a rice bowl topped with marinated beef and pickled ginger
— 1 Comment

Review: West Brew Izakaya – West Reading

exterior of a building with picture windows on either side of the front door - one of the windows is painted with anime characters

When you visit West Reading, most don’t venture far from the avenue. In 2022, Takkii Ramen bucked the trend, opening in a space a block away on Reading Avenue. Despite being away from the crowds, Takkii stuck around and ultimately expanded. 

In 2025, the restaurant made the move to the Avenue, opening in the former Broken Chair Brewery. Not only did they take over the location, they also took over brewing. With the expanded concept came a name change to West Brew Izakaya. West for West Reading, Brew for the brewery and Izakaya for a style of Japanese pub.

restaurant interior with brick walls and a tv playing Pokemon anime

The new West Brew opened in September 2025. Julie and I made a lunch date to get our first visit a few months later in February 2026. 

Not being a drinker, I never made it into Broken Chair before they closed in 2024. My only reference points are photos of the previous business. The core components of Broken Chair are still visible: exposed brick walls and a bar fronted with corrugated steel. 

rectangular bar with lights above - one row is yellow globes the other is red, blue and green boxes in the style of paper lanterns

But West Brew has added some unique flairs. Lights in the form of paper lanterns – yellow globes beneath a row of box lights in red, blue and green – hang above the bar. On the walls, the flatscreen TVs play anime favorites Pokemon and Dragon Ball Z. 

Much of Takkii’s menu has been brought over to the new spot. Ramen and rice dishes make up most of the menu. While I like ramen, I gravitate to the rice bowls, and on this trip I ordered the sukiyaki beef don. 

a rice bowl topped with marinated beef and pickled ginger

The bowl came with white rice, marinated beef, scallions and pickled ginger. The marinated beef had a very good flavor on its own, deeper than a standard soy or teriyaki sauce – but the tanginess of the pickled ginger is what sets it apart in my book. It made for a delicious lunch, though I would have been satisfied with a smaller portion. 

Triangle-shaped dumplings on a bed of greens with a small bit of teriyaki sauce with scallions for dipping

At lunchtime, West Brew runs a special combo of an entree, appetizer and drink so we decided to share an appetizer of chicken gyoza – Japanese-style dumplings with soy dipping sauce. They were a very good start to the meal with the soy sauce giving a bright pop to each bite. 

two tall cups filled with milk tea and boba pearls

In addition to the beers, West Brew is also serving boba drinks from their other business, Winnie Tea Bar. I ordered my favorite – brown sugar milk tea – to accompany my lunch.  

Julie got a taro milk tea, which is her favorite boba drink. Taro is a purple cousin of the potato with a slightly sweet profile. I don’t know how much of the real vegetable is involved in creating the boba, but it makes for a good drink. 

bowl filled with broth, noodles, corn, beansprouts, bamboo shoots, scallions and a marinated grilled chicken breast

For her entree, Julie ordered the teriyaki chicken ramen. The bowl was filled with a pork-based broth with noodles, bamboo shoots, beansprouts, corn, and scallions. On top with a grilled chicken breast marinated in a teriyaki glaze. 

It was a delicious meal. As she ate it, Julie decided she liked the heartiness of the broth more than the lighter pho we had a few weeks before at Saigon Banh Mi (though that meal was still very good). The chicken was nice and flavorful with sweet and salty notes from the glaze. But it was too much to finish, especially at lunch. 

brick wall with a mountain design in wood and a long high-top bar for eating

Overall, it was a great meal. Service was a little slow on the day as the restaurant was full at the lunchtime rush, but our server was attentive (and had great recommendations for the flavor of bubbles to match our tea). But we were still done in a little more than an hour.

Our total bill came in between $50-$60 which was expensive for lunch, but we were also enjoying dinner-sized portions and splurging on boba. 

And we really did enjoy our meal and our time at West Brew, and we will be sure to be back. 

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

West Brew Izakaya
424 Penn Avenue
West Reading, PA 19611

More Asian Restaurants in Berks County

More Restaurants in West Reading, PA

Asian & Pacific Islands Lunch & Dinner Reviews
wicker chairs set up around round tables with teal tops
— Leave a Comment

Review: Sweetie’s Back Porch Cafe – Oley

wall graphic for Sweetie's Back Porch Cafe with a graphic of a teal-colored VW bus

There have always been plenty of places to eat along Route 73 between Fleetwood and Boyertown. But the one thing that’s been lacking is a good coffee shop. 

That changed with the opening of Sweetie’s Back Porch Cafe in the fall of 2025.

White door against a building with green vertical siding and a small sandwich board next to the entrance

Sweetie’s Back Porch Cafe lives up to its name, with a location “out back” behind Bella Italia Pizza, Hometown Dental, and Clear Flow Water Solutions. The cafe has an unassuming entrance – a simple white door against the green warehouse-like facade. 

wicker chairs set up around round tables with teal tops

But walking inside, everything changes. The narrow stairway opens into a more spacious dining room with wicker-back chairs at round tables. Tall-backed wicker seats with tan cushions are along the wall. 

two leather coaches in a corner of a room with one peach wall, one white wall, and two kidney-shaped coffee tables in the center

A second room offers more casual seating with a pair of couches and two kidney-shaped coffee tables. 

a look at the order counter at Sweetie's Back Porch Cafe in Oley, PA

On my first trip, I grabbed a corner spot along the wall and set up with my laptop. I arrived around 8 a.m. The restaurant wasn’t empty, but there was still plenty of seating available. 

I ordered a breakfast croissant and a hot chai latte. 

brown mug filled with chai dusted with cinnamon

It didn’t take long for my chai to arrive. Served in a large brown mug, it was sprinkled with cinnamon. It had a pleasant spice to it, warming on a cool winter’s day, though I would gladly drink it anytime. 

brown plate with a croissant stuffed with cheese and sausage

The croissant arrived five minutes later. It was halved with sausage inside and cheese melting out of it. I’m usually not one to order a breakfast sandwich, but Sweetie’s has a fairly limited menu, especially for breakfast. The breakfast sandwich – with choice of meat and either a croissant or bagel – is the only real option outside of toasts. 

But I found the breakfast sandwich to be enjoyable, especially the buttery, slightly sweet croissant. And the sausage was the right choice for the meat. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it was good food done right. 

bowl filled with brown rice topped with sliced beets and sweet potato, feta cheese, and mango

When I came back in late February, it was for lunch and their namesake Back Porch Bowl. The dish starts with a base of rice that’s topped with sliced beets and sweet potatoes, mango and feta cheese. 

Beets are not high on my list of favorite foods, but the combination of the slightly bitter vegetable with the sweet mango was very good. Add on the creamy, tangy feta and it was a surprisingly complex, but delicious dish, one that I would gladly order again. 

takeout coffee cup with a cardboard sleeve imprinted with the logo for Sweetie's Back Porch Cafe

Instead of a chai, I ordered a blueberry matcha, one of three blueberry drinks Sweetie’s was offering to support one of the local school clubs. The blueberry syrup was made in-house and was excellent. And with sweet cold foam on top, it was a great indulgence. 

My first visit totaled around $12 while my second was closer to $20, but I felt like it was still a good value for my money. 

And others must agree because the cafe was much busier this time with people eating in and orders coming over the phone consistently while I was there. 

It’s great to see it, too, especially in a part of the county that needed a place like Sweetie’s. 

BCE Rating
Food: Good
Service: Excellent
Ambiance: Very Good
Price: $$

Sweetie’s Back Porch Cafe
1064 Memorial Highway
Oley, PA 19547

More Cafes & Coffee Shops in Berks County

More Restaurants Near Oley, PA

Breakfast & Brunch Cafes & Coffeeshops Reviews
order counter at Carlo's Italian Restaurant in Wyomissing, PA
— Leave a Comment

Review: Carlo’s Italian Restaurant – Wyomissing

awning over a building with the word "carlo's" in an oval in the center and the words "Italian" on the left and "restaurant" on the right

You would think after living in Wyomissing for 15 years that Julie and I would have tried everything our hometown has to offer. But there are a few spots that, for whatever reason, we haven’t visited. 

We can now cross Carlo’s Italian Restaurant off that list. 

The restaurant opened a decade ago, taking over the space at 1147 Penn Avenue. Before that, the location was home to Fausto’s, one of our favorite sandwich shops at the time. 

diner-style tables and chairs on a brown checkered floorboard in a dining room with skills games lining the wall on the right

Carlo’s has one of the more awkward storefronts in the region. There is off-street parking in front of the building, but it’s extremely limited – four spaces, at best, on the driveway that goes in front of the restaurant and the adjacent hair salon. And you have to park nose-to-tail so there’s a chance you’ll have to back out onto Penn Avenue if you’re the tail-end car. 

But we were fortunate to pull to the front when we picked up our takeout order. There was one table where a person sat enjoying their dinner while the remaining tables were open. 

order counter at Carlo's Italian Restaurant in Wyomissing, PA

The dining room is small – takeout and delivery obviously being the main business for the small pizza and sub shop. 

Everything was ready to go when we got there so we were in and out in no time, pulling out of the driveway as someone else pulled in to take our space at the front. 

meatball sandwich with cheese on a hard roll cut in half to show the meatballs inside

For my meal, I ordered a meatball Parmesan sandwich. The meatballs were on the smaller side so they fit well into the hard roll. The sauce was a little on the sweet side, otherwise it was good but nothing remarkable.

white paper bag filled with French fries with skins on the tips

I had a handful of fries with mine as we split an order among the four of us. The fries were skin-on, fresh-cut style when I was expecting more of a fast food fry. I thought they were very good and with the size of the sandwich, I didn’t need many of them to fill me up. 

Italian sandwich on a wrap, cut in half, in a clamshell package with a handful of chips

Julie decided for something simple – a hoagie wrap – which came with a side of chips. (Fries were available for a $1 upcharge). She enjoyed it, getting the essence of the Italian sandwich with the lighter wrap instead of a roll. And she set her chips aside for later so she could enjoy some fries with us. 

Originally, I was going to order slices for the boys, but it was more cost-effective to buy a medium pizza and keep the leftovers. 

round pizza with half cheese and half pepperoni from Carlo's in Wyomissing

We got it with half cheese (for Lukas) and half pepperoni (for Jakob). The pizza was good, though there wasn’t anything special about it. The crust wasn’t too thick or thin, and neither the sauce nor cheese really stood out. But the boys were happy, and that was the most important thing. 

We spent about $45 for our meal – about $10 each for Julie’s wrap and my sandwich, just under $15 for the pizza, and then $5 for the fries. (Plus tax). Slices would have been close to $4 each so a six-slice medium pizza was the right call. 

And while Mama’s will probably remain our go-to, I would order from Carlo’s again, whether for pizza or sandwiches. It may not have been fancy, but it was solid and exactly what we were looking for. 

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

Carlo’s Italian Restaurant
1147 Penn Avenue
Wyomissing, PA 19610

More Pizza in Berks County

More Wyomissing, PA Restaurants

Pizzerias Reviews Sandwich Shops Takeout
white oval plate loaded with a breakfast hash topped with creamed chipped beef and an over easy egg
— 2 Comments

Review: Selena’s Diner – Kutztown

small building with tan siding and a maroon awning

They say that when one door closes, another door opens. Late in 2025, it was announced that Letterman’s Diner in Kutztown would be closing after a nearly 30-year run. 

Letterman’s closed in January 2026, but the doors didn’t remain closed for long as a former employee reopened the space as Selena’s Diner in early February. I decided to make my first visit just a week later.

cramped diner with a row of two-seat tables by windows on the left and a narrow gap to a row of 10 people sitting on stools at a counter

It was a familiar feeling walking into the diner, the smallest full-service restaurant in Berks County with a cozy 23 seats – more than half of them stools at the 100-year-old counter. The rest are tables for two that have been shoe-horned in along the opposite wall, leaving just a narrow walkway for servers and customers to navigate. 

faint floral stencil on an antique wood ceiling

Though the original exterior is covered in drab vinyl siding, some of the century-old charm is revealed inside. It’s most notable in the narrow wooden slats that make up the ceiling and the faded floral design that’s painted or stenciled at the seams.

The counter was nearly full when I arrived around 8:30 for a late breakfast. Instead, I grabbed a seat at the first table inside the door. 

tri-fold menu with the outside thirds in white and the middle third in tan with breakfast items and prices

Menus were on the table already so I took a look as I waited for my server to make her way around the counter to the table. Many of the items are carryovers from Letterman’s menu – I recognized names like the “He-Man” and the “scattered and smothered.” 

I ordered the “trainwreck mix,” a heaping pile of breakfast meats (bacon, sausage and ham), cheese and potatoes topped with cream chipped beef and an over-easy egg.

white oval plate loaded with a breakfast hash topped with creamed chipped beef and an over easy egg

Sure, it may have looked like a bit of trainwreck, but it certainly didn’t taste like one. With so many ingredients, it was impossible to get everything in one bite so every taste was a little bit different. One bite might have had egg and potato, another had bacon, chipped beef and ham. 

My favorite bites were the ones with ham. The thick-cut ham steak was deeper in flavor than the other meats and enhanced the dish without overpowering it. The creamed chipped beef was also good, exactly the right consistency and flavor I look for at a diner. 

It wasn’t fancy, but it was good. And like Letterman’s before, the portions are incredible. I did my best, but had to leave a little behind. (Unfortunately, a meal like this isn’t one that’s going to heat up well).

small round white plate with two slices of toast cut in half down the middle

And, not that I needed it, but the meal also came with two slices of toast which actually made for a good palate cleanser. 

I was in and out in about 40 minutes. It’s not fast food, but they work fast and even if all 23 seats are filled, one will open up quickly. 

counter seating at a diner with black stools and a blue tile backdrop on the counter

Also, I came prepared with cash but was pleasantly surprised to find that Selena’s accepts credit cards. Cash is still preferred with a lower price for cash than credit. My $15 would have been another dollar higher had I used a card. 

Cash or credit, Selena’s Diner delivers the great value that you expect from a classic diner with quick service, oversized portions and good comfort food. 

BCE Rating
Food: Good
Service: Excellent
Ambiance: Good
Price: $

Selena’s Diner
242 W. Main Street
Kutztown, PA 19530

More Diners in Berks County

More Restaurants in Kutztown, PA

Breakfast & Brunch Diners Reviews
bowl filled with broth, pieces of meat, bamboo shoots, and a spring of basil from Saigon Banh Mi
— Leave a Comment

Review: Saigon Banh Mi – Exeter Township

strip mall restaurant space with a white overhang with red letters reading "Saigon Banh Mi"

Berks County may not have an abundance of Vietnamese restaurants, but what it lacks in quantity, it makes up for in quality. We’ve enjoyed delicious meals at Lang Restaurant in Reading and Vietnamese Delights at the Fairgrounds Farmers Market. 

And we can now add Saigon Banh Mi to that list. 

wall covered in oversized black and white photos for Vietnam

Saigon Banh Mi opened in late fall of 2025 in the Shelbourne Square Shopping Center in Exeter Township. Giovanna’s Pizza is two doors down while Best China Chef sits at the opposite end of the strip. 

Julie and I made our first visit in early February 2026, arriving around 5 for an early dinner on a Saturday. We had our choice of table from the surprisingly spacious dining room. 

man wearing a winter hat and a heavy blue coat standing next to a large lighted standup in the shape of a drink cup with boba on top

The strip mall space has been given plenty of decorative touches. On one side of the front door, small red decorations hang from a pink tree. On the opposite side, a human-sized cup of boba tea is the perfect selfie stand. 

The long wall lined with booths features black and white images of Vietnam while the back wall features the Saigon Banh Mi logo surrounded by three LED streaming lights on either side. 

restaurant dining room full of tables, each one with a red balloon

While we dined in, others came in and out for takeout and DoorDash deliveries at the counter in front of the partially-open kitchen. 

The menu features banh mi, Vietnamese hoagies, along with a variety of traditional Vietnamese dishes like broken rice, pho and vermicelli. 

bowl filled with broth, pieces of meat, bamboo shoots, and a spring of basil from Saigon Banh Mi

On a frigid evening, Julie decided to warm herself from the inside with the filet mignon pho. 

The bowl came filled with broth, rice noodles and beef – also scallions, cilantro and onion – with a side plate of bean sprouts, basil and jalapeno. (Julie skipped the jalapeno).

It was a hearty dish with plenty of noodles and beef. Julie alternated between chopsticks and a spoon as she worked through the dish, enjoying both the meat and the veggies. The broth, itself, had a nice flavor. Everything hit the spot. 

plate with grilled chicken brushed in honey with whtie rice and pickled carrots and daikon

I was in the mood for a rice dinner so I ordered a broken rice platter with grilled honey chicken. 

The chicken was simple, but good. It had the right amount of sweetness to it without being drenched in a sauce. The broken rice – with its tiny, broken pieces – helped to soak up the flavor. The scallions were a cute touch but didn’t add much in terms of flavor. 

I wasn’t expecting much from the pickled carrots and daikon on the plate. But while the cucumber and tomato were basically just garnish, there was actually a nice sweet and sour play happening with the pickled veggies that I enjoyed. 

purple drink in a plastic cup with a sticker showing a woman with black hair and the words "Saigon Banh Mi"

Along with my meal, I couldn’t help myself from indulging in milk tea. I got the taro which has the distinct purple color of the root sweet root vegetable. I love my boba, and this did not disappoint. 

Not only was the food good, but it was fast. We were done with our meals 30 minutes after we sat down. Because they weren’t in a rush to turn our table around, we hung out a little longer before paying our $41 bill and heading back out into the cold, warm, full and satisfied after a very good meal at Saigon Banh Mi. 

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

Saigon Banh Mi
5464 Perkiomen Avenue
Reading, PA 19606

More Vietnamese Restaurants

More Exeter Township Restaurants

Asian & Pacific Islands Reviews
burger topped with slices of roast beef next to a cup of French fries and a small container of au jus for dipping
— Leave a Comment

Review: That Burger Place at Shillington Farmers Market

hamburger-shpaed logo for That Burger Place next to a blackboard menu for loaded fries

Over the years, the Shillington Farmers Market has been home to some of our favorite spots. Brocmar Smokehouse and Matt’s Chicken were favorites before they closed while Eve’s Thai Kitchen remains one of our go-tos. 

And now, I can add That Burger Place to the list of great offerings at the market. 

That Burger Place opened in late 2023 as Shillington Burgers and More in the former Matt’s Chicken stand. It became That Burger Place in early 2024, and last year, the business moved to a larger stand at the north end of the market.

five blackboards stacked three over two with menu items written for That Burger Place at the Shillington Farmers Market

I visited for the first time in early January. The stand was hopping at lunchtime with a line of people waiting for their food and another two people in line in front of me waiting to order. 

The menu is written out on blackboards on the front of the stand. It starts with cheeseburger combos – quarter-pound burgers with fries and a drink for $8. Other options include grilled chicken, pulled pork and chopped cheese. 

Normally, I would have started with the basics but not knowing when I’d make it back, I couldn’t pass on the January burger of the month: the French dip burger. 

burger topped with slices of roast beef next to a cup of French fries and a small container of au jus for dipping

Roast beef and Cooper sharp cheese topped the burger which came with a side cup of au jus for dipping. After about a 15-minute wait (all burgers are made to order), I got my food and headed to the upstairs seating area. 

To say I was impressed would be an understatement. The burger, itself, was delicious: perfectly cooked and flavorful on its own. The roast beef on top was also flavorful and the Cooper sharp was a great choice for the cheese – melty, but not overpowering in flavor. That Burger Place couldn’t have made a better first impression. 

The fries were also good. Though they weren’t anything particularly special, they were hot, golden yellow, and perfectly satisfying while allowing the burger to be the rightful star. 

food wrapper opened with a burger topped with lettuce, tomato and onion next to a pile of golden yellow fries.

I enjoyed the meal so much that I had to go back for another taste. This time, it was a simpler burger. 

The standard toppings are cheese, mustard, ketchup and pickles. I prefer the classic lettuce, tomato and onion so I passed on those toppings and spent the extra dollar for the veggies while also adding some BBQ sauce. It was about a 10-minute wait while they made everything fresh, then I made the short drive home rather than eating at the market. 

Everything traveled very well. The burger was excellent again with the patty showing a nice caramelization as it hung out the sides of the bun. It was good from the first bite to the last. The fries also held up well on the trip home and remained crispy. 

The prices are excellent, too. The French dip special was $13 for the combo while my custom burger combo was still less than $10. Two meals for less than $25 is a great bargain, but the best part is that That Burger Place doesn’t sacrifice quality for those prices. These are some of the best burgers in Berks at half the price of a sit-down restaurant. 

I know I’ll be paying more attention to their monthly burger specials, looking for an excuse to return. Not that I need one, the burgers at That Burger Place are just that good. 

BCE Rating
Food: Very Good
Service: Excellent
Ambiance: Good
Price: $

That Burger Place
Shillington Farmers Market
10 S. Summit Avenue
Shillington, PA 19607

More Farmers Market Eats

More Restaurants in Shillington, PA

Farmers Market Meals Lunch & Dinner Reviews
styrofoam container with a chicken sandwich, fries, and a cup of coleslaw
— 3 Comments

Review: Fry Daddy’s at Renninger’s Kutztown

indoor market stand with a sign that reads "Fry Daddy's"

As much time as I have spent in Kutztown over the years, I’ve spent very little of it at Renninger’s Farmers Market. 

The Friday-Saturday schedule makes it tough. And with excellent markets in Wyomissing, Shillington, and Muhlenberg, Renninger’s is often an afterthought. 

I did stop in back in 2023 when Heart & Hearth first opened, but visits have been few and far between. I decided to change that back in October, and after weighing the options, I decided to give Fry Daddy’s a try. 

As the name implies, Fry Daddy’s is a stand with a singular focus: deep-fried foods. The menu includes French fries (of course), fried pierogies, chicken fingers and sandwiches, fish and chips, and deep-fried hamburgers and hot dogs. 

styrofoam clamshell filled with chicken fingers and fries

I decided to try a combo meal of chicken fingers and fries. The price is unbelievable. For $6.50, I got four large chicken tenders, an order of fries, barbecue sauce for dipping, and a small side of coleslaw. 

(For another $1.50, I got a Brisk iced tea bringing the total to $8.00). 

For the price, I didn’t expect the portion size I got – almost enough to feed two. And I also didn’t expect the quality that I got. The chicken may not have been the most outstanding that I’ve ever had, but they were good. The fries, though, were excellent. They were fresh-cut style with skin-on cooked to a crispy golden color. The small, bite sizes fries were easy to eat a handful at a time. They’re definitely hard to top. 

styrofoam container with a chicken sandwich, fries, and a cup of coleslaw

I enjoyed my meal enough to return in early January. This time, I opted for the chicken sandwich combo meal. Once again, it came with fries and coleslaw for $6.50. (I skipped the drink this time). 

Topping options are limited – cheese and mayo – and I decided all I needed was a little bit of mayo. 

Again, it’s simple, but I really enjoyed it. The sandwich, while still hearty, was more manageable than the chicken tenders and I didn’t feel as overly full. The fries were excellent again – some of the best around. 

The coleslaw is also solid. It’s not the most flavorful, but it’s creamy and made for a nice addition to the box. 

blue and yellow can of Brisk iced tea next to a napkin holder with the the words "Fry Daddy's" on it

There’s nothing fancy about Renninger’s. It’s a no-frills farmers market inside and out. Fry Daddy’s feels like the perfect fit. It’s not that they take shortcuts, they just keep things simple. In doing so, the food is good, the service is strong and the prices are among the lowest in Berks County. 

It’s a mix that will keep me coming back. 

BCE Rating
Food: Good
Ambiance: Fair
Service: Excellent
Price: $

Fry Daddy’s at Renninger’s
740 Noble Street
Kutztown, PA 19530

More Farmers Market Eats

More Restaurants in Kutztown, PA

Farmers Market Meals Lunch & Dinner Reviews
bowl with pulled pork, avocado, grilled onions and peppers, and corn topped with green sauce and crumbled cheese
— Leave a Comment

Review: Morning Fuel – West Lawn

Building with copula and words over the door reading "Morning Fuel"

There are a lot of brunch spots in Berks County – places that serve breakfast and lunch only with the full menu available all day. And I’ve enjoyed trying many of them while exploring Berks County. 

One that has caught my eye – and my tastebuds – recently is Morning Fuel in West Lawn. 

bar seats on the left with a chalkboard sign that reads "Happy New Year 2026"

Morning Fuel occupies the former Friendly’s along Penn Avenue in 2024. The parking lot always looks bustling during breakfast and lunch, the two meals that Morning Fuel offers. And on our visits, we can confirm that the dining room fills up fast. (The restaurant has been popular enough that they opened a second location near Harrisburg in late 2025). 

booth at a restaurant with a wooden honeycomb on the right separating it from the booths on the other side

It still has the diner vibe to it – especially with booths accounting for most of the seating – but it feels much more refined with a full bar at the front entrance, large murals on the white walls, and a menu that is more curated than Friendly’s ever had. 

close-up of a grilled chicken sandwich topped with lettuce and tomato with a side of fries topped with garlic and parmesan

Our most recent visit came in January with Julie and I getting together for a weekday brunch date. I ordered the chipotle grilled chicken sandwich, grilled chicken with tomato, lettuce, avocado and chipotle mayo. To be honest, I was a little disappointed to see that the grilled chicken wasn’t a chicken breast but the sliced chicken you can get in a bag at the grocery store (except cut thicker). That said, everything else about the sandwich was very good – even the chicken had a good flavor. I also liked the little kick out of the chipotle mayo, and the avocado went well with it. 

The fries were great. They were loaded with garlic and Parmesan, my favorite fry toppings. There was no way I was going to leave any of them. 

bowl with pulled pork, avocado, grilled onions and peppers, and corn topped with green sauce and crumbled cheese

Julie’s meal was much more impressive. She ordered the Tex Mex bowl with carnitas – it started with a bowl of purple rice that was topped with black beans, corn, onions, and peppers. That was topped with the carnitas along with avocado-cilantro sauce, sliced avocado, and queso fresco. 

I really liked the bite I got to try. The carnitas were tender and flavorful, and I liked the brightness of the sauce. Grilled onions and peppers are always good in my book, and the purple rice was a nice touch. 

There was way too much to finish in a single meal so Julie brought half of it home, and we shared the rest in a breakfast bowl with some egg the next morning. 

white plate with chorizo, potatoes, and avocado topped with scrambled egg and a chipotle drizzle

My previous visit to Morning Fuel was for breakfast in late December. I met my friend Justice for breakfast where I got my favorite menu item: the breakfast chorizo bowl. It included chorizo sausage, potatoes, black beans, eggs (I ordered them scrambled), pico, cheese, avocado, and chipotle crema. 

For me, chorizo is the best meat for a breakfast bowl or burrito. It has the right level of heat to add flavor to complement the eggs. Add on the chipotle crema and it’s a breakfast with a bite to it, but I loved it. 

two plates, one with a breakfast burrito and a side salad, one with homefries, from Morning Fuel in West Lawn, PA

Justice ordered a breakfast burrito which came filled with many of the same items as my bowl – the only difference is no pico de gallo and it comes wrapped in a tortilla instead of a bowl. 

I had ordered the burrito on my first visit to Morning Fuel, and while it was good, I found it didn’t have the level of flavor as the bowl, probably because the tortilla tones it down a little. 

matcha latte with floral milk design from Morning Fuel in West Lawn, PA

My go-to drink order at Morning Fuel is their matcha latte. Normally, I’m a chai guy, but I tried the matcha at Morning Fuel and really enjoyed it. It’s sweet, but not like drinking a dessert, and the latte art is a nice touch. 

The vast majority of the menu items at Morning Fuel are priced at $15 or less with only a couple burgers, two steak-based dishes priced higher. For our lunch, Julie and I spent $38, which included a matcha with our lunch platters. Breakfast items run a little less, but still in the $10-$15 range.

menu for Morning Fuel in West Lawn

I’ve also never had bad service at the restaurant, which is impressive based on how busy it gets. For our brunch, Julie and I arrived just after 11 a.m. and were seated right away. But by the time we left, there was not a seat to be had. 

Morning Fuel is a solid stop with a lot of good dishes and a few great ones with solid service and a cozy atmosphere. It’s easy to see why it’s so popular. 

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

Morning Fuel
3024A Penn Avenue
West Lawn, PA 19609

More Breakfast & Brunch in Berks County

More Restaurants Near West Lawn, PA

Breakfast & Brunch Reviews
white plate with an order of spagehtti with red sauce and a large piece of chicken topped with sauce and cheese.
— Leave a Comment

Review: Tony’s Family Restaurant – Robesonia

Facade of Tony's Family Restaurant in Robesonia glowing against a dark night sky.

The local pizza shop is a time-honored tradition. Every town has one. And growing up in Robesonia, our local spot was Tony’s Family Restaurant. 

Ironically, we didn’t order much pizza when I was kid. Instead, Tony’s orders usually consisted of hoagies for mom and dad, chicken fingers and fries for me and my brother. 

Sign that reads "Tnony's Family Restaurant with a cartoon-like image of a pepperoni pizza

In December, between family visits, Julie and I took the boys to my childhood stomping grounds for an easy, relaxed meal. 

restaurant dining room with wooden tables and a large clock on the brown wall

We arrived for an early dinner and had our choice of table in the dining room. There were about a dozen to choose from, mostly rounds but there were a couple high-tops and a few rectangular tables pushed together for larger parties. I don’t remember what the room looked like 30 years ago, but I have to imagine it wasn’t much different with tile floors and wood paneling on the bottom half of the walls. 

water color painting of a restaurant with a white front, red roof and large yellow sign.

I do remember what the outside of the building used to look like – white with a red tile roof and a bright yellow sign. A painting in the dining room perfectly captures what the building looked like before a renovation brought a stone patio and matching stone facade. 

Our server was attentive throughout, even after the dining room filled up. She took our order and had our drinks and a basket of garlic bread on the table quickly.

white bowl with a salad with courtons and a cup of ranch dressing from Tony's in Robesonia

Next up were salads for Julie and I. They weren’t anything extraordinary, but I appreciated the presentation in the tall-sided bowl as opposed to the simple salad plate. 

clear plastic bowl with a large meatball in red sauce

The meals arrived a short time later, and our server set them on the table behind us so we could prepare Lukas’ meatball for him. The single meatball was huge so we had to cut it up for our two-year-old before he could dig in. But it was good, as was the sauce it came in. 

basket with red and white checkered paper holding a kids order of crinkle fries

The kids’ meal came with a side so we got him some fries to go with it. When I was younger, I ate more fries from Tony’s than I would care to admit, and Lukas seemed to enjoy them as much as I did when I was his age.

white plate with an order of spagehtti with red sauce and a large piece of chicken topped with sauce and cheese.

For my meal, I ordered chicken Parmesan with spaghetti. It was a huge portion of chicken, much more than I could finish, but it was very good. The sauce is solid, not too sweet but still with plenty of flavor. 

There was also a nice size serving of spaghetti on the side. I finished that, and a little less than half the chicken before taking the rest home to have as a chicken parm sandwich the next day. 

white plate with an order of lasagna smothered in cheese from Tony's Family Retaurant in Robesonia.

My meal was one of the specials for the evening, a regular menu item but with a couple dollars off, and the same was true for Julie’s lasagna. She got a heaping helping of layered noodles and cheese. The top layers slid off before the photo, but though it didn’t look pristine, it was still really good. 

white round plate with spaghetti topped with red sauce and a large meatball

Jakob ordered the kids’ portion of spaghetti with one large meatball on top. His portion would probably have been enough for many adults. He devoured it, as eight-year-olds do, and still managed to sneak a few of his brother’s French fries.

At around $65 for our meals, the price felt reasonable, especially for the portions. 

Four solid dinners with quick, friendly service, and a good price: it’s exactly the kind of meal I expect from a place like Tony’s. And I know there are plenty more places like it yet to discover. 

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

Tony’s Family Restaurant
460 W. Penn Avenue
Robesonia, PA 19551

More Italian Restaurants in Berks County

More Restaurants Near Robesonia, PA

Italian Lunch & Dinner Reviews
plate of meatloaf over mashed potatoes
— Leave a Comment

Review: State Hill Craft Cocktails & Kitchen

exterior of State Hill Craft Cocktails and Kitchen in Wyomissing, PA

While we’ve found a lot of great restaurants around Berks County, Julie and I are always on the 

lookout for date night options – places to go when we can leave the kids with their grandparents or a sitter for a couple hours. 

One of the places that has moved near the top of our list is State Hill Craft Cocktails & Kitchen in Wyomissing.

Yellow string lights hang over a patio at State Hill Craft Cocktails and Kitchen in Wyomissing.

State Hill Craft opened in 2023 in the former Tino’s/Santino’s along State Hill Road. It’s always been an awkward location with limited parking. That was partially solved when the restaurant purchased the adjoining property and expanded with a new patio and larger parking lot. Even so, we still found a full parking lot when we arrived for dinner on a Friday night in December. 

We had reservations, so we weren’t worried, but it turned out the crowd was for a private party on the patio and there were plenty of tables for us in the main dining room. 

Restaurant dining room with a Christmas tree lit with yellow lights next to a table for four with a black tabletop and blue leather chairs.

We were seated at a table for two at one end of a large oval-shaped banquette. Julie sat on the blue leather booth side while I took the chair. Behind me were two tables against a wall with two mirrors. More black tables with blue chairs lined the front wall. 

Our first trip to State Hill came in November 2023. I wasn’t writing reviews at the time, but we were incredibly impressed with our meals that night. 

brown colored mushroom pasta topped with bean sprouts

I had the umami bomb pasta – a mushroom-infused pasta dish with miso cashew cream while Julie had the coho salmon. It was absolutely excellent, and while the gray-tint of the pasta didn’t make it the most appealing visually, the earthiness of the mushrooms combined with the nutty sweetness of the miso cashew was so good. 

But by the time I got back to writing reviews, they had already swapped out their seasonal menu and the pasta was gone. 

The menu has morphed many times since our visit, and the latest iteration came out in November. It’s a mix of large and small plates with a few sandwiches and burger options. There’s nothing quite as adventurous as the umami bomb, but even familiar items had a little bit of a unique twist to them. 

a burger with cheddar cheese and a brioche bun next to a pile of fries topped with garlic and parmesan.

For example, my billionaire smash. The traditional smashburger got an upscale makeover with wagyu beef, truffle aioli, bacon onion jam, smoked cheddar, lettuce, and tomato. 

As much as I love a good aioli, it was the bacon jam that made this a great burger. The salty-sweet combination is just a great addition. I had just a few bites where I didn’t get enough of the jam, but others where it really shone through. 

The fries were also delicious. It didn’t list it on the menu, but I’m guessing it was garlic, parmesan and herbs. They were addictive, and I just had to finish them, even after I was full. 

Julie ended up taking some of her meal home. She had the wagyu meatloaf which came with an applejack demi glace, garlic mashed potatoes, asparagus and crispy shallots. 

Like my burger, the wagyu beef had a deeper flavor than regular ground beef to start. But the applejack demi-glace, with its sweetness and little bit of bite to it, was excellent. It made it feel like something more than meatloaf. 

three bao buns filled with beef next to a cup of sauce for dipping.

Part of the reason that she took half of it home was that we started with an order of birria bao buns. 

The fluffy buns were filled with birria-style short rib, red onion, cilantro, and mozzarella. On the side was birria consomme. We found the consomme to be more like a spicy chili rather than a traditional broth, but I really enjoyed it. The bao soaked it up well and we each finished off one-and-a-half of them before our entrees arrived. 

Overall, it was a great meal for a great date night. 

Two glasses - one with a red drink, the other with iced tea, on a table with a lit Christmas tree in the background.

In addition to the food, Julie had a strawberry “no-jito” mocktail that she really liked, and I had my unsweetened iced tea.  We spent $65 after using a $10 off coupon. Even at full price, it felt reasonable for the quality of the food. 

State Hill Craft impressed on our first visit and our latest visit, and we are looking forward to more impressive meals to come. 

BCE Rating
Food: Very Good
Service: Very Good
Ambiance: Excellent

State Hill Craft Cocktails & Kitchen
1 Wellington Blvd
Wyomissing, PA 19610

More Date Night Spots in Berks County

More Wyomissing, PA Restaurants

Finer Dining Reviews