Dunderbak's at the Lehigh Valley Mall

The Lehigh Valley Mall is located on the ancestral homelands of the Lenape people.

entrance to a mall restaurant with the word "Dunderbak's" in red letters above the host stand

Date of Last Visit: November 22, 2025

Shopping malls generally aren’t a destination for us. And it’s even more rare that we actively seek out a meal at a mall. But Dunderbak’s isn’t your typical mall eatery. It’s an authentic German restaurant that just happens to be located inside a mall.

Dunderbak’s is located on the first floor of the two-story Lehigh Valley Mall. Macy’s is just next door. A sporting goods store occupies the space opposite.

restaurant dining room with tables and booths in front of a large mural depicting a pastoral scene in German

But when you walk inside, it’s easy to forget where you are. The large awning that hangs above the dining area gives the restaurant a yellow glow. Cuckoo clocks adorn the walls and pillars. The tables inside the booths feature blue inlaid inlaid tiles. The opposite wall features a bar with shelves of spirits interspersed with mirrors and TV screens.

It would be cliche to say that you feel like you are in Germany when you are at Dunderbak’s. But it’s not a stretch to say that it feels like more than just a place to eat while shopping.

a corner post with two cuckoo clocks, one on either side

Unlike many of the places that I write about on PA Discoveries, Dunderbak’s is not a recent discovery for me. I have fond memories of dining in the restaurant on high school field trips with my German class. We would go every winter, pairing a show at the Allentown Symphony Hall (now Miller Symphony Hall) with a meal at the only German restaurant in the region.

Later, it became a regular stop for my wife and I on our annual holiday shopping trips to nearby Bethlehem. This year, we brought our kids along for the same shopping and dining trip.

It was dinnertime on a Saturday night in late November. We were seated quickly and after a brief glance at the menu, we had our order in. (At this point, we practically know the menu by heart).

I ordered the beef goulash, seasoned meat in gravy over a bed of spaetzle (German pasta). It’s a hearty dish, for sure, with large chunks of meat. The beef was slow-cooked, though, so the meat was tender and pulled apart easily. I stirred in the dollop of sour cream which thickened up the gravy and added a little depth to the flavor. And the thick spaetzle soaked everything up.

round white bowl with spaetzle and slice smoked sausage topped with caramelized onions

My wife, Julie, also loves their spaetzle which is why she ordered the Munich wurst and pasta. The buttery, curly noodles were tossed with onions, peppers, mushrooms and smoked sausage. Spaetzle is a very different pasta from the Italian variety – tiny, and yet fuller – but buttered it makes for a perfect side, or in this case, a great base for the smoked sausage to shine.

Both of our meals came with one side each. I ordered the red cabbage while Julie opted for the applesauce. The red cabbage is served warm. The vinegar base is strong, and it can be overwhelming, but I really enjoy it.

The applesauce – with its large chunks of apples – is the opposite. It’s a sweet side that is nothing but pleasant.

white rectangular plate with a small tuna sandwihch and fries

In addition to German meals, Dunderbak’s also offers a range of deli sandwiches. Our oldest son, Jakob, ordered a tuna sandwich from their kids menu. Lettuce and tomato are optional toppings (he skipped the tomato). He breezed through the sandwich. Half of it was gone before Julie and I even got started.

On the side, he asked to upgrade his chips to fries. They are nothing special, but he loved them and that’s all that matters.

(When I was younger, Dunderbak’s had some amazing beer-battered fries that I can still taste).

small basket with a hot dog and a bag of ruffles chips

Our youngest, Lukas, has the palate you would expect for a two-year-old so the Dunderbrat (a hot dog) with chips was just what he needed. He ate the whole thing except a small piece of roll, so I would say he liked it.

Overall, we spent around $65 on our meal, a very reasonable price to pay for quality food that is also kid-approved.

small wooden sign hanging on a wooden post - the sign is white with the words "Dunderbak's Haus" and folk drawing of a man and woman in traditional German clothes

I just hope that this was not our last meal at Dunderbak’s. The restaurant’s owners announced that they are retiring in early 2026 and are looking for a buyer for the business. Here’s hoping they find one so that Dunderbak’s can continue on for another 48 years or more.

Dunderbak’s
121 Lehigh Valley Mall
Whitehall Township, PA 18052

When You Go

Dunderbak’s is located next to Macy’s on the first floor of the two-story Lehigh Valley Mall.
The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, but it does close earlier than the Mall. Check the hours of both the mall and restaurant before visiting.