2nd Street Tavern

Husband and I were looking for somewhere local in the South Allentown area to grab some bar food, preferably some wings. We pass this place all the time and on a whim decided to try it out. So glad we did. Came in around 6:30 on a Monday, not too many patrons in the building. We decided to get an order of wings for the each of us. Really great! We agreed that these were some of the best wings we have tried in the area. Nice portion for the price. Service was great, food came out pretty fast. There is a sign out front that states new management is coming, changes soon. Curious to see what they are doing. Based on our experiences we will def be coming back and really hoping that they keep the wings and other bar food on the menu.

The food was pretty good, but there was no one else in the restaurant. We went on a Saturday at 7 pm, when you’d expect to wait for a table, but there was only 1 other group in the entire place. Felt weird. But the food was good. Had the blue cheese burger and it was cooked well and tasted great. Burgers cost about $ 10 and come with fries. The place has new owners so hopefully more people will check it out. Nothing bad about it except for the lonely, sad, empty feeling.

Really disappointing… stopes in on a cold, rainy afternoon… no soup??? What restaurant offers no soup??? Really limited «bar food»…12:30 and I am the only one here… says something… thank goodness for the nice Chardonnay… music is something you would hear in a bar at night… I’m hearing the kick on a closing business soon… so sad…

Stopped in after a car show, after reading reviews on Unilocal.Good wings and burgers. Nice atmosphere

Just stopped in on our way home to FL. Had both Service dogs. No problem. The server was wonderful as was the beer and food. Would highly recommend.

Great beer selection and really good food. Chad, the bartender, was pulling double duty as bartender and waiter. He did a great job. We will be back and be back soon

Stopped in for lunch and had the talapia fish tacos. Fresh fish, bright flavors and a delicious guacamole topping made these tacos extremely tasty! Decent local beer selection and the bartender Chad was very friendly. Will definitely be back!

Services and food are extremely well put together. No box pre done food here every thing is fresh and you can taste the difference .Evey time I go I end up eating alot because the food is so good. been going there for some time one Emmaus’s hidden treasures that not itilian food or fast food. happy eating!!!

We enjoyed our experience. So so on the wings, but enjoyed the burger and beet salad very much. Beer prices seemed up a little, but nice selection. Service was great — friendly waitress that even ran a key out to our car that must have fell off our key chain (we owe her for that one!)

Nice laid back atmosphere. I had the roasted beet salad with grilled chicken. It was good. Nice outdoor seating but the chairs are a bit awkward to sit in to eat. I got to sit outside with my dog which they had a bowl for water ready for the pooches that dine. I love that they are dog friendly! The menu was appealing. I would definitely go back!

Decent beer selection, ok food. I wish them the best of luck.

Sound is great. Food good. Poor training of servers. My wife’s ½ drank wine and my beer was taken away twice while on a smoke break. Waitress clueless about wine list and wine in general. Order one, after 5 – 10 minutes wait «we don’t have that.» Order two, another 5 – 10 minutes, brings a Pinot Grigio instead of requested, and pointed to on list, Pinot Noir. When challenged, «oh, we don’t have that either.» She went on to explain of the «changing list.» Of the rather comprehensive red wines on their list all they really had was a cab and a merlot. A mediocre Cab was received after about an additional 20 minutes. The band we came to see was almost finished with their first set before she finally got a glass.
Beet salad was very good, though a bit heavy with the dressing. Blue cheese burger and fries were excellent, though medium was definitely medium rare, which is actually how I like it. I always order medium in anticipation of this scenario.
After the show we went to the bar for one last round. Bar tender removed our second half-​consumed drinks while on another smoke break. Bartender did replace the round but explained we should lean a coaster against the glass to signify our intent to return. That’s a new one on me and I’ve been a regular bar patron for 35 years.
Both the waitress and barkeep were very pleasant. It’s our feeling that not much effort is put into training these folks. The place was busy though definitely not packed. Our wait for food was very reasonable. The wine thing and the confiscated drinks thing was very annoying. Tip to staff, if the drinks aren’t empty, give it at least 10 minutes before scooping them up. When I’m finished at the bar the glasses will be pushed forward into the little trough closest to the bartender. They will also be empty.
The best part of the evening was the sound. Johnny Kilman and Brett Andrew sounded fantastic in their room. Well done with your sound system!

Awesome food with great prices and original taste combinations… over and over again

Friday lunchtime goto place for me! Great service in a relaxed atmosphere. Good burgers and love the best salad!

Like the fish and chips. Also they have good chicken sandwiches. Cheap beer. Nice place but it can be empty sometimes.

I always want to give this place more stars, but something prevents me.
Tonight I can honestly say, the food got worse, yet the beer and service is great.
Eat elsewhere. Drink and socialize here.

I’ve been to 2^nd St Tavern a couple times with my wife and twice on my own, for lunch or dinner at the bar. The food is consistently good – I like the idea of a small menu that’s executed well.
Cocktails-​there are few bars in the area that craft cocktails well. This is one. There were a couple seasonal cocktails over the summer that were fantastic. My favorite was the Old Time in Emmaus, a bourbon cocktail with muddled peach and thyme that is out of this world. Because peaches are seasonal, it’s off the menu for awhile. The Steel Furnace is an adventurous take on a rocks margarita that let’s you know there’s jalapeño infused with the tequila in every sip – AWESOME.
The fish and chips here are unreal – so good. The maryland crab soup is authentic and delicious. Their pub fare (most of the menu) can satisfy most foodies looking for a quick dinner with a few drinks.
2^nd St Tavern supports local breweries with a solid craft selection on draft including an IPA from Emmaus-​based Funk Brewing only a few blocks away.
My only criticism is that this establishment doesn’t adequately plan for seasonality and the resulting limitations of ingredients – there are often cocktails and dishes on the menu that are unavailable due to the seasonality of the ingredients. Plan ahead, folks. Change your menu BEFORE the ingredients are out of stock so you don’t disappoint your guests.
The staff is knowledgeable and friendly (particularly at the bar). This is a cool place to start your night.

Went for dinner. Had the hand twisted pretzels. They were only OK, the cheese dip had no taste. The wings were OK, they were cooked well done (that’s good). I had the pizza burger, ordered medium, got it well done and dried out. There was a section of burned charcoal on it, which was off-​putting. The cheese had no taste on the burger. Wife had the penne, pasta was overcooked for our taste, she liked the shrimp.
The beer was served from the tap warm. Not going back.

Although concept of a limited menu is appealing the entrees need to kicked up a notch. The Farmers Pizza is good but not
memorable. The front dinning room windows need treatment to prevent glare.
We really want it to be a go to place and hope it improves.

We didn’t even realize that Lee Gribbens had (finally!) moved on, and made a last minute decision to come here after seeing the Morning Call notice of the opening. SO glad we did. Very nice staff. Interesting if small menu, really good and fresh salad, really high quality ingredients in the mains. Apps very good as well. Wine and beer selection pricey but not too too. Minor complaints that there’s a bit of an odor from all the fresh paint and the dining room is VERY bright if the sun’s still out. Shades please! Looking forward to going back.