Highest-rated cheap eats in Allentown by diners

Americans spend a lot of money on eating out—in 2024, that totaled $1.54 trillion, or nearly 59% of all food spending. So, it's only natural to want the best bang for your restaurant dollar.

Value has become a key component of what diners look for when they eat out, with more than 7 in 10 consumers eyeing menus for value meals. At the same time, many diners also look for something new and exciting, hoping to sample new flavors or food with ingredients that are too expensive to make at home.

Many ethnic cuisines also provide a lot of value because they aren't as expensive to produce. Many Mexican dishes fall into this category because tortillas are cheaper to produce than bread. Many Asian cuisines, including Chinese, Filipino, and Cambodian food, also rely on low-cost ingredients and simple food preparation techniques.

Food trucks and street food vendors also offer cheaper food, thanks to lower overhead costs. Their limited menus typically focus on one type of food, allowing them to simplify purchasing and pass the savings on in the form of lower prices.

Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated cheap eats restaurants within 10 kilometers of the Allentown area using data from Yelp. Data is as of Aug. 8, 2025. Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 20 reviews were considered, and a cost of "$" (out of 4) were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.

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Syb's West End Deli

1 / 30

#30. Syb's West End Deli

- Rating: 4.3/5 (77 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2151 West Liberty St. Allentown, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Delis, Breakfast & Brunch, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Stravino's

2 / 30

#29. Stravino's

- Rating: 4.3/5 (41 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 269 5th St. Whitehall, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Grocery, Delis, Italian
- Read more on Yelp

Machs Gute Pub and Grille

3 / 30

#28. Machs Gute Pub and Grille

- Rating: 4.3/5 (91 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 713 Linden St. Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
- Categories: American, Pubs
- Read more on Yelp

Tonys Pizza

4 / 30

#27. Tonys Pizza

- Rating: 4.3/5 (52 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 40 South Main St. Coopersburg, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

NYC Village Pizza

5 / 30

#26. NYC Village Pizza

- Rating: 4.4/5 (45 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 129 West 4th St. Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Pizza, Mediterranean, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

Darto's Restaurant

6 / 30

#25. Darto's Restaurant

- Rating: 4.4/5 (70 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 46 West North St. Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, American
- Read more on Yelp

The Udder Bar

7 / 30

#24. The Udder Bar

- Rating: 4.4/5 (104 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1852 West Allen St. Allentown, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Custom Cakes, Waffles
- Read more on Yelp

Wally's Deli

8 / 30

#23. Wally's Deli

- Rating: 4.4/5 (28 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1245 Chestnut St. Emmaus, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Delis
- Read more on Yelp

Kim's Kitchen

9 / 30

#22. Kim's Kitchen

- Rating: 4.4/5 (86 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5842 Main St. Center Valley, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Korean
- Read more on Yelp

La Placita Mexico Deli

10 / 30

#21. La Placita Mexico Deli

- Rating: 4.4/5 (114 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 158 North 12th St. Allentown, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Delis, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

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The Joint Coffee

11 / 30

#20. The Joint Coffee

- Rating: 4.5/5 (136 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 77 West Broad St. 18c Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Sandwiches, Coffee & Tea, New American
- Read more on Yelp

Back Home Bagels

12 / 30

#19. Back Home Bagels

- Rating: 4.5/5 (105 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4041 Rte 309 Ste 103 Schnecksville, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Bakeries, Bagels
- Read more on Yelp

Rascals

13 / 30

#18. Rascals

- Rating: 4.5/5 (59 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1350 MacArthur Road Whitehall, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Cheesesteaks, American, Food Stands
- Read more on Yelp

Old School Sandwich

14 / 30

#17. Old School Sandwich

- Rating: 4.5/5 (84 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 7535 Windsor Drive Ste 106 Allentown, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Sandwiches, Salad, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Pott's Hot Dogs

15 / 30

#16. Pott's Hot Dogs

- Rating: 4.5/5 (24 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1438 Chestnut St. Emmaus, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Hot Dogs
- Read more on Yelp

Cafe Santosha

16 / 30

#15. Cafe Santosha

- Rating: 4.5/5 (31 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 7150 Hamilton Blvd. Trexlertown, Pennsylvania
- Categories: New American, Vegan
- Read more on Yelp

Happy Sandwich

17 / 30

#14. Happy Sandwich

- Rating: 4.5/5 (26 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 123 South 7th St. Allentown, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Sandwiches, Trinidadian
- Read more on Yelp

Loan's Authentic Vietnamese Bistro

18 / 30

#13. Loan's Authentic Vietnamese Bistro

- Rating: 4.5/5 (61 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1825 West Chew St. Allentown, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Vietnamese
- Read more on Yelp

The Source Lounge & Grill

19 / 30

#12. The Source Lounge & Grill

- Rating: 4.6/5 (20 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1006 Hanover Ave. Allentown, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Hookah Bars, Middle Eastern
- Read more on Yelp

Rossi's Pizza & Italian

20 / 30

#11. Rossi's Pizza & Italian

- Rating: 4.6/5 (22 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 606 State Ave. Emmaus, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Italian, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

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El Paisano

21 / 30

#10. El Paisano

- Rating: 4.6/5 (149 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 22 East Union Blvd. Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

La vida cafe

22 / 30

#9. La vida cafe

- Rating: 4.6/5 (44 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 19 North 6th St. Allentown, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Cafes
- Read more on Yelp

Foods of the Mediterranean

23 / 30

#8. Foods of the Mediterranean

- Rating: 4.6/5 (39 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1825 West Chew St. Allentown, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Mediterranean
- Read more on Yelp

Aqui Es

24 / 30

#7. Aqui Es

- Rating: 4.6/5 (340 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 821 Linden St. Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Delio's Deli Grille

25 / 30

#6. Delio's Deli Grille

- Rating: 4.7/5 (49 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3360 Airport Road Allentown, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Delis
- Read more on Yelp

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Delicioso Gourmet Pizza & Subs

26 / 30

#5. Delicioso Gourmet Pizza & Subs

- Rating: 4.7/5 (36 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1032 West Hamilton St. Allentown, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

The Goose

27 / 30

#4. The Goose

- Rating: 4.7/5 (209 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 102 West 4th St. Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Delis
- Read more on Yelp

Black Forest Deli

28 / 30

#3. Black Forest Deli

- Rating: 4.7/5 (137 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 745 7th Ave. Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Delis, Ukrainian, Russian
- Read more on Yelp

La Bicicleta Arepa Bar

29 / 30

#2. La Bicicleta Arepa Bar

- Rating: 4.7/5 (58 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 12 South 8th St. Allentown, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Venezuelan
- Read more on Yelp

Cafe the Lodge

30 / 30

#1. Cafe the Lodge

- Rating: 4.8/5 (63 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 427 East 4th St. Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
- Categories: Cafes, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 388 metros.

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