Jumbars (Bethlehem, PA)
While visiting for the Runners World Festival, my friends recommended going to the JumBars in Bethlehem, PA. Jumbars is well known in the Lehigh Valley and Chef Paul Hoffert is a well-known chef.
Jumbars Atmosphere:
Jumbars is tiny but cute. Jumbars is not exactly a diner but more of a mom and pop shop in downtown Bethlehem. Each of the tables has a slightly different tablecloth and different design. It’s one of my favorite restaurant atmospheres because the dining room is quirky and fun. It reminds me more of a coffee shop or cafe but shares a lot of characteristics of a diner too.
Jumbars Coffee: F
I hate to give any restaurant or diner, a bad coffee review but the coffee was cold. I actually didn’t finish the cup because it was cold and did nothing for me.
Jumbars Service: C
The service at the Jumbars wasn’t great either. It wasn’t the worst, but the food took quite a long time to come out. I think about 30 minutes the first time. When I asked for something, the waitress forgot about it, so we had to ask someone else. The waitress rarely came over…otherwise I would have asked for a different coffee.
Jumbars Food: C
The Jumbars menu is small. Jumbars is actually only open until 2 pm and known for their breakfast and lunch but they don’t serve dinner. A few items that stuck out to me on the Jumbars menu include the sticky buns, roasted walnuts, mixed greens with goat cheese, and jumble berry.
I ordered the hummus appetizer as well as the beet salad with salmon. I’ve been craving beets a lot more lately and the beet salad sounded good. 
They forgot the salmon, and when I asked about it the waitress mentioned: “just don’t touch it and we can take it back”. The salmon took another 15-20 minutes to come back.
The food portion itself at Jumbars was small. I liked the food a lot, but I wish I had more of it. I was glad I ordered the hummus appetizer because it had a lot of flatbread and made it into a full meal. The beet salad was more of the size of an appetizer than an entrée salad. In summary, the food was good, however, the portions were tiny.
Cost: $$
For my salad, coffee, and hummus appetizer, the cost was $22. The cost was high, and while the food was good, I wish I had more of it.
Overall/Would I come back to Jumbars?
I want to give the Jumbars a second chance because it does appear to be a local favorite. I know now that the food portion isn’t big, so I’ll definitely keep that in mind. I’m hoping I might have had a bad experience and I do hope to eventually go back and see.
Summary:
Atmosphere: A
Coffee: F
Service: C
Food: C
Cost: $12-20
Overall: C
You can see all diner reviews here.
Questions for you: What is your favorite local restaurant?