Living Our Bucket List Life: Fogelsville: Hops at the Fogelsville Hotel

My spouse and I dined at Hops at the Fogelsville Hotel for lunch on a Saturday in early April 2016; however, we live nearby, so we have eaten there a few times over the past 20+ years. The “Fogie” as some people call it, is open almost daily for lunch and dinner (the only exception is no lunch on Mondays). You can make a reservation by telephone. Complimentary parking is available in one of their two private parking lots. The Hoppy family, proprietors of Hops at the Fogelsville Hotel since 2006, also own Hops at the Paddock since 2011; the latter restaurant is located at the former Paddock Restaurant in West Allentown (just off Walbert Avenue).

The building that houses the Fogelsville Hotel was built in the very late 1700s. The current owners are the 21^st proprietors of the building (the Hoppy family purchased it in 2006). You enter the restaurant in the bar area, made to resemble an English pub, which features several TV and high-top bar tables. Two main dining rooms are adjacent to the bar room, and another more private dining room is in the rear of the building. The dining rooms feature wooden tables/chairs and some faux brick walls. Seasonal outdoor dining is available both on a patio and on the front porch. The front-porch tables can hold only two people, whereas the tables on the patio can be joined into different configurations. The patio is attractive, accessed through a wooden arbor, surrounded by a wooden privacy fence; paver bricks cover the ground, and white lights are strung above.

The Fogelsville Hotel offers American pub food, with specials on certain nights of the week (for instance, Prime Rib Thursdays). Portions are large, and prices are reasonable. Our favorite menu items include the wasabi crab ball appetizer, the open-faced turkey rachael and the turkey club sandwich (which come with potato chips and a pickle [upon request], although you can upgrade to French fries, sweet potato tots, or onion rings for a small surcharge); however, the restaurant also serves pastas and more formal entrees. Hops at the Fogelsville Hotel offers an extensive draft beer menu, and the restaurants lists the selections on large chalk boards that also (thankfully) mention the ABV content. Many more beers are available by the bottle.

If you are looking for good food, a casual atmosphere, and dependable service, look no further than Hops at the Fogelsville Hotel.