WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. – Mimosa flights, chicken and waffles, crème brulee French toast and other brunch specialties are coming soon to a popular Lehigh Valley restaurant.
Thirsty Turtle Tavern, a full-service, family-friendly restaurant and bar offering casual American cuisine, will kick off its weekend “boozy brunch” later this month at 1410 Grape St. in Whitehall Township.
Ryan Kneller
Starting March 14, the tavern will feature a variety of made-to-order brunch dishes and drinks from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday.
The tavern’s regular menu also will be available during these hours.
“Round up your crew, grab a mimosa (or two), and make it a brunch to remember,” reads an announcement on the tavern’s Facebook page.
Guests can expect brunch cocktails such as a bacon bloody mary, peach bellini, strawberry frizz and Turtle’s iced coffee (hot coffee shaken with Tito’s Vodka and caramel Smirnoff poured over ice and finished with whole milk).
There also will be various mimosa options, including classic, signature (prosecco, orange juice and Grand Marnier) and flights (choice of any four mimosas).
The food menu will include selections such as avocado toast, biscuits and gravy, build-your-own omelettes and a sausage, egg and cheese flatbread.
Other menu highlights will include “billion $$ bacon” (thick-cut, cherrywood bacon, brown sugar, black pepper, cayenne and maple syrup), a “hangover burger” (freshly ground, 8-ounce burger, with sharp cheddar, billon $$ bacon, fried egg, sauteed onions and sriracha aioli on toasted brioche, served with tavern potato) and a “Tex-Mex hangover bowl” (crispy potatoes, roasted poblano pepper, onions, black bean and corn, chorizo, cheddar jack cheese and two sunny-side-up eggs topped with pico de gallo, sliced avocado, green onions, chipotle aioli and cotija cheese).
Nearly year-old dining destination
Thirsty Turtle Tavern opened in April 2025 at the site of a former Keystone Pub & Grill location, which closed in September 2024 after 12 years of business.
Keystone Pub’s original location, at 3259 Easton Ave. in Bethlehem Township, continues to operate as normal.
A team of workers overhauled the Whitehall space with “new everything,” including updated flooring, lighting and kitchen equipment, according to Ayush Patel, CEO of SAS Restaurant Group, which operates the restaurant.
New bricks, rustic wood and black subway tiles line the walls, and a new lounge area features plush furniture and an electric fireplace.
The kitchen was enlarged by about 150 square feet, with workers knocking down a wall to create an open kitchen design.
Additionally, new partial walls were installed in a front portion of the restaurant, offering a more secluded dining experience and a suitable area for private parties of up to 30 people.
Thirsty Turtle features seating for around 200 customers – at a mix of booths, low-top tables and high-top seating – throughout the restaurant.
The menu is diverse, with American staples like burgers and chicken wings as well as international selections such as sushi, tacos and pasta dishes.
Thirsty Turtle Tavern
Shareable appetizers include fried pickles, loaded nachos, hand-rolled taquitos, sausage-stuffed mushrooms, mac and cheese balls, boneless and traditional wings, tableside guacamole, spinach and artichoke dip and Montreal poutine, among others.
Twenty burgers and handhelds include options such as fish tacos, a blackened shrimp wrap, French onion grilled cheese, salsa chicken burrito, Cubano classic, Nashville hot chicken sandwich, “Chicken Vodka Dream” (hand-breaded chicken cutlet topped with homemade vodka sauce, fresh mozzarella and pesto on a grilled ciabatta roll with fries) and “Jalapeno Heat Burger” (freshly ground 8-ounce burger, topped with fried jalapenos, bacon, pepper jack cheese, sriracha aioli and lettuce on a toasted brioche bun with fries).
Thirsty Turtle Tavern
Customers also can enjoy 14-inch, hand-stretched pizzas such as four cheese, meatball lover’s, limoncello scampi (grilled shrimp, white wine butter sauce, grande mozzarella, seasoned breadcrumbs, parsley and extra virgin olive oil), “The Screaming Goat” (shredded mozzarella, San Marzano tomato sauce, goat cheese, pepperoni, basil and a drizzle of Mike’s Hot Honey and extra virgin olive oil) and “The Jersey Shore” (chopped clams, sweet Italian sausage, shredded mozzarella, sauteed peppers, onions, garlic and extra virgin olive oil).
A variety of classic and premium toppings, including BBQ pulled pork, gorgonzola, caramelized onions and grilled artichokes, are available for customization.
Another main feature of the menu is sushi, with traditional rolls such as California, shrimp tempura and salmon and avocado and more than a dozen specialty rolls such as a “TTT Roll” (shrimp tempura, spicy tuna, avocado and cucumber wrapped in soy bean nori topped with lobster salad, spicy mayo and eel sauce) and “Best Tuna Roll Ever” (peppered tuna and avocado topped with spicy tuna, masago, served with spicy mayo and honey wasabi mayo).
Thirsty Turtle Tavern
Other menu highlights include various poke bowls and sashimi; salads such as apple, Buffalo chicken and bow-tie pesto; and signature entrees such as smoked baby back ribs, BBQ pulled pork mac and cheese, chicken parmigiana and penne chicken vodka.
“We really want this to be a great hang-out spot, where you come three or four times a month for great food and fun times,” Patel told 69 News last year. “The menu is diverse. So, everyone in the family will be able to find something they like on it.”
Thirsty Turtle Tavern features a roughly 50-seat full bar, featuring a new epoxied bar top.
The bar offers 25 draft beers, classic and signature cocktails and a wide variety of wines.
Weekly specials (4 p.m. to close) include $2 off all drafts on Mondays, half price sushi and pizza on Tuesdays, half price wine list and sangria on Wednesdays and half price specialty cocktails on Thursdays.
For the latest Thirsty Turtle Tavern updates, follow the business’ pages on Facebook and Instagram. Info: thirstyturtle-tavern.com.