Downtown Allentown Market

I went on a holiday weekday so it was fairly dead, which I liked but may surprise some. City markets are always great places to find new food options that aren't just filler chain fast food but local interesting fare. Relatively this place is on the small side but that feels perfect for Allentowns size.

Parking is available around the block fairly easily, we got in for free and no problem in the afternoon but I'm guessing on prime game times it is better to walk. There's a few separate venues right next to the market but the building itself has about a dozen different options.

The venue is obviously on the brand new side, bathrooms are big and inclusive. Plenty of seating on both sides of the building. The food options currently include pizza, sandwiches, Syrian, sushi, and dessert pudding. It was decorated for the season and seems like a lot of local rally and cultural events happen here. A great spot for locals and drive through tourists!

I was disappointed in the lack of variety. I'd been following their Instagram postings and stories for weeks leading up to my visit. I am just so confused about the plethora of options shown on social media versus what I saw in person. Perhaps my expectations were too high - I assumed it'd be comparable in size to Philly's reading terminal market. Boy was I wrong! Lol. Nevertheless, I had sushi from honmono and it was good. Nothing spectacular. On the upside, there are plenty of restaurant options nearby right outside of the market. Its a nice area of eateries. The market would be my last resort.

Great addition to downtown Allentown! Located on the ArtsWalk they are right next to Queen City BBQ and across from the new Coin arcade bar.

Public market with food, ice cream, and alcohol options. Modern looking space with open walking areas and plenty of seating. Community seating tables, two tops, outdoor tables, and vendor specific counter seating.

They just opened on the 19th. Visiting 2 days after opening there were some kinks but that's to be expected

Security came around trying to corral people out at 10:00P though the website and signs listed the Market being open until 11:00P. Everything ended up getting sorted quickly with no real issues.

A big perk is the free parking on the street or the garage nearby after 5P & weekends (as long as there's not an event).

It's a nice place to enjoy varieties of cuisines: pizza, sushi, Mediterranean, Koreans, donuts, and ice cream.

Zahra: it's a Mediterranean eatery. Hummus and babaganoush are awesome. Very creamy hummus and smoky flavored babaganoush. The arnabit is fried cauliflower with great flavor of seasoning. Chicken schwarma is ok.

The Shinsen sushi place has pretty good poke, the eel in it has good flavor.

Little miss Korea: I had chicken and shrimp dumplings, they are decent but nothing special.

Fresh kitchen by Robert Irvine: avocado toast is on a big whole grain bread. Good amount of avocado. Carne asada taco lacks flavor.

Doughnut love: donuts are small but very delicious, moist, not greasy, not too sweet. Scones are really good.

Batch micro creamery: super friendly staff. Unfortunately the flavor is not strong but the ice cream by itself has very good consistency and smoothness

This is for the Zahra restaurant Inside the market. They've a variety of middle eastern dishes as choice. I prefer their Falafel bowl or the wrap. It was plenty of food. Also their Zahra fries is topped with garlic sauce which is amazing. Service is great too. I've been ordering online to pick it up and the order is always ready on time. I eat here almost once a week when I'm in town.

So many options... And here are my reviews of the restaurants I've eaten at:

Tavola - An amazing italian pizza-ish spot. The food is fresh, flavorful and filling. I usually get the cesar salad and sandwich and although it sounds simple, the flavors are so amazing. Owner is super friendly too, so a plus for that. My kids loved the pizza

Little Miss Korea - A complete gem. I only had Korean food once before. I generally love all Asian food. This flavors that come out of this little stand! An explosive party in my mouth with lots of spices. I recommend the KFC (Korean Fried Chicken Sandwich) - sooo yummy

Batch Microcreamery - They have liquor milkshakes! Some homemade unique flavor options. Super friendly service. Fresh ice cream made daily.

There is also a liquor bar, sushi bar, diner and a Mediterranean spot I haven't tried. Literally something for everyone. Run!

I'm so glad the market is now open on saturdays! I'm a carb lover so I came in for lunch and stopped by Tavola for some pizza & pasta. Tony was so kind and brought the food out to my table when it was ready. I asked for some hot honey to drizzle on my meatball ricotta slice and it was a gamechanger! The food was fresh and delish. The crunchiness of the crust was heavenly and the creamy pesto pasta was everything! I liked that the pasta had tomatoes and mushrooms in it which gave the dish and added layer of flavor.

I came here with a friend for lunch outside and loved the DAM! I enjoyed the Korean stand, specifically the bao buns. I had two pork and one beef, and the pork was definitely the winner while both were delicious. My friend enjoyed a chicken shawarma wrap and falafel. We sat outside and felt very safe given the covid world we are living in. I'd really like to come back soon and enjoy the other stands' offerings as well!

My wife and I checked out the Downtown Allentown Market for lunch and narrowed our selection to Zahra. We have not been to the Aladdin but were quickly drawn to the options for the wraps to be made into a salad bowl. She ordered the the Zahra Wrap as a bowl which came with the fried cauliflower drizzled with garlic tahini sauce and veggies on a bed of lettuce. The entire thing was super fresh with all of the veggies being very crisp and flavorful. The cauliflower was fantastic and everything just married together well. I had the chicken shawarma bowl with veggies on a bed of lettuce. It was fantastic. All of the different flavors mixed together very well and everything was so fresh. We also shared a side of Zahra fries with whipped garlic sauce on top. These were also fantastic but not something that you would want to eat if you have to talk to someone for work following their consumption.

We were pleasantly surprised with the amount of quality options in the market, the amount of seating, and the quick service. Our food was ordered and ready to be picked up in about 10 minutes. The space is very clean and inviting. This is a great addition to the Downtown Allentown revival.

The Market is currently THE best place to grab lunch or dinner in Allentown. Plenty of seating, great choices from Pizza to Sushi to handmade ive cream, and a great location.

When I'm here for lunch, I prefer Little Miss Korea. As a result, my recommendation is to grab a rice bowl if you're hungry (or a bulgogi cheesesteak), or stick with Bao Buns or Kimchi Fries if you're looking to share.

For the rice bowl, my suggestion is: Rice/Radish/Spinach/Slaw/Carrots. Kimchi is extra, but worth it.

For the Bao Buns, I would recommend one of each type if they're willing. These are a great snack size as well, or a light meal. And a warning: the Kimchi fries are alot. I'd recommend having a partner.

Finally, I'm partial to the Matcha Lemonade and usually order one every visit.

If you're looking for a different option for lunch, I'd recommend this place as a great alternative to what you're used to finding around the Allentown area. Final note: They do serve beer here if you're not working!