South Mall levels up again with retro arcade
A new tenant is dishing out old-fashioned fun at the South Mall.
Back to the Arcade, featuring more than 70 retro and modern arcade games, opened Nov. 7 at the Salisbury Township shopping center.
The business, occupying a renovated space that previously housed Victoria’s Secret, originally operated for two years at the Merchants Square Mall in Allentown before moving a couple of miles south to its new, larger location.
“Our new space totals more than 4,000 square feet, which is about four times the size of our previous spot,” co-owner Wyatt Paden said. “We were able to add about 20 new games, including a Godzilla pinball machine.”
Paden operates Back to the Arcade with his father, Mark Paden, and uncle, Joe Childs. Childs also owns Arcade Game Sales of Maryland, which buys, sells, refurbishes and rents out classic arcade games and pinball machines.
The trio overhauled the former lingerie store to include new carpeting, fluorescent wall paint, black lights and television and film memorabilia such as a castsigned guitar from the 1985 film “Back to the Future.”
There are also wall timelines displaying the release dates of iconic arcade games such as Pong and Mortal Kombat, along with airbrushed space and dinosaur murals near a life-size replica of the robot from the 1960s TV series “Lost in Space” and an immersive, two-player “Jurassic Park” sit-down shooting game.
Guests can play classic 1980s upright cabinet games like Donkey Kong, Frogger, Galaga and Pac-Man, along with other familiar favorites such as air hockey, Super Chexx bubble hockey and a claw machine where players try to maneuver a metal claw to pick up stuffed animals.
“Many of these games are actually from the ’80s and in mint condition,” Wyatt said. “I’d say the BurgerTime game is museum quality.”
Some of the most eye-catching and fun-to-play games are the pinball machines, including those modeled after pop-culture favorites such as South Park, The Munsters and The Addams Family, the latter being the best-selling pinball machine of all time with more than 20,000 units sold since its 1992 debut.
Guests can play new games like The Mandalorian pinball machine and Big Buck HD Wild hunting game before moving to the arcade’s oldest games, roughly 50-year-old Skee-Ball machines that came from an arcade on Atlantic City’s boardwalk and a Turf Club horse-racing game, where two players flip balls into different-numered slots that advance their horses around a track.
All of the games are set to “free play,” and guests pay one price — $20 for adults and $10 for ages 17 and under — to play as many games as they want for the entire day. Veterans and senior citizens play for half price.
“The community’s response has been incredible,” Wyatt said. “I think a lot of people who were cooped up during the pandemic are looking for a fun release, and we’re offering quality entertainment in a safe environment. We clean the machines regularly and also have state-of-the-art air purifers.”
Back to the Arcade, which features a private event room for birthday parties and other special occasions, joins more than a half dozen other businesses that have opened at the 3300 Lehigh St. mall over the past year.
Other new tenants include Elay’s Outlet clothing store, Gold Drip Jewelry, Salisbury Youth Association, Shop 610 Barber Supply and Uniquely Lo. Co. artisan furniture store and studio.
Additionally, ACRAFTS Custom Designs — offering custom T-shirts, gift baskets, greeting cards and more — is coming soon to the former Charmed Rose Creations space, and the mall’s leasing team, The James Balliet Property Group, is negotiating a lease with a yet-to-be disclosed prospective tenant for the former Bon-Ton space, president James Balliet said.
“Optically the South Mall has really been looking fantastic,” Balliet noted. “Our leasing team has signed eight or nine new stores in the last two months or so, and mall activity has been picking up significantly in time for the holidays.” Info: shopsouthmall.com.
Emmaus news
A few miles south of the South Mall, two-restaurant operation House & Barn in Emmaus recently announced that it is combining all of the customers’ favorite menu items into the “convenience of one restaurant — The House” due to high demand for special events and weddings. The change went into effect last month.
The House continues to offer its popular and traditional Burgery Company menu items, including beef, bison, elk and venison burgers, that were introduced last year when the Emmaus burger joint joined forces with House & Barn.
“All food and beverage items previously divided between the two are no more and we couldn’t be more thrilled!” the announcement on the business’ Facebook page reads. “The House will now be the main restaurant and tavern.”
The House will host Thursday night Trivia and live music, while the Barn will now be utilized exclusively for private events such as weddings, reunions and showers. Upcoming ticketed events such as murder mystery dinners, comedy shows and speed dating also will be held at the Barn.
“For over a year our biggest complaint has been the inability to combine menu items from The House to the Barn due to kitchen limitations in the Barn,” the announcement continues.
The revamped House menu features starters such as crab dip, fried green tomatoes, sriracha cauliflower and “barn-bqnachos” with pork; salads and sandwiches such as the Thai chicken salad, tarragon turkey sandwich, garden herb grilled cheese; and sides such as fried pickles, corn nuggets and sweet potato fries. Info: 610-421-6666; houseandbarn.net.
Also in Emmaus, fast-food chain Burger King plans to opens its newest Lehigh Valley location early this week at 1116 Chestnut St., according to a banner displayed on the front of the building.
The company, founded in 1954, is the second largest fastfood hamburger chain in the world with approximately 14,000 locations in 100 countries and territories, including about two dozen locations throughout the Lehigh Valley.
The newly constructed Emmaus restaurant, which features a drive-thru, will open at the site of the former Fiesta Ole restaurant, which closed in February 2020, a month prior to husband and wife owners Humbero and Elia Chavolla opening a new Mexican restaurant, Casa Catrina, at 1905 Brookside Road in Lower Macungie Township.
Foodie finds
For fans of Italian cuisine, two brothers with pizza-making experience have teamed up to operate a new restaurant in Northampton County.
Hilcias and Tony Valenzuela opened the aptly named Brothers Pizza & Italian Cucina a few weeks ago at 1492 Main St. in North Catasauqua.
The strip mall eatery, with seating for around 30 customers, occupies the former
Pizza D’oro & Italian Family Restaurant.
The Valenzuelas, who both reside in Allentown, are no strangers to the restaurant industry. The duo previously worked in the kitchens of other Lehigh Valley pizza shops — Hilcias at Jack’s Slice on Tilghman Street in Allentown and Tony at The Crust Pizzeria & Restaurant on Emmaus Avenue in Allentown.
At their new dining establishment, the brothers are serving up a smorgasbord of fresh pizzas, including unique varieties featuring gyro meat, pierogies, eggplant rollatini, chicken alfredo, chicken cordon bleu and more.
The restaurant, which is BYOB, also offers salads such as ahi ahi tuna steak, blackened salmon and Thai chili shrimp; hot subs such as meatball parmesan, veal parmesan and garlic chicken cheesesteak; and appetizers such as bacon-wrapped scallops, fried calamari and a variety of fries, including crab, zucchini, sweet potato and loaded cheese.
Other menu highlights include an array of burgers, hot and cold subs, strombolis and calzones, wraps and paninis, club sandwiches, quesadillas and dinners.
“Our shrimp scampi and other seafood dinners have been very popular,” Hilcias said. Info: 610-443-3335.
If you prefer Asian over Italian, a year-old Allentown restaurant, serving up hibachi dishes, sushi rolls and other Japanese favorites, is expanding its footprint in the Lehigh Valley region.
Bang Bang Hibachi Grill & Sushi, which opened in November 2020 at 1519 Lehigh St., is opening a second location at 1465 W. Broad St. in Quakertown.
The new restaurant, occupying a renovated space that previously housed Yogurtree Frozen Dessert Café in the Quakertown Plaza, is expected to open in January, according to an employee at the Allentown restaurant.
Bang Bang, owned and operated by Jimmy Wang, serves appetizers such teriyaki chicken, vegetable spring rolls and fried or steamed pork dumplings; and nigiri and sashimi such as mackerel, octopus and red snapper.
Dozens of sushi rolls include include special selections such as Soy Kingdom (tuna, salmon, crab and avocado rolled in soy paper) and Shrimp Love (tempura shrimp, cucumber and cream cheese topped with boiled shrimp).
Hibachi dishes, most under $13, include chicken, steak, scallop, shrimp, salmon, tilapia, noodles, vegetables and various combinations. All hibachi selections include fried rice, vegetables and yum yum sauce.
Bang Bang also serves soups, salads and a wide array of specialty drinks, including bubble tea, fruit green tea and smoothies. Info: bangbangpa. com; 610-709-8888.
I’ll finish with news on a popular spot for Latin American cuisine.
Easton Taco & Rotisserie, opened by Emilio Montesdeoca and Paden Amsden in 2018, will be closed until next year at 1054 Northampton St., according to a post on the business’ Facebook page.
“We at Easton Taco would like to thank the generosity and support that kept us afloat during the pandemic,” the post reads. “We are a family-run business, and I have decided to put their health and well-being first. With that said, we are still fully committed to all catering orders previously taken.”