My spouse and I visited Urbano Mexican Kitchen for lunch on
a Saturday in late September 2018. Urbano is open daily for lunch, dinner, and
drinks from 11:00/11:30 am until 10:00/11:00 pm, depending on the day of the
week. You can make a reservation using the online Open Table system.
Urbano Mexican Kitchen opened in March 2018 on Main Street
in Downtown Bethlehem, in the space previously occupied by Little Italy on Main.
It occupies a storefront of a historic block of buildings that house shops
including Seasons Olive Oil and Vinegar Taproom, The Attic, Donegal
Square/McCarthy’s Red Stag Pub, Peculiar Wine and Beer Shop, and Tapas on Main.
(The latter two business share the same ownership as Urbano Mexican Kitchen.) The
owners of Urbano (3PA Restaurant Group) also operate Downtown Bethlehem neighbors
Tapas on Main, Cachette Bistro and Creperie, and the Flying Egg, as well as
Easton’s Mesa Modern Mexican and restaurants in New Haven CT (Palomino, which
used to have a second location at Center Valley’s Promenade Shops), Fort
Lauderdale FL (B Square Burgers and Booze), and Port Chester NY (Sonora).
During his cooking career, Colombian-born
Chef Palomino has worked with famous chefs Larry Forgione and Charlie Palmer as
well as chefs in France.
The interior space of Urbano is divided into two areas. The main
dining room contains a 14-seat cherry wood bar flanked by illuminated glass
columns that features colorful Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) and Frida
Kahlo-inspired components. (The columns were created by glass-blowing artists
at the South Side’s Banana Factory.) Next to the bar and front window are
high-top tables, with regular-height tables at the rear of the bar room. A ramp
joins the bar space with a more private dining area in what appears to be an
adjacent but interconnected building (including a large glass window that
divides and yet connects the spaces); the side dining room also houses the wine
cellar and a back door entrance to the Peculiar Wine and Beer Shop. Original
brick and stone walls are visible in the restaurant and provide the backdrop
for a wall of gear-shaped lights (a tribute to Bethlehem Steel), hardwood
floors, and brass pendant lighting that provide a trendy, industrial feel.
Outdoors seating on the sidewalk is also available in appropriate weather.
As its name
indicates, Urbano serves Mexican cuisine. We started with a beer and a Jalale (a
cocktail made with mezcal, Campari, lime, grapefruit Jarritos, with a chipotle rim) Unfortunately, the drink arrived without
the “salted” rim as described on the menu, an issue that was fixed quickly.
Although the restaurant plans to offer draft beer, none were available on the
day that we visited. This restaurant specializes in many different types
of guacamole as well as 15+ kinds of tacos, including traditional favorites (chicken, carne asada, tuna, pork) and
creative new ones (pastrami, falafel, duck, bacon). As a starter, we shared
the patacones (fried sweet plantains topped with guacamole, rotisserie chicken,
and jalapeno aioli; alternatively, you can order them with green plantains). We
also questioned our server about one of the daily special appetizers (tostadas),
and he departed our table saying that he would bring both appetizer choices; we
called him back to say we wanted just one explaining that we were merely asking
questions about the other so that we could decide between the two dishes. As our entrees, we ordered the pescado
tacos (three soft corn tortilla shells filled with crispy cod topped with a
visually unappealing [although tasty] Asian slaw and chipotle sauce), and one
of the daily specials, the enchiladas (stuffed with chicken and served with a
side of brown rice and beans). For dessert, we inquired about two choices, the
churro ice cream sandwich and the Kahlua flan, so that we could make a
decision, and then settled on the flan. But our server clearly misunderstood,
because he delivered both of the two desserts we asked about. Although our
server was clearly bilingual, he seemed to lack effective listening/communication
skills to have made what was now the third error of our dining experience.
Although we had some issues on the day that we dined, Urbano
Mexican Kitchen is a nice addition to the Main Street dining scene, and we
might return to give it another try.
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