MUHLENBERG TWP., Pa. – A restaurant serving up freshly prepared smash burgers, loaded fries, gyros and other tasty eats is expanding its footprint in the region.
A new, fast-casual location of Sizzling Bites Halal Grill is set to open 11 a.m. Oct. 23 at 3225 North Fifth Street Highway in Muhlenberg Township, owner Abdul S. Wali told 69 News.
The new eatery, located in the Plaza 222 shopping center, was originally expected to open in August, but some unforeseen delays pushed back the opening.
Sizzling Bites’ original location operates on East Third Street in south Bethlehem.
Ryan Kneller
Wali and his father, Mohammad Wali, opened the first location of Sizzling Bites in May 2024 at 312 E. Third St. Suite 102 in south Bethlehem.
A second Lehigh Valley location opened in August at 2429 Nazareth Road in Palmer Township, in the 25th Street Shopping Plaza.
Sizzling Bites, offering dine-in, takeout and delivery services, specializes in customizable, made-to-order dishes such as gyros, salads, smash burgers, chicken tenders, loaded fries and loaded mac and cheese.
There are also various platters, including rice platters with choice of grilled chicken, fried tenders, lamb/beef, fish, falafel or mix (chicken and lamb), which are accompanied by fries and a side of salad or hummus. All meat is halal.
A Sizzling Bites location operates in the 25th Street Shopping Plaza in Palmer Township, Northampton County.
Ryan Kneller
Hot and cold bars allow customers to view the rice, meats, vegetables and other ingredients when placing their orders.
You may add extra portions of items or opt to not include certain ingredients if you desire.
You also have the ability to choose your dish’s spice level and made-on-site sauce (signature, white, hot, barbecue or green).
Customers can order their food “exactly how they want it,” Abdul said.
The Walis are utilizing family recipes for certain dishes, and everything, including the sauces, is made from scratch on-site, Abdul said.
Sizzling Bites Halal Grill owner Abdul S. Wali poses at his restaurant on East Third Street in south Bethlehem.
Ahmad Yousaf
Other menu highlights include chicken wings, smash burgers, fries and mac and cheese that can be topped with meats and other ingredients and desserts such as baklava, churros, carrot cake and tres leches cake.
Abdul, who has held positions at other restaurants over the past few years, labels Sizzling Bites a “dream come true.”
“I’ve always wanted to operate my own restaurant and serve fresh, homemade food to the people in my community,” said Abdul, a 2023 graduate of Liberty High School.
“I have experience working in other restaurants, and I’m bringing all of that with me here.”
About four years ago, the Walis moved from Afghanistan to the United States and briefly lived in New York before relocating to Bethlehem.
While in New York, Abdul worked at a handful of dining establishments, where he gained valuable experience in a variety of roles, including server and chef.
Sizzling Bites operates on East Third Street in south Bethlehem.
Ryan Kneller
“Being a chef is something that I fell in love with very quickly,” Abdul told 69 News prior to the Bethlehem restaurant’s opening.
“So, I’ll be working hands-on in the kitchen, and my dad will be more behind the scenes, developing recipes and so forth.”
The Muhlenberg location will operate 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays, Abdul said.
Sizzling Bites’ footprint is set to grow even further with additional Pennsylvania restaurants.
Other locations are planned for Scranton, Lackawanna County (tentatively set to open in late November) and State College, Centre County (tentatively set to open in December).