Editor’s Note: Last year, Michael and Nicole Borrell began reviewing Lebanon Valley’s restaurants and eating attractions as the Lebanon Valley Food Critics. Since then, the couple has aimed to offer unbiased reviews of the eating and drinking establishments the Lebanon Valley has to offer. LebTown is pleased to be partnering with LVFC to share these reviews with our readers. Bon appétit!

It was a busy day for one critic, while the other had an even busier day. We were not in the mood to cook nor go out. That leaves one other option, takeout.

Even though we are going to be starting our Pizza Wars soon and it felt like we have been eating Italian every day, we opted for Italian tonight. We decided to try a spot we drive by semi-frequently on the corner of 5th Ave and Cumberland Street, Gabby’s Italian Bistro.

Gabby’s Italian Bistro

452 E. Cumberland Street
Lebanon, PA 17042

Website
gabbysitalianbistromenu.com

Restaurant Hours
Monday – 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Tuesday – 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Wednesday – 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Thursday – 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Friday – 11:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Saturday – 11:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Sunday – 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Operating on the first floor of the Hebron Shoppes, this restaurant is open for take out service. They have an online menu, and you can order via the Slice App, which is what we did tonight. The app told us it would be about 30 minutes for our order. When I drove over, the boli needed 10 more minutes.

For tonight’s dinner we got a small Belly Buster Boli ($11.99), a cheesesteak hoagie ($12.99), and onion rings ($7.99).

The belly buster boli comes with mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, sausage, ham, mushroom, onion, green pepper, and tomato sauce rolled in pizza dough. Even as a small, there is more than enough. The house marinara sauce is a fine compliment to the loaded bites. There is no shortage of cheese in this dish. For me it was a bit too much as it overpowered the meat and veggies within.

You all know how our critic orders her cheesesteak hoagie. This one came loaded with seasoned steak and cheese and lite on the mayo. We gave this a little warm up in the oven due to the cold ride home and made for a good dinner. This sandwich had no shortage of cheese. It satisfied this critic.

Our take: Gabby’s offers a wide menu with some non-standard items. The marinara has a subtle sweet flavor and truly tastes like homemade. Plenty of cheese will be included in your meal, cheese lovers rejoice. Online ordering is easy.

We give this place 🥓🥓🥓🥓.


If you have a restaurant you would like us to visit or review, whether a place you like or are nervous to try, please message us on Facebook or email lvfoodcritics@outlook.com and let us know. We thank everyone for the recommendations and the kind words we have received.