The Shelby

“The Shelby is an upscale-casual New American restaurant located at Hamilton Crossings in Allentown. It's open Monday through Thursday from 11:00 AM to 9:30 PM, Friday and Saturday until 10:30 PM, and Sunday from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM. It had been over eight years since my last visit, and after such a great experience, I was overdue to come back and explore more of the menu. I started with the short rib quesadillas, and they were absolutely fantastic! Tender short rib, the chef’s cheese blend, and onions came together in a perfectly crisp tortilla, served with guacamole and sour cream. Next were the bao buns, soft and pillowy, filled with rectangular cuts of homemade chicken sausage, sweet chili aioli, and cilantro. For my main, I ordered the shrimp rice bowl, which came with teriyaki shrimp, steamed rice, sesame seeds, kimchi, a dippy egg, pickled jalapeños, bok choy, and oi muchim. One of my friends had the Shelby burger, featuring two four-ounce patties cooked to a juicy medium and topped with American cheese, Shelby sauce, lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles. My other friend had the chicken parm, which had crispy edges that are surprisingly hard to find, served over al dente bucatini pasta. It was a very good chicken parm, especially for a non-Italian restaurant. We also shared the mac and cheese, made with cavatappi pasta, Shelby cheese sauce, and Parmesan cheese. It was rich, creamy, and a great table side. Everything we had was delicious, our server was friendly and helpful with the menu, and the modern yet comfortable atmosphere tied the whole experience together.”

“On Saturday we stopped at The Shelby after finishing a 9-mile hike. As you can imagine, we were starving. We got there around 4:30 and were told the wait would be about 30–45 minutes, so we decided to stick it out. While we were waiting, I started noticing some of the people heading in were dressed really nice, and I’ll admit I started wondering if this place might be a little fancier than I expected. When I picked it, I had just looked at the menu online and thought the food sounded great. But standing there waiting, I started second-guessing myself. So I went inside for a minute to look around. Once I saw the place, my mind eased a bit. The vibe was cool, casual, and really well done—not fancy or stuffy like I had started to imagine. That said, while we were waiting outside, a few customers carried themselves like they expected a little more special treatment, which added to that feeling that maybe the place was more upscale than we had planned for after a long hike. But once we were seated—right around the 40-minute mark—everything completely changed. Our waiter Philip came right over with a huge smile and great energy. He welcomed us, took our drink order, and was back quickly with waters. He walked us through the daily specials and just had that kind of personality that immediately makes you feel comfortable. Honestly, within a few minutes he had completely washed away all the thoughts I had built up in my head about the place. Then the food came out… and it was absolutely fantastic. Between the two appetizers and the four main dishes, there wasn’t a single bad bite. Everything was cooked perfectly and full of flavor. And Philip? He couldn’t have been better. So I’ll leave you with two takeaways from this stop: First — don’t judge a restaurant by its Pretentious clientele. And second — if you’re anywhere near here, go eat at The Shelby… and definitely ask for Philip.”

“The Shelby had been on our list of restaurants to visit for a while and now we are disappointed we hadn't visited sooner. The restaurant was packed and we found the volume slightly on the noisy side due to being so busy. Our server shared her favorites and we went with the saltimboca and the cioppino after starting with the nachos and lobster deviled eggs. The lobster deviled eggs we piled high, fresh and delicious. All our food was well prepared and tasty. We will be back to try more items on the menu and definitely brunch as recommended.”

“This is a go to staple for me in the Lehigh valley. I’ve been here for brunch, lunch and dinner . Recently I invited some friends from Out of town to join me here. The service was accommodating and great as usual. Since the renovations this restaurant is even more beautiful. The food is really good (I am a harsh critic of food). Overall great ambiance and atmosphere. Good for large parties, birthday dinners or a romantic night out. Also don’t forget to try their custom tequila !”

“We came in for lunch during a busy time, but we were seated right away. We started with the hot honey wings and bao buns. Both were excellent and worth ordering as starters. For my main, I had the Shelby burger. It’s a good size and packed with flavor. It does get messy especially with the egg, but it’s still good. It’s not the best burger I’ve had, but it’s solid. Service was good throughout.”