Second time in and absolutely loved. Such a variety of southern style food and fun different kinds of drinks. A bunch I different beers on tap and nice wine list. Can't wait for the patio area to open up. There is usually a wait so please be patient, it's so worth it. Great job Cristian and Mo! read more

The Bayou - Gumbo! - New American Near Me - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

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

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

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

The Lehigh Valley dining scene has been experiencing a long-overdue renaissance in the past 12 months, and Bayou, in my opinion, is one of the more exciting additions. Their menu is perfect. Bayou is one of those places that you want to order one of everything. It's the type of menu that gives you snack and small plate options, in addition to affordable sandwiches and entrees. Nothing on the menu was over $18. Perfect for the Lehigh Valley. To be honest, I will be going back often until I've tried everything on the current menu. As for the food, I was blown away. Nothing but praise for the chef and kitchen staff. Very memorable meal. The owner's have done nothing short of a perfect job with the establishment. It's apparent that they definitely "get it". The cocktails were great to see as well. Again, I hate to keep bashing on the Lehigh Valley, but there just aren't many places around to get quality craft cocktails. (And by craft cocktail, no I do not mean "pomegranate martini!") My only caveat would be the entrance/waiting area. When they're busy, there's nowhere for waiting patrons to stand, and you wind up with a group of people standing in the way in the middle of the restaurant. *SIDE NOTE: Some of the negative Yelp reviews I've seen for Bayou shows how this area just doesn't understand the type of popular restaurant you'd find in a highly populated urban area such as NYC or Boston. If you want subpar pub food and stale beer with more TVs to watch your sports, there are an endless plethora of garbage joints throughout the greater LV. I haven't written a Yelp review in 2 years, but felt it necessary to counter some of those 1 and 2-star reviews from clueless, uninitiated Yelpers. 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

Horrible food, great ambiance I can't imagine anyone other than Freind and family posing more than 2 stars or perhaps someone who could not possibly know what decent food would be. The food was short of flavorless... No seasoning let alone any typical seasoning that you would find in the area... We had a poorly put together chicken sandwich that barely had any meat on it, but it sure did have plenty of Cole slaw on it... The Mac and cheese was amazing if you like bacon bits and a watery velvita sauce... I don't want to know what was going on in that kitchen... Don't forget to try the fried Clam sandwich also cause that was no exception to the experience.... Clams tasted more like batter and clam sauce from a can plopped on to a bed of, yep you can guess it, Cole slaw... Our neighbors got up and left after trying their appetizers now that I think about it maybe we should have also... You guys could do better than pay 10 bucks for a Cole slaw sandwich with some bits of toppings... read more

As a recently transplanted southerner (I grew up in Georgia and South Carolina), I am always excited to find restaurants that specialize in the cuisines of the South (southern/new south/cajun/creole/low country etc...) The Bayou, which purports to be a Southern kitchen, but takes it name from a geographical feature most commonly associated with Louisiana, fails, for the most part to provide the flavors of either southern or Cajun cuisines. Pros: The Service - our waitress was friendly and attentive without being intrusive. My partner and I did not have a particularly complicated order, but everything arrived as ordered, with the courses evenly spaced, and the dishes promptly removed when we were finished. She was in many ways the perfect waitress. The Drinks - I ordered the Maple Whiskey Sour. I do not typically like dark liquors, but I loved my drink. This was probably because there was almost no liquor in the drink. I don't like a heavy pour, and so enjoyed the drink, however, for a place building a reputation for its bar, this was a surprise. The Food - The Blackened Catfish with the Trinity Ragout was good. The fish was truly blackened and the Trinity Ragout (a mixture of green peppers and celery) was surprisingly flavorful, although not actually a ragout (it seemed more like a cornless maque choux). Cons: The Service: We made a dinner reservation. When we arrived, we were told it would be a 15-20 minute wait. We moved directly behind the hostess to wait. She turned around and saw that the table we were standing in front of us was open and said "Sorry, I didn't see that table." As my name was the only one in the book for the time frame, it seems that The Bayou (or the hostess), which recently started taking reservations for fewer than six, doesn't have an efficient system for seating reservations. The Drinks - My partner ordered a Manhattan. The Manhattan was red. As with my drink, this was probably due to the whiskey to grenadine ratio. Again, for a place with a reputation for its bar, the use of Rose's Grenadine as opposed to Cherry Bitters is a surprise. In general, the drinks here have more of a chain restaurant feel (light pours, wine glasses with pour marks, etc...) than that of a real bar. The Food - The Black-eyed peas were both salty and bland. Perhaps, they would work better as bar food in place of peanuts, but as an appetizer they just don't work. Black-eyed peas can be delicious, if prepared well, but frying doesn't do anything to bring out the flavor of peas. Southerners will fry anything...except for peas, and there is a reason for that. The only affect they had on my pallet was to make me thirsty. Gumbo - the Gumbo did have a nice thick roux but, like the B.E.P.'s, lacked flavor. A spicier Andouille probably would have made this better and more authentic. (Two River's In Easton has an excellent Gumbo if you are a fan) Fried Chicken -The fried chicken was fine, but not particularly noteworthy. It is served with mashed sweet potatoes which were probably the most disappointing thing we ate. While the other items lacked a flavor component necessary to make the dish outstanding, these had no real flavor at all. In short, as a new restaurant in the LV with a unique concept (for the area), The Bayou is enjoying a good amount of buzz. However, If you are looking for authentic Cajun food, you will not get it here (but you really won't get it anywhere in the area) . If you want Southern cuisine, there are better options in the general area (Fat Daddy's, a totally different but much better option, comes to mind). If you are looking for a good cocktail, there are quite a few options in the area, most notably The Bookstore: a place where your drink won't come in a mason jar but will be crafted with more artistry (if that matters to you) and will contain significantly more alcohol. read more

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

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

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

I wish I could give zero stars. If negative stars were an option, this place would be at negative one million. I never, EVER have felt discriminated against before in my life. Can you guess when the first time was? Here, at this establishment. Ironic -- guess they decided to leave the Southern hospitality down in the real bayou. Walked in with a group of friends after a long motorcycle ride from Philadelphia. We are a group of educated and employed individuals (from firefighters to regional retail managers to entrepreneurs to buyers in the fashion industry) -- no weird, rabble rousing motorcyclists here. Most of us were ladies, dressed well, normal, laid-back friendly people. (I normally wouldn't describe us because that shouldn't matter -- but in this scenario, I believe it does). Came in on a Sunday, around 3pm, to a mostly empty restaurant. Asked the hostess if we could get a table for 7 (large group, I totally understand if there's a wait to that). The restaurant was pretty empty, with a ton of outdoor seating, so we figured at the very least we could split two tables up. Anything really. We were just parched and hungry! The hostess, a young girl, who refused to look me in the eyes the whole time, had the most smug look on her face. She looks down at the ground with a slight smirk, and tells me: "Sorry, it's a three hour wait." At first it didn't even hit me. I think discrimination is so unfathomable that when it happens you don't believe it's even happening. My friends offered to sit at the bar, ANYTHING -- just to make it work so we could grab some grub. This girl, again, smug look, said, "I'm sorry, it's a three hour wait. We're VERY busy." At this point, my friend the firefighter, looked at us all and said "Come on guys, they clearly don't want us here because of how we look. Let's go." We start walking out... and my thoughts are running uncontrollably. Is this real life? Is this actually 2016? I turned around. My mother would be proud -- I wasn't going to let these people treat us so poorly without having said something. I calmly confronted the smug hostess and she couldn't give me any answers beyond their 3 hour wait. I finally asked to speak to the manager. Apparently, he had been sitting at the bar five feet away, the whole time. I confronted him and told him I thought they refused to seat us because we were on motorcycles. He couldn't give me an answer beyond saying they are an "extremely popular and busy restaurant" and that "the wait is 3 hours". To which I responded, "I'm sorry, where am I? This isn't NYC. This isn't a Friday or Saturday evening with a packed restaurant." "I'm sorry, we're just very VERY busy." "Clearly you are, with aaall your empty tables". That manager, that hostess... they are the ones going to bed at night knowing they treated people so poorly. People who are all wonderful individuals who contribute to their communities. I couldn't be more disappointed than I am in this establishment. I will 1) never return. Ever. 2) tell everyone I know about this. The one comforting factor? Reading all the one star reviews regarding the Bayou's poor, poor service. Glad to know I'm not alone in feeling treated like a piece of crap. Bless your hearts, Bayou. 'Cause y'all know what that really means. read more

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

LOVED it and we will definitely be back! Myself and my husband's favorite place in the US is New Orleans. This feels like they brought a lil bit of Nola to Bethlehem. The remodel turned out beautiful, the food is fantastic, and the service is incredibly friendly. This has quickly become one of our favorites ! Be sure to try the black eyed peas, gumbo, and pulled pork sandwich... They won't disappoint. Thank you very much for bringing such a cool, authentic place to the valley. See you again soon :) read more

The Bayou - Great birthday dinner! - New American Near Me - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

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

I'm going to preface this review with a disclaimer statement of "I am a born and bred jersey boy with no idea what real cajun food is supposed to taste like." First and foremost, this place has the ambiance you would expect in a restaurant straight out of NYC. Excellent attention to detail to ensure everywhere you look reminds you of what eating in a local New Orleans restaurant would be like... And not in a cheesy "hang a canoe on the wall and a Mardi gras beads" Applebee's sort of way, but in a very classy and upscale way that just makes you fall in love with it. The space isn't huge,but they make the most of the space they have and even have a gorgeous patio space that is perfect for summer evening dining. Now despite what my disclaimer says, I know what great food and great drinks taste like and this place has both. I was blown away by the food and drinks both time I visited here. The jalapeño margarita was awesome and had perfect amount of spicy kick and the apple barrel moonshine was incredibly delicious... It's like apple pie that you drink and then make poor life decisions! The food was also stellar... In the two times I've been there me and the people I was with got the buttermilk fried chicken, steamers, duck confit po'boy, mac &cheese, peanut butter mousse, and the brown sugar beignets and it was all awesome. AWESOME! That's coming from a Northerner so take it for what you will, but I can't wait to go back and hit this place up again. Also, the owner always seems to be there and I got a few minutes to talk to him and you can just tell he takes real pride in his business. read more

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

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

Tried this place today for lunch and I really like it! You can tell the owners are putting a lot of effort into making this a success! The restaurant looks great inside, they've done a good job with the decorating. They have tons of beer of tap, which will make it popular for happy hour and late night. I had the Mac n Cheese which was pretty good! I like the skillet- it's unique. If anything, I think the Mac n cheese could've used a little kick of cayenne or something to make it pop (but I'm partial to spicy foods). I also had the fries, they were delicious. Others with me had pulled pork, wings, and salmon and everyone loved their food! Can't wait to come back! p.s. Menu recommendation: add fried green tomatoes! They're a southern specialty and nobody else around here has them!? read more

If you have tattoos and long hair they will not serve you. We walked it and were told there was a 3hour wait and there were litterally 10 empty tables and 4 empty tables out side. I felt very discriminated against. I don't recommend this type of establishment of you like living in a progressive society read more

The Bayou - New American Near Me - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

When you first walk into The Bayou, you are welcomed with a new decor that has a rustic, southern feel. There are great drafts for craft beer lovers and even more curious mason jar drinks for those who prefer mixed drinks. Overall, the bar offers a welcome and intimate setting for meeting a friend or date. The food was a tad disappointing. Not great for the cost. read more

Go Because: 1) Food is good, really good! They do an exceptional job of offering dishes that you will not find anywhere else in the Lehigh Valley. Period. For those reviewers that suggest it doesn't have the true zing of New Orleans cuisine, I would suggest that you have to provide a menu and taste that will appeal to repeat local customers, rather than tourists who will gorge themselves on food too spicy for their bodies to handle (resulting in that "I'm never eating like that again" feeling). 2) The atmosphere is fun, but busy. 3) The staff is incredible! Friendly, accommodating, and helpful. 4) Parking. Yes, I said parking. Convenient and ample. Know when going: 1) Space is small and on the loud side. Not for intimate moments. 2) Not a place to take someone that needs "Something plain" to eat, they will not appreciate the cuisine. 3) Meal with Kids? - At 8pm on a weekend there was not a patron under 20. For us on a date night without our kids this was pleasant. Probably different early in the evening but if you're one of those parents that likes to take your little ones out to eat after many of their peers are in bed, this might not be the place for that. Fitting my review of Bayou follows Scott's (since he told me we had to try it). It's always dangerous wanting to love a place on your first visit since it risks not meeting the expectations. Fortunately, Bayou met, and exceeded, them. While we appreciate the need for good restaurants to be busy (it's a sign of success), I think we secretly loathe it when you arrive on time and your table isn't ready and you can't find a spot at the bar. While this was the case last night, Bayou somehow maintains the laid back feel of the former establishment that resided there making the wait actually enjoyable. How? My opinion is that the well-lit and open (small) space lends itself to an atmosphere of cordiality that starts with one of the friendliest staffs I have seen in the Lehigh Valley. Not only were bartenders and servers great, but both managers visited our tables for more than the usual "How is your meal?" We did end up finding seats at the bar and our table, of course, was then available (only about 15 minutes after our original reservation). We had: Black Eyed Peas app - simply put, order this. Amazing! Hush Puppies - As others have said, a little too dry. Would love to see them step these up. Shrimp Po-Boy - Excellent! Hanger Steak - Amazing! Brown Sugar Beignets - Ok, how do I put this? If you are stuffed at the end of dinner, these are worth forcing down and/or taking home. If you have ever been to New Orleans think Cafe Du Monde with a brown sugar twist. Decadent and incredible. What we will definitely try next time because people were raving about it - fried chicken. We gave it a 5 because of the food, and because the atmosphere worked with the crowd that was there. What does that mean? As busy as it was one small group of loud idiots might have made the wait more taxing. read more

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

Incredible food, amazing drinks, welcoming staff. The atmosphere is warm and homey. Prices and servings are fair. It's honestly hard to pick my favorite thing on the menu, but if it's your first time there you have at least try their fried chicken. read more

Consistently great food and service. Variety of tasty dishes for every palate. Had an event here for 25 people and the management and staff were very accommodating and hospitable from start to end. Would recommend for dinner, date, drinks or a small party. Lots of parking too. read more

This place was buzzing on a Saturday night, and we had to sit at the bar, but we had a wonderful meal nonetheless. My husband ordered beer (they are definitely not a good value, at $8-9/beer) and I had a cocktail. My drink was just strong enough to be worth the money and not strong enough to make me woozy, plus it tasted lovely and light. We started out with the fried green tomatoes, which were drizzled with a spicy remoulade. They were crispy and delicious, though I wish they were slightly thicker cut so that more of the tangy tomato flavor came through. My husband raved about his beef cheeks, which could literally be cut with the side of a fork. I was slightly (only slightly) disappointed in my shrimp and grits. First of all, they did not de-head the shrimp, and if I pay $18 for something, I sort of don't want it to be looking at me. They also doused the grits in a brown sauce, which was a bit oversalted for my taste. But it was still delicious and my portion was much bigger than I expected. For dessert we tried the lemon pound cake, which was outstanding. I venture to say the cake itself was nearly flourless, and the richness was offset by a stringent raspberry vinegar and the crunch of almond bits. I highly recommend this place if you're willing to spend a little money on a great meal. My only complaint is the two giant TVs - the food is way better than the sports bar atmosphere suggests. read more

The food was horrible. I ordered a salmon and when it came out it tasted spoiled. It was my first time and first experience I've never gave it another chance because of that. I hear people talking about this place but my experience was bad read more

Drinks were nice and in mason jars, decent beer selection, the hush puppies were a nice app, but the buttermilk fried chicken stole the show! Finished it off with the peanut butter mousse, and WOW... Very nice atmosphere. Ate at the bar and the brunette bartender was cute. read more

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Best Cajun food in town! Love the atmosphere and great gumbo. The staffs are super friendly. Will be back here soon

We arrived at The Bayou thinking we had made a reservation through OpenTable but the restaurant didn't have it in their system . What could have been an unpleasant introduction to a new restaurant, ended up insuring our return and leaving us with a very positive first impression. The staff handled the mixup very well and even though the place was packed we were seated almost immediately. Everyone was extremely friendly....staff and patrons and there was a fun "Cheers" vibe. The food was very good and fairly priced. The cauliflower curry was wonderful and I wish there were more vegetarian options on the menu. There is an interesting selection of beers and my martini was perfect. This restaurant is clearly a labor of love. read more

Made it to the Bayou after hearing nothing but wonderful things about it for months. Was it good? Yes. Was it amazing? No. It has a very nice ambiance and we really enjoyed the back patio. I can see it being a great place for late night drinks as they had a fire pit, and have jazz on Friday nights. Our party ordered a variety of items including pulled pork, fried chicken, and a bunch of small plates. I heard it was the best fried chicken ever, mmm not so much. Yummy yes. Noteworthy, not exactly. Maybe I have just been spoiled with too much real southern food. I enjoyed the place and the food, but it was not the life changing experience I was expecting. read more

All I can say is YUM!!!!! That corn bread is crack! The food portions are great and so is the hospitality that comes with it! Every single dish my family ordered was delicious. To start off def try the curry cauliflower read more

Great Fried Chicken. Love the Cornbread. A bit nosey if you are trying to have a one on one conversation. The Ribs are very good. read more

Very good food and fun ambience. I got the Gulph crab bisque which was creamy and good. And the Brisket Po Boy. The sandwich was a little oily, but the meat was really good and tender. Fun place to hang out with the family and not worry about being too noisy! read more

The Bayou - Crab Bisque - New American Near Me - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

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Found this on Yelp. Looking for something near the casino. So glad we found this place. Started with the hush puppies. They were crispy on the outside but moist on the inside. The chimichurri sauce was a unique and delicious addition. Our meal was the chicken sandwich and the monte cristo sliders. Tasty, tasty, tasty. Well done on all the flavors. Service was prompt and very friendly. read more

I thought it would be good to update my review, as I've been back to the Bayou a few times. The food has gotten better. One or two things I really liked on their original menu are gone, but what is on the new menu is still very very tasty, and the desserts are HUGE and DELICIOUS. Also a great place for cocktails (great sazerac), and a good selection of beer. And again, they have ABITA so they win. Sat outside on the patio on a nice evening with a group of friends, and it was very pleasant. Looking forward to my next visit. They also have definitely worked out any kinks in their service they had when they first opened, so fifth star awarded. read more

BEST restaurant I have been to in a long while!!!! One day I was parked in the lot right by this place and the outside smelled delicious, like BBQ ribs!!! I immediately googled because it doesn't look like a restaurant from the outside. So I grabbed hubby and we went. It's pretty small. I was told to book a reservation 2 weeks in advance to get a table during prime time. They have a bar, few tables surrounding the bar, and a few tables which do look into the kitchen. Also have about 7 tables outside which as long as its not hot that's where you sit! It's quiet and a nice setting. They really should find a new location. Being that small it is VERY noisy! But the food will make you forget about loud patrons. The drinks are amazing. I am hooked on their jalapeño margarita. All drinks are served in the Ball glasses so it's kinda rustic. Portions are decent. Food is to die for! I am very fussy and I got their famous Mac n Cheese which has so much cheese, peas, and smoked pork in it. Flavor is exceptional! Hubby got the fried chicken platter which was excellent. It was crispy, not greasy at all, and chicken was moist and delish! Salads are great as well. As for dessert we get the Beignets and they are so good we haven't wanted to try anything else yet. You get 4 big ones and they come with a ton of 10X but also a cream dipping sauce that is so good. I often want to go by and grab some for take out!! Overall it is a fantastic place! It's hard to find a good restaurant anymore that cares about what they put on a plate consistently and this place does just that. I have been back 3 times and it's always been perfection! The only feedback I can give them is to get a bigger place so when I am eating I don't have to listen to 4 guys downing shots and getting loud! Don't hesitate to go here, it's clean, great service, and nice atmosphere! read more