For many Southern Lehigh students, a typical night out with friends will lead them around the Valley and eventually back to the classic Copperhead Grille for a nice dinner. Friday after Friday students frequent the restaurant to watch sports and eat some pub grub. Much like any routine, this can eventually get boring. In an effort to combat this culinary boredom I would like to introduce you to the West End, a restaurant in Quakertown that takes classic pub foods and puts their own signature twist on each of their meals.

   As you approach the restaurant, your expectations may be a little low as you view the ancient brick walls with little to no light spilling out of the windows. However, once you hear the joyous laughter from inside you’ll become just excited enough to head in. Once inside, the experience could not differ any further from the quiet atmosphere of the outdoors. The patron is showered with warm lights from the cathedral ceiling of the dining room and comforted by a large fireplace that is center stage along the back wall. The resulting ambiance is a strange yet soothing combination of sports bar and log cabin, the perfect place to watch a football game on a cold winter evening.

   As your evening at The West End continues, you’ll be brought face to face with the relatively high prices to go along with the corresponding larger than average portions. The menu is highlighted by classic bar foods such as burgers, wings, and sandwiches. However, the food selection is slightly cluttered by foods of all types, from pizza to seafood. The seafood portion of the menu is larger than is to be expected of a non-seafood restaurant in the middle of Quakertown.

When the meal comes after a wait that is slightly too long for my liking, you’ll be surprised to see that many of the sandwiches are complemented by the au jus on the side along with another one of their specialty sauces, including a creamy horseradish that I’m 99 percent confident would go well with anything on their menu. The main menu item, as far as burgers and sandwiches are concerned, is known as “The Signature West End Beef Sandwich.” This sandwich is loaded with two types of cheese and top round shaved beef, placed on top of the perfect roll to complement the dish. However, if I had to make a complaint regarding an otherwise excellent sandwich, it would be that the meat was slightly too dry for my liking, subsequently forcing me to load up on au jus. Each sandwich is served with their special “Sidewinder fries.” These fries are shaped like a spiral ribbon and coated in parmesan cheese, and together these two flavors create one of the best french fries that I have had in years.

For the student looking for an alternative to the Copperhead Grille, I implore you to look no further than the West End. I’d almost convince you to go there all the time, but the longer drive makes that impractical. From a unique ambiance to food that will make you rethink classic dishes along with the occasional live music, the West End secures its place in my heart as one of the best restaurants in the Valley. After only one visit, I can be almost certain that I will be coming back.