Category: Closed

Editor’s Note: Billy Burger & Bakery is now closed. The restaurant closed in February 2019 after initially announcing that they were going to make changes. The space is now home to Taco Fest.

Morgantown is an area that I have not explored nearly enough on Berks County Eats.

Every day, I get on and off the Pennsylvania Turnpike at the Morgantown exit, but my destination is always in the opposite direction.

So I decided to do something about it. And while browsing ideas for dinner in the area, one restaurant stood out: Billy Burger and Bakery.

Billy Burger is located along Route 23 heading east from Morgantown toward Elverson, Chester County, in the Morgantown Crossings shopping center.

The building is distinctly fast food, a former Dairy Queen that still maintains the profile of its former tenant.

Inside, you would never recognize it. The DQ menu boards have been replaced by handwritten chalk boards. At the counter, a display case of tantalizing baked goods beckons.

Desserts include black cherry blondies, carrot cake sandwich cookies and an assortment of gourmet cupcakes: peach cobbler, chocolate mountain, Boston cream and cookie dough to name a few.

But bakery is just part of the name. You can’t overlook the burgers.

Billy Burger offers four burger choices: the Billy with ketchup, mustard and pickle; the Truck Stop, with coleslaw and waffle fries on the burger; the Twin Valley, featuring pepper jack, lettuce, tomato and horseradish; and my choice, the Ranch Burger.

The Ranch Burger starts with mesquite seasoning on the patty and the standard lettuce and tomato. Then it gets crazy with the addition of a grilled poblano pepper and buttermilk peppercorn ranch dressing.

I was expecting spicy, but was pleasantly surprised to find that, while flavorful, the poblano pepper was not mouth-burning hot. Instead, the de-seeding and grill had made it quite pleasant with all of the flavor and just a hint of the heat.

The ranch dressing and veggies were cool and refreshing providing depth of flavor and texture. Overall, it was a great burger that I would be happy to enjoy again.

I would also enjoy the fries again. They were fresh-cut, served fresh out of the fryer and easy to eat.

Julie went with the build-your-own option for her burger, topping it with lettuce, tomato, American cheese and bacon. The bacon was well-done, and the American cheese was melted nicely onto the patty.

And her waffle fries were delicious as well. There was a hint of extra seasoning added to the golden brown fries making them quite addictive.

Not wanting leave without the full experience, we needed to take at least one baked good home with us to try. Our cashier talked us into the freshly made strawberry shortcake.

What sold it for us was that it was truly a “from-scratch” dish. Not only was the cake baked onsite, but the whipped cream is also made in-house at Billy Burger.

Tasting it for the first time the next day, I was a fan. The shortcake was light and airy. The whipped cream was fluffy and sweet, but not too sweet.

I will definitely be back to try more from the bakery.

For dinner and dessert, our total was about $30. I thought that was very reasonable for the amount and quality of food that we got.

One thing to note, while Billy Burger is located in a former fast food restaurant, it is not fast food. Everything is cooked to order so there is a wait until it is delivered to your table, inside or out on the patio.

Billy Burger is a new addition to my short list of favorite burger places in Berks, one that I’m excited to visit again.

All I have to do is go the extra mile – literally – into Morgantown.

Billy Burger and Bakery
650 Crossings Blvd
Elverson, PA 19520

The Gourmand Cafe at the Fairgrounds Farmers Market is now closed. The location closed in late 2018.

It’s the last week in April, and that means this is our last stop (for now) on our tour of the Fairgrounds Farmers Market.

We still had several places we wanted to visit, and the decision wasn’t easy, but we decided to go to someplace both familiar and new.

Gourmand has built a mini empire around its unique eats. It started with the Gourmand Artisan Street Food truck. That led to two cafes – one inside Body Zone and one in Wyomissing. In December, they added a third cafe, this one inside the Fairgrounds Farmers Market.

It’s one of the larger food stands at the market today with counter seating for 20.

We stopped in on a Thursday evening just after 6 p.m. Many stands were closing up or already closed (the market officially closes at 7). Even at Gourmand, the clean-up process had already begun, but the lone employee behind the counter was more than happy to take care of us.

The menu features many of Gourmand’s greatest hits like the Berks (the grilled sweet bologna, cream cheese, apple butter and potato chip sandwich I tried at the food truck) and their signature loaded fries.

For my entree, I went with another Gourmand classic – the Burgh.

If you’ve ever been to Pittsburgh (and even if you haven’t), you most likely have heard of Primanti Brothers and their famous sandwich. The Burgh is Gourmand’s take on the classic.

The Burgh starts with pastrami and melted provolone. Like a Primanti Brothers sandwich, it’s topped with three things: tomatoes, coleslaw and French fries.

It’s an odd mix to be sure, but Pittsburgh is an odd city.

The contrast between the hot and cold elements is interesting. The fries cooled off with the tomatoes and coleslaw while the meat and cheese stayed warm.

My one wish for the dish would be to have the bread toasted. As it was, the bread got soggy from the greasy pastrami and the juice from the slaw.

If you’re into the Primanti Brothers, you’d probably be into the sandwich. I liked it, but I wouldn’t have to get it again.

Julie’s sandwich was more my speed.

The Chicago style Italian is reminiscent of a French dip – it’s served with a side of au jus – but does stray a little bit with the use of shaved Parmesan cheese and the addition of banana peppers.

It was a nice sandwich where the meat was able to really be the star. The au jus makes it go down a little easier and adds a little salt to the dish. I can’t speak to the banana peppers because Julie had already picked them off the sandwich by the time she offered me a bite (though I’m sure they add a pleasant kick to it).

I can’t talk about our meals without mentioning the potato chips.

Gourmand fries their own potato chips, and they are a highlight of any meal. Lightly seasoned with salt and pepper, the chips are beautifully crunchy. I would have eaten any amount that they put in front of me. Thankfully, they portioned it well to save me from myself.

Our two sandwiches were less than $20 – a bargain in our estimation, especially given that Julie took half of hers home. That’s the great thing about the Fairgrounds Farmers Market. Everywhere you go, you can find a great meal at a great price.

And the Fairgrounds Farmers Market is the perfect fit for Gourmand’s quick and quirky food, the perfect place to continue to experiment with the menu on a weekly basis.

I can’t wait to see what they do next.

Gourmand Cafe
Fairgrounds Farmers Market
2934 N. Fifth Street Hwy
Reading, PA 19605

Editor’s Note: 1 Potato Two is now closed. August 10, 2017 was the stand at the Fairgrounds Farmers Market. The location is now home to Sans Asian Food.

Berks County has never really been known for creativity – at least when it comes to food.

The Pennsylvania Dutch are not exactly the most adventurous eaters in the world either.

Sometimes it takes an outsider to introduce something new, something different, something unique.

Unique is the best word to describe the spudwiches at 1 Potato Two at the Fairgrounds Farmers Market.

The concept for 1 Potato Two began as a food truck in New Jersey. The best in the state, according to the USA Today article that hangs from one wall at the stand.

(Almost) everything at 1 Potato Two is built around – you guessed it – potatoes. There are tater tots with multiple topping choices. There are potato balls, deep-fried bites filled with potato, meat and cheese. And then there are the spudwiches.

So what exactly is a spudwich?

It’s a sandwich, but with no bread. Instead, the filling is placed between two carved out potato halves.

It’s genius.

Over the weekend, I visited the stand with my friend Dennis, already a fan of the spudwich. We ordered our two spudwiches and waited for a few minutes while the potatoes and some of the ingredients took a quick bath in the deep fryer.

The selection of spudwiches rotate weekly, and there is quite the variety. I ordered the eggplant parmigiana while Dennis ordered the buffalo chicken.

Our spudwiches were delivered to our seats. “You’re nice guys so I’m going to leave you these,” said the cook as he laid down some extra napkins. They came in very handy.

My spudwich was fantastic. The fried eggplant was light and tender. The mozzarella and tomato sauce were nicely portioned. But the best part about it is the potato.

I could have eaten the potato by itself. Give me three or four of them, and it would be the best potato skin appetizer I have ever tried. But as part of the spudwich, it is actually very complementary to the other ingredients.

Now, I have to point out that it is greasy – the potato and eggplant having both come out fresh out of the fryer – so if that does not appeal to you, you probably won’t enjoy the spudwich. If you don’t mind a little fried food every now and then, this is right up your alley.

Dennis’ spudwich, I dare say, may have been better than mine. It was certainly more robust than my own, with chicken strips spilling out over the sides.

The chicken was delicious. I’m not a big fan of buffalo sauce, but Dennis allowed me a small piece and I was impressed.

What really worked – and what Dennis found to be the best part – was the combination of the buffalo chicken with the bacon. And the potato made for the perfect addition.

It was so good that he completely forgot about the cup of blue cheese on the side. Quite frankly, it didn’t need it.

Together, our two spudwiches were just short of $20 ($8.99 each). For me, the spudwich was hearty enough on its own that I didn’t need anything else for my lunch.

One other note: the challenge of dining at the Fairgrounds Farmers Market is seating. We were lucky to grab two of the four stools at 1 Potato Two’s counter. It was a win for us because the Saturday lunch rush makes it hard to find a seat in the Market’s main dining area.

1 Potato Two certainly brings a new perspective and a whole new idea to Berks County.

And it’s an idea that I can really get behind.

1 Potato Two
Fairgrounds Farmers Market
2934 N. Fifth Street Hwy
Reading, PA 19605

Editor’s Note: La Cantina is now closed. The restaurant closed its doors in early July 2021. After months of construction, a new restaurant – Doc & Bubba’s – opened in 2022.

Sometimes, the most interesting part of a restaurant discovery story is how you find them in the first place.

La Cantina, located along New Holland Road in the village of Knauers, is a place that I’ve passed countless times without ever giving it a second glance.

Now I’m a regular.

I started frequenting La Cantina on Thursday nights after a friend told me it was a venue for the Riverchasers Poker Tour – a free poker league that hosts events in bars and restaurants throughout the Mid-Atlantic.

The weekly poker events are held in the Pub, a smaller room located behind the main dining room. The Pub features a full bar and an assortment of four-seat tables and high-tops.

In the months since I have been going to La Cantina, I’ve tried many of the items on the menu. I am a big fan of La Cantina’s pizza. If you’re looking for a gourmet pie, this isn’t the place. If you’re looking for something with a little more greasy goodness, this is your place.

Of course you can get a full-size pie, but the pizzas are also available by the slice (always appreciated) and in personal 12″ versions.

Also among my favorites is the meatball sub. It seems like such a simple thing – every Italian restaurant in the county has one – but I just really enjoyed La Cantina’s version.

Four large meatballs topped with cheese and sauce, lightly toasted: not much different than anywhere else. But these meatballs were well-seasoned and perfectly cooked. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

After weeks of pre-poker handheld meals, I asked Julie to join me for a sit-down meal.

The restaurant features two dining rooms. On the right is the smaller of the two. One wall is completely covered in family photos.

On the left side is the main dining room. There were only a few tables claimed on our visit and the two of us had room to spread out at a table for four.

La Cantina’s entrees are served with a starter salad. It was nothing remarkable, except for the fact that I found a tiny ice cube in my salad. I’m not sure what ingredient was on ice before arrival, but safe to say I wasn’t expecting it.

A more redeeming dish is the homemade tomato soup. It was a creamy tomato soup that had just the right amount of herbs (basil chief among them). I would have gladly traded my salad for more of this delicious soup.

For my main entree, I went with the boring dish of spaghetti and meatballs with La Cantina’s homemade marinara sauce.

One look at it and I knew I would never be able to finish the whole thing. Three large meatballs topped the oversized bowl of pasta. A smattering of greens were scattered across the top of the dish for garnish – a nice touch to give a little character to the dish.

I have no complaints about the dish, though I found that I enjoyed the meatballs much more in the sandwich than on the pasta. I can’t say for sure what the difference was, but I could tell that it wasn’t quite the same.

The marinara sauce was good. It was thick and chunky, still holding the texture of the crushed tomatoes. With sauces like this, it sticks to the pasta in weird ways so some bites had plenty of sauces, others not enough.

Julie’s eggplant Parmesan was definitely a highlight of the meal. The breaded eggplant was tender and light. There was lots of cheese and plenty of sauce to compliment it.

Again, like my dish, there was no way that Julie would be able to finish this in one sitting so both of us had leftovers to take home after the meal.

On this night, our total bill was $36. When I’m on my own, I generally spend a little more than $10 for my sandwich, fries and iced tea.

Poker brought me into La Cantina for the first time. Good food and an attentive wait staff keeps me coming back every week.

You’ll know where to find me on Thursday nights.

BCE Rating
Food: Good
Service: Good
Ambiance: Fair to Good
Price: Reasonable

La Cantina Family Restaurant & Pub
4312 New Holland Rd
Mohnton, PA 19540

Editor’s Note: In December 2017, the Reading Country Club terminated ViVA’s management contract, effectively closing the pub in its current incarnation. The Country Club is now under new ownership with Jack’s on the Green opening in the restaurant space in 2025.

Valentine’s Day is an annual occasion that is made for a memorable meal.

Julie and I have experienced some of our favorite Berks County Eats meals on Valentine’s Day. Over the past three years, we visited Mom Chaffe’s Cellarette, Salute Ristorante Italiano and Heirloom.

This year, we were looking forward to another unforgettable experience, this time at the ViVA Castle Pub at the Reading Country Club.

The castle at the Reading Country Club is one of the most beautiful and recognizable structures in the county. The towering structure overlooks one of the county’s premier golf courses just off Route 422 in Exeter Township.

Two years ago, the club’s management made a switch in caterer from Chef Alan’s to ViVA, giving the restaurant it’s new name: ViVA Castle Pub.

We have visited the original ViVA multiple times – it’s just a short walk from our home base in Wyomissing – with mixed results. When we went for a review in 2014, it was an excellent meal.

That meal, like our Valentine’s Day reservation at the Castle Pub, was a four-course meal for two. So we had high expectations for a romantic dinner.

We arrived a little early and were seated promptly. The room was dimly lit with candles at every table – excellent ambiance, but terrible lighting for food photography.

As mentioned, our meal was four courses, including a shared flatbread, two soups or salads, two entrees and two dessert shooters.

Our meal started off well enough with a nice mushroom and arugula flatbread. Cut in fours, the flatbread was loaded with the two namesake ingredients plus chevre cheese and black truffle essence. It was enjoyable and hearty.

Things started to take a turn with course number two. I ordered the French onion soup while Julie ordered the Caesar salad.

First, the soup. While there was cheese melted over the top, it didn’t look like French onion. The cheese wasn’t bubbly enough and neither was it darkened as it should be.

Salty, filled with plenty of onions and bread chunks, it tasted fine, but nothing special.

Julie found her Caesar salad to be uninspired as well. Instead of tossing it all together, the Caesar dressing was served on the side. While it tasted fine, that’s not how you serve a traditional Caesar salad, especially when the customer is expecting a special meal.

The real disappointment came from our entrees, once we got them. Twice our waitress stopped by to apologize about how long it was taking for our meals. I would have assumed they were forgotten if not for hearing every waitress making similar apologies throughout the dining room.

How the Castle Pub is on a regular night, I can’t say. But they were definitely not on their game on this night.

I ordered the herb-encrusted chicken served with fettucine alfredo, grated Parmesan and sautéed vegetables.

What they called herb-encrusted looked more like Shake’n Bake. But it had less flavor. The entire dish was dry. I tasted no herbs in the bread-crumb coated chicken breasts. And I tasted very little alfredo in the fettucine alfredo (Julie didn’t even realize there was a sauce).

The vegetables were mostly fine, but the cherry tomatoes that were part of the dish were tossed in later so every few bites I had a cold tomato with my hot food.

Julie’s dish was better, but only by comparison. She ordered pasta ala vodka with shrimp.

The sauce was good, it was definitely more flavorful than my alfredo. But the shrimp still had tails on them so every time she wanted a taste, she had to remove the tails and mix it back into her pasta. (Not to mention, the shrimp were burnt).

At that point, the shrimp may as well have been served on the side because it had no opportunity to soak up the flavors of the sauce.

Thankfully, we had dessert coming and could end the meal on a more pleasant note. For our shooters, we went with tiramisu and key lime pie.

Both were enjoyable. The light, airy desserts were packed with flavor, especially the key lime pie. However it was essentially a pudding, and we longed for a little crust crumble to add some texture. The tiramisu was very good, but again could have used some texture.

To save room for dessert, we packed up most of our dinner to take home (though in all honesty, it’s probably not going to get eaten).

On this night, the four-course dinner was $50 per couple. If we had ordered everything ala carte, it would have been closer to $60. For the amount of food, I suppose it could be called a good deal. For the quality, I felt like we had been cheated.

We had high hopes for our Valentine’s Day meal this year. Unfortunately, sometimes a meal just doesn’t meet expectations.

Next year, we’ll just find someplace better.

ViVA Castle Pub
5311 Perkiomen Ave
Reading, PA 19606