In the western end of the Lehigh Valley, you’ll find a great restaurant in what is perhaps a seemingly unlikely destination—a Hyatt hotel. Westside Grill, which opened in December 2021, is worth seeking out.
But let’s get this out of the way first: yes, there’s definitely an old stigma against restaurants in hotels—at least ones that are in more suburban or even side-of-the-road destinations, as opposed to ones in fancy hotels in major metropolitan areas. Even with its location at Hyatt Place and Hyatt House, Westside Grill resists the stigma easily.
The first impression of Westside Grill? You don’t really feel as though you’re in a hotel. The restaurant is easily accessible from the hotel, but it seems to occupy its own discrete wing—there’s a dedicated entrance separate from the rest of the property (same goes for the event center). Your first impression surpasses the average hotel restaurant, too, as it consists of some spectacular interior design with a neutral green-gray, a hue that’s bound to give the gray tones of the past five years something to think about. The interiors were designed by esteemed New York-based Champalimaud Design, and the result is a space that imparts touches that feel both modern and a bit vintage but in a seamless, classy way. Good design creates interiors that feel like their own world, and that’s been achieved here.
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Owners Jackie & David Jaindl
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The interiors were designed by esteemed New York-based Champalimaud Design, and the result is a space that imparts touches that feel both modern and a bit vintage but in a seamless, classy way.
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The interiors were designed by esteemed New York-based Champalimaud Design, and the result is a space that imparts touches that feel both modern and a bit vintage but in a seamless, classy way.
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The interiors were designed by esteemed New York-based Champalimaud Design, and the result is a space that imparts touches that feel both modern and a bit vintage but in a seamless, classy way.
The hotels and restaurant are owned by the family-run Jaindl Land Company, and operated by TKo Hospitality. David, Jackie and their son Adam Jaindl gave careful thought to the project, whose wheels started to turn in 2019, before the pandemic. However, Air Products built a brand-new headquarters right across the road from the hotel and restaurant, and more development is planned, making the 200-plus-seat restaurant (and its extensive outdoor seating areas) a smart, informed move. But at the end of the day, as Jackie put it, “We wanted a place that served the kind of food we like to eat.” It’s really as simple as that—and if you could, wouldn’t you do the same?
A hotel needs to feed its guests, and even if some of those rooms contain small kitchens, anyone who has traveled at some point wants a break from the four walls of their temporary space. When there’s a welcoming spot on-site, so much the better. But Westside Grill is bringing people in, whether they’re local or passing through. Either way, the impetus on the part of the restaurant is typically the same. “I’ve always been a food and beverage person, and making someone feel at home when they're away from home, whether it’s after a wedding, out with friends or while traveling, is gratifying,” says Scott Craver, restaurant manager.
Craver is a hospitality industry veteran and Lehigh Valley native who’s worked in the region for many years, including many on the board at Discover Lehigh Valley. Along with Kevin Knauss, food and beverage manager, and chef Ian Beard, who’s cooked at Shula’s and Edge, the place is in more than capable hands. Upon first impression, you might be tempted to describe Westside Grill as a steakhouse, because it does offer a variety of cuts from prime filets and aged New York strips to black Angus bone-in rib eyes to the very fancy prime tomahawk for two, served dramatically on a butcher block with a choice of two sides and a flourish of arugula or other greens.
Although Craver describes Westside Grill as a “modern American steak and seafood restaurant,” it’s more than that—but most importantly, it’s not as fancy and special-occasion-only as steakhouses tend to be. You’ll find chicken and lamb along with scallops, wild Atlantic salmon and lobster tails. The menu includes some customary nods to the Jaindl family’s longtime association with turkey farming, with a turkey pot pie and a turkey soup on the menu. But don’t miss the blackened sirloin tips (they’re so good as a bar snack, or order them with the wedge salad, served with a decadent house-made blue cheese dressing). Other standouts include the seemingly endless pot of chicken and seafood paella.
Executive Chef Ian Beard
Westside Grill serves breakfast to its hotel guests, but it offers lunch and dinner seven days a week due to the nature of its location. That means you’ll also find sandwiches (burgers, crab cakes, French dip, etc.) and plenty of salads. Look for an old-school classic Sunday brunch to hit their schedule soon; there never seems to be enough places for brunch. Oh, and don’t sweat it if you’re vegetarian or vegan, or will be coming in with a diner who eats that way. Feel free to call ahead and see what they can do; chef Beard knows his way around that fare and will make you something more special than pasta and veggies, which is the altogether too common restaurant default menu item for these dietary preferences. But honestly, whatever you order is going to both look and taste great. Beard, who has enthusiasm for his craft in spades, knows that the power of food lies in what you see and smell first. “That is the beauty of culinary,” he says. “You are engaging all those senses before you even taste anything.” And so, the plates are presented in a creative yet straightforward manner; you’re not hunting for ingredients or left to wonder, upon its arrival, what exactly you ordered in the first place.
One of the unique aspects of the restaurant involves cocktails that use A-Treat soda. Longtime residents of the region may remember that the brand recently almost went out of business until the Jaindl family purchased it. If you're looking for an adult dose of nostalgia, the Double Bubble cocktail is a sweet sip consisting of Three Olives Bubble, lemon juice, cranberry and A-Treat bubble gum soda. Garnished, of course, with a nugget of bubble gum. The Pineapple Colada Punch similarly presents a combination of cream of coconut, rum, pineapple juice, Luxardo maraschino cherries and a dash of pineapple A-Treat soda. “People are happy to try something new. There’s a demand for these multistep craft cocktails,” says Knauss.
The soda is put to creative use in desserts, too—you can order a flight of ice creams (from Batch Microcreamery in Allentown) and one of them will include a sorbet using orange cream soda from A-Treat. You can of course buy wine by the glass (and the bottle, too), and there are about a dozen beers both locally and nationally recognized on tap. But let’s face it; many of us have a soft spot for A-Treat. “They just produce some really great flavors and we wanted to incorporate them into our menu,” says Craver.
Speaking of flavors, Westside Grill is still so new, but it shows much promise. The flavors are sure to evolve as word gets out, people start to respond to what’s being served and the region’s farms and purveyors start to play various roles in the development of the menu. “We’re on the right track,” says Knauss.
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35 oz. Prime Tomahawk, served with grilled asparagus and crab mac and cheese
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Smoky Maple Old Fashioned with Knob Creek maple bourbon and orange bitters
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Wild Atlantic Salmon, grilled with lemon dill cream sauce
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Shrimp tacos with jicama slaw
Westside Grill
621 Grange Rd., Allentown | 610.508.4500 | westsidegrillpa.com
*Please check their website and/or social media for current operating hours and procedures.
Hours
Mon.–Thurs. & Sun.: dinner: 5–9 p.m.; Fri. & Sat.: dinner: 5–10 p.m.; Mon.–Sat.: lunch: 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.; Sunday Brunch is in the works, too, as of this writing.
Parking
Enormous lot—no worries there
Reservations
Accepted
What to Order
If you want a cocktail, start off with the Smoky Maple Old Fashioned, with Knob Creek maple bourbon, orange bitters and still smoking upon delivery. Appetizers not to miss include the seared ahi tuna and the Bang Bang Shrimp, the latter of which is so addictive, you might need two orders if you don’t want fights at the table. Someone in your party will want the Pineapple Colada Punch, which features A-Treat soda; its tropical presentation and taste are sure to please. Oh, and dinner? Wedge salad, cioppino, paella, or try the aged beef. Fish lovers, be sure to ask about the catch of the day, but the bar menu offers some fantastic shrimp tacos with a jicama slaw if you’re craving something more straightforward. The lobster mac and cheese is never a bad idea; it’s a decadent side regardless of whatever else you order.
Published as "Inside Dish" in the March 2022 edition of Lehigh Valley Style magazine.
