Roasted — Restaurant in Bethlehem

I’m always excited to try new places for brunch, especially when traveling…so when I found myself once again in the Lehigh Valley, hungry for fine breakfast food and wanting to avoid the many, many (many) diners that dot the land, I came across Roasted. I’d been on the property before as I had dined at it’s former Blue Sky Cafe incarnation and, though I enjoyed my experience at Blue Sky, I was pleased to see a much more modern (and super crowded) experience both in terms of the design of the space and the menu. Word on the street is they have the same chef is Blue Sky and you can even see the former restaurant’s signature “Sweet Potato Quesadilla” on the menu as a salute to the past.

We were rolling in with a party of nine and even though we called ahead they stuck with the policy of not taking reservations, but they were able to seat us in about 25 minutes, which wasn’t too bad considering it was a Saturday smack dab in the middle of brunch.

They don’t offer a kids menu (and we had 3 kids with us) but the prices are pretty reasonable considering the quality they put out…and we had both vegetarians and gluten free eaters with us and thought it was especially helpful that their menu was clearly labeled with which items were vegan, vegetarian and gluten free. They also offer soy sausage, tofu, and vegan cheddar so you can simulate the real thing no matter what you order.

The coffee wasn’t bad. I’ve had much bolder, but it was a couple steps above the browned water you often get at breakfast places.

I had a Create Your Own omelet with egg whites, soy sausage, gouda and kale. I actually wanted the roasted leeks which came with the special omelet instead of kale but the kitchen wasn’t willing to make that substitution. The server asked if I had a backup to the leeks in case the chef wasn’t willing to use them…I was disappointed about this, especially that they just brought the omelet with the kale in it without any kind of report back or regret that they couldn’t do it. It still tasted good with the kale. But the communication wasn’t great and in the end I didn’t feel taken care of.

Our ten year old ordered the Oreo French Toast which was an out of control looking construction that he pretty much wanted to marry.

My gluten free, mostly vegan wife especially enjoyed the hearty vegan soup she got.

Everyone else was happy with what they got and the food came fairly quickly considering how busy the place was. We’d come back as there’s so much to try for...

Blue what?

Locals and travelers alike will remember this place as the go-to place for a damn good cup of coffee, followed by one of the most diverse breakfast and lunch menus in Bethlehem. Fortunately, that hasn't changed - the previous menu has largely rolled over to the new one, along with a much-needed counter and dining area makeover, which has also provided more space to servers and patrons alike. The room no longer feels like you will be crushed under the weight of five dinner plates if you move your elbow while sipping your coffee.

I had the pleasure of trying out one of Roasted's "Savory Pancakes," which I can best describe as a pancake with omelette ingredients. Before I was stupid enough to pour real maple syrup on it, one of the cooks (this is an open kitchen) recommended I stick to the provided jalapeno cream cheese instead. Taking his advice, I can't believe I even considered ruining this combination with syrup. The pancake, topped with two over easy eggs, was heavenly, and I might have to reconsider everything I thought I knew about making my own.

Side note: the new owner wears the same uniform as the servers, preps butter for the next day, and refills coffee, just like everyone else. 90% of Lehigh Valley restaurant owners wouldn't even know how to poach an egg, much less plate it and serve it to another human being. Take note,...

Worst customer service I have ever encountered !! Feel super disappointed my three kids wife and I came from NY for a small getaway looked for our closest dinner/ cafe in town called this very place before showing up to makesure if a reservation was necessary , the hostess over the phone told me it wasn't necessary we arrive there and the hosstes refused to give us a table said there was people waiting mind you there was no line and no one waiting to be seated aside from us plus he said reservation wasnt needed over the phone and there was at least 6 open tables with none sitting on them the hostess said he couldn't sit us down because there was people on the waiting list waiting to be sat down mind you they had the space but refused to give us a table I even offered if we could be sitted outside he said no I asked why couldn't we sit if there was open tables and he didn't respond , it's sad how managers and bosses choose the wrong people to work in there business and all we asked for is to be seated and pay for a plate of food mind you we aren't cheap people and we tip great usually because we value the service provided . HOPEFULLY you can or will have a better experience than ours but will I ever recomend this place is a huge NO will I ever stop by it again NO I rather drive a bit further and dine in a place we're we aren't...