{"id":33086,"date":"2026-09-26T23:05:34","date_gmt":"2026-09-26T23:05:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/33086\/"},"modified":"2026-09-26T23:05:34","modified_gmt":"2026-09-26T23:05:34","slug":"wilkes-barre-welcoming-foodies-with-flourish-of-new-restaurants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/33086\/","title":{"rendered":"Wilkes-Barre welcoming foodies with flourish of new restaurants"},"content":{"rendered":"

Is Downtown Wilkes-Barre becoming a true \u201cfoodie\u201d destination?<\/p>\n

The recent addition of three new restaurants that offer \u201cexperience dining\u201d to the city\u2019s restaurant landscape, a fourth soon-to-open eatery, and a continually growing diversity in cuisine in the Downtown would seem to suggest as much.<\/p>\n

Shinjiru, an Asian restaurant specializing in ramen dishes, opened in Midtown Village on South Main Street in June. Adelina\u2019s, a modern Italian restaurant and pizzeria, opened inside Gus Genetti\u2019s Best Western Plus on East Market Street in August. Margarita Urban Beer and Cocktail Garden opened at 9 E. Bennett Court, also in August.<\/p>\n

Hamam the Best Dough Show, a restaurant featuring Turkish and Mediterranean cuisine, is poised to open in the former Chill Grill at 100 Pennsylvania Avenue, likely within the next month.<\/p>\n

The restaurateurs feel confident about their investments because of their offerings and the available customer base.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe believe our food can satisfy the customer, especially the ramen eater, because we have good, good experience, good knowledge about the ramen. We have a good chef to make the authentic ramen. That\u2019s number one. Number two, we pay attention to the service to our customer,\u201d Shinjiru manager Steven Lee said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo far, thank God, even though we are just open for three months, we got our regular customers already. And so far, they like us. Thank God for the support from the neighborhood,\u201d Lee added.<\/p>\n

\"From<\/p>\n

From left: Sam Son, Ratna Tan, and Steven Lee of Shinjiru Ramen in Wilkes-Barre. (JASON ARDAN \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A plate of Japanese nori spiced fries, left, and a plate of crispy rice tuna from Shinjiru Ramen in Wilkes-Barre. (JASON ARDAN \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The interior dining area of Shinjiru Ramen in Wilkes-Barre. (JASON ARDAN \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A bowl of Osaka seafood ramen from Shinjiru Ramen in Wilkes-Barre. (JASON ARDAN \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The interior dining area of Shinjiru Ramen in Wilkes-Barre. (JASON ARDAN \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A salmon teriyaki bento box from Shinjiru Ramen in Wilkes-Barre. (JASON ARDAN \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A plate of Japanese nori spiced fries, foreground, and a plate of crispy rice tuna from Shinjiru Ramen in Wilkes-Barre. (JASON ARDAN \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A bowl of sapporo garlic butter ramen from Shinjiru Ramen in Wilkes-Barre. (JASON ARDAN \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

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From left: Sam Son, Ratna Tan, and Steven Lee of Shinjiru Ramen in Wilkes-Barre. (JASON ARDAN \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

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Lee said the most popular dishes at the restaurant, which also has a location in Tannersville, are the crispy rice spicy tuna appetizer and the gyudon bowl, a marinated sliced beef and caramelized onion over rice.<\/p>\n

The restaurant, which is located in the former Boozy B\u2019s, also offers a full bar and specials, including a 10% discount for college students.<\/p>\n

Turkish delight<\/p>\n

On the north side of Downtown, partners Ahmed Badran and Ahmed Hamam expect to open Hamam the Best Dough Show within about a month.<\/p>\n

Badran says the menu will feature a mix of Mediterranean, Turkish and Italian food, and they\u2019ll also serve an American-style breakfast when they open at 6 a.m.<\/p>\n

They\u2019ve imported an oven and granite countertops from Egypt and furniture from China to give the venue an authentic Mediterranean atmosphere, he said.<\/p>\n

\"Ahmed<\/p>\n

Ahmed Badran points to the \u2018Hamam,\u2019 engraved on his oven at \u2018Hamam the Best Dough Show\u2019 in Wilkes-Barre on Friday, Oct. 3, 2025. (JASON ARDAN \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"Ahmed<\/p>\n

Ahmed Badran leans on a \u2018Hamam,\u2019 engraved oven at \u2018Hamam the Best Dough Show\u2019 in Wilkes-Barre on Friday, Oct. 3, 2025. (JASON ARDAN \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 2<\/p>\n

Ahmed Badran points to the \u2018Hamam,\u2019 engraved on his oven at \u2018Hamam the Best Dough Show\u2019 in Wilkes-Barre on Friday, Oct. 3, 2025. (JASON ARDAN \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

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Badran ran restaurants in New York and Florida, but he decided to move to the Northeast about nine years ago. Living in Scranton, he\u2019s been working to save up money with the intent of opening a restaurant here, and decided Wilkes-Barre\u2019s restaurant scene could use a Mediterranean and Turkish addition.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a space for it here. And the people are really nice,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Modern Italian<\/p>\n

Paige Cesar, a co-owner of Adelina\u2019s Pizzeria and Restaurant, said the owners chose to open a new location in Downtown Wilkes-Barre at least temporarily following a fire that destroyed the original restaurant in Mountain Top.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe really wanted to get our staff back to work and keep our customers happy in the meantime as we rebuild in Mountain Top,\u201d Cesar said.<\/p>\n

Why in downtown Wilkes-Barre?<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of foot traffic here, a lot of people looking for more, like, fancy dining experiences. There\u2019s a lot of people going to the Kirby Center with a lot of events. A lot of people come before they go to their shows and whatnot. And there\u2019s a lot of awesome restaurants down here as well, so people are always down here looking for somewhere to eat,\u201d Cesar said.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The interior dining area of Adelina\u2019s in Wilkes-Barre. (JASON ARDAN \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A Tuscan shrimp and scallops special from Adelina\u2019s in Wilkes-Barre. (JASON ARDAN \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The interior dining area of Adelina\u2019s in Wilkes-Barre. (JASON ARDAN \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A Tuscan shrimp and scallops special from Adelina\u2019s in Wilkes-Barre. (JASON ARDAN \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The entrance to Adelina\u2019s in Downtown Wilkes-Barre. The owners will close the temporary site March 14 and move back to the previous location in Mountain Top which has been rebuilt after a May 2025 fire. (JASON ARDAN \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

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The interior dining area of Adelina\u2019s in Wilkes-Barre. (JASON ARDAN \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

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She believes the restaurant\u2019s menu variety and atmosphere attract and impress customers, and good customer service keeps them coming back.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do wing night, prime rib night, pasta night, we\u2019re really big on seafood, it\u2019s really fresh and delicious. And our staff is wonderful. We get compliments on that all the time. It\u2019s like a fancy dining experience a little bit different from everything else you see. We have a nice bar, cocktails, stuff like that,\u201d Cesar said.<\/p>\n

Outdoor dining like in Italy<\/p>\n

A couple blocks away, just off North Main Street, local restaurateur and promoter Thom Greco opened a seasonal outdoor food and beverage venue for a test run.<\/p>\n

Named for the adjacent building that once housed the former Margarita apartments that provided off-campus housing for King\u2019s College students, Margarita Urban Beer and Cocktail Garden is designed to give patrons the feeling of eating outdoors in Italy, Greco said.<\/p>\n

Greco made his mark on the Downtown Wilkes-Barre nightlife scene over the last few decades by opening and running venues such as The Station at Market Street Square, Banana Joe\u2019s, Martini\u2019s Restaurant and, most recently, The Mines in Wilkes-Barre.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m always trying to bring a new mix of arts, entertainment and environment, a type of positive, better lifestyle to our area. We\u2019ve done that through the amphitheaters and shows, concerts in a lot of different nightclubs and restaurants,\u201d Greco said.<\/p>\n

And while he believes the city has seen lost opportunities over the years, he still has faith in its potential. His newest idea came from his travels.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of our folks travel, and they always wonder, \u2018Why don\u2019t we have this at home?\u2019 So, we\u2019ve always tried to be on the cutting edge to be able to bring stuff to our community,\u201d Greco said. \u201cWhen I traveled, I really enjoyed outdoor dining in a casual environment, but with a very unique setting as well as theme.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Thom<\/p>\n

Thom Greco at Margarita Beer Garden in Wilkes-Barre on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2025. (JASON ARDAN \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The outdoor seating at Margarita Beer Garden in Wilkes-Barre on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025. (JASON ARDAN \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A pizza made in a wood-fired pizza oven flown from Naples, Italy, at Margarita Beer Garden in Wilkes-Barre on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2025. (JASON ARDAN \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"Chef<\/p>\n

Chef Peter Adams makes a pizza in a wood-fired pizza oven flown from Naples, Italy, at Margarita Beer Garden in Wilkes-Barre on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2025. (JASON ARDAN \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"Thom<\/p>\n

Thom Greco outside Margarita Beer Garden in Wilkes-Barre on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2025. (JASON ARDAN \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"Thom<\/p>\n

Thom Greco leans on a wood-fired pizza oven flown from Naples, Italy, at Margarita Beer Garden in Wilkes-Barre on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2025. (JASON ARDAN \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

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Thom Greco at Margarita Beer Garden in Wilkes-Barre on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2025. (JASON ARDAN \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

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\u201cSo, we created an oasis, or garden in the middle of the city, with flowers and trees and a tent. And what we wanted to build with the cobblestone brick that\u2019s there was the sense that you were in Sicily or Italy dining outside, and it\u2019s located in the middle of the city,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Greco said he was looking to maximize use of his property in which The Mines nightclub is located, so he used the parking lot as the venue for Margarita. But, he\u2019s making new investments as well, importing a wood-fired oven from Sicily to bake his award-winning wood-fired pizzas.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s hired one of the best chefs in the area, Peter Adams, who has been with him through many of his restaurant concepts. Patrons can watch the pizzas being created, from the stretching of the dough to the saucing and cheesing and baking.<\/p>\n

Greco noted that people assume the restaurant\u2019s drink menu features margaritas because of the name, so he bought the best frozen margarita maker he could find, as not to disappoint. In addition to cocktails, the venue serves eight hand-crafted beers \u2013 of the Oktoberfest variety through October.<\/p>\n

And the d\u00e9cor in the garden was designed to make it a memorable experience for patrons as well, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s kind of what we did to try to create an experience, something memorable. Whether it\u2019s the wow factor when you first walk in, or whether it\u2019s the experience itself, it\u2019s something that creates memories, and that\u2019s one of the things we\u2019re in business for. We\u2019re in business to create memories,\u201d Greco said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, this year is kind of getting our footing. We\u2019re trying to find our way as to where we fit with demographics, and what are the hits and what are the misses. And then next spring, when we reopen, we\u2019ll be open (five months) before the time we close by the end of October,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

A part of revitalization<\/p>\n

A vibrant dining scene is a key piece of the puzzle for a revitalized, walkable and livable city center.<\/p>\n

Larry Newman, executive director of Diamond City Partnership, Wilkes-Barre\u2019s downtown management organization, said the downtown food and beverage industry \u201chas really been the most dynamic part of the Downtown storefront economy for a while now.\u201d<\/p>\n

This \u201cnight-time economy\u201d has been driven by a couple of factors \u2014 substantial visitor draws by the F.M. Kirby Center and Movies 14, as well as the downtown presence of King\u2019s College and Wilkes University, Newman said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese things have all contributed to a night-time food and beverage scene that is particularly attractive to these types of restaurants,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The Downtown has also been adapting to changes forced upon it by the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to 2020, the downtown economy was largely driven by office employees. Now, more employees work from home.<\/p>\n

DCP, which tracks Downtown visitation, found that employee visits in 2024 were only 65% of the total number of employee visits in 2019. Non-employee visits, which include restaurant visits, people coming to shop or for any reason other than work, were at 85% of 2019 numbers.<\/p>\n

\"LarryLarry Newman, executive director of Diamond City Partnership, says Downtown Wilkes-Barre’s dining scene has returned to seeing a net growth after a net loss attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. (The Citizens’ Voice file)<\/p>\n

So, while non-employee visits have declined since the pandemic, they\u2019ve bounced back much more strongly than employee visits, Newman said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd if you look at the night-time economy in downtown, particularly when you look at people coming downtown on weeknights, what\u2019s interesting is that it\u2019s only 10% off of where we were pre-pandemic,\u201d Newman said.<\/p>\n

That visitation is being led by people coming downtown to have a meal or dinner and a show, whether it\u2019s at the Kirby Center, one of the colleges or another venue, he said.<\/p>\n

City-sponsored events such as the Farmers Market and free summer concerts on Public Square also drive traffic that results in spikes in restaurant visitation, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not particularly surprising, but it\u2019s all part of that entertainment economy, and dining is a part of that. People want to try different things; they want to have new experiences. And so, I think that right now, we are adding restaurants at a pretty nice clip.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Downtown resurgence<\/p>\n

Newman said there are now 46 food-and-beverage venues within the boundaries of the Downtown Business District, which is still lower than the pre-pandemic count of about 50.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no question that Downtown Wilkes-Barre was knocked on its behind by the pandemic,\u201d Newman said. \u201cBut, what we are seeing is a dramatic increase in the number of occupied storefronts and new businesses in Downtown.\u201d<\/p>\n

Between 2005 and 2020, the Downtown had a net increase of more than 50 new businesses \u2014 50 more businesses opening than closing. Then, in the first three years post-pandemic, the Downtown had a negative net growth in businesses, Newman said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, we\u2019re back to net positive growth again. For example, in 2024, we had a net increase of seven new businesses in Downtown,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s behind that growth?<\/p>\n

\u201cI think what we\u2019re seeing is a resurgence in interest,\u201d Newman said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got an average daily population in Downtown over the last 12 months of almost 16,000 people \u2026 just in this 16-block area. That\u2019s the people who live in Downtown, the people who work downtown, the people who go to college downtown, the people who are visiting to shop or go to a medical or dental appointment or a show. It\u2019s a lot of people, a very dense, concentrated population, and there are opportunities to be able to build a customer base off of that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The mayor\u2019s take<\/p>\n

Mayor George C. Brown said he\u2019s delighted by the growing diversity in the city restaurant scene and in the city as a whole. He called the growth \u201camazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI go to lunch in the city every day. I could go to a different restaurant every day for two months and not go back to the same restaurant twice,\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n

He attributes the growth in the restaurant scene to Wilkes-Barre being a college town and to the city\u2019s increasingly positive reputation, which he said is being spread by word of mouth as well as through marketing.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have Kings and Wilkes, and they\u2019re so close together, with Public Square in the middle of those two campuses, and this is where the restaurant district is,\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n

He also noted that two years ago, he hired a company to produce a marketing website and marketing videos for the city that have been broadcast throughout Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey. And, he said, the Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Diamond City Partnership also do tremendous marketing work.<\/p>\n

\"Wilkes-BarreWilkes-Barre Mayor George C. Brown speaks during an announcement and signing ceremony at Wilkes-Barre City Hall on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025. Brown believes the city’s Downtown along with its restaurant scene and the city as a whole will continue its growth. (The Citizens’ Voice file))<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the other thing is, (investors) listen to other businesses,\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n

He pointed to respected businessmen such as New York developer Shimon Friedman and Scranton developer John Basalyga investing millions of dollars in housing and commercial projects in the Downtown as well as other areas of the city in recent years.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe estimate about 55,000 people living in the city now. It\u2019s growing every year. People are coming in and they\u2019re buying old properties and remodeling them and making them beautiful homes, not to rent out, but to live it. I see that and I see different neighborhoods where the housing prices are going up when you look at property sales. And it\u2019s a great surprise to see that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Brown anticipates continued growth downtown as conversions of offices into residential space continue, Sphere International builds multi-family residential units from the ground up at East Northampton and South Main streets, and developer Sam Syla converts the former Martz office building on Public Square into a hotel and conference center.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are going to be more and more businesses opening up when that hotel opens up \u2014 different stores, different restaurants. And we\u2019re going to market that convention center in beautiful Downtown Wilkes-Barre on Public Square, with a fine dining restaurant in the same building, but also, all the different ethnicity in our restaurants downtown, all the different types of food that they can get before or after their convention,\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n

He noted the Downtown is already a diverse neighborhood, with a significant senior citizen population both in Provincial Towers and the higher-end apartments and suites that now occupy former office space. And he vowed to convince a developer to open a grocery store, hopefully with a pharmacy, in the downtown to serve that population before he leaves office.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m telling you, I see this blowing up in a very good way,\u201d Brown said, \u201cwith more investment downtown and continuing growth in the City of Wilkes-Barre.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Is Downtown Wilkes-Barre becoming a true \u201cfoodie\u201d destination? The recent addition of three new restaurants that offer \u201cexperience dining\u201d to the city\u2019s restaurant landscape, a fourth soon-to-open eatery, and a continually growing diversity in cuisine in the Downtown would seem to suggest as much. Shinjiru, an Asian restaurant specializing in ramen dishes, opened in Midtown<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":33087,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[554,6771,192,1445,149,150,6769,11089,6720,6718,6716,6719,6717],"class_list":["post-33086","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wyoming","tag-local-news","tag-luzerne-county","tag-news","tag-pennsylvania","tag-restaurants-food-and-drink","tag-things-to-do","tag-top-stories-cvc","tag-wilkes-barre","tag-wyoming","tag-wyoming-dining","tag-wyoming-food","tag-wyoming-grocery-stores","tag-wyoming-restaurants"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/vive.im\/@dc\/117339850313961576","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33086","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33086"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33086\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33087"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33086"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33086"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33086"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}