Downtown Allentown Market gets back up to full capacity
Zachary’s BBQ & Soul, the newest tenant, expected to open in Nov.
The Downtown Allentown Market will soon have a full line-up once again.
Zachary’s BBQ & Soul, offering smoked meats, fried chicken and other comfort foods and Southern specialties, has been announced as the market’s newest tenant, filling the venue’s last remaining vacancy.
Zachary’s, which is expected to open in early November, will operate out of the 12,000-squarefoot space previously occupied by Robert Irvine’s Fresh Kitchen, which closed in spring 2020 amid the pandemic.
Owner and chef Keith Taylor, an Army veteran and celebrated barbecue chef, is opening his fourth Zachary’s BBQ & Soul outpost at the two-year-old market, at 27 N. Seventh St. on the ArtsWalk.
Taylor had a really busy spring and launched an interactive culinary studio, The Soul of Cooking, while also planning the opening of his third Zachary’s BBQ & Soul outpost in Norristown, Montgomery County, a news release states.
Thanks to an expansive bar and state-of-the-art tap system, the Allentown location also will serve locally produced craft beers, wine and cocktails — something none of Zachary’s other spaces offer, Taylor said.
“I’m extremely excited for this location for two reasons,” said Taylor, who hails from Nutley Township, New Jersey. “The Downtown Allentown Market is on the rise, which is very exciting, but the part I really love is that the developer, City Center Investment Corp., has a ‘live, play, work’ mentality with thousands of residential apartments attached to the project. City Center also has more apartments coming available closer to the PPL Center nearby, so we will be a big part of the (AHL) Phantoms season, with new customers coming over in droves. There’s also Disney on Ice, professional wrestling, concerts, and so much more happening there that should benefit our business. Between that and the addition of a bar where people can pair our cuisine with craft beer, wine or cocktails should be a huge boost for business.”
The new Zachary’s BBQ & Soul will focus on barbecue, fried chicken and other comfort foods, while also featuring a “pit to plate” menu specializing in ribs and other smoked meats, such as brisket, pulled pork, and short ribs.
Customers will be able to enjoy large sandwiches, platters and a variety of sides, including collard greens and mac ’n’ cheese
For dessert, Taylor plans to serve his grilled, house-made “Dad’s Hat Rye Maple Syrup Sticky Buns.”
The 12,000-square-foot Downtown Allentown Market, on the ground floor of City Center’s Strata West apartment building, saw four of its original food and beverage vendors — Doughnut Love, Boardroom Spirits, Fresh Kitchen by Robert Irvine and Licensed 2 Grill @ The Market — close during the onset of the pandemic.
The departures allowed other new vendors to set up shop over the past several months: Johnny’s ArtsWalk Diner (former Licensed 2 Grill @ The Market space), a casual concept offering burgers, cheesesteaks and more from the husband-and-wife team behind Johnny’s Bagels & Deli; 1838 (former Boardroom Spirits space), an Allentown-themed beer and wine bar from the operators of two existing market tenants — Batch Microcreamery and Middle Eastern favorite Zahra; and Reading Coffee Company (former Doughnut Love space), a Berks County-based business that offers high-quality, ethically traded coffee, along with teas, juices, pastries and more.
Additionally, Honmono Sushi, offering regular and signature sushi rolls, Japanese dumplings, poke bowls and more, opened in August in the former Shinsen space.
The Downtown Allentown Market is open 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays, 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays, 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays.
“My team and I are looking very forward to sharing the gift of soul in Allentown,” Taylor said. “We cannot wait to get open and meet Allentown’s fried chicken and BBQ lovers!”
To learn more about Zachary’s BBQ & Soul, visit soulofcooking.com or chefsoulculinary.com.