St. James Gate Irish Pub and Carvery - Bethlehem, PA {and a Gift Certificate Giveaway}

St. James Gate is a casual eatery located in the Lehigh Valley's Sands Bethlehem. The restaurant features classic pub fare, as well as an impressive list of imported and domestic beers and drink specials. Thanks to the Sands' generosity, Stephen and I were able to enjoy a meal here at no cost to us.

Barbecue Chicken Flat Bread - St. James Gate - Bethlehem, PA

I was provided a gift certificate to St. James Gate Irish Pub and Carvery at no cost to me. Sands Bethlehem will be providing the prizes for this giveaway and will be shipping the prize directly to the winner. I did not accept monetary compensation for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

On a particularly busy night in the middle of a particularly busy week, Stephen and I decided to give ourselves a break by getting out of the house for a dinner that we didn't have to cook for ourselves at St. James Gate Irish Pub and Carvery at Sands Bethlehem. Unbeknownst to us, a lot of other people had a similar plan and there was a considerable line of people ahead of us waiting for tables. There was a show at the Event Center that evening, and everyone was trying to grab a bite to eat beforehand.

Luckily for us, the line dwindled down to nothing as people learned how long they'd have to wait to be seated. By the time we got up to the host stand, we had only been waiting for five minutes and were seated right away because we had no problem sitting at the bar.

Cheesy Pierogies with Bacon - St. James Gate - Bethlehem, PA

One of the reasons we decided to eat at St. James Gate was because we heard talk of the debut of a new menu. Once we got our menus, though, I couldn't really tell whether what we were looking at was, in fact, new. I tried to ask the bartender, but he was so busy, I decided to just drop it.

To start, I ordered the Cheesy Pierogies with Bacon ($8). Although the pierogies weren't made from scratch, the overall flavor of the dish was really enjoyable. The cheese sauce was creamy and not overwhelming, with just enough on the plate to make things interesting. Plus, the sprinkling of applewood bacon and sliced scallions helped break up the heaviness of the potato filling.

It was nice to see pierogies on the menu without the typical accompaniments of sour cream and/or sauteed onions. With that said, I wouldn't have complained if the pierogies were topped with more bacon.

Because bacon.

Barbecue Chicken Flat Bread - St. James Gate - Bethlehem, PA

To follow the pierogies, I ordered the Barbecue Chicken Flat Bread ($12) topped with crispy fried chicken, avocado, house-made bacon, cheddar, mozzarella, and a drizzling of barbecue sauce. When the flat bread came out, I was surprised by the portion size... definitely enough to share with Stephen (if he had any room left after tackling his burger).

While all of the ingredients worked well together, I found myself wishing that there wasn't so much barbecue sauce. There were sections of the flat bread that were nearly completely covered with the sauce, overpowering the toppings underneath it and, ultimately, making certain pieces too soggy to enjoy.

Of course, that's just my personal preference. The flavor of the sauce was nice -- smoky and slightly spicy and everything I'd want from a barbecue sauce. It was the finish and presentation of the dish that let me down. Though, to be completely honest, that didn't stop me from devouring half of the flat bread without any assistance from Stephen... I just avoided the pieces that were over-saturated with sauce. ;-)

Even though my feelings about the food were mixed, Stephen and I did have an enjoyable time at St. James Gate, and I relished not having to cook for a night. I'd like to thank Sands Bethlehem for providing the gift certificate that made our dinner out possible.



St. James Gate Irish Pub and Carvery
77 Sands Boulevard at Sands Bethlehem
Bethlehem, PA 18015
(484) 777-7777 | Map

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Gift Certificate Giveaway Details

Would YOU like to try the food at St. James Gate? Sands Bethlehem will provide TWO (2) WINNERS with the following:

• Two (2) $50 gift certificates to St. James Gate Irish Pub and Carvery
• One (1) Sands Bethlehem Umbrella
• One (1) Sands Bethlehem Puzzle Box (picture a miniature version of Jenga)

Considering my dinner with Stephen cost less than $50, this is an amazing prize that allows you to spend the entire $100 in one shot or to use the gift certificates on separate occasions.

This giveaway is open to US residents only and will end at 12:00 AM EST on Friday, November 28, 2014. Since the restaurant is located in Bethlehem, PA, it will help if entrants are local to the area or will be planning to visit the Lehigh Valley. Good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't forget -- there will be TWO winners this time around, so get your entries in!



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