Bethlehem Restaurants: South Side and SteelStacks

Bethlehem restaurants fill three very different districts: the old Moravian streets on the north side of the Lehigh River, the South Side with its mix of neighborhood cooking, and the SteelStacks arts campus beside the blast furnaces of the old steel works. The Pennsylvania city is easy to walk once you pick a district. Pick a district, walk it and cross the river for the contrast.

Which Bethlehem restaurants suit which district?

On and around Main Street, in the north, where the Moravian settlers laid out the town in the 1740s and the stone buildings still stand. Cafes, bakeries, pubs and sit-down restaurants line the street, and many occupy old houses with low ceilings and thick walls. It is a pleasant place for a slow lunch, and the shops make it a good stop for a day trip.

The area is especially busy at the holidays, when the city calls itself Christmas City.

What is South Side Bethlehem dining like?

Informal, varied and a little more local. The South Side was the neighborhood of the steelworkers, and its streets still hold bakeries, delis, taquerias, bars and small restaurants that serve a mix of old and new communities. Prices tend to be gentler, and menus lean on hearty plates, tacos, pizza and bakery pastries. Walk the main commercial street and read the windows.

It is the better place to eat if you want the city's working character rather than its Christmas card. A good plan is to cross the river on foot, using one of the bridges, and eat on whichever side you did not sleep on. The contrast between the two sides is part of the pleasure: the north is stone and candlelight, the south is brick and bakery windows. Neither is more authentic than the other, and a visitor who sees both has seen the city.

What is SteelStacks, and can you eat there?

SteelStacks is the arts and culture campus built beside the former Bethlehem Steel plant, where the massive blast furnaces now stand as a backdrop to concerts, festivals and a visitor center. Restaurants and cafes sit nearby, and events bring food trucks and stalls. Check the campus's own site for what is on.

Eat before an outdoor concert, and bring a layer. The furnaces are impressive after dark. The campus is large and open, so allow time to walk from your parking space to the stage, and check the posted rules on food, drink and chairs for each event, since they differ. If you only want to see the furnaces, a daytime walk along the elevated path gives you the scale of the old works and a good appetite for lunch afterward.

Where is a good Bethlehem lunch?

Lunch is easy in either district. Historic Main Street has cafes with sandwiches, soups and salads, and the South Side has delis, pizza counters and taco windows. College students from the nearby universities add to the weekday lunch crowd. Go a little before or after the noon rush and you will find a table. If you are walking, the bridge between the two districts is a pleasant stroll.

A bakery pastry is a good second course for the walk back.

What about Bethlehem dinner and the arts?

Dinner works around the calendar. A show, a festival or a game changes the pace, and restaurants near the venues fill early. Phone ahead for a group, and plan to eat at least an hour before an event. The city has a theater and music scene, and a dinner before a show is a regular habit for residents.

Weeknights are calm, and weekends are busy in all three districts.

How do you get around?

On foot within each district, and by car or a short ride between them. The two sides of the river are connected by bridges, and parking is available in garages and on the street, with fees and time limits that vary. Keep one list with a section for each district, and a stop you rate on the way becomes a note for your next visit. A day trip by train from Philadelphia or New York is possible with a connecting bus or a ride, so check the schedules.

What do tags help with in a city like this?

In the Mosey app, raters add tags when they rate a meal, and diners look for them in the Find sheet. In Bethlehem the useful ones are Family Friendly, Quick Service, Bakery, Outdoor seating, Live music and Great Value. A tag is a note from someone who was there, and a dietary tag is a good opening for a conversation with the kitchen.

Where next in the Lehigh Valley?

The Peeps and candy guide covers a famous local product, and the Allentown Hamilton Street guide covers the next city. The older Allentown and Bethlehem food guide covers festivals, and the US food guides hold the rest of the country.

This is one of many Pennsylvania guides, and the Food in Pennsylvania page lists them all by town.

When the day is done, open the Mosey app, rate your last meal in Bethlehem by the dish and add the place to a list called Steel and Moravian that your friends can use.