Tag: allentown

Trivet Diner (Allentown, PA)

A while ago, I was in Allentown, PA and decided to stop at the Trivet Diner.

Atmosphere: A
The Trivet Diner is everything you picture with a diner.  The outside is retro, shiny and metallic.  It almost looks out of place, as if someone dropped the diner right there in the modern shopping complex.

The inside is decorated and has a large bar, plenty of booths as well as plenty of tables.

Service: B
The service by the waitress at the Trivet Diner was great.  She was extremely friendly, refilled drinks and the food came out extremely quickly.  It was odd because one of the managers stood in the corner and stared the entire time.  It was at the point, it was somewhat uncomfortable for the diners (at least for my table).

Coffee: C
The coffee at the Trivet Diner was decent.  It wasn’t my favorite, but it wasn’t my least favorite either.  I don’t have anything interesting about it.

Trivet Diner coffee

Food: C
The diner had plenty of options, but I had had a large lunch earlier in the day.  I decided to order the Greek salad with salmon.  Very rarely do diners have the actual option “Greek salad with salmon” so I went with it.

Trivet Diner salad

I was looking forward to trying it, and it was definitely interesting. When the salad arrived, I noticed the salmon had several lemons cooked inside. I have never had lemons cooked into the actual salmon before. To be honest, it was odd but it tasted fine.  There were also several lemons alongside the salad too.  It was like I ordered lemons with a side of salad.

The salad itself was typical of most diner salads.  There was minimal lettuce and toppings.  It wasn’t great but not awful either.  If I had been starving, I would have been disappointed.

Trivet Diner salad

Cost: $$
For salad and coffee, the cost was $16 which was expensive considering the amount of food and quality I received.  At least it came out quickly.

Overall/Would I Come Back?
It wasn’t a bad stop, but not amazing either.  If I’m back in the area, I’ll probably stop at a new place. I wouldn’t advise against it though.

Summary:
Atmosphere: A
Service: B
Coffee: C
Food: C
Cost: $18-20

Closeby Diners I’ve been too:
Jumbars (Bethlehem)
Whitehall Diner (my personal local favorite)
Golden Gate Diner

Questions for you:
Have you ever cooked lemons into your salmon?

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Golden Gate Diner (Allentown, Pa)

The Golden Gate Diner (Allentown, PA)

Via the Golden Gate Diner Website
Via the Golden Gate Diner Website

In typical LOLZ fashion, while in Bethlehem for the Runners World Festival I drove by a diner.  It looked cute, and there were parking spots available, so I doubled back and went.  The Golden Dawn Diner is actually on the outskirts of Allentown.  I immediately sat down at a booth in the back.  It was clear it was a very “regulars” place.  The staff and customers all knew each other!

Atmosphere: A

The outside is a shiny metallic building.  I’ve been to a lot of “classic style” diners lately.  I love the look of a long shiny metallic car with Easter colored booths and tables.  The inside was neat and tidy.  The inside atmosphere was clear everyone knew each other.

Service: A

The waitress was extremely friendly.  It was clear she knew all of the regulars, and I watched as she chatted with each table.  She knew everyone and made a point to get to know me as well.  I enjoyed the overall atmosphere of a small town diner where the customers and staff are all good friends.  It’s rewarding to see that because you know people enjoy the diner and become a regular there!

Coffee: B

The coffee was good.  It wasn’t unusual but the staple diner coffee you come to expect.  It was slightly burnt, and the whipped cream was good.  One thing I did like was the slightly bigger than average coffee mugs (so sorry, I forgot to take a photo!)

Food: B

I ordered the chicken salad wrap.  There were several options from omelets to salads to wraps.  I asked my waitress what her favorite item was on the menu, and she said the wraps were pretty good.  Since I was racing the 5k the next morning, I didn’t want anything too heavy.  The chicken salad wrap with like the perfect option.  It was jam packed with leaf lettuce, tomatoes, bacon and, of course, chicken.  I would have preferred more chicken, but I enjoyed it a lot.  I also ordered a cup of vegetable soup but forgot to take a photo of it.

wrap

Cost: $

For my food, the total was 8 dollars.  It was the cheapest meal I’ve had in a very long time.  The quality was typical diner quality food but still good.

Overall thoughts/would I come back?

I enjoyed my food, but I definitely could have used more food! If I’m ever in Allentown again, I wouldn’t be opposed to stopping but I would probably want to try another diner!  It’s a cute and stereotypical diner.

Summary:
Atmosphere: A
Service: A
Coffee: B
Food: B
Cost: $8-12
Overall score: B

Question for you: Are you a regular anywhere?