Enjoyed Ty's Mac & Cheese as well as some Sweet Mashed potatoes. Couldn't get through dinner without Bourbon & Berries. Service was great. Fun crowd at the bar. read more

The Bayou - Nothing is better than a cold Bourbon & Berries, except maybe two of them. - New American Near Me - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

We came across the bayou while passing through the area. We had no idea what to expect but love NOLA cuisine. Everything was amazing! Just coming back from a huge hike locally, we did 5 small plates between the two of us - collards, BBQ shrimp, ribs, pork belly, and clams. The flavors were rich and intense, meats cooked perfectly, and service was super friendly. It was one of the most satisfying meals we both have had in a while. Locally sourced coffee to end it. Highly recommend! read more

The Bayou is that "something different" that I am always looking for. Their drinks are incredibly good...I haven't met one yet that I didn't like. I even had something with whiskey in it because I am a big peach fan and the waitress recommended it. Loved it! They are famous for their fried chicken, but I will urge you to venture beyond that, because their whole menu is amazing, and fried chicken is, well...fried chicken. The service is top-of-the-line here, and the ambiance is casual enough for friends and fancy enough for date night. read more

Meh food. Really loud inside. Ok prices. might try again if they noise dampen and food less intricate and better.

Came here for lunch with my dad and we were both pleasantly surprised that there was a place like this in The Valley. It was way too cold to sit outside but I'm sure it is gorgeous in the summer and perfect for outdoor drinks and food. There were a lot of people for lunch but only one waitress which is the main reason for the 3 stars. As a vegetarian I really didn't expect there to be too many vegetarian options at a place like this but surprisingly, they had quite a few vegetarian snacks. I should've known that "curry" really meant "curry" and I had basically ordered Indian food. BUT its okay. I ate it and the portions were a good size. We also ordered the mac and cheese which was good but didn't have much flavor. The spicy tomato sauce that came with the hush puppies was not spicy at all and honestly quite bland. So the reason for the three stars - I waited over 20 minutes for my iced-tea and our food took almost an hour. When I asked the waitress if the chef was able to do any vegetarian options, it took her 15 minutes to get back to us with an answer. Not her fault, but it would've been nice if there was someone else working with the lunch rush. No changing table in the bathroom (yes, I look for that now after the baby) and I can't say the food blew me away. This is actually a place that I would love to come for drinks and desserts - the decor is really nice and you can tell a lot of thought went into it. The beer selection and cocktails looked fantastic so I'll come back for that. read more

I was at this new spot March 17th and it was slammed with people due to it being St. Patty's despite it being so crowded we were seated quickly and once dinner and drinks were ordered our food was out within 20 minutes. Service was quick and good. Not sure what others are talking about on here but we ordered the hush puppies as an appetizer and they were fantastic!! Cooked perfectly and the side dipping sauce was a great touch. Also had the brisket po boy, I'm not usually one to order beef but I'm glad I did this was by far one of the best sandwiches I've had in a long time. Messy but definetly worth looking like a pig for!! My friend ordered the bayou burger which I did not try but her said it was excellent. Love the small atmosphere, friendly service. I work for a local hospital and I told probably close to 20 people the next day how good it was. Christian and Mo keep doing what you're doing. I'm looking forward to coming back read more

The Bayou is generally hyped as THE place in the Lehigh Valley for New-Orleans fare. However, it falls tragically short of expectations. I think Bayou suffers from an identity crisis. Is it trying to be an upscale sports/dive bar with an east coast facsimile of Louisiana cuisine or is it truly trying to showcase Southern comfort food while keeping a cosy, sports bar like atmosphere? The atmosphere is a little loud and not that comfortable really. The drink selection is mediocre and does not stand out. The appetizer menu has the usual southern food suspects. Dirty rice, collard greens, corn bread and such. The corn bread was delicious but the other items were pedestrian. In my three visits to Bayou, I have sampled quite a few of their small plates and entrees hoping for something spectacular but I was disappointed. The food is good, but not amazing. Yeah, ok, so I am being a trifle too hard. But when you can remember saliva flooding, Jumbalaya, flavor dripping po boys and dreamy fried chicken from New Orleans like I do, you cannot help but compare. The food at Bayou lacks soul and in my experience that is the primary component of soul food. I believe it lacks the final oomph, you know, that little extra flavor that would make you sit up and say "Now that IS a fried chicken!" or "Wow! That's good". For the Lehigh Valley, whose restaurant scene has exploded in the last 10 years, Bayou tries to stand out and just about makes it. I truly believe it will improve and one day I shall edit my review drunk with an unforgettable experience. read more

I have eaten here a half dozen times and had takeout another half dozen more. This is my favorite restaurant in the Lehigh Valley. I've never had a bad meal there, including the Bayou Mac-N-Cheese, glazed chicken thighs, johnny cakes, brisket po boy, fried chicken sandwich, smoked pork sandwich, salmon, Brussels Sprouts, corn bread and hush puppies(the latter two are best fresh at the restaurant). The beer menu is eclectic and good and people tell me their mixed drinks are also. The owners will check on your table if they are there. read more

We love the bayou. The pickles, the Po boy, the fried chicken and the drinks are my favorite. Highly recommend . Their other restaurants are good as well, but not as good as the original bayou.! read more

WATCH OUT FOR ADDED GRATUITY EVEN WITH A SMALLER PARTY The good: The restaurant offers really yummy comfort food, unique dishes, special requests are considered, friendly staff, nice atmosphere, clean restrooms We made a reservation for 7pm for a table of 5 + 1 toddler. The restaurant was packed so we had to wait at the bar for half an hour. That was fine because we had some catching up to do anyways. The first half of that was a little bit awkward because the bar was full and we were in the way. They don't have anywhere else to wait. Ordered food and waited for another 40 minutes. Ordered the AMAZING macaroni and cheese for my daughter and they brought that sooner for her, along with a special veggie side that we requested (so nice!). I had to leave with my 3-year-old because we had been there for too long, and it was getting really late. My husband waited for the check. ***our total was $170. Despite the long wait and because we always tip generously, my husband got out $40. ****He double checked the bill only to see that a 20% gratuity had already been added.**** He told me about it the next day so I called the restaurant. The hostess that answered said they add gratuity to large parties of 10 or more. I then spoke with the manager and he said that added gratuity is at the discretion of the server. I can't help but think that we were being forced to leave 20%: A.) because we had to wait so long or B.) we had been profiled because we were in street clothes. Either way it's not a good business practice to add gratuity to a party of 5 1/4. I would say 4**** stars even with the crappy wait, but that unjustified and high added gratuity takes it down to a 2**. Sad that we won't be going back. read more

This was one of my favorite places to eat. But after tonight I'm done. My husband and I usually come here once a month. I've been sick for a month now and all I wanted was to order take out from here. We have also ordered take out here before, on both Friday and Saturday night, they just don't do phone orders so you have to actually go there. So my husband goes there tonight and the hostess tells him we don't do take out on Saturday night. Since when? We have ordered it before on Saturday night, and Yelp says you do take out. So my husband calls the manager and one, he's unaware Yelp says the restaurant does take out, two, his reasoning is not to overwhelm the cooks. Funny thing is you can see right into the kitchen from outside and my husband said they were all standing around. Real busy. My husband was also prepared to wait. He realizes they might be busy. But nope. I'm sorry, what's the difference between sitting at the bar, ordering a beer, and waiting for the food already prepared to go as opposed to sitting at the bar, waiting for your food, receiving it, taking one bite and wrapping it to go? I guess the restaurant doesn't need the $50+ we were going to spend. It's a shame too because I do love the food, but don't say you do take out when now apparently you dont, and don't make up lame excuses. read more

I wish I could rate their food and say something positive but I can't. I checked out their menu on Saturday and there was a post they were closed for Storm Stella on Tuesday but we liked their menu and booked for a party of 5 on their on line booking site. After another couple heard we were going there they wanted to join us because they also wanted to visit here I called this morning to change our reservation to 7 and they more than accommodating. Unfortunately 2 people had a family emergency and I thought I was being considerate and called the restaurant 2 hours before our reservation to apologize and say we only had 5 people. They thanked us for calling and said we will see you at 6. We arrived at 5:55 tonight to get seated when the hostess told us "you are aware it's a pig roast and you can't order from the regular menu?". No, I was never informed of that after 2 phone calls to your restaurant nor was it on your website until this evening. You may have great food but there were multiple times you could have informed me we couldn't order from your menu. read more

Overall, I like this place -- the food and drinks are always fantastic. However, service is very, very slow and a reservation is pretty much mandatory if you want a table on a weekend. If you make a reservation for two, you will be seated at a high top in the bar area, even if you state in your reservation that you do not want a high top. I have never actually been seated in the main dining area. It is fairly loud in here, making conversation a challenge. But like I said, the food and drinks are fantastic so I keep giving it another try in the hopes that the other stuff eventually improves. read more

try the corn bread and the collard greens for sure, but everything I have had there has been great, and the drink s are fantastic!

Had their hush puppies and the pulled pork sandwich... hands down one of the best pulled pork I've ever had. Fantastic food!

our first trip everything was amazing we were soo pleased and wanted to return because the fried chicken and mac n cheese was amazing, not soo much the second time a year later it all took 1.5 hrs to get food to table to which is was terribly burnt and to make matters worse we ordered 2 fried chickens and it took even longer. I was happy with the mac but it was not the same as first time. read more

Food is fantastic. Scrumpous and captures that New Orleans flair. Not a very good selection of wines. Low end brands. Didn't have a reservation so sat at the bar. Was there at 4:30 and hostess told us she was "saving" tables for people with reservations and would be a two hour wait. Sat and watched at least 10 empty tables all the while I sat at bar enjoying my meal while two 4 year olds were at a table playing games on a laptop. Doesn't seem like it is managed correctly. I would want to fill my tables all the time, and turn them over as many times as possible, even if my reservation guests had to wait a few. Isn't it about serving as many meals as you can and still keeping the quality. Maximize your table seatings guys!! You need to re think your strategy. read more

It's unreasonable to make real estate decisions based on a brewhouse and a fabulous menu - right? Wow! And we just came in for a light lunch and a snack! Curried cauliflower was biblical! Can Brussels Sprouts with Tasso ham & pickled chill is be a plane treat!? YES ;) Jason the Manager on duty was adorable & brought a grapefruit Mojito "sample" & Summer made our garden dining experience so fun. Great jazz & funk tunes. Really, buy in this neighborhood & plan to use your walker till your day's end read more

Has a unique menu but very impressed with how good the dishes are put together. Food is delicious!! Waitress was very sweet. My family is a little needy and she remained willing to serve. read more

Was here on business and on the last day decided to venture out, this place got good reviews so I decided to try It...The place was full and I did sit at the bar, just because It was ME, MYSELF and I...usually a Good crowd...NO one argues over what to eat, drink or who is paying the bill...LOL...I order a New fashion drink and It was not very good, did not finish it...The food is of New Orleans style food and recipes. I ordered the TY'S MAC & CHEESE for the Appy and that was Awesome...I then ordered the house special, Name??? it had sausage, over creamed greens and then over mashed potatoes...It looked good and seemed to be a big seller. I just did not care for the sausage...anyway moving on to dessert BOOM !BROWN SUGAR BEIGNETS...HOLY Crap!!! that was #%&@ great!!! The manager on knowing sat next to me at the bar, (on break) we started talking...he was very energetic and a visionary about the restaurant. Great conversation...I will be back when back on business to try the other dishes...Over all great southern hospitality in a Northern place of an old steel Mill... read more

I go here everytime I am in town. The vibe is great, the food is delicious, service is friendly. Always a great time. I'd reccomend making a reservation though. read more

Stopped in late evening w/o a reservation.Seated promptly,nice waitress. Cornbread was great ,sweet potato was OK but my fried oysters were fried so hard the oyster melted into the breading.Terrible! Will try again,but will stick with the fried chicken. read more

The food was awesome. We ordered as a take out...the food was ready as soon as we got there. The atmosphere of the place was really nice....I would go back again and eat in. The food itself was excellent. We had cornbread..po' boys ....and fried chicken. As well as beignets. All of it was great. I would recommend this place to otbers to try. read more

It was a nice enough place to go for a different style of food. A bit disappointed in the New Orleans style food. Fried chicken not my favorite. Beignets get 5 stars. read more

What a bad experience I had today I went to lunch with some friends and it was terrible the service was very slow it took us almost an hour before any food came to the table and when the food finally arrived it wasn't good . My wife and I ordered the shrimp po'boy's the gumbo and the hush puppies. The hush puppies were over fried and very dark in color and oily. The 1/3 of a po'boy was just that tiny and wasn't worth the 13 dollars each we paid it was no bigger then a 6 inch WAWA hoagie . The gumbo was terrible it was bland and tasted of bay leaf you could taste the starch they used to thicken it there was no flavor no pop or kick and not a lot of meat it was horrible. It's obvious all the hype is a fake and a publicity ploy by people who know the employees and owner do yourself a favor don't waste your time and money . read more

My wife and I visited the Bayou the other night for the first time. While we had a few minor criticisms (noted below), we will absolutely be back. This is a welcome addition to the Lehigh Valley scene. With this strong a start, I can only imagine where they will go from here. We've both visited New Orleans multiple times, so our standard was high. The gumbo did not disappoint. A browner style than some and very well flavored. The oyster po'boy was frustratingly close. The oysters were perfect, but the bread was completely wrong. I understand they bake it in house, and I applaud that, but it's the wrong recipe for a po'boy. The roll should be crusty on the outside yet soft and light inside. Instead, this one was very dense throughout, and detracted from what otherwise would have been an excellent and authentic po'boy The ribs were surprising because the menu focus is on Southern food, yet they were a dry rub rather than Memphis style with barbecue sauce. That being said, they were really good. Mine were slightly burnt on the outside (perhaps cooked a minute or two too long), but despite that they were really tender and flavorful inside. I'm not usually a dry-rub ribs fan but these won me over; I'll definitely order them again. Overall the food prices were very fair. I felt I got a lot for my money, both in terms of quality and serving sizes. As for the drinks, the hurricanes, while unsurprisingly not quite up to the standards of Pat O'Brian's in the French Quarter (in size or in strength), were very good, if a little small for the price. (The other drinks we ordered came in a different, larger glass.) The craft beer selection was well thought out (diverse, making very good use of the available taps), and while I'm not a wine guy my wife was impressed by the quality of the house selection. We were there on a Tuesday around dinnertime and the place was packed, probably due to its "newness." Nevertheless we found a seat at the bar pretty quickly, and service was surprisingly fast considering how busy they were. The person who I assume was the manager made it a point to ask each patron how they were doing. There were two female bartenders and one absolutely ran circles around the other in every way - speed, professionalism, mixology, attentiveness to the patrons, you name it. (Of course for all I know it could have been the other one's first day.) I understand outside dining and live music are on the menu as well. This will only make a good place better. We can't wait to go back! read more

This is a fun place. Atmosphere and service is very good. The owners are involved and the vibe is alive, positive and happy. The food is real southern comfort and delicious. Had the pork belly and was wowed. Fried chicken, ribs, collard greens and not to mention the BEST mac n cheese. Can't wait to take our friends. Make reservations. read more

I was very disappointed in the food and atmosphere. This place is filled with hipsters and is very trendy. I had the fried chicken and mashed sweet potatoes. I could have gotten the same fried chicken from KFC. The mashed sweet potatoes were gross I didn't even eat them. I will not be returning to this place ever! Especially since I spoke with the waitress and owner about this and all I got was a very sorry to hear that. read more

We were there on a Wednesday night so it wasn't crowded or hard to get a reservation for the time we wanted . We all ordered different things the brisket po boy, strip steak, gumbo with a salad, and shrimp and grits. Everyone really enjoyed their meal, and the drinks were good too! I had the bourbon berry, not great but I'm not a huge bourbon person, i was feeling a little adventurous tonight. I then got the apple pie moonshine, so good and creative. read more

We decided to try The Bayou based on the 4 star Yelp review & am I glad we did! It was wonderful. Good selection of craft beers. There was 4 of us in our party & we had 8:15pm reservations on a Saturday night. I definitely recommend reservations. At 8:20pm the hostess came over to apologize for the delay although none of us noticed because it was fine hanging at the bar & we were at our table by 8:25pm. Our waitress was very friendly. We all ordered different appetizers & meals & they were all delicious. I had the Collards to start which were cooked perfectly & had great flavor. My wife had the Hush Puppies which were excellent. I then had the Tempura Shrimp Po Boy & that was great as well. The fries that came with the sandwich were some of the best I have ever had. My wife had the House Andouille & the other couple had the Buttermilk Fried Chicken both which were excellent. We finished we the Brown Sugar Beignets. I am not a desert person at all but these were amazing. I agree with the other reviews saying that it is loud but it didn't bother any of us. We all can not wait to go back again!! read more

I have given The Bayou three chances and each time it has been a great disappointment. Last week I sat in the outside patio and the service was horrible, we pretty much never saw the waitress again after she took our orders. I ordered the steak medium rare and it was served raw, the waitress, when she did comeback out again was nice enough to offer to have it cooked some more, but I was so turned off that I asked to have it replaced with the salmon, which tasted fishy and was horrible. I will not be giving this restaurant a fourth chance. read more

Went a little over a year ago. Food and service was amazing. Would definitely go back. I don't recommend for families with young children, romantic date nights or any type of dinner in which you wish to hear what anyone at the table is saying. Again, i'd go back just for the food. read more

Fantastic food! Waitress very knowledgeable about menu items and was very pleasant. The shrimp was the best we ever had. My husband and I swere lit a bowl of gumbo. It had them perfect amount of heat. Great beer selection too! read more

We really enjoyed this place !!!! Very authentic and the food was delicious. HUGE portions though. We didn't try any of the drinks from the menu but they looked good too!!! Highly recommend ! read more

Holy cow! Best dinner in I couldn't tell you how long. Went there with my family tonight and ordered several snacks and small plates because the five of us were having trouble deciding from what looked to be an amazing menu. We were not disappointed in anything. Including our wonderful waitress Emily who took fabulous care of us all night. We started with hush puppies, cornbread, red beans and rice, glazed carrots, Brussels sprouts, gumbo, all of which was outstanding. Drop some cornbread in your gumbo for a nice twist. Surprise of the night was the steamed clams. I don't know what was in that broth, but dang, that was fantastic! Also had the fried green tomatoes, which were off the hook. The tangy vinaigrette was the perfect counterpoint to the crunchy tomatoes. I can't even describe the Bayou Mac-N-Cheese and the jambalaya. Brought tears to my eyes. If you live in the area and haven't experienced this place yet, you are missing out. Don't wait, just go. read more

Waited over 25 minutes for a reservation & when asked for some consideration got attitude. Told nothing they can do - how is that customer,s issue? A shame because food & service were great but turned off by manager who offered dessert that i don't eat. Took the offer but disappointed at my having to get any consideration- took an argument. I will think twice about a repeat visit & you might want to think twice as well. read more

BF and I had dinner there last night. Used Open Table for reservations. No problems here. Seated 10 mins early. Our waitress, Alanna, I think, was super!! Utensils brought out in a mason jar, as are most of their drinks. I had the maple peach sour, it was awesome! BF had a Belgian beer & then a Guinness. We decided on a bunch of small plates because everything sounded so good. Started with the hush puppies. Very good and I could eat a bowl of the scallion chimichurri. The 4 plates we shared were the Mac & Cheese, Charred Shrimp, Pork Ribs and Pork Belly Confit. The relish on the shrimp was great and the ginger/lime vinaigrette has a good kick to it. I want a 5 gallon bucket of the Mac & Cheese! There is ham & sweet peas in there, man!! I've never really had ribs before, I always thought too much work to eat for hardly any meat, but they were yummy as well. 2 clean bones left. Never ever had pork belly confit. I know it was supposed to have a fair amount of fat on it. I just scraped most off and enjoyed the rest. For dessert we shared the beignets and the peanut butter mousse (they make their own peanut butter!). The mousse is one of the best desserts I've ever eaten. Total for 3 drinks, and all the food listed above was $76 and we were stuffed. It is loud in the dining area but, who cares?! It makes the experience all the more fun. We can't wait to go back. Maybe sit at the bar one night & sample more snacks. Blues every Friday night too! And one of the owners is always floating around. I recognized Mo right away from seeing him at Starters Riverport. Go there now people!! read more

Have eaten here several times and never been let down. From the blackened catfish to corn bread it's all good. You absolutely have to try the mac n cheese. It's just flat out delicious. They took a basic food and elevated it to the highest level. Also the fried chicken is fantastic. You really just need to go there and check it out for yourself. read more

This place is certainly a diamond in the ruff I had no idea it was there but it was definitely easy to find. It was voted best fried chicken in the Lehigh Valley and I couldn't agree more! Awesome southern restaurant with delicious food, great atmosphere, superb service, and incredible cocktails!! Can't wait to return :) read more

I could not leave this restaurant more of a rave review. Made reservations on a crazy night and they say us within minutes. The atmosphere was fun and our waitress was personable and really sweet. The food was phenomenal and the owner was very accommodating and made sure to check in with us! It was my brothers 21st birthday and he had a great time! Cannot wait to come back again! read more