The Brown and White took a stroll around the neighborhood and spoke to various community members about what they like about living in the South Side Bethlehem and its restaurant scene.
Denise Nuñez, Waitress at La Lupita
Q: What is your favorite part about living on the Southside?
Denise Nunez: I think the community is very nice. Growing up here, I’ve seen it grow bigger. It used to be very small, but seeing all these new businesses and buildings being built feels nice because it’s such a small town.
Q: What is the best restaurant in the Southside?
DN: I like Rakki Ramen.
Q: If you could add one business to the South Side, what would it be?
DN: A bakery. Like an actual bakery that sells bread and pastries and coffee. I’d love to see one.
Q: What’s underrated about the Southside?
DN: The food and stuff. Everyone always goes to Main Street on the other side but there are a lot of good places that are coming up that a lot of people don’t know about. People come around and they’re like, “Oh, I’ve never even heard of you guys. This is nice.” It feels like the restaurants and the businesses here sometimes go unnoticed or don’t get appreciated like they should.
Q: What’s something you appreciate about working in the South Side?
DN: Students from Lehigh pay for my school. In the sense that I’m a student. So I very much appreciate when all the families come and they decide to spend their money here. They get all soft and happy so they give me bigger tips, which pays for my schooling.
Andrew Underwood, Co-Owner of Donerds Donuts
Q: What is your favorite part about living on the Southside?
Andrew Underwood: I would say there’s a really young energy. There’s a lot of university students around, there’s always live music, and a really good food scene. There’s always some sort of movement going on. So it’s a fun place to be.
Q: What is the best restaurant in the Southside?
AU: Annabelle and I’s go-to place is Social Still. We really like their specialty drinks and all their burgers, so that’s the go-to.
Q: If you could add one business to the Southside, what would it be?
AU: I would say a really good Mediterranean restaurant. That’d be something.
Q: What’s underrated about the Southside?
AU: It’s an up-and-coming type of place, so maybe Donerds Donuts is the underrated place and you should come to try it!
Q: What’s something you would improve about the Southside?
AU: The greenway stops at the skate park but continues to Hellertown. I’d want to see it paved all the way through.
Alesha, Server at Anna’s Brick Oven Pizza
Q: What is your favorite part about working on the Southside?
Alesha: The activity or the new faces.
Q: What is the best restaurant in the Southside?
A: Anna’s, obviously.
Q: If you could add one business to the Southside, what would it be?
A: A real clothing shop. Somewhere that I can just grab some flip-flops and maybe some T-shirts and some yoga pants so I don’t have to go all the way to the mall or Allentown because there’s not a lot of shopping in Bethlehem.
Q: What’s underrated about the Southside?
A: There’s a lot of entertainment when it comes to theatre. People come from Jersey or come from Philadelphia to watch the shows that are presented here. And then we have a lot of actors that come in here (Anna’s) before or after the plays.
Q: How do you spend your free time in Southside?
A: Gardening at home. I have an urban garden. I grow beans, tomatoes and peppers.
Alice Gatsch, Server at U&Tea
Q: What is your favorite part about working on the Southside?
Alice Gatsch: Serving all the Lehigh kids after 8 p.m.
Q: What is the best restaurant in the Southside?
AG: King Wing right next door.
Q: If you could add one business to the Southside, what would it be?
AG: A good Thai restaurant.
Q: What’s underrated about the Southside?
AG: The parking.
Q: How do you spend your free time in Southside?
AG: I never spend my free time here. I live here. I work here six days a week from 9 a.m. to closing. Sunday is my day off so I spend it in Easton.
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