enough for three people easily, I think they give ya over half a chicken! Cocktails were delicious and fun, gumbo is also really good. My husband had the fried chicken and waffles and he loved the pickled fruit, we never would have thought of that! Worth the visit for sure!! read more

We were looking for a place close to the casino that was off the beaten path and boy did we hit the jackpot! I'll be honest because we really weren't sure where exactly this place was but we based our decision on the star rating and the fact that they had collards and fried oysters on the same menu. Mary was our server and the service was exceptional. They have a full bar and a more than decent selection of draft brews! Bravo. We now have another reason to travel back to Bethlehem. (We had the crab cake, fried oysters, collards, brussells sprouts and an order of fries) read more

Stopped by The Bayou for lunch during our stay at the Historic Hotel Bethlehem. From the outside you wouldn't expect much especially being in the sketch neighborhood that it is, however the inside is cozy and has a lot of character. My BF loves Southern food, but since I don't eat pork we were kind of limited on traditional Southern food options. We tried the Bayou Cornbread, Fried Green Tomatoes, NOLA Shrimp for our appetizer and then split a Shrimp Po Boy for our entree. My favorite was the friend green tomatoes, definitely the best I've had, so crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside, and the remoulade added such great flavor. The Shrimp Po Boy was also pretty good, I liked how crunchy the shrimp were but was expecting more flavor and shrimp, plus the fries were meh soggy and under seasoned. Service was alright, the bartender/server at the table behind us seemed to be a lot more enthusiastic while ours was kind of blah. ALSO, not sure why they were only seating in one section of the restaurant. Tables were literally elbow to elbow making it difficult for the staff to pass through without rubbing their butt on the table each time. Also, being in such close proximity to every table you could hear EVERY single conversation around you. Personally, it could just be that I'm not a fan of Southern food, but this place was so-so for me. Wish I saw peel and eat shrimp or more vodka based cocktails on the menu. read more

My Sons favorite restaurant in Town, I actually like it too, 3rd time there I think. Fairly priced and generous drinks, but this trip I needed to comment. I think the Jambalya at $30 is the higher end item on their menu, and for a cajun restaurant, it should be THE flagship item. It isn't. Portion was way disappointing, 6 shrimp, 4 pieces of Andouille sausage, and maybe 8 pieces of sugar cube size chicken with minimum sauce. I know how much shrimp, sausage, and chicken I could buy for $30, and would never make 10 servings out of it like they do. I felt cheated getting a bowl of rice with a few items in it, and knew they could do better. They were busy and food service was slow but I didn't care. Wait staff was very nice. Crabmeat pierogies are a definite, so are the green tomato apps. Grab those dessert-muffin-bun things too. Do better OK?, and Yes, I will be back. But NOT for the Jambalaya (unless I see someone elses first!) read more

Ate lunch here today and loved it!! Pear burrata salad... just yes!! Fried oysters ... delectable! Burger with fries... perfection! Service by Eli was right on. Prices are so fair. Can't wait to motor through town again. read more

Absolutely loved this place. Not from the area, went for a quick dinner before a show at the steel stacks. Great food. Fried green tomatoes were awesome. Collard greens were on point. Jalapeño margaritas were tart and cold and spicy. Friendly service, and the manager came by just to check in and make sure everything was good. Being in the business I love that, it's just a small thing that shows they care about your experience. Definitely recommend, and will definitely go back. read more

Food takes forever. Terrible service on a Friday night. Server didn't clear appetizer plates for over and hour and we had to ask for drink refills. For the price and hype they really need to re-evaluate their management and staff. read more

The Bayou (Bethlehem) is a cute place to dine with friends, family or colleagues. The service was friendly and the food was prepared within a timely fashion. The food was decent my first visit I had the fried chicken and waffles which was "okay". Upon my second visit, it was a work function and we ordered tons of dishes to share. I must admit for the second visit the food was much better. Overall, The Bayou is worth a try, they offer large portions for that value. read more

Why would they even offer Grubhub ordering and delivery when they're going to cancel the order? Too busy at 4:30pm? The food is good but worth about 75% of what they charge and is so far off base from real Cajun food. Long time customer no more... read more

I LOVE THIS RESTAURANT.. Chicken and Waffles! Nashville Hot!! Hush puppies! Last year, I gave up Bayou for Lent. Seriously... it was a tough time... read more

Best soul food! Highly recommend. Staff very friendly. Will definitely be coming back

Always good quality food and fantastic service! Love the Bayou vibe and highly recommend for any time of the day. read more

The Bayou - Pear and Arugula salad!! Sooo delicious - New American Near Me - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

I really wanted this place to be good, because I was missing some good NOLA food, but I was disappointed. I lived many years in NOLA and the South, and this isn't Southern cooking. They deep fried the green tomatoes and the catfish? These should be pan fried with at least 50% corn meal...and they didn't flour either as all of the crust just fell off. The gumbo was hideous...so much spice that it covered up the real purpose of the meat and other components, it reminded me more of Mobile gumbo than NOLA gumbo. And to top it off the collard greens were sweet...like your trying to entice your kids to eat their vegetables by adding sugar. Collard greens should be cooked with vinegar, and should be acidic to taste. read more

Very Loud, greasy food and overpriced for what it is. Used to be better a few years ago. They've overextended themselves by opening more restaurants. read more

Best fried chicken...period. Authentic Louisiana cuisine, but what's most glaring is the passion. The passion in the food, the service, and experience. Highly recommend for a full meal or light plates and drinks with friends. read more

Always great gumbo and Mac n cheese! Love coming here to the Bethlehem or the one in downtown Easton location....

Ordered the Jambalaya. It was a bowl of jar gravy with a shrimp tail, one piece of sausage undercooked rice. Worst meal I've ever been served. read more

Gumbo was marginal at best. I lived in Louisiana. Bayou's version was not fit for a dog.

Everything I ordered was delicious! The pulled brisket is delicious, also had a side of Brussel sprouts, I couldn't eat e ought of them! Will definitely be returning read more

One word "Excellent" service, food, quality, and quantity! I will definitely recommend and be back!! read more

This is an amazingly delicious place! Service is great, food is just so pleasentful, great music and prices are ok, you are paying for quality and quantiy. I ordered the Jalapeño Grits, BBQ smoked Ribs and the Brown Sugar Beignets for dessert and left with the Buttermilk Fried Chicken on my mind, so definetely I am going back before leaving to Tijuana. Jalapeño Aged Cheddar Cheese Grits is addictive, just the right amount of ingredients. I was eagered to lick the bowl but I calmed myself do to etiquette standards. Smoked BBQ Ribs where really good, they are two in the plate but believe me, they are meaty, I was full already with the first one, but I had to finish in order to deserve my dessert. I am ok with sweet BBQ sauce, so if you don't, consider that before ordering them. I have been curious about Beignets ever since I watched Chef the Movie. I don't know if this is the original New Orleans OG recipe but they where delicious. Eat them while they're hot since I could only eat two out of four and the remaining two I took them back to the hotel, I guess I could have used the microwave for the second round but would have missed that slightly crunchyness, so if you have an electric oven I guess it would be ok if you reheat them for about 45 seconds to one minute. Don't forget to make your reservation before getting there since the place takes just minutes to get packed. read more

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The food was amazing! When you have grown up eating good southern food it's hard to find a good restaurants like this one. Greens, red beans and cornbread were the best. Service was great too! read more

The bayou vibe is live in the air! Love the jazz music. Arriving an hour before closing was the mistake, and I'm blaming for why the fried chicken was burned and the gumbo watered down. Don't think we'll go back. read more

Best fried chicken I have ever had to date and the Mac and cheese is amazing. Keep up the good work.