Disco Fries and Samuel Smith? Super!

Expect to be wowed by the food, beer and prices at Hometown Heroes, a hard-working bar & grill that feels like your neighborhood pub. I consider it one of Bethlehem’s unsung treasures.

If you want to kick back with some friends, if you want to mellow out or pig out, you can do that here. If you want to ready yourself for bar hopping, you can lay the foundation here. If you’ve been out for a few hours, this is the place for a plate of disco fries.

Disco Fries = French fries with brown gravy and melted cheese.

You can thank our northern neighbors for this delicacy; in Canada this is called “poutine” and it kinda makes up for Bryan Adams. In the U.S. it’s called a most delicious solution to the munchies. If you’ve ever gone clubbing in NYC, you have probably devoured disco fries at a diner to revive yourself at the end of the night. Hometown Heroes smothers fries in savory, salty homemade gravy and melted fresh mozzarella. And you’d better say it like “mutz-a-rella.”

But before you get to the food, have a beer from the tap or bottle. Featured selections have included Guinness, Rogue Dead Guy Ale, Lord Chesterfield Ale, Yards Brawler, Victory Hop Devil, Lindeman’s Framboise, the elusive Leinenkugel, as well as PBR and Yuengling lager (domestic drafts are always $2!) Oh, and Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout which can sometimes be a meal in itself.

Along with the Disco Fries, my favorite appetizer is the house made tomato bruschetta with fresh mozzarella (“mutz”.)

The owners and the servers are affable yet attentive, and the food is meticulously prepared and promptly delivered to your table or the bar. Their menu offers something for everyone. Even kids, even vegetarians.

For meat lovers, though, the tasty 8 oz. Black Angus steak burger is an excellent choice. It’s as big as my face and served on a fresh crunchy roll. The heroes, several of which feature the fresh melted mutz option (which really classes up a sandwich, dontcha think?) are available in a half-size or whole. I have never seen anyone eat a whole sandwich. They are huge, not just in length but in girth. Take the Bri-Elle-T, which is a Hometown BLT with chicken tenders and ranch dressing added to it. A half-sandwich was so loaded with bacon that even I couldn’t finish it. And I love bacon! Once I ate the incredible Papa Allen: Ham, hot capicola, and tomatoes sautéed in butter then topped with melted mutz. Mamma mia. If you’re craving a hot pastrami sandwich, patronize this hometown joint instead of the Sands’ Carnegie Deli, and order a New Yorker.

Some come specifically to get the daily special hero. Like, on “Wild Card Sundays,” you can chomp on that big steak burger with three fried eggs, bacon and cheese, called the Alter Egg-o. If you eat one of these, let me know in the comments.

After a few visits to Hometown Heroes I started to crave it. And it wasn’t just because of the food. For $20 you can eat great, enjoy a few brews and have dollars left for a healthy tip and a few games of MegaMaxx. And sometimes, they even have cheesecake.

The fun superhero-themed website provides their full menu, including the daily specials and featured beers: www.heroesbethlehem.com

310 E. Goepp Street (near the intersection with Linden St, in the north side of Bethlehem)

610-317-8007