— Leave a Comment

Hay Creek Snack Shack – CLOSED

sign above a door reading "Hay Creek Snack Shack"

Editor’s Note: Hay Creek Snack Shack closed in October 2019.

All of the restaurants we visit for Berks County Eats are small businesses.

Though they vary in size, the biggest and busiest restaurants only employ a few dozen people at most between cooks, servers and assorted staff.

But some restaurants are smaller than others. Birdsboro’s Hay Creek Snack Shack, for instance, makes the average diner seem like a corporate enterprise.

The name is more apt than I thought because truly is not much more than a shack. Blink and you may miss the tiny building on 1st Street.

Most customers must take their orders to go because the dining room consists of five two-seat tables and a single round high-top and barstool in the back corner. The kitchen was at maximum capacity with the two people behind the counter.

menu board at the Hay Creek Snack Shack

What the Snack Shack lacks in size, it makes up for in the size of its menu. The menu board, which includes both breakfast and lunch selections, runs the length of room. Three more dry erase boards display the day’s specials.

Scanning the menu, I saw a seemingly endless number of choices: pancakes, omelets and French toast on the breakfast side; burgers, paninis, tacos and sandwiches on the lunch side.

As I looked it over, the word “homemade” caught my eye in the description of the pulled pork sandwich, making my decision much easier.

pulled pork sandwich, fries and a milkshake from Hay Creek Snack Shack

I knew I wasn’t going to be getting true smoked barbecue, but that didn’t make it any less enjoyable. Drowning in an extra sweet sauce, the sandwich would have been a mess if not for the toasted roll that kept everything tucked neatly inside what was a very meaty sandwich.

Of course if you’re getting a sandwich at lunch, you have to get some fries. The Snack Shack’s fresh-cut fries varied in shade from yellow to brown. Fresh out of the fryer, they were still just a little oily, but that only added to the flavor.

chili dog with cheese and a half-finished chocolate milkshake

The chili cheese dog caught Julie’s eye. The cheese sat atop the hot dog like liquid gold; the meaty chili poked through the edges. The hot dog, itself, was invisible beneath the toppings. It was as gooey and good as it looked.

With so many mouthwatering flavors of ice cream, and seeing as how it is now spring, we couldn’t resist treating ourselves to a sweet treat so we each ordered a small milkshake. I went with the maple walnut while Julie went all-out with the kitchen sink.

If you can name it, it’s probably in kitchen sink ice cream. Chunks of Oreo cookies and Reese’s Pieces were just the first two in a long list of goodies that eventually found their way into her shake. There was just a hint of mint mixed in somewhere, which is always a perfect match for chocolate.

Having few employees and little overhead, the Snack Shack’s prices remain small as well. Even with the splurge on milkshakes, we came in well below $20 for our visit.

There are plenty of old sayings I could use to describe the Hay Creek Snack Shack: “Good things come in small packages.” “Size doesn’t matter.” Whatever cliché you want to use, use it.

The Snack Shack is a little place that’s big on value and, more importantly, flavor.

BCE Rating
Food: Good
Service: Excellent
Ambiance: Fair
Price: Very Reasonable

Hay Creek Snack Shack
310 E. First St
Birdsboro, PA 19508

More Restaurants Near Birdsboro, PA

Closed
two fried chicken breasts in a takeout container with fries and a dinner roll
— 2 Comments

Chicken Supreme – CLOSED

sign hanging off the side of a building reading "Chicken Supreme"

Editor’s Note: Chicken Supreme is currently closed for regular business hours. The space is still being used by the owners as they operate the Sammy’s Steaks food truck at area events.

Fried chicken may be the ultimate comfort food.

It’s fast and filling, a relatively inexpensive offering that appears on menus across the country in some way, shape or form.

But very few of those restaurants take a simple pleasure like fried chicken and build their business around it.

Chicken Supreme in West Reading doesn’t just serve fried chicken, the restaurant specializes in it.

Like many main street restaurants, Chicken Supreme is shoehorned into a small space. The pick-up counter takes up most of the space, with limited seating at a raised counter along the side wall. Not the best place in town for a sit-down meal, but it works great for a menu built on take-out items.

The restaurant is also home to Sammy’s Steaks and manages Mulligan’s Fish Fry and Seafood at Green Dragon Market so the menu includes cheese steaks, crab cakes, oyster sandwiches and fried fish. But it is the chicken that takes top billing with fried breasts, thighs, drumsticks and tenders, served in dinner combos and boxes of eight to 32 pieces. They also have fried hot wings, sold in quantities from six to 100.

two fried chicken breasts in a takeout container with fries and a dinner roll

As a white meat fan, I opted for the two-breast dinner, served with fries, coleslaw and a dinner roll. The chicken must have gone right from the fryer to my box because a small puddle of oil had developed on the Styrofoam.

The white meat shown through the dark, crispy skin. There was no light, flaky breading to hide it. The wetness from the deep-fried bath left my hands dripping after every bite of the greasy goodness. Inside the box was also a small packet of Ocean Spray cranberry sauce, about the size of a jelly packet you would find at a diner. I took full advantage of it, dipping pieces of meat in it as if I were enjoying a holiday meal.

takeout cup filled with coleslaw

While my hunger would have been satisfied with just the chicken, I managed to also polish off the fries. They were the battered kind, the ones that just slide down with little effort. The final piece of my meal was the coleslaw, very creamy with finely chopped cabbage. Unfortunately most of it became sacrificed so I could finish the rest of my meal.

two pieces of fried chicken - one breast, one thigh - in a takeout container with fries and a dinner roll

Julie is more of a dark meat fan than I so she opted for the standard two-piece dinner with a thigh and a drum. With less meat on her plate than my own, she was able to finish off her dinner (though I helped with a few fries).

Together, the two meals cost about $17. The great part about Chicken Supreme’s menu is that the price includes tax so there’s no guess work in the final cost.

There’s nothing fancy about Chicken Supreme, but there shouldn’t be. That’s not what it’s about. Fried chicken is comfort food, and comfort food is about simplicity and it’s about flavor.

That’s what Chicken Supreme excels at.

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

Chicken Supreme
410 Penn Ave
West Reading, PA 19611

More Restaurants in West Reading, PA

Closed
A wooden sign advertising Heirloom restaurant in Hereford Township
— 5 Comments

Heirloom – CLOSED

wooden sign that reads "Heirloom Continental Cuisine"

Editor’s Note: Heirloom’s owners have decided not to renew its lease, and the restaurant closing after New Year’s Eve Dinner, December 31, 2016. The space is now home to Cab Frye Catering Company.

One of the great things about Berks County Eats is being able to promote local businesses in Berks County and our neighbors.

While there is certainly a place in this world for large corporations, it is the small businesses that are the lifeblood of our communities.

When it comes to locally owned restaurants, some go even further, using locally sourced ingredients in all of their meals. And it is this farm-to-table attitude that really got me excited when I first read about Heirloom, a fine dining restaurant that opened near the village of Palm in Hereford Township back in October.

Heirloom is tucked away in the easternmost part of the county, where Berks, Montgomery and Lehigh converge. It’s only a short drive from Allentown, Quakertown and Pottstown, just off Route 100 and not far from the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

For those of us on the other side of Reading, it may as well be the other side of the world. Our trip there was a scenic drive along Route 12 and a never-ending series of backroads through the scenic countryside, a land of stone houses and picturesque farmland that seemed so far away from Wyomissing.

When we finally arrived, the sun had already set so I couldn’t get a good glimpse of the building. But with the interior door framing a stained glass window (one of several stained glass panels in the building), it was hard to miss the beauty inside the historic building.

Heirloom, which opened in October, is a true farm-to-table restaurant with a menu that is constantly changing based on what’s in season and what’s available from local farmers. This also means that the menu is small—just one page, about eight appetizers and six entrees, all of them prepared from scratch.

basket of bread with a plate of butter cut into triangles

One constant at the restaurant is the fresh-baked bread, served with every dinner.

salad topped with quinoa and chevre cheese

The latest addition to the appetizers was the red quinoa salad, leafy greens piled atop a bed of quinoa and grapefruit, topped with cow’s milk chèvre cheese. It had a perfect blend of elements: a nice texture from the quinoa, a little sweetness from the grapefruit and a hint of sour from the vinaigrette. But what really set it apart was the creamy chèvre that just melts in your mouth. Hands down, this was the best salad I have ever eaten.

bison steak topped with shaved carrots and cubed potatoes

When looking down the menu for my entree, my eyes never made it past the first word, “bison.” The description said the cut was 1 1/2 inches thick, but I really didn’t comprehend how large my portion would be until the full plate was set before me.

As she delivered my plate, my waitress informed me that today was the first day that the bison was on the menu, and that I was the first guinea pig to try it. The slab of bison was covered in shredded fried carrots and surrounded by potatoes, mushrooms, and diced turnips. The meat was tender, and with the vegetables and juicy broth, it reminded me of extra lean pot roast. And it certainly tasted like something that should remain on the menu moving forward.

salad with fried balls of goat cheese and pickled red onion

While my salad was new to the menu, the Heirloom salad that Julie ordered has been a permanent fixture since day one. A look at the ingredients makes it easy to see why: mixed greens, radish, onion vinaigrette, pickled onions, bacon lardons, goat cheese and fennel pollen.

rack of lamb over potatoes

For the main course, Julie went with the rack of lamb, served with fingerling potatoes and mushrooms in mushroom sauce, garnished with kale leaves. The sauce was a pleasant surprise. Almost broth-like in its consistency, it really enhanced the flavors of the meat rather than mask it.

Despite having more than our fair share already, it didn’t take much convincing to be talked into dessert. After hearing descriptions of many decadent options (including flourless chocolate cake, Tahitian vanilla crème brûlée, and pumpkin funnel cake with cinnamon ice cream), we opted for a homemade s’more.

toasted marshmallow dessert drizzled with chocolate and graham cracker dust

Don’t confuse this with the campfire treat. The s’more started with a base of Mexican chocolate ice cream infused with chili peppers, which was topped with a homemade marshmallow. It was drizzled with chocolate syrup and graham cracker dust,  then toasted on top to give it some beautiful color. I almost felt bad for the chef who prepared it because I’m sure we finished it in half the time it took to prepare because it was that good. The marshmallow melted on the tongue while the chocolate ice cream had just the tiniest hint of pepper that didn’t burn, but woke up the taste buds to everything else on the plate.

Heirloom is not a place that many can afford to make a weekly or even monthly visit to, but it isn’t meant to be that kind of restaurant. Though our check came to $100 (At $40 and $32, our entrees were the two most expensive on the menu), I can say we got much more than we paid for.

two chocolate truffles on a plate

The complimentary homemade espresso truffles that arrived with our check certainly didn’t hurt either.

The whole experience was exceptional, from attentive service to fantastic food. As excited as I was to try Heirloom for the first time, I will be even more excited to go back again.

More Fine Dining in Berks County

More Nearby Restaurants

Closed
sign on a building that reads "Muddy's Smokehouse BBQ"
— 2 Comments

Muddy’s Smokehouse Barbecue – Robesonia – CLOSED

sign on a building that reads "Muddy's Smokehouse BBQ"

Muddy’s Robesonia location closed in 2016. The location is now home to Paraiso Rosel Mexican Restaurant.

In 2011, Muddy’s Smokehouse BBQ ushered in a barbecue revolution in Berks County.

The tiny trailer parked along Route 12 was unlike anything else around. It was as if someone had taken a piece of the deep south and transplanted it into Alsace Township.

And while Muddy’s looked different, what truly made it stand out was the food. Sure, we have always had hamburger bar-b-que and bar-b-que chicken, but the slow-cooked ribs, pulled pork and beef brisket from Muddy’s was something else altogether.

My first review of Muddy’s came nearly three years ago, and a lot has changed since then.

Drive along Route 12 today and you will see an empty lot where the Muddy’s trailer was parked, the result of a year-long legal battle with the township over land usage and zoning.

The result has been a bigger, better Muddy’s.

Instead of a single trailer, Muddy’s now operates two permanent locations: one along Oley Road, not far from the original, and a second about 20 miles away in Robesonia.

The Robesonia location came first, opening in the summer of 2014. The location along Penn Avenue has been a revolving door of sandwich shops for more than a decade, most recently serving as the home of a catering company before Muddy’s arrived on the scene.

On my first visit to the new location, I couldn’t help but think how weird it was to be walking into Muddy’s after having walked up to the trailer window on so many previous occasions.

One thing that has largely remained the same since the move has been the menu, though it has been expanded. The barbecue basics are still there, along with the loaded French fries and most of the sides (sadly, the Yukon gold mashed potatoes are gone).

Many of the daily specials from the original location, like white chicken chili and smoked wings, are now permanent menu items. Salads and specialty sandwiches help give the menu even more variety.

After going through Muddy’s withdrawals for nearly a year, I had my heart set on one of the classics: beef brisket.

plate with beef brisket, fries and baked beans

The brisket has a beautiful pink smoke ring around the outside edge, a subtle reminder that this is real barbecue. For those dining in, the meat and sides are served sans plates, and instead are placed directly on a tray liner. For takeout (as we opted for), the eight slabs of brisket are neatly stacked on one side with my baked beans and fries on the other.

All three items are carry-overs from the original menu, and all are as good as ever. Only a hint of fat remains on the brisket, a byproduct of the slow-cooking. I poured about one-quarter cup of Muddy’s apple fig barbecue sauce on top, drowning the meat in sweetness. The brisket absorbs all of the smokiness from the cooking process and all of the sweetness from the sauce to create a perfect barbecue experience.

The baked beans were as hearty and delicious as I remembered, with chunks of whatever meat was leftover from the day before (in this case, pulled pork) added in for extra flavor. The fries also haven’t changed—fresh-cut, lightly seasoned, and perfect for dipping in sauce.

Among the new specialty sandwiches are a selection of cheese steaks (I believe cheese steaks are mandatory for all Pennsylvania restaurants). Julie decided to try the Yardbird cheese steak, smoked chicken with onions, peppers, steak sauce and cheese.

cheesesteak and potato chips

It was a wise choice, one of the best steak sandwiches of any kind that I have found in Berks County. The smoked chicken carries so much flavor on its own, but it’s the sauce that really helps bring everything together, complementing both the chicken and cheese.

For a normal person, the beef brisket would be two meals (or shared between two people), but I managed to find room for the whole thing. Julie paced herself a little better, saving half of her sandwich for the next day so our $25 stretched across three meals.

It’s been a long road for Muddy’s over the past year, but it is great that they finally have a permanent home—two permanent homes, I should say. Now I just have to make it to the Oley location.

More BBQ in Berks County

More Restaurants Near Robesonia, PA

Closed
— 1 Comment

Mike’s Taste of Philly – CLOSED

red awning with the words "Mike's Taste of Philly"

Editor’s Note: Taste of Philly is now closed. After a change from Mike’s Taste of Philly to Taste of Philly, the restaurant closed in 2018. Since December 2018, the space has been occupied by Tony’s of West Reading. 

Every major city has a food that it is famous for. Buffalo has wings. Kansas City and Memphis have barbecue. New York has pizza. New Orleans has po’ boys. Even Reading, the Pretzel City, has its own.

In nearby Philadelphia, it’s all about the cheesesteaks. Ask 500 Philadelphians where to find the best steaks in town and you’re likely to get 500 different answers (none of them being Pat’s or Geno’s).

If you live in Berks County, you already know that you don’t have to drive an hour away for a mouthwatering cheesesteak. I’m admittedly biased, but I would put Berks County’s offerings up against Philadelphia’s anytime.

And there is no more appropriate place in Greater Reading to get a taste of Philly than Mike’s Taste of Philly in West Reading.

Mike’s began serving Philly favorites in 2012, taking over the former Yellow Submarine restaurant along 5th Avenue, just off Delaney Circle.

Jerseys and memorabilia from all of Philadelphia’s professional sports teams adorn the walls of the shop, and if there’s a game happening, you can bet it’s on in the small dining area. Even though there was plenty of seating the two of us, we opted to take our meals home on this day.

The menu includes favorites from Philadelphia and beyond including pizza, hoagies, smoked wings and Zeps—Norristown’s answer to the hoagie featuring a single meat, cheese, onions, sweet peppers and oil, but no lettuce. There’s also Mike’s “Conshy” line of sandwiches served on grilled flatbread.

And of course, there are the Philly Cheesesteaks.

cheesesteak on a seeded roll

All of Mike’s Philly Cheesesteaks are served on 9-inch rolls from the Conshohocken Italian Bakery. For those with a bigger appetite, Mike’s also offers an 18-inch in all of its sandwiches (stood on end, that’s about one-quarter the height of an average person).

Like any true Philly steak, you have the option to get it “wit” or “wit-out” onions, along with other standard and not-so-standard toppings like hot peppers, tomatoes, pepperoni or bacon.

In my opinion, any kind of sandwich is better “wit” so I went with onions and sweet peppers on mine. Julie’s sandwich was identical to my own except hers was slathered in melted American cheese.

steak sandwich without cheese on a seeded roll

While some restaurants use thin sliced meat on their sandwiches, the ribeye on Mike’s Philly Steaks are cut thick so you can actually taste the flavorful meat. The steak was moist, but there was no pile of grease when it was finished. The sweet peppers and onions gave a little jolt of flavor while the gooey cheese found its way into all of the cracks.

basket of fries with skin-on

For the frugal foodie, there’s no better day than Thursday to try Mike’s. Every Thursday, you receive a free order of fries with a sandwich purchase. And Mike’s fries are among the best around. The fresh-cut, golden brown spuds have a crispy outside and a great flavor. If you want more than the standard, you can also try pizza fries, loaded fries, gravy fries and wiz fries wit or without.

cup of Italian ice

The Philadelphia influence also stretches into dessert as Mike’s carries a full line of Philadelphia Water Ice in a range of flavors that include cherry, root beer, blueberry and mango. Even though baseball season is still four months away, we went with the Phillies Swirl, a blend of cherry and lemon that is mostly sweet but will make you pucker just a little.

Not only is Mike’s food as good as any sandwich shop in Philadelphia, the prices can’t be beat. With the free-fry special, our bill came in at $20, at least $10 less than what you’d pay for the same thing in Center City.

With places like Mike’s Taste of Philly, along with other Berks County restaurants like the Steak Shack and V&S Sandwiches, there’s no need to sit in traffic on the Schuylkill Expressway. True Philadelphia flavor can be find right here at home.

More Cheesesteaks in Berks County

More Restaurants in West Reading, PA

Closed
Nighttime scene of an awning over a building entrance with the words "Penn Werner"
— 5 Comments

Penn Werner Hotel – CLOSED

Nighttime scene of an awning over a building entrance with the words "Penn Werner"

Editor’s Note: The Penn Werner Hotel closed in February 2021. The owners will continue in the food service business through catering, festivals, and fundraisers.

Like any good Pennsylvania Dutchman, I love a good deal. The phrase “if it’s free, it’s for me” is one that I have come to rely on in all parts of life, but especially when it comes to food.

When you are doing a restaurant review every week, I try to save money wherever I can. And one of my favorite ways to pinch pennies is with half-off deals.

You see them all the time: Clipper Magazine’s Double Take Offers, Restaurant.com, or any number of other outlets.

The Penn Werner Hotel in Wernersville is a place I had been dying to try so when I saw I could get $30 worth of food for $15 through Reading Eagle Big Deals, it was a deal too good to pass up.

Unlike a lot of restaurants I go to, I was very familiar with the Penn Werner already. I tried the restaurant’s food at the Kempton Pepper Jam, the Hamburg Iron Chef and Wilson Iron Chef. I had also been there once before for their Sunday breakfast buffet.

But I had never actually sat down to dinner in the dining room, so this was something altogether new.

Set on the corner of Penn and Stitzer, the Hotel has a long history dating back to the late 19th Century when Wernersville and South Mountain were renowned for their resorts. While time has taken a toll on the exterior, the building still maintains a lot of its original charm.

Walking from the back parking lot to the front of the building, you pass by the bar room door to the main entrance which leads to two dining areas: straight back, a small room with free-standing tables; to the right, a larger room with tables and bench seating.

From their appearances at the Pepper Jam and Bowers Chile Festival, the Penn Werner has a reputation for their spicy dishes, but the menu is not exclusively hot. There are pastas, burgers, sandwiches and simple entrees. The “Grandma’s Best” section includes pot roast, meat loaf and a one-pound (yes, one-pound) ham slice.

But I came looking for some heat so I ordered a dish you won’t find anywhere else in Berks County: pastalaya.

pasta tossed with sausage and slices of toast

As the name implies, pastalaya is an alternate take on the classic Creole dish, jambalaya. It featured sausage, shrimp, turkey, bacon, onions, peppers and tomatoes, but instead of rice, the ingredients are tossed with ziti.

I had originally planned on starting my meal with a cup of corn chowder, but after seeing my plate delivered, I was happy to have passed. There was a seemingly endless amount of pasta on the plate with two large pieces of garlic bread.

The dish was described as having “not too much heat” and that was accurate. It was a pleasant burn that was more flavor than fire. Rather than adding more spice to the dish with hot sausage, more flavor was added with smoked sausage. The bacon added salt and a little crunch and there was just enough shrimp that you didn’t forget it was there. I don’t know that it was better than jambalaya, but it was a great new take on a classic.

pasta with blackened chicken and two slices of toast

Looking for something a little spicy for herself, Julie went with the creamy Cajun chicken pasta bowl. The blackened chicken breast was served atop the same mountain of ziti, this time with a light cream sauce and plenty of zest. The pastalaya was a little hotter, but her chicken was just as flavorful.

Unfortunately the generous portions left us no room for dessert, but we did manage to hit our $30 mark ($33 to be exact). So with our special offer, that meant we got both of our meals (and a Pepsi) for $18.

If you’re ever looking to try a new place, or just looking to stretch your budget, look for deals and coupons because they are a great way to save some dollars.

And if you’re looking to add a little spice to dinner, make a trip to the Penn Werner Hotel.

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

Penn Werner Hotel
5 E. Penn Ave
Wernersville, PA 19565

More Bar Food in Berks County

More Restaurants Near Wernersville, PA

Closed
— 3 Comments

Review: The Hitching Post Restaurant and Bar – CLOSED

door sign highlighting weekly specials at the Hitching Post Restaurant & Bar

Editor’s Note: The Hitching Post is now closed. The restaurant closed in March 2024 after 13 years in business, and the property has reportedly been sold. Renovations are ongoing, though there has been no official word about when a new restaurant may open. The owners of the Hitching Post still operate Willoughby’s on Park and Telia Perfect Greek, both in Wyomissing.

Everyone loves a comeback story.

We see them all the time: a sports star returns from a devastating injury; an actor lands a starring role years after their last hit movie.

The same thing can happen in the restaurant business. Just look at The Hitching Post Restaurant and Bar.

I’m old enough to remember the original Hitching Post in West Lawn, but not old enough to remember anything about it. The only thing I really know is that it was replaced by a Wawa more than decade ago. To tell the truth, I can count on one hand the number of times my parents took me to the Hitching Post, but I could not venture to guess how many Shorti hoagies I’ve eaten in the years since.

Three years ago the Hitching Post rose from the ashes, this time in Bern Township along Route 183.

The building formerly housed the Classic Cafe, then Chill Lounge before the Hitching Post took over the location in 2011. The restaurant has been doing well every since. So well in fact that a sister restaurant, Willoughby’s Bar & Grill, opened last year in Wyomissing. (Editor’s Note: Willoughby’s Bar & Grill is now Willoughby’s on Park, a fine dining steakhouse).

When you first pull in to the parking lot, it is hard to gauge the size of the restaurant. The dining area is expansive. Split by a small step in the middle, there is easily enough room to seat a few hundred people.

Our table was near the crowded bar. There was not a stool to be had on this Thursday night, nor were there any high-top tables left around it.

It was an older crowd in the barroom, though not as old as the jazz duo who were performing in the corner. But I have to compliment them: the first song we heard was a rendition of Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” that could have easily passed for the original.

Slice of bread and a cup of oil for dipping

I don’t know what the menu was like at the original Hitching Post, but if it was anything like the current one, I can see why it was so popular. There were at least a dozen items that I debated between, including the Filet Alfredo Bleu (filet medallions topped with gorgonzola and cream sauce of pasta) and chicken pecan (chicken breast topped with cashew pecan and brie spread with mixed berry amaretto sauce). There is also a section of Greek specialties that includes a souvlaki, spanakopita and gyro (with shaved lamb).

After a lengthy dialog with myself, I opted for the filet tip wellington.

plate of steak Wellington with a baked potato and vegetable medley

Normally I think of “tips” as small slices of meat, but these were closer to whole filets. The meat was done perfectly before being stuffed in a flaky pastry. The whole thing was topped with caramelized onions and mushrooms with a thick au jus of Madeira wine, sage and gorgonzola cheese.

The sauce had a flavor unlike any that I have tried before. The gorgonzola was strong, giving the sauce a slightly sour flavor that was tempered by the wine and herbs. It was delicious from the first bite through the last.

prime rib sandwich smothered in cheese with a side of fries

Wanting something a little “lighter” that wouldn’t result in a to-go box, Julie ordered a prime rib sandwich with French fries. The sandwich was topped onions, mushrooms, provolone and for a little change of pace, horseradish aioli. The aioli really took a good sandwich to another level, adding just a little extra zing without overpowering it with horseradish.

Of course half of it ended up coming home with us anyway, but that’s only because I had my heart set on ordering dessert.

cup of creme brulee topped with whipped cream

For the finale, we had orange creamsicle crème brulee. Like all crème brulee, it was nicely caramelized and topped with a mound of whipped cream. But it tasted exactly like an orange creamsicle, just warm and melty. I felt a little like a six-year-old while eating a very grown-up dessert.

The Hitching Post may not be fine dining, but it’s very good dining in a fine atmosphere. And at $40 for our entire check, the prices are certainly not fine dining either.

I wish I could remember the old Hitching Post so I could definitively say the new restaurant is “better than the original,” but I can’t.

What I can say is that The Hitching Post is really good and, like the original, should be sticking around for a long time.

BCE Rating
Food: Very Good
Service: Good
Ambiance: Very Good
Price: Reasonable

The Hitching Post Restaurant & Bar
2747 Bernville Rd
Leesport, PA 19533

More Fine Dining in Berks County

More Restaurants Near Bernville, PA

Closed
— 7 Comments

Ciabatta – CLOSED

large building with stucco walls and an orange colored roof

Editor’s Note: Ciabatta is closed. The location is now home to one of three area locations for Alebrije Mexican Restaurant.

There’s something about ciabatta bread that takes an ordinary sandwich and makes it better.

Bigger, denser and more flavorful than average white bread, ciabatta rolls add that little extra something that makes a sandwich feel more like a meal.

It’s that Italian baked specialty that serves as inspiration for the aptly named Ciabatta in Wyomissing.

Ciabatta sits along State Hill Road across from the Berkshire Square Shopping Center. The sign out front is simple, proclaiming the “gourmet sandwiches – salads – pizza” that are found inside a mostly drab-looking tan and brown building.

Inside, the decor is contemporary Tuscan, a modern take on the classic Italian decor, while a section of oversized lounge chairs and original artwork on the walls gives the restaurant a coffeehouse feel.

As the name implies, sandwiches are a major portion of Ciabatta’s menu, and they are all served on (you guessed it) ciabatta rolls.

But the menu is much more than that as the restaurant also offers grilled specialties like veal saltinboca and Delmonico steaks, build-your-own pastas, salads, and our choices for the evening, pizzabellas.

Ciabatta’s pizzabellas are about 12″ round, making them perfectly sized for a hearty meal for one or shareable for two with the addition of a side.

Or, if you are a hungry food blogger and his wife, you order two pizzabellas and an order of Cajun fries because you can.

Seven specialty pizzabellas and a build-your-own option make up the pizzabella menu. Our two choices were the pollo diavolo (buffalo chicken, mozzarella and blue cheese dressing) and Verona (Genoa salami, capicola, Italian sausage, pepperoni, tomato sauce and mozzarella).

pizza topped with buffalo chicken and a blue cheese dressing

The former packed a nice punch, both from the buffalo chicken and from the homemade blue cheese dressing, which did little to cool the heat as it added a spice of its own. Despite needing a little extra water to quench our thirsts, the pollo diavolo was very good, especially for those who enjoy a nice mild buffalo wing.

pizza topped with pepperoni and sausage

On the other side of the spectrum was the Verona, which was a much sweeter pie, with only a mild spice from the Italian sausage. For carnivores like myself, it’s hard to go wrong when you are piling on all of those delicious Italian meats.

When it comes to sides, the takeout menu we have sitting at home is very deceiving. There is a coupon mentioning Cajun fries, and dinner entrees that come with two sides, but nowhere on the menu are the sides actually listed. Still, we were able to order up some Cajun fries, and we were not disappointed.

fries with cajun seasoning

The fries, thick and battered, where blanketed in a nice coat of Cajun seasoning. Compared to the buffalo chicken pizza, the fries were mild, but still had just enough kick that you couldn’t ignore it.

Pizza is always a reasonably priced option for dining out and Ciabatta’s is no exception. Pizzabellas are just $6.95 each, so even after we gorged on two pies and a side of fries, our bill still came in under $20.

I can’t deny the irony of going to a place called “Ciabatta” and not actually ordering a ciabatta. But with so many other great menu options, I won’t let a name limit by choices.

And after some excellent pizza, I’m glad I didn’t let the name stop me.

More Italian Restaurants in Berks County

More Wyomissing, PA Restaurants

Closed
— 4 Comments

Windy Acres Barbecue Restaurant – CLOSED

small red building with a lighted sign that reads "Restaurant"

Windy Acres Barbecue Restaurant is now closed. The location is now home to the Countryside Eatery.

Berks County is becoming a barbecue hotbed.

Over the last four or five years, the county’s barbecue scene has taken off with the addition of roadside trailers and full-service restaurants.

What I love about barbecue is that all of them are different. Though all of them have ribs, chicken and pork, none of them are doing them the same way. Likewise, each one has its own unique sauce, with its own style and flavor profile.

And as a barbecue aficionado, that variety is what drives me to try as many of them as possible.

Set along Route 222 just north of Kutztown, right where the Kutztown Bypass ends and the traffic jam of two-lane 222 begins, is Windy Acres Barbecue Restaurant, one of the newest additions to the barbecue scene.

The restaurant doesn’t look like much from the outside. Attached to an Agway, you wouldn’t even know the restaurant was there if not for a small sign along the highway and a backlit sign on the building that says “RESTAURANT.”

Inside, it is a cliché of barbecue joints, the walls adorned with wagon wheels, a smiling wooden steer’s head and a pig made out of neon lights that said “Best BBQ.” The wall to the kitchen was made of metal, as if the dining room was built to enclose a tin shed.

Windy Acres prints its menu on its placemats so you can begin planning your meal from the moment you sit down. Barbecue is the main crux of the menu, with rib and chicken platters and pulled pork sandwiches being complemented by burgers and fried foods like corn nuggets and mozzarella sticks.

With my strong desire to try as many menu items as possible in one meal, I could not pass up the combo meal of a 1/2 rack of ribs and 1/2 chicken.

rack of ribs with small bolws of mashed potatoes and beans

My chicken was late to arrive to the party, but that gave me a chance to concentrate on the massive ribs in front of me. Size is the first thing you notice. These ribs are not the perfectly shaped baby backs you see at a chain restaurant, instead they form a beautiful triangle with the largest rib measuring about seven inches long. Looking at the plate it was hard to imagine anyone finishing a full rack, or me being able to finish both this and my chicken which was still to come.

Then there is the color, Crayola might call it burnt sienna. The sauce gets its color, and its flavor, from the addition of mustard, which gives it a lighter color and a distinct flavor. Ripping them apart, it was clear the ribs weren’t fall-off-the-bone, and instead allowed me to bite in without risk of the meat falling to the plate.

Of my sides, the mashed potatoes were far-and-away better than the beans. Similar to those served at Muddy’s, Windy Acres uses Yukon gold potatoes, which have a more beautiful color and more pronounced flavor than Idaho potatoes. The beans had some flavor, but were a little runny and were not all that different from a can of Bush’s.

barbecue chicken breast and fries

When my chicken arrived, it too was glossed in a coat of Windy Acres original sauce (they also had apple bbq and hot bbq available on request) with some extra seasonings sprinkled on. Nearly half of my half chicken had to come home with me for later as the breast meat was more than enough to fill me up after having devoured the rest of my meal.

wrap filled with pork and a side of fries

One of the daily specials on the menu was the southwest pulled pork wrap that my wife order. It featured pulled pork (which is oddly only available on sandwiches and not available as an entree) with chipotle bbq sauce , coleslaw and cheese. The hot pork was mixed with the cold cheese and slaw before the wrap was grilled, and though I am not a fan of mixing hot and cold ingredients, the pork was very good and the chipotle sauce was excellent.  The fresh-cut fries that came with the wrap were also very good, especially if you dipped them in a little bit of sauce.

Though there were a handful of desserts available, it is hard to imagine anyone making it that far, especially if they ordered the ribs. Instead, our stomachs were quite content to quit after our $25 dinner.

The neon pig on the wall may have been overstating things a little. Windy Acres may not be the “best bbq,” at least in my opinion. But it certainly has its own style and I certainly enjoyed it.

And that again is the beauty of barbecue. It’s always different, and it’s almost always delicious.

More BBQ in Berks County

More Restaurants in Kutztown, PA

Closed
— 12 Comments

Viva Bistro & Lounge – CLOSED

glass doorway with a terrace in front and the word "Viva" in purple letters

Editor’s Note: ViVA Bistro & Lounge is closed. The space is now part of The Block at Wyomissing Square, which features multiple restaurants, including the Vintner’s Table and Cafe Folino.

When you think of Wyomissing, you probably think of the Reading Hospital and the beautiful homes that stretch out to the west.

Or perhaps you think of the other side of Wyomissing, the Berkshire Mall and all the chain restaurants that surround it.

But along Penn Avenue, the town is very different. The VF Outlet Center towers over all the other buildings in the area, a reminder of the area’s industrial past and a symbol of rebirth.

Across Park Road is another example of the resurrection of a former industrial site, where empty towers have been replaced by a Courtyard by Marriott and high-end studio apartments.

At the base of the apartment complex is a lone business, but it was here that the resurrection of the complex began in 2003.

Viva Bistro and Lounge is exactly what the name implies, a European-inspired restaurant with an expansive bar and lounge that features live entertainment on most nights.

Though I had been to Viva before, it had been more than a year and never outside of a large group so a date night with my wife at the bistro was a bit of a new experience.

As I poured through the menu searching for the one that would make me happiest in that moment, I found their Duets menu, a four-course meal for two that included two soups or salads, a shared appetizer, two entrees and choice of dessert for $35.99.

This was what was going to make me the happiest.

cup of chilled berry soup with whipped topping

For our first course, we each chose a cup soup. The soup of the day was a non-traditional mixed berry soup. Served cold and topped with whipped cream, it felt more like I was spooning a smoothie into my mouth than enjoying a bowl of soup. In fact, the soup would have worked just as well for dessert as it did as an appetizer.

cup of lobster bisque with herbs

My wife opted for Viva’s signature lobster bisque, a dish she first tried earlier this year at the Wilson Iron Chef. It’s thick, it’s creamy and it’s rich, with a beautiful yellow-orange color and lobster in every bite.

slice of bread on the edge of a plate of olive oil

As we were finishing our soups, our waitress dropped off some bread and poured some herb-infused olive oil on a plate for us. The oil was infused with a heavy dose of garlic, salt and Italian herbs to create a delicious dip.

flatbread pizza topped with sausage and red pepper

The second course was a shared appetizer, sausage diavolo flatbread pizza. Topped with squared chunks of sausage, strips of red peppers and grated parmesan, the pizza was piping hot and just a little bit spicy. The cheese and tomatoes oozed over all four sides, leaving just the corners clear to grab onto without getting your hands greasy.

In all honesty, we could have skipped right from the pizza to dessert and been comfortably full, but there was still a pair of entrees to come, and I was determined to finish all four of my courses.

steak kabob on a bed of rice with a large broccoli floret

My selected entree was the marinated steak kabob, served over a bed of rice pilaf and served with an entire head of broccoli which was sprinkled with fresh garlic. The marinade made the steak extra tender and juicy. For convenience, the steak, green peppers, onions, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes were removed from the skewer before arriving at the table, making my job a lot easier and ensuring that I received a forkful of the very tasty pilaf in every bite.

chicken breast topped with gravy on a bed of rice pilaf on a plate with a large broccoli floret

Mediterranean chicken was the item that caught my wife’s eye. Served exactly as mine atop rice pilaf with a side of broccoli, the whole chicken breast was stuffed with Feta cheese, spinach, tomatoes and basil and topped with a cream sauce. Despite the enjoyable flavor, half of it went home with us as dessert was still to come.

puff pastry topped with whipped cream drizzled with caramel
small tart with whipped cream and a drizzle of lime green sauce

Our dessert options included either a shared dessert or two mini desserts, but as I learned in pre-school, two is better than one (who wants to share one dessert when you can share two?). Key lime tart and bananas foster cheesecake were our two choices. Placed in the corner of entree-sized plates, the desserts looked miniscule, but they packed a lot of flavor. The cheesecake was moist and the bananas foster, which was dropped on top with a dollop of whipped cream, was done perfectly. The key lime tart lived up to its name as the sweet of the cream gave way to the tasty tartness of the key lime. But it was all well-tempered by a nice, crispy pie shell.

I can say with certainty that we got our money’s worth for our $37 (the lobster bisque was an extra $1.00 upgrade) and we certainly left feeling full and satisfied.

There are still plenty of old industrial buildings in Wyomissing that aren’t full. Some have planned renovations, while others are sit idle. After a meal at Viva, I can’t help but look at these near-abandoned buildings as an opportunity for more great restaruants to add to the town’s already steallar culinary reputation.

More Fine Dining in Berks County

More Wyomissing, PA Restaurants

Closed