Bites Nearby: Pretzel Gourmet

With its neon sign and tempting aroma of freshly baking pretzels luring you in, it’s hard to ignore located near the South Mall's main entrance. Don't fight it. You deserve a pretzel after a hard day of shopping.

Pretzel Gourmet goes beyond your typical Philadelphia soft pretzel (although they sell those, too) and offers a variety of pretzels that range from sweet to savory. There are dessert-like ones with cinnamon, cinnamon apple, and cream cheese, to hearty ones with garlic, parmesan, "everything" (like their bagel counterpart) and pizza sauce. The pretzels cost between $2 and $3.

The "sweet dream cream cheese" pretzel is unsalted and filled with a cream cheese that is not overly sweet or overpowering, just a hint of sweetness. Also, the cream cheese doesn’t seem to have the heaviness that you mind find at a bagel shop.

Try the “twisted pizza” pretzel, which has melted cheese and herbs on the outside with tomato sauce and cheese on the inside. Surprisingly, this pretzel is not overly stuffed with cheese or sauce---- the small amount provides a balanced flavor. The sauce is not too sweet or spicy and the herbs on the outside of the pretzel do not overwhelm the other flavors.

Make sure you’re really hungry or ready to share, because the pretzels are big enough for two. Or, try the pretzel nuggets.

As for beverages, Pretzel Gourmet offers coffee, soft drinks and smoothies in mango, cherry, raspberry, Granny Smith apple and lemonade. The cherry lemonade is a great way to beat the heat and it doesn’t taste artificial, like many fruit-sweetened drinks. Frozen slushed ice drinks are available in wild cherry and  blue raspberry flavors.

Pretzel Gourmet

South Mall

3300 Lehigh St., Salisbury Township

Hours: 10 a.m.- 9 p.m.  Mon. - Sat.; noon- 6 p.m. Sun.