BETHLEHEM, Pa. – After moving operations to Allentown last year, an eatery known for its unique and flavorful dishes will soon have a presence in Bethlehem once again.
A new location of Birriaholic, a Latin fusion restaurant specializing in birria tacos, is expected to open in late October or early November at 444 Main St. in downtown Bethlehem, co-owner Joel Almonte told 69 News.
Lost Tavern Brewing’s Bethlehem taproom is located at 444 Main St. in downtown Bethlehem.
Ryan Kneller
The new location will operate alongside Lost Tavern Brewing’s Bethlehem taproom in a shared Moravian Book Shop space.
Birriaholic’s existing location at 545 Cleveland St. in Allentown will continue to operate as normal, Almonte said.
“We’re super excited to be back in Bethlehem,” Almonte said.
“We did a pop-up here during Musikfest one weekend, and everyone loved it. A lot of our old customers from our former Broad Street spot told us how much they missed us,” he explained.
“A lot of people who weren’t familiar with us got a taste of what we offer and said they can’t wait for us to return. So, it really feels great to be back,” Almonte added.
Birriaholic debuted in 2021 at a former location at 343 Hamilton St. in Allentown before moving to another now-closed location at 81 W. Broad St. in Bethlehem in early 2023.
Increasing operational expenses at the former Bethlehem spot led the owners to close that location in late 2024 and reopen on Cleveland Street in Allentown last year.
Birriaholic operates at 545 Cleveland St. in Allentown.
Ryan Kneller
At its new Bethlehem location, the Birriaholic team plans to serve its fresh birria creations, including beef or chicken birria tacos, birria empanadas and birria egg rolls, along with sides such as fries and fried sweet plantains, Almonte said.
The birria favorites are each served with a side of consomme, a richly spiced broth that the meat is cooked in, for dipping and extra flavor.
“We even have birria grilled cheese, which comes with the protein of your choice,” Almonte said.
“So, instead of dipping into tomato soup, as you would with regular grilled cheese, you dip into the consommé. We also have shrimp and a vegan option, jackfruit,” he added.
At the business’ new location, which will be known as Birriaholic at Lost Tavern, customers will also be able to enjoy additional creations designed to complement Lost Tavern’s craft beer, Almonte said.
The menu is still being finalized, but expect more “bar-friendly options” like fresh chicken wings in your choice of house-made sauce, Almonte added.
Birriaholic
“We’ll have all of our favorites – the birria tacos, empanadas, burritos and so on, but we’ll also be introducing a little twist with some tavern favorites,” Almonte said.
“So, we’ll have chicken wings, house-made chicken tenders, onion rings and more,” he explained.
Birriaholic at Lost Tavern will operate in a fast-casual format, where guests can place orders at the counter or at their table via a QR code. Orders would then be delivered to them by a server.
The initial game plan is for Birriaholic to operate during the Bethlehem taproom’s regular hours: 5-9 p.m. Tuesdays, 4-10 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 3-11 p.m. Fridays, noon to 11 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays.
Additional weekday lunch hours may be introduced down the line, Almonte said.
Lost Tavern Brewing’s Bethlehem taproom is located at 444 Main St. in downtown Bethlehem.
Ryan Kneller
“To start, we’ll match the [Bethlehem] taproom hours,” Almonte added.
“Eventually, in the future, we’d also like to serve lunch during the week, and the Lost Tavern team has expressed an openness to opening earlier to allow for that. I think it would be beneficial for everyone because when we were on Broad Street, we had a huge lunch crowd,” he explained.
As a preview to its official opening later this fall, the Birriaholic team will hand out samples from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10, to individuals participating in Harvest Fest’s Sip & Savor Trail in downtown Bethlehem.
Depending on preparations, there may also be food for non-passport holders to purchase, Almonte said.
“We’re super excited to have [Birriaholic] join us here in Bethlehem,” said Kenny Rampolla, Lost Tavern’s co-president and vice president of sales and marketing.
“They’re hardworking, their food is amazing, and they’re super friendly and family-oriented. They also already have a loyal following in the area from their previous location in Bethlehem. So, they’re really a great fit all around, and we can’t wait to officially have them up and running in the space,” he explained.
A new location of Birriaholic, a Latin fusion restaurant specializing in birria tacos, is coming soon to 444 Main St. in downtown Bethlehem.
Ryan Kneller
Rampolla operates Lost Tavern with his father and the business’ CEO, Ken Rampolla, and his friend and the business’ co-president and head of operations, Anthony Gangi.
The group opened the brewery in 2016 in a renovated 1920s building at 782 Main St. in Hellertown.
The Bethlehem taproom followed in 2019, and a third location opened last year at St. Luke’s SportsPlex, a facility featuring pickleball memberships, sports performance training, and more, at 4636 Crackersport Road in South Whitehall Township.
In Bethlehem, Birriaholic will fill space that was previously home to other food businesses, including Dave’s Deli & Gelato, Randevoo and, most recently, 3 Broke Blokes Grille.
Former tenants are continuing to operate either at another brick-and-mortar location or in a mobile format.