Area Resources for Hispanic Students
and Anyone Interested in Hispanic Cultures
Latin foods:
La Mexicana Grille
407 N. 7th Street
Allentown, PA 18102
610-776-1910
open daily 11 am - 10 pm, with a brunch on Saturday and Sunday 11 am - 3 pm.
Authentic Mexican specialties, no nouvelle cuisine or Taco Bell here! Truly amazing soups,
wonderful enchiladas and tacos, sensational chilaquiles (for brunch)... This restaurant was the
first, and continues to be the most successful, at drawing diners downtown. A good place to take
your parents, a great place on your own! Ample seating in an attractive setting. No credit cards.
La Placita México
158 North 12th Street (12th and Turner)
Allentown, PA 18102
610-821-4549
Authentic, home-style Mexican dishes and groceries. Excellent pozole rojo and pozole blanco
(hominy corn-based soups) and very good, very cheap tacos. A wide variety of Mexican sodas is
available. There is a small seating section at the rear of the restaurant, beyond the long deli-style
counter. No credit cards, but very affordable. Take-out party trays are available and very well
done!
La Tortilla
33 N. 9th Street
Allentown, Pa 18101
610-421-4422 / fax 610-365-7739
menu: http://www.latortillalv.com/La%20Tortilla%20Takeout%20Menu.pdf
Allentown’s newest real Mexican restaurant, with a reportedly limited but quite good selection…
be the first to review it for this listing!
El Cactus Cocina Mexicana Auténtica
Whitehall square 2180 MacArthur Road
Whitehall, PA 18052
610-770-1818
Monday-Thursday 11am-9pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-10 pm, Sunday 11am-8pm
A new restaurant that, despite its strip-mall setting, does a lovely job of presenting authentic
Mexican cuisine in an attractive setting. The guacamole is excellent, chunky and full of lime.
Visit this restaurant and add your comments to the review!
Amigo Mío Restaurant
545 Cleveland Street
Allentown, PA 18103
610-776-2026
open daily 5-10 pm
This tiny gem of a restaurant has a limited, but both good and reasonably authentic TexMex/Mexican menu. They also have a liquor license. A good place to take parents!
Cuquita Restaurant
960 Broadway
Fountain Hill, PA 18015
(610) 868-5558
Though it is a bit beyond Allentown (almost to south side Bethlehem), this is the best Colombian
restaurant in the area. Massive servings of fresh, prepared-to-order steaks, seafood, and the ever
daunting, always delicious bandeja paisa (they call it a bandeja montañera here), a platter of
steak, chorizo, chicharrón, rice, beans, fried eggs, and avocado. Credit cards accepted, very much
worth the short trip!
Rinconcito Salvadoreño
958 Hamilton Street
Allentown, PA 18101
Delivery available.
open Monday - Thursday 9 am - 4 pm, Friday and Saturday 9 am - 7 pm
This restaurant with an oft-changing name (hint: look for the address, not the name!) offers a
variety of Latin and American dishes, with a small but very good selection of Salvadoran and
other Central American specialties. The prices are low and the food is quite good. Try the
pupusas (stuffed tortillas, with cheese, cheese and bean, chicharrón, and chicken fillings),
enchiladas, and quesadillas! The seating area is fairly small but immaculate. Credit cards
accepted and take out is available for individual or party orders.
Churro’s Cafe
959 Turner Street
Allentown, PA 18102
610-437-5511
open daily except Sunday 10 am - 7 pm
Cuban and Caribbean cuisine: daily meat and fish specials, amazing pressed (grilled) hoagie-size
Cuban sandwiches, fried turnovers and other snacks, vegetarian offerings. Also serving strong
Cuban coffee and tropical fruit shakes. Small seating area. No credit cards, but very affordable.
Mambo Restaurant
1902 West Allen Street
Allentown, Pa 18104
610-351-4070
This is the Latin restaurant closest to campus, just a short walk away! Dominican food, with
some prepared dishes and other dishes made to order. Be ready to wait for the made-to-order
specialties! The pollo al carbón is quite good here, as is the cangrejo mambo (crab) and bacalao
(salt cod), with large servings and your choice of sides. Offering lunchtime specials every day.
Credit cards accepted. Free delivery with a $15 minimum order!!
Sunlight Restaurant
801 Hamilton Street (entrance on 8th Street)
Allentown, PA 18102
610-770-0713 Free delivery available
open daily
Dominican cuisine with an every-changing set of fresh daily specials. Amazing stews: the carne
guisado, pollo guisado, and cerdo guisado (stewed beef, chicken, and pork, respectively) are all
good, but don’t be shy! Try the chivo (goat), patita (pig’s foot), or other unfamiliar but delicious
meats! The best deal on a cubano (Cuban sandwich) in town. Everything looks fabulous, and the
location is both easy to get to and very attractive. Catering for all size events. A great place for
group meetings and activities! Credit cards accepted.
Tu Nueva Casa Restaurant
American Plaza
223 Hamilton Street (Hamilton and American Parkway)
Allentown, PA 18101
610-433-2012
Excellent Dominican specialties as well as a range of Latin dishes. The meal-size asopao de
camarón (shrimp and rice stew) is particularly good. They have several really yummy fish dishes
as well. Open very late on weekends! The room-size TV screen keeps the latest novelas and
videos front and center.
Jarabacoa City
44 North 8th Street (8th and Linden Streets))
Allentown, Pa 18102
610-435-0781
Dominican foods, to eat in or take out. Will cater large orders! Be the first to review it for this
guide!
Caribeño Restaurant
346 Ridge Avenue
Allentown, PA 18101
(610) 432-5459
A small Dominican restaurant, though a new seating area allows you to eat in now. Be the first
to review it for this guide!
Casa Latina Restaurant
527 N 7th St
Allentown, PA 18102
(610) 821-2748
A small but extremely popular Dominican restaurant. Be the first to review it for this guide!
El Barrio
937 Hamilton Street
Allentown, PA 18102
610-439-2400
open daily except Sunday 10 am - 6 pm
Puerto Rican dishes, with the best chicharrón (fried pork rind), pastelillos (turnovers), and roast
chicken in town. The menu is varied, ranging from fried snacks to Latin-style sandwiches, to full
meals. Servings are massive here-- go hungry! No credit cards, but very affordable.
Sólido’s / El Rincón Criollo
802 North 7th Street
Allentown, PA 18102
610-439-6065
open daily except Sunday 11 am - 6 pm
Puerto Rican dishes, from the freshest in fried foods (great alcapurrias (fried stuffed yuca)!) to
rich stews, pernil, and roasted chicken. Served with rice and beans, to be washed down with
tropical sodas. This restaurant is one of the city’s originals, and has just moved to an easilyreached, totally renovated downtown location. Ample seating area. No credit cards, but very
affordable.
Sandwichería El Punto
410 Tilghman Street
Allentown, PA 18101
610-435-9170
Take-out sandwiches, featuring the huge and delicious cubano as well as many other warm and
cold options.
Mangos Coastal Cuisine
3750 Hamilton Blvd.
Allentown, PA 18103
610-432-2025
Monday - Friday: 11 am - 10 pm, Saturday: 4 - 10 pm, Sunday: Closed
An elegant and newly innovative restaurant, with prices to match. Offering a traditional and
vegetarian paella, though reports indicate that both have been tailored to local tastebuds…
The nearby communities of Bethlehem, Easton, Coopersburg, Quakertown, and Reading
offer an very broad selection of cafes and restaurants; in Bethlehem the selections include
Caribbean, Mexican (La Lupita, 4 W. 4th Street, 610-868-5733, by Lehigh’s campus, is a nice
choice that is open until 10pm Tuesday - Saturday, until 9pm Sunday and Monday), and Peruvian
(Machu Picchu, at 1330 East 4th Street, 610-865-5838 is the area’s lone sit-down restaurant),
while in Easton Mexican and Colombian (recommendation: Las Delicias, 144 West St. Joseph
Street, 610-559-9490) dominate. In Quakertown and Reading, the large immigrant population
from Mexico allows for dozens of very good and often very cheap Mexican restaurants
(recommendation: Tacos La Mexicana, 216 W. Broad Street, Quakertown, 215-536-0444). Just
south of Allentown, off Rt. 309, Casa Toro is a very pleasant Mexican restaurant with excellent
food; a bit pricier than other restaurants, it is worth both the drive and the cost. (7001 Rt. 309,
Coopersburg, Pa 18036, in the Fairmount Village Shopping Center 610-282-8888)
The Valley also has a small but well-fed Portuguese community.
Europa Restaurant is an excellent Portuguese restaurant. Unbelievably fresh grilled meats,
seafood, and fish are accompanied by cooked-to-order sauces, rice, and potatoes. Do try the
camarão à guilho (shrimp scampi) and picadinho (shrimp and pork): they will leave you happy
and full! The small but very pleasant restaurant is in Bethlehem, located at 954 Pembroke Road,
610-814-6870. 11 am-9 pm, Tuesday - Saturday, 10 am - 7 pm Sunday. Credit cards accepted.
Note: this restaurant seems to change names frequently, but the location and excellent food are
constant! Further north, in Nazareth, you can find the area’s lone Brazilian-style steakhouse. Rios
Brazilian Steak House, 127 S. Broad St., Nazareth PA, 18064. 610-614-1018.
Do you want to cook your own food? Wegman’s, on Tilghman street beyond Cedar Crest, has
many, many fresh, frozen, and canned ingredients for Latin and Spanish (from Spain!) meals; be
forewarned, they can be fairly expensive. A much more affordable option is C-Town, la tiendona
del pueblo, on Tilghman between 4th and 5th Streets (401 W Tilghman St, Allentown, 18102,
484-664-7060, hours and details at http://www.ctownsupermarkets.com). There you can find a
spectacular array of Latin American products, with an especially strong collection of Central and
South American fresh, frozen, and canned goods; here you can find a good selection of meats
(Latin cuts like pernil), seafood (including octopus!), vegetables, fruits, spices, and Latin
American cheeses. C-Town offers pick-up and drop-off service for car-less shoppers. The
Little Apple market, on 7th Street between Tilghman and Allen, is another choice. Elias Farmers’
Market, at 101 Tilghman Street, offers a mammoth selection of fresh fruits and vegetables for
virtually any Latin dish. Elias Fish Market, right next door, has a great selection of fish and
seafood.
There are also lots of small bodegas around the downtown area: check out the flags in the
windows to see whether a store specializes in Caribbean (2nd and Linden, 4th and Ridge, 7th and
Turner, 14th and Turner, and many more), Mexican (7th and Gordon, Linden between 6th and 7th,
10th and Hamilton, or 12th and Turner), or Peruvian (7th and Chew) products.
For community information and entertainment:
television
Canal 69, Noticiero Hispano. Local news with national and international updates. A great way to
find out the events and interests of the Lehigh Valley’s Hispanic communities. Every weeknight
11-11:30 pm. On Muhlenberg’s campus, channel 69 is received on Service Electric cable channel
8. Online at http://www.wfmzenespanol.com/
Univisión and Telemundo are available here. On the Service Electric cable system, they can be
found on channel 34 (Univisión) and channel 63 (Telemundo-- programming during only part of
the day, check listings).
El Show de Puentes is a news and talk show on Service Electric Cable Channel 50, weekdays 1011 am.
Lehigh Valley Latino is the Dominican-focused news and variety show on Service Electric Cable
Channel 50, Sundays at 7:00 pm. Followed by Baby J Video, playing all the latest hits with
Spanglish chat.
radio
HOLA am 1600, locally produced all-Spanish station, with music, news, and talk shows 24/7.
(1600 AM)
Latin Sunday, the oldest and most comprehensive radio show in the Lehigh Valley. Includes
music, talk, and informational segments. At our own WMUH (91.7 FM), Sunday mornings 8 am
- 12 noon.
Baby J Radio, with week’s worth of Spanglish chat and up-to-the-minute music packed into
Sundays 12 noon - 3 pm on WLVR (91.3 FM).
newspapers
Al Día Hispanic Newspaper is based in Philadelphia but does excellent regional coverage. In
boxes, bodegas, and on the web at pontealdia.com. Al Día accepts interns-- details can be
found on their website!
Panorama Hispano newspaper appears weekly in bodegas and restaurants throughout the city.
It’s a great source of local information and is particularly good for spotting ads for local
businesses, clubs, and restaurants. In Spanish.
El Torero newspaper is distributed weekly. In Spanish. Subscriptions available: 610-435-6608,
torero@enter.net
La Crónica Hispanic Newspaper, with a strong Peruvian strain. Edited by a Muhlenberg dad!
Partly on the web at http://www.lacronicanewspaper.com. For more information contact
info@lacronicanewspaper.com // 610-770-1087 // fax: 610-770-6847
El Hispano newspaper covers the Latino communities of the Lehigh Valley, Philadelphia and the
Delaware Valley, and Reading. Bilingual reporting on issues of local and international interest.
Available at no charge in boxes at key downtown corners (7th and Hamilton, for example). 610789-5512. Check on-line as well: www.el-hispano.com.
@Tiempo Hispanic Newspaper offers coverage of Reading and Lehigh Valley in Spanish with
occasional English-language pieces. Distributed in Reading but can be found in Allentown
bodegas as well. 610-371-0137.
For Latin music:
King’s Records
14 South 6th Street (between Walnut and Hamilton)
Allentown, PA 18101
610-439-4121
King’s has a tremendous selection and they are always super happy to order anything you want.
Credit cards accepted.
Casa de Música / House of Music
711 East 4th Street
Bethlehem, Pa 18015
(610) 814-0516
The Casa de Música has a little bit of everything, but is mostly Latin. You can also purchase
guitar strings and arrange for lessons here.
Religious services in Spanish (a very partial list!):
610-432-6858
Iglesia Católica del Sagrado Corazón
Sunday 11 am
336 N. 4th Street
Allentown, PA 18102
Iglesia Betania
610-434-5171
445 N. 9th Street
Saturday 7 pm
Allentown, PA 18102
Sunday 11:30 am
610-437-6477
Wednesday 7 pm
call for hours
Iglesia Evangélica Luterana San Martín de
Porres
36 South 8th Street
Allentown, PA 18101
610-432-3248
Sunday 12:30 pm
Iglesia Monte Sinaí (Asamblea de Dios)
320-26 N. 2nd Street
Allentown, PA 18102
610-821-0204
Sunday 5 pm (check first)
**Dr. Sutherland, in the Dept. of Languages,
Literatures, and Cultures, attends this service and
would be happy to provide transportation to
Muhlenberg students! Stop by Ettinger 104 or call her
at 484-664-3518.**
The Salvation Army
144 N. 8th Street
Allentown, PA 18101
610-432-2381
La Trinidad United Methodist Church
440 Turner Street
Allentown, PA 18101
**The Salvation Army serves as the home base for
the organization of all Hispanic pastors in the Lehigh
Valley; Lt. José Santiago can give you information
about any of the many churches not listed here**
prepared and updated by Dr. Erika M. Sutherland, Dept. of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
spring 2008