Allentown: The Shelby (June 2017)




My spouse and I visited The Shelby for lunch on a Saturday afternoon in mid-June 2017. The Shelby is open daily for lunch/brunch, dinner, drinks, and late night (until 2:00 am). You can make a reservation online using the Open Table system, or by telephone. The Shelby shares the same owners at the Hamilton Kitchen in downtown Allentown. (Since Hamilton Kitchen opened in 2014, we have been regular patrons; see our review from November 2015 titled “Great Menu, Great Outdoor Space”, so we had high expectations from The Shelby.)

The Shelby is located in Upper Macungie Township near Wescosville off the Route 222/Hamilton Boulevard Bypass. It occupies a semi-quiet corner location in the Hamilton Crossings strip mall shopping center on the opposite end from the Target store, near Smashburger, and across the parking lot from BJ’s Brewhouse. The restaurant’s name is meant to evoke the feeling of the “girl-next-door”, a restaurant guests can relate to and depend on. Indeed, on the day that we visited, there were several families with small children dining there; it was refreshing to find that so many parents sought out a unique, non-chain-restaurant experience for their kids. 

The Shelby space is cavernous yet chic and inviting, with high ceilings and lots of windows for an open, bright, and airy feel. Interesting lighting includes pendants, clear round globes mounted in brass fixtures, and bare-bulb sconces. Metal, leather, wood, mosaic tile finishes, and a colorful wall mural provide varied finishes. A rear kitchen offers a few strategically placed transparent tiles that offer a peek into the bustling space. The large restaurant seats approximately 175 patrons in a variety of areas: at one of the many chairs surrounding the rectangular bar, small individual high tops around bar, communal high tops located between the bar and the kitchen, or in one of the three uniquely designed seating areas on the opposite side of the room (each with a slightly different yet complementary design and color palette). In appropriate weather, guests can also dine outdoors on a small sidewalk patio.

The Shelby serves a varied, creative international menu, and presently, the lunch and brunch menus do not differ significantly from the dinner menu. The menu items sounded so intriguing that we found it difficult to choose. As appetizers, we shared two dishes: the steamed buns (doughy wrappers sprinkled with black and white sesame seeds and stuffed with crispy porchetta [pork] slices and kimchi) and the tenderloin grilled skewers (served with pita bread triangles and cucumber tzatziki dip). As entrees, we ordered the bucatini carbonara (thin hollow spaghetti-like noodles tossed in a light cream sauce with bacon crumbles and topped with crispy prosciutto) and the porchetta rice bowl (fried rice topped with sliced meat, a sunny-side up egg, fresh herbs, and sesame seeds). For dessert, we shared the berry pie, which offered a mix of strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries in a flaky miniature homemade crust, served warm and topped with Greek yogurt sauce. The chef offered the generously portioned dishes in appealing presentations using quality ingredients. Our server was adept, friendly, and professional. 

We were thrilled with our first experience at The Shelby (despite it being open for only two weeks before our visit), and we cannot wait to see how it excels as time goes by. Because we live nearby, we plan to be regular guests.













September 2017 (First Visit):







September 2017 (Second Visit):





December 2017:



July 2018:

August 2018:


October 2018:




June 2019




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