In Lehigh County, a new restaurant featuring shepherd's pie, potato pancakes, and other traditional dishes from Scotland and Ireland is almost ready to serve patrons.
In a few weeks, Bagpiper's Pub—which will serve real Irish and Scottish fare in addition to American staples like cheesesteaks and burgers—should open at 2101 Liberty St. in Allentown's West End, according to co-owner Bill Dech. After assuming control of the previous Stooges Bar & Grille, Dech, his wife Sue Dech, and another spouse, Bruce and Kim Campbell, renamed the establishment, Bagpiper's.
The partners have been remodeling the area for the past few months, adding new tile floors, pendant lighting, and ceiling tiles, among other improvements. In the middle of the area, they built a new main bar and took down two smaller ones. With enough for 29 patrons, the specially designed rectangular bar has a wood top with LED accent lighting in the center. According to Bill, the bar will serve 16 draft beers, signature and traditional cocktails, and a "quite great assortment of whiskeys and Scotches."
The partners also intend to display multiple flags outside, including the national flags of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and the United States. Tartan-patterned window valances further enhance the Irish and Scottish ambience. "We are getting close!" said Bill. "Our crew is in place, and the renovations are finished. To open in time for the [Allentown Fair] is our aim.
Living in Bethlehem, the Dechs and Campbells are no strangers to the restaurant scene.
The couples launched The Nest Bar & Grille, a two-story sports bar and restaurant at 601 E. Fourth St. on Bethlehem's South Side, in August 2021. It features casual American pub fare, multiple televisions, and a sizable, partially covered outside patio. A few blocks away in south Bethlehem, the Dechs also own and run Southside 313—another bar.
Bagpiper's menu will feature items that patrons from both Bethlehem restaurants particularly enjoy, according to Bill. People can look forward to The Nest's reuben sandwich, tuna nachos, and cheesesteak (fresh steak or chicken meat with sauteed onions and house-made wiz), as well as Southside 313's Rachel sandwich, smoked salmon, and hog bones (smoky barbecue and coleslaw with baby back ribs that fall off the bone). Additionally, Bill mentioned that there will be chicken wings with a selection of about twelve new and well-known sauces, including Elvis (peanut butter banana bacon), death pepper, and spicy PBJ.
The bar will serve shepherd's pie, which it will refer to as "Bagpiper's pie," fish and chips, and bangers and mash, among other popular Irish and Scottish meals. Bill stated, "My wife is of Irish descent, and Bruce is of Scottish descent." That is basically how the concept originated. In fact, Bruce turned his home into a traditional Scottish pub. It is lovely.
With room for about 100 people, the new tavern in Allentown will have a digital jukebox and perhaps a dozen TVs. Later on, the partners hope to add more entertainment, such live music and quizzes, according to Bill. "We frequently visit the bars in Allentown's West End as a way to escape Bethlehem and experience a different atmosphere," Bill remarked.
"We felt it would be a terrific addition to the community when this chance came up. There is a tremendous theatrical crowd as well as a large number of Muhlenberg College students in the vicinity. We simply want to add something to the already fantastic scene, which currently has a lot of amazing bars. In addition, since Jack Callaghan's was the only Irish bar in the area until it closed a few years ago, we decided to reopen it.
March saw the closure of Stooges Bar & Grille, which had indoor and outdoor dining during the season. The owners announced the closure of Stooges in a Facebook post that said, "We have to announce the closure of Stooges with mixed emotions." "Thank you very much for your support over the past few years, but it is time for us to move on. Though the Stooges chapter is coming to an end, the West End of Allentown will benefit greatly from some intriguing new developments. Once more, I want to thank you for your support; this has been an amazing journey."
Owner of the Stooges, Joseph Clark Jr., hired builders to help him restore the facility after buying the Liberty Street property in the spring of 2019. He plans to open a second Stooges location with buddy Travis Decker in August 2020. An open-concept dining space was made possible by the demolition of walls, and a new garage door that opens to the front walkway in fine weather was built. New kitchen appliances, flooring, lighting, and external and interior paint were among the further upgrades.
From 2003 until its sudden demise in 2016, various ownership groups oversaw the first edition of the Stooges. Prior to the arrival of the Stooges, Kern's Restaurant occupied the building for about 75 years.