Rise & Dine: 27 Ways to Do Brunch in the Lehigh Valley

Brunch is back on our minds now that the weather is shifting and we’re dining out again. Find a table, sit outside and eat one big meal midday instead of two. Go home, sleep it off or go for a long walk. It’s the weekend; take your cues from this wonderful meal and let your food tell you how to spend it.

Pancakes

You know them, you love them, and so does just about everyone—seriously, have you ever met someone who hates pancakes? They’re easy to adapt and tug at our nostalgia. Some of our favorites happen to be seasonal and specialty offerings—so keep an eye on each restaurant’s social for when they’re on the menu.

Peanut Butter Cup

Roasted, Bethlehem

When you want a pancake that redefines the word pancakes, you want pancakes from Roasted, where breakfast is scratch-made with love. The cinnamon bun pancakes look and taste just like they sound, the whoopie pie pancakes are as creative as they come and the red velvets are as pretty as they are delicious. The peanut butter cup variety, pictured here, satisfies every craving—they’ve even got a vegan option!

Banana Macadamia

Indigo 52, Nazareth

Just because you can’t eat gluten doesn’t mean you should have to suffer through all of these brunch conversations we’re having here. At Indigo52, the menu is gluten-free and dairy-free, which means the breakfast comes with a lovely sweet cashew cream drizzle and real maple syrup, too.

Baked Maple Bourbon Glazed Apple Whole Wheat

The Shelby, Allentown

There are a lot of adjectives to these incredible pancakes, that much is true. But they are all needed. Pancakes get a nutty, hearty (and maybe a bit healthier) upgrade with whole wheat flour, and apples baked with a maple bourbon glaze. The whole thing is topped with candied pecans and a cream cheese glaze.

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Waffles

With all those little nooks and crannies, waffles are just begging to be topped with maple syrup, whipped cream and all sorts of delicious touches to keep things sweet and moist till the last bite. They also happen to do double duty for dessert. Or dessert for breakfast.

Waffle Sundae

Khanisa’s Pudding Bar, Easton

It’s no secret that we are big fans of anything Khanisa’s Pudding Bar puts together, and pudding and waffles are a winning combination. Think homemade waffles topped with fresh fruit and Khanisa’s signature pudding. The combinations for customization are limitless—bananas drizzled with caramel, mixed berries paired with a peanut butter sauce, the list goes on.

Chicken & Waffles

Eight Oaks Farm Distillery, New Tripoli

Brunch at Eight Oaks promises delicious, locally sourced eats from Tré on the Farm, including a chicken and waffles dish that you don’t want to miss. Enjoy a fried chicken thigh atop a cornbread waffle, topped with a bourbon maple glaze and a sunny-side egg. Add fries or a small Crooked Row Farm salad to your meal for a few extra bucks.

Chicken & Waffles

The Bayou, Easton & Bethlehem

A breakfast of chicken and waffles satisfies so many cravings—it’s crunchy and salty, sweet and bready all at once. The Bayou has been one of our favorites for this dish since its inception eight years ago in Bethlehem.

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French Toast

Crispy and eggy and usually topped with cinnamon, or sometimes baked and stuffed, and other times cooked right on the griddled top, French toast takes the best of bread and makes it sweet as can be.

Berry Krunch

Billy's Diner, Bethlehem & Easton

Crème brûlée gets around when it comes to French toast! This one features those eggy-vanilla flavors with homemade granola, candied pecans, strawberries and more (gotta leave some surprises, right?).

Cannoli

Folino Winery, Kutztown

This winery in Kutztown specializes in all things Italian, so of course its breakfast menu would have something like a cannoli-inspired French toast dish with cannoli cream, chocolate chips and dusted with confectioners’ sugar. Pair it with a nice glass of wine, perhaps?

Crème Brûlée

Yianni’s Taverna, Bethlehem

Crème brûlée comes to life in French toast form at Yianni’s Taverna, with citrus curd, fresh berries and, of course, warm maple syrup. Don’t forget to order some Greek coffee to go with it.

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Libations

Brunch wouldn’t be brunch without a proper cocktail (tower) or two, right?

Crabby Mary

3^rd & Ferry Fish Market, Easton

As if the Bloody Mary weren’t enough, this brunch cocktail knows that what you really need, align with a hair-of-the-dog solution, is some food. And why not a mini crab cake sandwich and shrimp for garnish? It’s a meal!

The Mimosa Tower

Zest Bar + Grille, Bethlehem

It’s a spectacle, that’s for sure, but it’s not all for show. Take your friends or family out for brunch and order this—it will serve them all and then some. The one-and-a-half-foot tower serves nearly a dozen people and can hold two full bottles of champagne.

Dealer’s Choice Flight

Blended by Brü Daddy’s, Allentown

This is the way to do it, folks. Put your trust in those behind the bar and order the Dealer’s Choice. You’ll get a taste of whatever the bartender’s four favorite drinks are for that day. So, maybe it’s a Bloody Mary, a mimosa, maybe there’s cold brew coffee with something added in for fun or prosecco.

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Ultimate & Over the Top

Brunch is a fine time to concoct menu items that feel larger than life, hybrids of other dishes or ones that are otherwise amped up for the most indulgent enjoyment possible. You’ve been warned!

Waffle Sandwich

Union and Finch, Allentown

The menu at Union and Finch consistently inspires big appetites, and its approach to thee brunch involves a reinvention of the word “breakfast sandwich.” Rather than bacon or sausage, along with egg and cheese on a roll or a bagel, the team here takes it to the next level in the form of this sizable sandwich. Imagine sausage, egg and American cheese situated between two waffle slices. A genius combination—why didn’t we think of this before?

Breakfast Mac & Cheese

The People’s Kitchen, Bethlehem

Mac and cheese is a comfort food, and brunch is nothing if not a celebration of comfort food, right? So, The People’s Kitchen in Bethlehem is very smart, then, for creating this creamy and indulgent breakfast mac. Picture potato on the bottom, macaroni, hickory-smoked bacon and maple sausage. Of course, you can (and should) add an egg for $1 more.

Croque Monsieur

The Hungry Locktender, Riegelsville

Ride your bike down the canal and make a pit stop at this great spot on 611 for breakfast and lunch. The Croque, as rendered by this café, looks like a grilled cheese on steroids. The sauce, the cheese and, oh my goodness, you can’t stay hungry after it. Hop back on the bike and you’re good for hours. Up the ante and make it a Croque Madame, which includes an egg.

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Sweet Treats

Muffins, scones, cinnamon buns, cookies, croissants and everything else in between, you could spend a day just driving around, accumulating delicious sweet and flaky items to consume and add those to your brunch table with ease.

The Giant Cinnamon Roll

Cake & Corolla, Easton

When you want a cinnamon roll and the average cinnamon roll just won’t do, you want this cinnamon roll from Cake & Corolla, as it truly pulls no punches. It’s about six inches in diameter (not kidding, we measured) with layers of cinnamon and a healthy dollop of cream cheese frosting on top. But there are other specialty ones, too, which include combinations of bacon, cheese and sour cream. We recommend sharing this marvel with friends, or savoring it over the course of a couple days.

Waffle Muffin

Jay’s Local, Allentown

You may be stumped upon your first encounter with the waffle muffin. It’s a waffle. Or is it a muffin? Well, it’s kind of both. Ask anyone at Jay’s about the genesis of this signature menu item, and you’ll see what makes the place tick—a lot of kitchen ingenuity. Even if you order something else to eat there, make sure you take one to go.

Savory Scone

The Modern Crumb, Easton

Owner Kate Gaffney is a Culinary Institute-trained pastry chef who worked for Thomas Keller before opening this fabulous spot. Don’t miss the vegan and gluten-free muffins (lemon poppy!), or the shatteringly flaky croissants, either. But the sleeper item here? The scones. Few can match the flavor combos, which tend more toward the savory side (goat cheese and herbs?) and are incredibly tender.

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Eggs Benedict

When we think brunch, oftentimes, we think Eggs Benedict. The recipe originated in New York City and consists of an English muffin (cut in half and toasted), topped with Canadian bacon, poached eggs and decadent Hollandaise sauce. These local varieties put a modernly delicious spin on this classic favorite.

The Irish Boxty

McCarthy’s Red Stag Pub & Whiskey Bar, Bethlehem

Boxty is a delicious thing on its own, and the way they do it at McCarthy’s treats the boxty as the base for Eggs Benedict. It’s served in a homemade potato crêpe with eggs, Irish loin bacon, an Irish pork banger, cheddar cheese, griddled tomato and, of course, Hollandaise sauce. And don’t forget the warm, scratch-made Irish soda bread on the side.

Gravlax

Maxim’s 22, Easton

If you want a fancy, upscale version of Eggs Benedict, go for this one from the French-inspired Maxim’s: house-cured salmon, Meyer lemon, espelette and salmon caviar on an English muffin. (A less flashy version is available too, with house-cured ham and Meyer lemon.)

The Benedicts

The Flying Egg, Bethlehem

If your business is called The Flying Egg, you better know how to serve them in a number of ways. It’s hard to choose just one breakfast item from this Downtown Bethlehem business, but the Eggs Benedicts do justice to the dish. Here, they’re served classic (with Canadian bacon), South of the Border (with chorizo), Veg (with zucchini, mushroom and spinach), Shorty (with braised short ribs) and Lox Rocks (with smoked salmon). Each has its own variety of complementary Hollandaise accompanying the dish.

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Omelets

Omelets are the best way to pack a ton of veggies and protein into your brunch routine and they’re infinitely customizable.

The Righteous

Quadrant Book Mart & Coffee House, Easton

Why wouldn’t you want to eat breakfast and drink coffee inside a multistory building full of used books, creaky hardwood floors and friendly faces? Breakfast at the Quad is a rite of passage, and yes, they’ll serve you pancakes “the size of your head”! But the omelets are where all the seasonal fresh ingredients shine. The Righteous one includes organic baby spinach, tomatoes and gorgonzola cheese. All omelets come with multigrain toast and fresh fruit.

New England

Jumbars, Bethlehem

The omelet menu at Jumbars is robust, and you can find the Greek, the Western and even an egg white omelet. But the unique choice here involves house-made apple sage pork sausage, Granny Smith apples and cheddar cheese. It’s served with grilled potatoes and toast, but you can sub for one of their house-made English muffins or a green salad for an extra charge.

El Diablo

State Cafe and Grill, Easton

It’s often seasonal and local at the State Cafe, and while your dining companion is ogling the various forms of pancakes or burrito-based breakfast dishes on the menu, you know an omelet is the true gauge of a breakfast joint. Try the El Diablo, with house salsa, cheddar, sour cream and chorizo, if you want it.

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Avocado Toast

We know it seems like a bit of a cliché at this point, but avocado toast isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Avocado as a base for your toast gives it a bit of a nutritional boost—and provides something for all those other delicious ingredients to stick to.

With Queso Fresco

Mitzi’s Table, Bethlehem

At the very colorful Mitzi’s Table, everything that comes out of the kitchen is creative. Their take on avocado walks a little on the Mexican side, with queso fresco, pickled red onion, cilantro and wheat toast. If that ain’t enough, it’s topped with two eggs.

Featuring Honey Dijon Vinaigrette

Green Vida Company, Easton

Find avocado, grape tomatoes and house-made pickled onions drizzled in a house-made honey Dijon vinaigrette atop organic sprouted toast (or substituted for local gluten-free bread) at Green Vida Co.

On a French Baguette

The Vegan Butcher, Allentown

We love the good eats at The Vegan Butcher, which does things with vegetables and sandwiches that you didn’t think were possible. The avocado toast is top notch. Chunks of avocado, fresh basil and tomato are lovingly smeared across a French baguette. Of course, you can—and should—add an egg, your way.