Pistachios is located in a strip mall shopping center near Dorney Park, at the intersections of Hamilton Boulevard (Route 222) and Cedar Crest Boulevard. Plenty of complimentary parking is available in the shopping center lot. The restaurant is large and cavernous, and as a result, it can be a bit loud during its most crowded times. Original (and unusual) art hangs on the walls. The ceilings are open to the industrial piping and wiring, and the kitchen is open to the dining area as well. The restaurant also features a large bar area with additional table seating alongside. Sidewalk dining (albeit with a view of the parking lot) is available in warmer weather.
The menu at Pistachios contains Italian, Mediterranean, and
American cuisine, and it is re-printed (although not necessarily changed) frequently.
Our favorite appetizers are the hummus (served with freshly-made pita bread,
and sometimes drizzled with olive oil and roasted red peppers), the gorgonzola
potato chips (house-made chips drizzled with cheese and sliced scallions), and
the Mediterranean appetizer plate (with hummus, tabouli, peppers, feta cheese,
olives, and stuffed grape leaves). The pizzas are good, although the quality
can vary (we ordered a four cheese pizza on our last visit, and two of the
cheeses used were yellow cheddar and blue cheese, which are not normally on
other four cheese pizzas that we order elsewhere). Our “go-to” menu items are
their delicious salads, with our favorites being the seafood chopped salad,
regular chopped salad, chef salad, citrus chicken salad. Also, the chicken
Oscar entrée (panko-breaded chicken breast topped with asparagus, crabmeat, and
hollandaise sauce, and served with a side of amazing polenta) is a repeat order
for us.
Service (like food quality) has been variable over the
years. Even though we tend to order the same dishes, ingredients are sometimes
excluded or substituted at whim, and presentation varies greatly (for example,
on the chef salad, sometimes the cheese is cubed, and sometimes it is thinly
sliced), perhaps depending on the chef on duty. Sometimes we receive bread
service and sometimes a small amuse bouche (like hummus) from the chef, and
other times we do not, even though we tend to order the same appetizers and
main courses each time we visit. We used to have a terrific (and favorite!) Pistachio
bartender/waitress, Colleen, but she has since moved on to work at Bell Hall in
Allentown.
We enjoy the salads at Pistachios, and we also like to dine
outdoors on their sidewalk when the weather is just right. We appreciate that
they are open continuously from lunch through dinner every day of the week, and
we like the fact that we can always easily secure a table when we dine at
off-hours (which seem like normal hours to us). Pistachio has a casual vibe
with upscale food, and we find ourselves returning often.
