Coal Lounge and Grill

We weren’t sure what to expect, but COAL far exceeded our expectations! The atmosphere is cozy and welcoming, the staff is friendly and helpful. The owner/ chef even came out to see how we were enjoying our night. Our entire dinner was delicious, and the drinks were fabulous! We highly recommend for either a romantic date night OR a fun night out with friends!

The evening at Coal Lounge was excellent. The service provided was more than anyone can expect. We felt very comfortable and welcome.

A beautiful night and we sat outside. The owner, who was our server was just the nicest guy. The food was delicious. Only problem was the wine list is only PA wines, not the greatest in my estimation, but the food was excellent. I will absolutely return there.

We love this place! The food is fantastic, and the owner, Kofi, makes you feel like you are family! This has become our favorite restaurant, because of the ambiance, personal service, and amazing food!

My guest for dinner is from Ghana.....everything met with her approval. So much so,
we're coming back with the rest of the family very soon!

The fava bean salad is a must have!! The stir fry is delicious as well. Everything was really good honestly (kelewele, lamb, jalla rice, wings). And Malik is an incredible waiter!!

Great place, would definitely go back. Food is good and price is fair.

Good food. Good music. Good people. All reasons we keep coming back! The authenticity of the food, the attention to detail, the warmth of the employees- Coal captures the soul! Highly recommended!

Very nice place restaurant/ lounge. food was excellent . Wish there was more variety on the menu, will definitely go back

This was our first time trying Ghanaian food and it was fantastic. The chef and owner came out to chat with us after dinner which was a great touch. Would definitely recommend.

The food is amazing! So authentic and flavorful. The owner / chef is very talented and so nice. Be prepared to wait for you food.. but it’s definitely worth the wait!

It was our first time to the restaurant. Malik was a great server, explaining the menu in detail. We learned about the chef's homemade spice rubs to season the meat and rice, which was fantastic. We'll definitely be back.

Food was an excellent, as was the service. Ambiance was good, however, would not recommend for a first date, as much of the seating is side by side rather than across from each other. A little bit awkward but otherwise highly recommended!

The positive aspects of Coal Lounge and Grill are (1) the friendly staff (server and chef were both very nice and attentive), and (2) good value for the money.

The negative aspects include the fact that many of the items listed on the menu were not available (even tho' dinner was on a FRIDAY evening!) -- i.e. no beef, no curried rice, unavailable appetizer (kelewele). In addition, altho' the restaurant has a liquor license, it ran out of beer that evening.

My wife is not tolerant of spicy food, and we asked our server if her food could be made "plain". We were assured that the chicken she ordered would have no spice added. When it arrived, she struggled to eat it because it was so heavily seasoned.

Meals are eaten from modified packing crates, which in itself is 'atmospheric'. The problem is that the meals are then placed at the level of one's knees, making it challenging to get food to one's mouth without dropping it. Also, half of the seats are backless stools, potentially adding discomfort.

It is difficult to foresee a future for this restaurant until its issues are resolved.

We went to Coal for Bethlehem Restaurant week so we got a nice variety of food. All of the food was delicious. The service was excellent. They had just gotten their liquor license but hadn't stocked up on wine and beer so we went to Franklin Hill Vineyards across the street and bought wine. When you make a reservation call to find out what the status of their alcohol is if you would like to drink with your dinner.

Interesting place. Food a bit spicy overall. The chicken kabob is the less spicy option

The food was excellent and the servers were attentive, but the kitchen seemed unable to get more than two dishes out at a time. We arrived and received appetizers almost immediately, but it was well over an hour after we ordered before we received our entrées with only five tables seated in the restaurant. I really hope that they can make their kitchen more efficient, because while the food was amazing, I’m hesitant to go back unless I have 2 to 2 1/2 hours to spend for dinner. I highly recommend it if you’re willing to wait, again, the food was amazing.

Appetizer loaded kelawe (plantains) was fantastic. Shish kebabs were also very good. Service a little slow but that may have been because chef decided to re-do my daughter's dish because he didn't like how it came out.
Will go back again!!

We always have a fantastic experience at Coal! The food is delicious and the owner/chef is great! He always makes an effort to chat with his guests to see how their dining experience goes! The staff help walk you through the menu and are very tentative! Absolutely wonderful!

Fantastic experience. Loved the ambiance and the food was incredible. Staff was super friendly and the chef/owner even comes out to introduce himself and chat. 10/10!

Heard a lot about this place and it lived up to our expectations. Very customer satisfaction driven. Our wings were smaller than normal and they only charged us half price. This was fully their decision, we did not even notice the wings were smaller. Very friendly and relaxing place.

Food, ambiance, and service wise this is the best restaurant in Bethlehem and maybe even the Lehigh valley.

The reviews are spot on. Friendly personal service, excellent food, bring wine because you’re going to wait a bit, but it’s well worth it. Can’t wait to go back!

Very interesting food. I will definitely go to Coal again. It's a very relaxed setting with couches and low tables. I ate my food with the plate in my lap. Others bent over their food on the table. Couples can sit side-by-side, but facing each other is farther than I prefer. But definitely TRY it!

Dinner was amazing at Coal. The service was impeccable with the chef explaining the dishes to the first time visitors. The food was delicious and ambiance was very unique. Will definitely be back again for another dinner.

Great atmosphere, great service and great food at a reasonable cost...Would to see a lot more food varieties ,drink varieties and a shorter wait time for the food

Absolutely fantastic. My parents took my boyfriend and I here for a night out (he’s from Ghana) and we loved it. The food was delicious, and that’s coming from me who’s a very picky eater. The owner and chef came out to talk to us and make recommendations which made it so much more personal. The lounge ambience was very different but it was a fun experience. Not the most comfortable seating but that was overlooked above all of the other things.

I cannot believe this place is not more popular. Coal is the place to be! The chef waited on us, and thus was able to answer all of our questions. He made great recommendations and was incredibly friendly. The service was great, food came out fast, and the ambiance very calm and just what we were looking for.
But, the best part: THE FOOD. So, so incredibly fresh, well seasoned, and delicious. We had the chicken kebobs and the red red stew as well as the loaded kelewele. I have never had West African food, but this was just truly outstanding. We will definitely be back to try some more of the chef's creations.

Wonderful food. Not the same old cuisine. A truly wonderful dining experience!

This was our first time but definitely not our last. From the moment we walked in until we left we were greeted like special guests. The hibiscus tea with mango was yummy. Then came the best chicken wings ever. My friend and I shared the lamb and beef skewers prepared perfectly. We swapped out the regular salad for the bulgar salad and were not disappointed. We are everything including the home made peanut brittle made to order.
What a feast.

The food was delicious and the service was excellent!

My husband and I brought our friend from West Africa to Coal to celebrate her birthday. Our group of 3 tried a variety of menu items and enjoyed all of them. We had kelwele, jollof rice, the mixed meat skewers with delicious sauces, salmon, red red stew, and lamb indomie. The seasoning on everything was delicious, just enough heat for the Americans. Our West African friend requested a hotter sauce which Kofi, the chef, provided. We brought home plenty of tasty leftovers. Kofi answered our questions, took our order, and checked back often to make sure everything was to our liking. The hostess seated us quickly and kept our water glasses filled. The restaurant is small so I would recommend making a reservation.

Looking for somewhere a little difference then Coal Lounge is a good choice. We had a group of six and nobody was disappointed with their meal choice. Plantains and grilled vegetables were both great appetizers, and the grilled meats we had for main course were well seasoned and perfectly cooked. The service was not the quickest, but the relaxed atmosphere was ideal. Our server provided plenty of good advice on things to try. The restaurant it BYO.

Very nice ambience in this BYOB restaurant. Great lighting. Comfortable seating. We where waited on by the chef as they were short handed when we visited. He did a terrific job of cooking and serving us. The food was all fantastic. Hands down the best kabobs I have ever had for flavor and preparation. We also had a great appetizer and my wife’s chicken and homemade noodle dish was both well prepared and very flavorful. Overall Coal exceeded our expectations and is worthy of its great reviews!

Great! Excellent food. Something different and exceptionally good!

Great restaurant! Lounge type atmosphere...like have a meal in your livingroom. Food was delicious!

Beautiful restaurant, excellent location, and most of all delicious food. We were four people who ate 4 different dishes and all shared the kelewele appetizer. Everything was delicious!

This place is a GEM! Everything about it was so incredibly good. Highly recommend the grilled veggies, but i don’t think you can make a wrong turn. Went with friends and it was a great space to hang out, we never felt rushed, food was amazing, chef is incredibly nice and the prices were totally reasonable. Stop reading my review and book a table already!

Small menu but excellent. Spices & flavor exceptional.

Our meal was excellent! This place is an instant favorite for my wife and I with the best seasoned beef and lamb that we have ever had from a restuarant.