Best of Berks County Eats | Berks County Eats

December 18, 2016August 6, 2025

5 Favorite Desserts of 2016

Every December, we take a look back at our favorite dishes of the past year. This week, we’re skipping dinner and going for dessert. Here are the five most decadent desserts we tried in 2016.

Back Forty Bar & Grill – Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Tortes

back-forty-chocolate-raspberry-truffle-torte

Our dinner at Back Forty Bar & Grill was OK, but our dessert was fantastic. The chocolate raspberry truffle tortes were amazing with layers of chocolate cake, mousse and ganache topped with raspberry puree and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Did we need it after a big meal? No. Were we glad we got it? Absolutely. Read Review

Dan’s at Green Hills – Chocolate Bread Pudding

The chocolate bread pudding that Julie enjoyed during her birthday dinner at Dan’s at Green Hills was definitely a highlight. Start with a delicious bread pudding, add chunks of Godiva dark chocolate and a dollop of caramel ice cream and you’ve got a recipe for a memorable dessert. Read Review

Gatsby’s at Sunnybrook Ballroom – Tiramisu Crepe

When your dessert menu is made up almost entirely of crepes, you better do them well. Gatsyb’s does them well. My tiramisu crepe was perfect. The crepe was filled with coffee mascarpone and topped with chocolate sauce and cocoa powder. I absolutely loved it. Read Review

Stony Run Inn – Apple Strudel

plate of apple streudel topped whipped cream

When you eat at a restaurant that specializes in German cuisine, how can you pass on the apple strudel? You can’t. And at the Stony Run Inn, they do apple strudel right. The dough is so thin and flaky, the apples were seasoned to perfection and the whole dish was enjoyable from first bite to last. Read Review

Sweet Ride Ice Cream – Ice Cream Sandwich

There’s nothing wrong with simple. Sweet Ride’s ice cream sandwich is as simple as it gets: two cookies and a big scoop of ice cream. But everything about it is great. The soft, fresh-baked cookies melt in your mouth just like the Nelson’s ice cream. It’s hard to go wrong with those ingredients. Read Review

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December 12, 2016August 6, 2025

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5 Favorite Appetizers of 2016

Every December, we take a look back at our favorite dishes of the past year. We’re starting off with our favorite starters. Here are our five favorite appetizers we tried in 2016.

Gatsby’s at Sunnybrook Ballroom – French Onion Soup

On a roadtrip to Gatsby’s, there was much to enjoy, including the French onion soup. In my review, I called it some of the best French onion soup that I have ever tried. I still hold to that statement and have not found any better since. Read Review

Let’s Taco Bout It – Holy Guacamole and Cheeps

I love guacamole. Julie loves guacamole. We all love guacamole. Especially the “Holy Guacamole and Cheeps” from Let’s Taco Bout It in West Reading. The perfect blend of avocado, cilantro, onion and red peppers, our only complaint was that we were left wanting more. Read Review

Liberty Taproom – Dr. Pepper Wings

Dr. Pepper barbecue sauce is my weakness. OK, I have many weaknesses, but that doesn’t change the fact that I absolutely love Dr. Pepper barbecue sauce, especially on our wings at Liberty Taproom. It was a great start to a surprisingly good meal. Read Review

Van Reed Inn – Chipotle Ranch Wings

Van Reed Inn touts some of the best wings in Berks County. They’re meaty and delicious, especially the chipotle ranch version that Julie and I tried on our visit earlier this year. For us, they struck the right balance between the heat of the chipotle and the creaminess of the ranch. Read Review

Windsor Inn at Shillington – Meatballs

It wasn’t just that the meatballs were delicious (they were) or that the sauce was as good as any pasta sauce around (it was), but it was the addition of the fresh Parmesan cheese and housemade red pepper flakes that put this over the top. Read Review

Appetizers Features Stories

cinnamon roll French toast topped with strawberry sauce with dollops of whipped cream

December 30, 2015August 6, 2025

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5 Favorite Entrees of 2015

December is a time to look back and reflect on the year that was. Berks County Eats is taking a look back at the best of the best from more than 50 restaurants that we visited in 2015. This week: Our Top Five Favorite Entrees.

Appetizers and dessert are great, but there’s a reason the main course is called the main course. Here’s five entrees that stood out from 52 Berks County Eats meals this year:

Heirloom – Bison Steak

Heirloom is the only restaurant to appear on all three of my “Best of 2015” lists, and it earned every spot. Because of the ever-evolving menu, you probably won’t find it on the menu when you go, but the bison steak was one of the best meals I have eaten anywhere. It was roasted like pot roast, easily pulling apart with my fork. Read Full Post

Jukebox Cafe – Cinnamon Roll French Toast

I love cinnamon rolls. I love French toast. I am in love with the cinnamon roll French toast from Jukebox Cafe. Two cinnamon rolls grilled like French toast and topped with strawberry syrup: what’s not to love? While I don’t advise eating this for breakfast every day, I do advise trying it the next time you’re in Boyertown. Read Full Post

Chen Vegetarian House – Mango Chicken

There is no chicken in Chen Vegetarian House’s mango chicken, but that’s not important. Replacing the tofu with real chicken couldn’t have made this dish any better. The fresh slices of mango, the citrus sauce that coated the whole dish and just the fact that it was served in a hollowed-out mango shell made this one of my most memorable meals of the year. Read Full Post

Basil – Spinach Ravioli

Pasta is one of my favorite dishes for dinner. Basil’s spinach ravioli was my favorite pasta dish that I have tried in a long while. Mixing the spinach into the dough in addition to the filling was a great choice, and the red sauce, complete with plenty of basil, was perfect for the dish. Read Full Post

Romano’s – Chicago Style Pizza

Every year I celebrate National Pizza Month (October) by visiting as many pizza joints as possible. This year, I had four exceptional meals, but Romano’s was the best. I’ve been to Geno’s East in Chicago for authentic Chicago-style pizza; Romano’s doesn’t quite reach that level, but it is very close. Read Full Post

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December 18, 2015August 6, 2025

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5 Favorite Desserts of 2015

Dessert is the part of the meal worth waiting for. No matter how much food you eat, there’s always room to squeeze in something sweet at the end. Especially when dessert is as good as these five that I found this year.

Heirloom – Homemade S’more

Apparently S’mores are not just something to eat around the campfire. They are a gourmet dessert, at least at Heirloom, where they made everything from scratch, including the marshmallow. That marshmallow sat atop a base of chili-infused chocolate ice cream, drizzled with chocolate syrup and dusted in graham cracker. Don’t try this at home. Read Full Post

Salute – Almond Parfait

Our Valentine’s Day dinner at Salute was certainly memorable, but nothing stood out quite like the Almond Parfait. It started with almond ice cream — I could eat a scoop of that any day — that was topped with chocolate syrup and crushed almonds. And they didn’t cheat on the portion size either. Read Full Post

Anthony’s Trattoria – Angel Food Cake

Angel food cake is boring, right? Not when it’s layered with chocolate mousse and chocolate cake, and iced with a smooth chocolate shell. It may not have resembled the light, airy cake that is so familiar, but it was certainly heavenly. Read Full Post

Plein Air – Angel Food Cake and Pistachio Sorbet

two slices of angel food cake drizzled in strawberry sauce with a scoop of ice cream

This was more like the angel food cake you expect, but it was kicked up a notch by the strawberry reduction drizzled on top. The real star though was the pistachio sorbet. It was so sweet and creamy. My only wish was for there to be more of it. Read Full Post

Cafe Sweet Street – Turtle Bundt Cake

When you visit Cafe Sweet Street, you should get dessert. And by dessert, I mean you should get the turtle Bundt cake. The rich chocolate cake is topped with crushed pecans, a gooey glob of caramel and a chocolatey shell. With dessert this good, who needs lunch? Read Full Post

Desserts Features Stories

December 11, 2015August 6, 2025

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5 Favorite Appetizers of 2015

Appetizers are the perfect answer when you just can’t wait for dinner. Whether it’s a light salad, a fried snack or a hearty soup, a great app is the best way to start any night out. Here are our favorite appetizers we found in 2015:

Heirloom – Red Quinoa Salad

When I visited Heirloom, I described the red quinoa salad as “Hands down, this was the best salad I have ever eaten.” That was eleven months ago, and I haven’t found anything that comes close. Every ingredient was fresh and worked well together, but it was the creamy chèvre that brought the whole thing. Read Full Blog

White Palm Tavern – Pretzellas

mozzarella sticks battered in pretzels on a plate with marinara suace

Mozzarella sticks are usually nothing special, but White Palm Tavern put a memorable twist on theirs, using crushed up pretzels as the breading. The salty snacks were a great way to start our meal. Read Full Blog

Tavern on Penn – Fried Cheese Curds

plate of fried cheese curds topped with red pepper sauce

Another cheesey favorite from this year were the fried cheese curds at West Lawn’s Tavern on Penn. Instead of marinara, the fried pieces were served with roasted red pepper sauce that was just about perfect. Read Full Blog

Plein Air – Beet Soup

Soup is one of my favorite starters, but chilled beet soup is one that I hadn’t tried before my visit to Plein Air this summer. With its bright purple color, the beet soup was one of the most vibrant looking dishes I tried all year, and it had the flavor to match. The dill helped sweeten the slight sourness of the beets in what was a creamy, smoothie-like dish. Read Full Blog

La Abuela – Flautas

One of Berks County’s newest restaurants delivered a memorable dish on my first visit. The flautas at La Abuela in West Reading were superb. The fried tacos were topped with homemade salsa, queso fresco, Pico de Gallo and sour cream. I could have eaten them as the main course and been fully satisfied. Read Full Blog

Appetizers Features Stories

December 19, 2014July 25, 2025

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5 Favorite Entrees of 2014

December is a time to look back and reflect on the year that was. Berks County Eats is taking a look back at the best of the best from more than 50 restaurants and 10 festivals we visited in 2014. This week: Our Top Five Favorite Entrees.

We started with appetizers and we have already tasted dessert, now it’s time to dig in to the main course as we present our five favorite entrees we have tried in the past year.

biscuit topped with chicken gravy, chicken breast meat, cliced carrots, peas and herbs

Chicken and Biscuits – Chef Alan’s American Bistro

Comfort food doesn’t always have to be familiar. Chef Alan’s proves that with their chicken and biscuits, a unique take on a classic American dish. The dish looked beautiful, and it tasted as good as it looked. The biscuits were nice and flaky and the chicken breast was seared to perfection, but it was the sauce—a creamy broth crossed with Marsala— that really brought it together and took it over the top.

French toast topped with strawberries and fruity pebbles

Dazed and Confused – Tomcat Cafe

Breakfast is an often overlooked meal, but when done right, it can be a memorable dining experience. The Tomcat Cafe does it right with creative dishes—with creative names—like the Dazed and Confused: two slices of French toast dipped in Fruity Pebbles and topped with strawberries, bananas, strawberry syrup and whipped cream. The sugary shortstack was half breakfast, half dessert, and all delicious.

Evil Jungle Princess – Thaiwat

Not just the coolest sounding name of anything I tried this year, the Evil Jungle Princess at Thaiwat was delicious. Based on Thaiwat’s heat scale, I was prepared for a “stimulating kick to the lips and tongue,” and what I got was a sweet and spicy masterpiece, a blend of chicken and vegetables tossed with curry and coconut milk.

Italiano Burger – Frank & Diannah’s Arbor Inn

Frank & Diannah’s is one of the highest rated restaurants across all review sites, and our first Burger Night did not disappoint. The evening’s special was the Italiano burger, a thick meaty patty topped with capicola ham, roasted peppers and provolone cheese. At times it was like eating a pizza or a meatball sandwich, but always delicious.

Pasta al Parmigiano Romano – Mangia Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria

Mangia’s Pasta al Parmigiano Romano is much more than spaghetti and sauce: it’s an experience. The tableside show starts when the chef carves a layer out of the 80-pound cheese wheel, then pours flaming grappa (Italian liquor) on the shavings to melt them. The fettuccine and sauce are tossed right in, allowing the cheese to adhere to every bite in this truly inspired dish.

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December 12, 2014July 25, 2025

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5 Favorite Desserts of 2014

Appetizers make the first impression, but dessert creates a lasting memory. It’s the last thing you eat, but certainly not the least important part of your meal. Here’s a look back at five of the sweetest, most creative desserts we tried in the past year:

Banana Cream Delight – Austin’s Restaurant and Bar

Imagine a banana cream pie turned inside-out. That’s the best description I have for Austin’s banana cream delight. It starts with a bed of graham cracker crumbs. Then you add on sliced bananas, a heaping helping of custard and a dollop of whipped cream. The custard was good enough to eat on its own, but together with everything else, it was incredible.

Banana Split Arctic Swirl – Schell’s Dairy Swirl

Dairy Queen has their Blizzards, but if you want a soft serve treat in Berks County, it has to be an Arctic Swirl at Schell’s. The banana split version includes vanilla soft serve, fresh banana and bits of strawberry to create a cool treat. It’s the perfect dessert for a retro eatery like Schell’s.

Key Lime Tart and Banans Foster Cheesecake – Viva Bistro & Lounge

The only thing better than dessert is two desserts. With Viva’s Duets menu, the $35.99 dinner for two included your choice of two mini desserts. The key lime tart was sweet enough to make my mouth pucker and the cheesecake was extra moist. This was a case where we were served both quantity and quality.

orange-creamsicle-creme-brulee-hitching-post

Orange Creamsicle Crème Brulee – The Hitching Post Restaurant and Bar

It looked like traditional crème brulee, but it tasted like a popsicle from childhood. The Hitching Post’s orange creamsicle crème brulee was beautifully caramelized with a heaping helping of whipped cream. But it was the citrus twist that took this dessert from delicious to divine.

Vietnamese-Banana-Cake-Ginger-Ice-Cream-Hong-Thanh

Vietnamese Banana Cake – Hong Thanh

A cake that was nothing like a cake. With a flaky top crust, layers of bananas and a thick custard, Hong Thanh’s Vietnamese banana cake looked and tasted more like a pie. And a darn good one at that. Add on a dip of ginger ice cream and you have a sweet and spicy dessert that was one of my all-time favorites.

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December 6, 2014July 25, 2025

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5 Favorite Appetizers of 2014

You never get a second chance to make a first impression. For a foodie, that means the first taste you get at a restaurant is usually an appetizer. Here’s a look back to our five favorite appetizers we tried in the past year:

Fried Hot Peppers – Mom Chaffe’s Cellarette

Unique is almost always better when it comes to appetizers and I don’t think I had anything more unique than the Italian fried hot peppers at Mom Chaffe’s Cellarette. Pan-fried chile peppers served atop a bed of Mozzarella, tomatoes and lettuce were well-worth the few extra TUMS I had to take that night. The hot and creamy appetizer was infinitely better than an ordinary jalapeno popper.

flatbread cut into triangles topped with lamb sausage and cheese

Lamb Sausage Flatbread – Emily’s

There was so much to love about this dish, from the crispy base to the chunks of spicy lamb to the blend of Fortina and Mozzarella cheese to the caramelized onions. But what really brought this together was the red currant sauce which took what would have been delicious already and gave it a sweet, berry flavor that brought everything together to create a perfect starter.

Pierogies au Schpeck – Bowers Hotel

Pierogies are a great side dish, but how do you turn them into an amazing appetizer? Wrap them in bacon, deep fry them, and serve them atop a bed of sour cream, chives and sautéed onions. The result was less a pierogi, and more a loaded potato with fried dough. I savored every crunchy bite of this beautiful creation.

Sausage Diavolo Flatbread – Viva Bistro & Lounge

The second flatbread dish on our list was completely different from the first, but just as delicious. Viva’s sausage diavolo flatbread was more of a traditional pizza served atop the thin, crispy crust. Topped with chunks of sausage, strips of red peppers and more cheese than the plate could handle, I could have stopped the meal right there and been very happy.

Sweet Potato and Pub Rings – Willoughby’s Bar & Grill

If you’re ordering an appetizer at a bar and grill, fried food is almost mandatory. The sweet potato fries and onion rings combination at Willoughby’s was one of the best fried appetizers I have found. It’s a good dish that was made great by the sweet maple dipping sauce. The only downside was I couldn’t stop eating them, as the two of us were sharing enough for four people. (Note: Willoughby’s has changed their menu and sweet potato fries have been removed. Pub rings are still available as a stand alone appetizer).

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