Allentown Restaurant Guide

We had a wonderfull dinner at Youell's (the most recent of many great meals there). Soft shell crabs and crabcakes were fantastic. My mother is on a restricted diet, so the chef made her a special salmon dish - great! Always enjoy the soups and desserts. A nice place with supperior food and service for any occasion.

My favorite seafood restaurant! The fried crabcake is fantastic - all jumbo lump crabmeat and no filler. The crab bisque is decadent. They have modified their wine list recently and have a generous variet and range of selections by the bottle and glass. Don't miss the homemade pies!

We saw the advertisement for Soft Shell Crabs and decided to visit Youell's. They were the best Soft Shell Crabs that we've ever had (and I spent summers on the Bay). Service was pleasant, drinks were great and dessert was superb! Great experience. Can't wait to return for the Crabcakes!

We like to patronize locally owned businesses, (when they offer a quality product) particularly restaurants - forget the chains. Youell's is a great value and very unique in it's offerings: probably over 50 seafood selections. It's a neighborhood restaurant that draws people from all over. The food is always fresh and prepared expertly. We love the oysters and crabmeat. It's a casual, fine dining atmosphere, and the service is friendly and professional. My friends and family are all getting Youell's gift certificates for the holidays!!!

Very disappointed. Went there on Monday 10/26/09. Lobster over cooked. All crab dishes had shreaded crab, expected lumb crab. Vegetables did not go well with meal(canned corn). Biggest disappointment, coupons where rejected even though it was their coupons. We were told owners policy is coupons must be same amount. Not stated on coupons. Manager told me in front of our server that we can use coupons but it would come out of her check. So unprofessional.They lost a customer over $3 dollars. Will never go back & neither will any of our friends.

This has not been my first visit to Youells. But I must say I was disappointed with my dinner. I took a friend for a night out. I orderd the shrimp primavera. this diner had very little taste. I Was also disappointed with the vegetables served in it.

Youell love Youell's! What a great find. After inquiring where to go for a good seafood dinner, all roads led to Youell's Oyster House. We've been back many times to work our way through the menu. Fresh oysters and clams can't be any better at the shore. Crabmeat dishes are superior to those I've had in Maryland. Chef's additions are simple yet diverse and beyond satisfying. We finish up with a great cup of coffee and one of the many homemade pies or cheesecakes. Check out Youell's for a fantastic meal.

Three words: Soft Shell Crabs. They are simply the best I have ever had.
All of the other seafood (quite a large selection) is fresh and very good. Some unique items such as Paella and Bouillabaisse. We love the free oyster during happy hour.

We had our annual Easter weekend meal at Youells while visiting family back home. Year to year Youells has remained consistently great at offering fresh seafood at reasonable prices, in a comfortable atmosphere. We love the oysters and clams, as we do not get them in the mid-west. Sorry we were a little early for the soft shell crab season - they're the BEST!
One warning - they get pretty busy. We don't make the mistake of not having a reservation after having to wait a while without one on a Saturday.

Terrific neighborhood restaurant. We enjoy dining at Youell's Oyster House monthly prior to attending the symphony or theatre. It is casual fine dining, reasonably priced - a great value for the high quality of food prepared. We prefer Youell's to any seafood house found along the east coast - and we travel extensively. The service is attentive and friendly. We particularly enjoy the crab au gratin and soft shell crabs when they are in season. Try the lemon sponge pie. Highly recomended and guaranteed not to disapoint.

The ONLY place for seafood in the area. Our family has had consistently positive experiences at Youells. We love the crab dishes, but have not been disapointed with anything on the menu.

Our party of 8 was celebrating a birthday recently and enjoyed a spectacular meal at Youell's. I read with some amusement (although the owners probably did not find it funny!) the previous review, because we were in the same nite and thoroughly enjoyed many of the same items that were complained about. Maybe it was a cruel joke?
Anyway, begining with cocktails, and right through dessert, our group had nothing but rave reviews for the food and service. The crab bisque and oysters rockefeller were great. I had the whole sea bass roasted with basil, garlic and tomatoes, that I am still dreaming about. My wife had the crab crusted tenderloin with marinated shrimp and blue cheese sauce, which was outstanding. Oh, and by the way, my mother-in-law injoyed the mussels appetizer steamed in beer & dijon so much that she ordered another for dinner. She said they were the most plump and freshest she has ever had! We were pretty full after this feast and decided to take dessert home. Our guests could not say enough about the peach crumb pie, cherry crumb pie and lemon sponge pie. We're hooked on Youell's.

Extremely disappointed! Mussels were "blown-up" and out of the shell, covered in black muck. The lobster was charbroiled, literally black edged and tougher than steak. Shrimp appeared freezer burned, dry and tough. When complaint was aired, the offer was free dessert for a completely ruined $100.00 (plus) dinner for two. We will not return.

Great meal and enjoyable evening. I enjoyed the "Drunken Mussels" (steamed in dark beer with shallots, dijon and a touch of cream) and the "Bouillabaisse with 1/2 Maine Lobster" from the Chef's menu. My date ordered the "Creole Crabcake". All jumbo lump crabmeat and no filler. Just enough ingredients to accentuate the crab flavor. The accompanying creole sauce was excellent, as was the "Chantilly Potato". Nice wine selection and resonably priced. We forced dessert 'cause it was homemade. The "Chocolate Mousse Pie and Lemon Sponge Pie" were just awesome. Friendly service in a comfortable atmosphere. We're hooked on Youells!

Great family owned, neighborhood restaurant. Much better value than any of the chains. Casual fine dining. Great cocktails and wine selection. We started with Sauteed Oysters from the Chef's Menu - Never imagined it would be so good. I had Crabmeat Imperial. Loaded with very large chunks of blue crab meat with a flavorful but not overpowering sauce. My husband had Shrimp Stuffed with Crabmeat - the fried version. It was served with drawn butter and completely decadent. The homemade cole slaw can't be beat, and the chantilly potato is an item not to be missed. We forced dessert, and enjoyed the lemon sponge pie and chocolate mousse pie - both homemade and a perfect ending to a great dining experience. We're hooked on Youell's

Great meal at Youell's Oyster House Saturday night. I had the New England Clam Chowder and an entree of Seared Sea Scallops with Lobster Rosotto. Excellent! My wife had Crab Bisque and Jumbo Lump Crabmeat served with brown butter. Fantastic! We each finished the meal by having a piece of Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie and Mexican Coffee (with kaluha). Our overall experience could not have been better. Thanks.

Took my honey there Saturday nite - so close to where we live. Alawys cozy atmosphere - very 'Allentown'! Had wonderful steamed clams with requested brown butter - Mmmmm! My honey ordered the salmon and scallop dish and loved it! My crab imperial almost had a whipped texture - so light but with huge chunks of crab. We split a chantilly potato as it's enormous. Someone said previously they were charged $ 6.50 for a beer but they must not have read their bill carefully - I was charged $ 6.50 TOTAL for TWO pints of Yuengling Lager. I'm eating the free cheesecake slice we got from the Youell's website coupon - we had it boxed to go!

Everything tastes like the oven. Everything!
What a sin.

Great atmosphere, great drinks, fantastic food. We had the Bouillabaise, Paella, Crabcake and Salmon with Seared Scallops. The best meal we've had in many years

We had a great meals at Youells last night. The food was fresh and well prepared. The service was friendly and expedient. The atmosphere was casual and comfortable. I had the Rainbow Trout, pecan crusted, sauteed in brown butter and topped with sauteed spinach, gorgonzola cheese and Jumbo Lump Crabmeat. It was one of the best fish dishes I have ever had. My Husband had Jumbo Lump Crabmeat served with Brown Butter. He remarked that it was better than the crab he's had in Maryland.
A great meal and a good value. Overall I would highly recomend this restaruant.

I consider myself a "foodie", however, I am not a journalist so bear with me...As a regular customer of this restaurant I have had an opportunity to accumulate enough experiences to share my thoughts about Youell's. Youell's Oyster House is located in a residential neighborhood one block south of Hamilton Street (the main street of Allentown). They do not have a parking lot, but since it is an area of single homes, there is adequate parking space withing half a block of the facility. Evidently the building that houses the restaurant has a long history (check out their website: youellsoysterhouse.com )Youell's seats about a total of 100 guests in two dining rooms. The tables are a combination of butcher block tops, with the larger ones having white linen tablecloths, and linen napkins. Recent renovations and lighting have improved the atmosphere, which is very comfortable - not quite casual yet not quite fine dining. Patrons enter through the bar to be greeted by a host. Reservations are not required, but to avoid a wait, are suggested. The bar has a sleek, black, granite top, curved gently the length of the room. The anitque, embossed copper ceiling, solid cherry walls and recessed lighting add to warmth of this area. The bar seats around 20 guest, many of whom enjoy their dinners there. The owners went non smoking in the entire facility several years ago, before it was common.
The servers are mostly veterans, youngish, personable with a casual uniform that includes an apron with an embroidered "Youell's" logo.
I understand that the menu has contained the same offerings for decades. They range from appetizers of oyster stew, clam chowder and a decadent crab bisque, to crabmeat coctail and beer battered shrimp with house made jalapeno jelly. Of course the freshly shucked oysters, as well as the clams are a must for the shellfish lover. For entrees, there are various "combination" platters that include simply, and well prepared haddock, scallops, shrimp, crabmeat, lobster, etc. (All of which are offered individually as well - the broiled scallops are the best I've had). The focal point of their offerings is the selection of crabmeat dishes: which include crabmeat imperial, crabcakes, crabmeat stuffed shrimp or flounder, or simply lump crabmeat served with browned butter. I must say that I enjoy the crabmeat dishes much more than those that I have had at the shore. The reason being is that they do not contain any fillers or an abundance of flavoring that tend to detract from the subtlty of the crab flavor. The menu is also complimented by daily chef's features, which I have found to be expertly prepared in a variety of ways. Wild salmon done just right with a complimentary sauce, rainbow trout, valencian paella, cioppino as well as seasonal items such as local shad and shad roe as well as my personal favorite, soft shell crabs. The soft shell crabs deserve special attention: I have not had them better anywhere on the east coast. The preparation - sauteed with fresh garlic, white wine and lemon juice, compliments these delicate creatures without overwhelming them - simply delicious!
In addition to the long list of seafood, there are choices for the diner that prefers a fine steak (tenderloin or NY strip), several selections of sauteed chicken breasts.
Desserts are homemade and include an incredible Lemon Sponge Pie (the owner's grandmother's recipe, and a regional preparation), fruit pies, cheesecake and caramel flan.
Most of the entrees are in the $20 range, which is very reasonable considering the quality of the product. Drinks are well prepared and the wine and beer lists are well thought out, with the prices you would expect at other casual restaurants. The diner will find it affordable to have a multi course meal for $30, which is a value considering you will spend at least as much at one of the proliferation of "chain" restaurants that has invaded the Valley in recent years.
Overall, I have had consistently good experiences at Youell's, in spite of some minor hitches. There is not another restaurant in the area that does what they do, so comparisons are hard to make with other eateries.
Great food, reasonable prices, good service and comfortable surrounding have made me a fan of Youell's Oyster House. Thanks!

Regarding the previouse comment, I think I was in the party of 4 he was referring to as being "loud". We love Youells because it is a fun, casual restaurant with great food and service. Our impresion was that this group of "complainers" wanted something for free. They really abused the server and even made inappropriate comments to adjacent tables including us (we were told that our conversation was distracting). Anyway, our family will continue to patronize this fine establishment regardless of our encounter with this bunch of depressives.

EXTREMELY disappointed.Paid $65 for a dinner that was worth MAYBE $20. Soft shell crab tasted like a chinese buffet.Bread was hard and cold. We were not told that there was a $3 charge for us to share a dinner and for the server to bring out an extra plate; food was not even mediocre, the atmosphere was nice until a group of 4 came in. we wanted it quiet and they were VERY loud and obnoxious. we asked the waitress kindly to ask them to tone it down, and she did not ask them to. just a huge disappointment. we will not go there again. we would have rather had perkins or eaten at home.

My family loves Youells Oyster House. We eat at many restaurants between Allentown and Bethlehem. Youells by far has the best seafood. Everywhere else I have ever gone has crabmeat that seems like imitation crabmeat that you buy at the supermarket. I read the "beer guys" comments. I've always felt as though Youells was fairly priced and with 4 kids - I scrutinize my bills! That must have been a rare mistake. Service is always exceptional! I highly recommend!

I read the previous diner's comments with amusement and curiosity. Since moving back to the Lehigh Valley 3 years ago my family and I have been regular customers (every Friday Night). We have found that the food and drinks are of a very good value. And frankly, I haven't found a restaurant anywhere near here that even comes close to offering the quality and selection of fresh seafood that Youells does. And, by the way, now that soft shell crabs are in season, you will find us at Youells on Fridays AND Saturdays. Luke Franklin.

Been going to Youells for many years. Never noticed the price of liquor. Recently ordered a pint of local beer per the advertised card on the table. Waiter brought out a small hourglass of beer that probably held less than a 12 oz stating this was the only size glass.
After I got home I looked at the bill and realized they charged $6.50 for that little glass.
Great way to make money and stretch the beer supply.
Not sure if this was a mistake, but it is surely a lot of money for a few small sips.
Suggest patrons ask the price of liquor before buying.

We love seafood, and despite some lukewarm reviews on this site, we decided to try Youells Oyster House. We were very disappointed and do not plan to return to Youells.

We called ahead to reserve a table and we were told to come over without a reservation. We waited about 5-10 minutes for a table, and another 5-10 minutes for a server to first approach our table.

We asked what oysters were available and were told "whatever is in the menu," which translates into Blue Point Oysters, served as an "Oyster Cocktail," which is five oysters on the half shell with a small dish of cocktail sauce for $7.95. The Blue Points were good, although it would have been nice to have more of a variety of oysters from an "Oyster House."

The crab bisque, served with a small triangular puff pastry, was delicious at $4.95.

The entrees were a disappointment. For $28.95, my Paella "with lobster" was an over-priced misadventure in grayish, odd-tasting "chorizo" sausage, what appeared to be Uncle Ben's rice with canned peas, chunks of unpleasantly fishy-tasting fish, a scattered dry mussel or clam, topped with a yellowish, puny piece of lobster tail. The coffee cup provided to collect shells only completed the paltry presentation.

My wife ordered what was described in the menu as a "crab pattie." The server brought her broiled haddock. When my wife pointed out the error, the server commented that she "understood" that broiled haddock was ordered. We waited another 5-10 minutes, and my wife was presented with a small bowl of flaked crab, which she described as tasteless and disappointing.

This meal, with gratuity, was just shy of $100. We should have left the restaurant after eating the bisque.

In short, Youells Oyster House is never going to give Legal Seafood, McCormick & Schmick's or the Oyster Bar at Grand Central Station a run for their money. For local seafood, one would do much better to look to Marblehead Grille & Chowder House in Easton, and better oysters can be found at the Grand Colonial in Perryville, New Jersey or Circa in High Bridge, New Jersey.

Our family moved to Allentown recently and our neighbor recomended Youell's as the "best seafood in the area". He was absolutly correct. We enjoy the relaxed atmosphere, even though it has a "fine dining" feel. The service is friendly and competent. Soups - crab bisque and clam chowder, are both superb. Raw oysters and clams as well as oysters rockefeller are some of our favorite appetizers (oysters and clams are complimentary at the bar during happy hour). We usually stick with the crabcakes or crab imperial, but also enjoy the paella and cioppino. They serve a "chantilly" potato that is like a "twice baked potato" that can't be missed. If we have room for dessert, we usually have one of the selection of homade pies - I like the lemon sponge and pecan pies. Lest I forget to mention, they serve awsome drinks (we often eat at the bar - it seems like the most popular place to be for many patrons. When someone asks me where to go for good seafood I'll be sure to tell them "go to Youell's".

Seating and courtesy was very good - wait time to receive food was a touch longer than I would have liked - but overall the wait was worth it. Food was very good, especially the chantilly potatoes, although the vegetables left a lot to be desired. Crab was exceptional. Crab bisque - none better!!!

We have been to Youells three times so far the first two times we pretty good but we recently went there to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. We were terribly dissappointed in both the service and food. we waited an hour to receive our food and when it did come out it was so dried out we couldn't even eat it. We did comment to the waitress and hostess but all they had were excuses as to why service and food were a dissappointment.

The food was absolutely wonderful!! Service was good and the menu provided a nice variety.

Wish I knew what everyone is raving about - the food is sub par. Very dissapointed - after reading some of the reviews were excited, but left unhappy.

I just moved to Allentown from Manhattan. What a pleasant experience it was to find this fine restaurant. The Crabmeat dishes (all made with 1/3 lb of jumbo lump crabmeat)are simply the best to be had anywhere (and I've been vacationing on the Eastern Shore for 30 years. The atmosphere is relaxed, yet sophisticated. The service is very good and prompt. The have a great bar, and Melissa makes a big selection of great martinis. I have yet to be disabponted - even the steaks are great. We like to stop in for happy hour and receive complimentary oyster or clams on the half shell at the bar. We are pleased that they recently went "smoke free". I would recomend anyone who enjoys fresh, expertly prepared seafood (and steaks, martinis, etc.) to try Youell's - you won't be dissapointed.

I read the negative comment about the steak at youell's and I have to disagree. Since I am allergic to seafood and my wife loves Youell's, I consistently order the steak - and since I have eaten in some of the finest steak restaurants I feel qualified to say that Youell's offers a generous 1/2 lb tenderloin and a 14 oz NY strip steak that I have always found to be top quality and expertly prepared. Anyone who knows quality seafood is a customer at Youell's - that's the kind of reputation thay have, and have had since the 1920's.

My wife and I have been eating at Youells every couple of months for the past five or six years. I can honestly say that we have never had a bad meal. Youells is good for anything seafood. If you would like to eat beef, go else where.

We went there for Valentines Day...as it turns out it was both of our parents first date place...how ironic!! IT IS AN AWESOME AWESOME PLACE. A great kept secret!

I have dined at Youell's many times, almost always ordering the crab au-gratin. It has always been superb. My husband usually gets the Seafood stew and he loves that as well. It is a seafood house so maybe that accounts for the poor steaks. You know "when in Rome...."

We have eaten here since the original was on College Hill in Easton. Now living in Virginia Beach, VA no one down here can even touch the quality and tatse of the food. Eating establishments down here could learn alot from this place!

Giving credit where credit is due, this place had some of the best crab bisque I ever tasted. But stop at the soup. Moving to the entrees, The Crab cake was tasteless, the flounder stuffed with crabmeat was absolutely boring. One in our party had soft shell crabs, and they were just ok.
My teenage son had two sodas, and they charged him full price for the refill. I find that absolutely outrageous. All together, the bill was $90 for 3 of us. WAY OVERPRICED for mediocre food

We've eaten there every year on our anniversary, never gotten anything we didn't like. Excellent soft shell crabs, awesome raw clams, great seafood soups. Atmosphere is cozy. Drinks were always good, as was the service.

Excellent restaurant for fish! Consistently great for "anything" crab.

I read another review about steaks at this seafood house. Bad choice I guess. And a bill of $225 must have been a party of 6 or more with appetizers. But if you enjoy crabmeat any way possible, you'll enjoy Youells. Saute, augratin, imperial, crabcakes, stuffed shimp and flounder and more. Ambiance is minimal and service is adequate and dress is casual. Fried clams are fresh shucked and deep fried whole not puny strips. My wife is likely to order the stuffed flounder. Chantilly potatoes are wonderful. One of our favorite local spots.

Two steaks ordered medium came out well done and very chewy. Seemed to be old meat. Very dissatisfied. Since I had already eaten half the dinner as the waitress never returned, nothing could be done. Poor service - waitress was guaranteed an 18% gratuity due to the size of our party (7). She dumped water into a drink thinking it was a water glass and to compensate, returned with a shot glass of liquor and poured it into the water. This was the third time we tried Youells and we will not return. For $225.00, this was a very poor dining experience.

It's like dining at red lobster, but not as good.