There are times when I wish I knew more about cooking, especially seasoning. Even with more than a decade of food blogs under my belt, there are times where I don’t have the words to do justice to the flavors that I’m tasting.
I first tried Sizzling Island in the fall of 2024 while they were operating a second location inside the Reading Downtown Food Court.
This wasn’t just my introduction to Sizzling Island, but it was my introduction to beef legume, the delicious Haitian stew that I instantly loved. In my Instagram post at the time, I described it as “bursting with flavor,” the most detailed description I could give.
The downtown location closed in late 2024, but the Fairgrounds location is still going strong. I visited the market stand during the summer of 2026. When I arrived, there was a short line ahead of me – a group of four college students who just barely beat me to the stand.
Sizzling Island is at the north end of the market near the Bellevue Avenue entrance. The stand looks a bit chaotic. Flags of countries in Central and South America hang above the order counter. There’s a faux-roof on the stand, green metal sheeting that matches the artificial turf that covers a small wall at the end of the stand. Along the base of the order counter were woven potholders and a pair of potted plants.
I placed my order – beef legume with a side of plantains – and waited. Most of the food at Sizzling Island can be found on the steamer table. A variety of stews, soups and sides sizzle in the pans. However, there were no plantains ready so all I could do was wait.
I normally eat an early lunch so with the clock passing 12:30, I was extra hungry. It was only 15 minutes from the time I ordered until I had my food, but if you had told me a half-hour had passed, I would have believed you.
The beef legume was everything that I remembered it being. The beef was melt-in-your-mouth tender with bursts of flavor – garlic, peppers and other mild spices – in every bite.
The “legume” part is a mostly mashed vegetable medley that the beef is stewed in. It’s not the prettiest dish to look at as it takes on a green-yellow hue from the spinach with little pops of orange from the larger pieces of carrots that haven’t been mashed up.
I don’t really care what it looks like, it tastes amazing.
On the side, I had black rice (duri djon djon), another Haitian specialty. Sizzling Island’s version uses long-grain rice with green peas that have been cooked with even more seasonings and spices to give it a unique flavor of its own.
The plantains, unfortunately, were not as sweet as I had hoped for. They were OK, but I wished I had ordered something that was already on the warming table instead of waiting for the plantains.
The beef legume meal cost $19. It’s on the higher side for the market, but the portion was enough for two meals so I felt like I got more than my money’s worth.
I may not be able to tell you every flavor or every spice I tasted at Sizzling Island, but I can tell you the food is worth trying for yourself.
BCE Rating Food: Very Good Service: Good Ambiance: Fair Price: $$
Sizzling Island at the Fairgrounds Farmers Market 2934 N. 5th Street Highway Reading, PA 19605
One of the best parts of shopping at the Fairgrounds Farmers Market is grabbing a meal while you’re there. Most of my visits are at lunch because it’s the easiest time for me to get there. But after a recent breakfast at Brenda’s Fresh Start Cafe, I now have a reason to shop early.
Brenda’s opened in early June, taking over the space that the Hot Spot most recently occupied at the north end of the building.
The stand is part diner, part sandwich shop with a menu that includes both breakfast and lunch/dinner items. Both parts of the menu are robust. On the breakfast side, it’s French toast, pancakes, omelettes and egg platters. For lunch, it’s burgers, quesadillas, sandwiches and wraps.
But while the menu headings all look familiar, Brenda’s offers some unique twists. Especially at breakfast. And especially with French toast.
French toast doesn’t just come with white bread or brioche. Instead, there are varied options that include raisin bread and banana cake, plus weekly specials. And during my visit, they were offering French toast flights. Each flight came with three slices of your choice from among six styles: banana peanut butter, pumpkin cream cheese swirl, banana cake, blueberry cream cheese swirl, strawberry cheesecake and chocolate cream cheese.
I opted for the pumpkin, banana and blueberry.
The cafe has limited seating – a single row of four or five stools adjacent to the order counter – so meals are packed to go. After a short 10-minute wait, I grabbed my bag and took a seat at a nearby table in the market’s communal dining area.
Aside from the styrofoam container, the presentation was beautiful. Each one was uniquely topped (though everything was dusted with powdered sugar).
I dug into the banana cake first. It was topped with fresh bananas and a sprinkle of cinnamon. The bread, itself, was delicious but a little dry before I added syrup. It had a strong banana flavor even without the fresh bananas on top.
The pumpkin bread was probably my favorite. It had a blend of spices that reminded me of a spiced cookie you eat at the holidays. With the addition of the cream cheese on top, it was more like a pumpkin roll. I could have eaten several slices of it.
The blueberry swirl was the last on the plate. Not only was it topped with fresh blueberries, there was fruit baked into the bread. The cream cheese made it extra sweet and decadent, the perfect ending to a breakfast that felt more like dessert.
At least during my visit, the French toast flight was a weekly special for $11. On the regular menu, French toast ranges from $7 for a plain short stack to $13.50 for a full stack of one of their specialty breads.
Everything coming out of Brenda’s kitchen looked good, and with decent prices across the menu, I’ll definitely come back to try more of their menu.
BCE Rating Food: Very Good Service: Very Good Ambiance: Fair Price: $
In addition to great restaurants and food trucks, Berks County has some amazing bakeries. One of those that I recently discovered is Laissa’s Baked Goods.
I first saw her stand at the pop-up farm market at the Berks County Heritage Center in September. A few weeks later, I was invited by Laissa to try some of the most popular items.
Laissa’s began two years ago. Since then, sourdough breads and other products have been sold at Mediterranean Medley inside the Fairgrounds Farmers Market. This year, the business has expanded to include pop-up events with a full schedule through the early fall.
We caught up with Laissa’s at one of those pop-up events, the one-year anniversary celebration for HoneyPop, the West Lawn-based dirty soda trailer.
Laissa’s table was filled with breads and sweet treats, and we were treated to four favorites: a loaf of sourdough, a brown butter honey Rice Krispie treat, a vanilla chai cinnamon roll and a dirty chai cookie.
We had to try the Rice Krispie treat before we left the event. With brown butter and honey, this treat was anything but traditional. It was very rich and had almost a caramel-like quality to it. In addition to the marshmallow that held the whole thing together, there were large, melty chunks of marshmallow throughout. Our youngest was obsessed over it so we relented and let him have most of it.
Julie and I saved the cinnamon roll for ourselves. It was billed as a vanilla chai cinnamon roll. Both flavors came through in the icing – it was extra sweet with hints of spice from the masala chai that also gave it a darker hue. Coffee mixed with the cinnamon filling reminded me of tiramisu where the coffee is more of a background flavor.
There was a slightly stronger coffee flavor from the espresso in the dirty chai cookie. The cookie was about the size of a hockey puck but incredibly soft on the inside with the consistency and flavor reminiscent of a molasses cookie. The chunks of white chocolate made it a more indulgent sweet treat.
Laissa’s is not all about the sweets. A big part of the product line is sourdough loaves which come in a range of flavors including everything bagel, cheddar jalapeno and garlic rosemary.
We only tried the plain sourdough, but it was very good. It was crusty on the outside and soft in the center with the familiar flavor of a sourdough loaf. It served us well on egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches for several days after.
Laissa’s Baked Goods is popping up at events in Berks County and beyond, but you can also find sourdough loaves and select treats at Mediterranean Medley and Cafe 372 at the Reading Fairgrounds Farmers Market while supplies last.
Having done Berks County Eats for more than a dozen years, there aren’t many places to eat in Berks County that I don’t know about at this point. But head outside of Berks – even just a mile or two – and there are still a lot of surprises.
One of those surprises was the Inn at Twin Linden. The Inn is located along Route 23, less than five miles from the Berks County border in Narvon, Lancaster County. Throughout the year, the Inn at Twin Linden is a bed-and-breakfast and special event venue. But on select Saturday nights in late summer and early fall, the Inn hosts a farm-to-table dinner.
I hadn’t heard of the Inn, nor had I heard of the dinners, until their event manager reached out and invited Julie and I to experience it for ourselves.
On a late September evening, we made the 30-minute drive south from Wyomissing to just outside Morgantown. Because of the limited parking on-site, we parked at a church across the street.
The forecast was calling for heavy rains, but there was just a light mist in the air when we arrived, giving us a chance to explore the grounds before dinner. A large firepit encircled with a dozen Adirondack chairs overlooked rolling hills of Lancaster County farmland. Behind it, a vegetable and herb garden. In front of it, bright red, yellow and purple flowers brightened an otherwise gloomy evening.
Typically, the spacious backyard would play host to the dinner, but the forecast forced us inside the renovated barn toward the rear of the property.
While the barn has received some modern upgrades – some new inside walls for insulation, new windows and improved lighting – much of the charm comes from the original features. The dark-hued wood floorboards are uneven with age. One original, wide barn door still maintains its white paint, chipping with age. In one corner, a horseshoe hangs above a mystery door with its original iron hinges.
Dinner was scheduled to start around 6 p.m., and as the time came, we all settled in to our assigned seats. Five tables of 10 were set around the barn. Ironically, we were seated next to another couple from Wyomissing along with a husband and wife from Blue Bell, Montgomery County, who were staying in one of the suites on the property.
On a nicer evening, the first course would be enjoyed cocktail hour-style as we wandered the grounds. Instead, the small plates with a teaser of a pastry were delivered to our tables inside the bar. Aptly named, the “first bite” was a small brie and apple phyllo crisp. It was merely a taste of what was to come, but it was a great first impression. The flaky crust on the inside with the creamy brie on the inside was a perfect match. It was sprinkled with parsley to give it a little earthiness to match the sweetness of the apple. It was a shame that it was gone in just a couple bites.
The first course was our first chance to experience the parade of young servers. The team consisted of mostly girls, elementary through high school, in their long black dresses and hair braided indicating they were Amish or Mennonite. (There were a few exceptions, including some older teens in black shirts and pants and at least one boy who wore a black cowboy hat). We found out at the end of the meal that these were neighbors of the Inn and its owners, recruited to learn the basics of the hospitality industry as they alternated between clearing dishes and setting each course.
Our second course for the night was a trio of appetizers: a roasted pear tart, a short rib spring roll and a crab-stuffed crimini mushroom.
The roasted pear tart was my favorite of the three. It wasn’t too far removed from the first bite, but it had its own unique flavor thanks to the strength of the Gorgonzola and the slightly sweet caramelized onions. The pastry was also a little thicker, though it still flaked with each bite.
Julie’s favorite was the short rib spring roll, which I also enjoyed. It was a very light outer shell stuffed full of tender short rib. It came on a bed of melted, smoked Gouda that was very strong.
I’m not a big fan of any seafood, but I found the crab-stuffed mushroom to be less about the crab and more about the filling and the thick-walled, earthy mushroom it was served in.
All three were very different but very good in their own way. And with small bites of everything, we were able to experience a diversity of flavors over the course of the two-hour meal.
Following the appetizers was the salad course. Everyone at the table agreed that this was one of the best salads we had ever tried. It featured organic mixed greens with roasted butternut squash, sliced apples, pomegranate, shaved fennel, toasted pecans, sharp cheddar and cider vinaigrette. The squash, cooked until soft, was a salad ingredient that I didn’t know I was missing before. Because the squash was roasted, it added a bit of a smokey flavor that was countered nicely by the sweetness of the pomegranate and the thin-sliced apples.
By this point, I would have been satisfied if we had skipped right to dessert. Instead, we still had steak and seafood to come.
Our first entree was NY strip steak served with potato gratin, root vegetable hash, red wine demi glace and fresh sage Hollandaise. The steak was cooked perfectly with the right amount of pink in the middle. The demi glace was sweet, but there was also a teriyaki-like aftertaste that was surprising. The potatoes were very well prepared, thin slices that were slightly crisp on the outside layered with creamy cheese on the inside. And the hash was very good, as well, featuring some of the same squash from the salad plus carrots and parsnips, the latter being an unexpected addition.
As the meal went on, every course seemed to be better than the last so despite having had more than enough to eat, we were excited for our next taste.
The penultimate course featured fish, a maple and Dijon-glazed pompano with autumn squash risotto, roasted Brussels sprouts and a white wine herb beurre blanc. Again, I’m not a fan of fish, but I thought the glaze was very flavorful. You could see the mustard seeds across the top of the white fish, and I really liked the combination of the sweet maple with the sharp Dijon. It wasn’t a heavy mustard consistency, but a lighter, more subtle flavor.
The risotto was amazing. It was thick and cheesy, the rice reduced to the perfect consistency. And the squash gave little pops of flavor throughout. I am going to try to recreate it at home (and will likely fail). If I had one criticism of the meal, it would be that the Brussels sprouts were a little overcooked. Honestly, I wouldn’t have missed them even if they had been cooked perfectly.
Of course, the chef saved the best for last. Dessert was a caramel apple Devonshire cheesecake. It was so decadent with thick caramel and bright fresh apples sitting atop a delicious cheesecake base. The whole thing was topped with tiny fall-colored sugar sprinkles that gave little extra pops of sweetness. We may not have had any room left after the previous five courses, but we were not about to leave a speck of that delicious dessert on the plate.
The apples were locally grown by Zimmerman’s Orchard, and many of the ingredients came from local purveyors – the steak, the cheese and the vegetables all were from local farms and markets. Some ingredients – like the butternut squash, eggs and potatoes – were even more local, grown in the backyard garden at the inn.
The cost per person is $125 which includes a true farm-to-table six-course meal. Though it is BYO, there was also a complementary cocktail – the fireside fizz with Fireball, Prosecco and cider. While the price may scare many away, it is worth it. It was an amazing meal and an amazing night. From the first bite to the last, the meal was exceptional. It was a true dining experience with a familiar, yet elevated menu. Experiences like this are few and far between in our area.
As beautiful as the barn was, I still wish the weather would have cooperated to enjoy the meal under the stars in the backyard. I can only imagine how that would have added to the ambiance of the evening.
But as it was, I would not have traded this meal for anything.
The last dinner of 2026 will be held on October 24. Look for the 2027 schedule in the new year.
BCE Rating Food: Excellent Ambiance: Very Good Service: Excellent Price: $$$$
The Inn at Twin Linden 2092 Main Street Narvon, PA 17555
After Cafe Folino opened in Wyomissing two years ago, it quickly became one of my favorite breakfast spots in Berks County.
Apparently others agreed because the Italian-style cafe has done well enough to expand to a second location in Temple, which opened in early 2026.
The new Cafe Folino is located in the former Oliver’s Place along Mount Laurel Road. The space received an interior makeover with dark tables set against bright yellow walls. On one wall, a floor-to-ceiling mural depicts a cobblestone street in Rome. A coffee cup set on a bistro table with white tablecloth in the shadow of the Colosseum. An adjacent wall features a large image of a coffee cup with “affogato,” “latte,” and “mocha” scrawled in calligraphy.
Like its Wyomissing counterpart, it’s not a large dining room, but it feels like plenty of space – mostly tables for four with a few two-seaters like the one I sat down at along the short wall separating me from the employees’ area.
It was a short wait, less than 10 minutes from ordering before my food was placed in front of me.
There are a lot of opportunities to indulge with Cafe Folino’s menu – with decadent versions like Bananas foster and cannoli stuffed, most of the pancake and French toast options could double as dessert. I went for the simple sweet cream pancakes.
The pancakes come in a stack of two, round enough to fill the large white plate and incredibly thick. A pad of butter and dusting of powdered sugar top the breakfast treats that came with a small cup of syrup on the side.
Despite the fact that there were no “fancy” toppings, these pancakes were still incredibly sweet. There was something like a light sugary crust around them that reminded me a little of a creme brulee.
All of the butter and syrup were quickly absorbed by the top pancake so I found myself reaching for a bottle of sugar free syrup by the free water at the back of the dining area, but I had no complaints as I savored each bite.
I know Cafe Folino’s portions so I knew I didn’t need anything on the side, but I ordered hash browns anyway just so that I would have a little change of pace as I ate. The shredded potatoes were done well, and I had a generous portion of them.
For the pancakes and hash browns, my total bill was around $15, not a bad price to pay for a lunch that filled me for the rest of the afternoon.
I finished my meal and hung out for another hour or so as I got some work done. It was a quiet day with only a few other customers coming and going in the time that I was there.
With the Wyomissing location so close, I probably won’t be making too many more trips to Temple, but I was glad to see the same quality, service and portions can be found at the new location, too.
BCE Rating Food: Very Good Ambiance: Very Good Service: Very Good Price: $$
I’ve made many visits to Kutztown in recent years, but I spent a lot of that time trying the new and new-to-me restaurants in town that I haven’t made many return blogs. Recently, though, I got an invite to revisit the Kutztown Tavern, and I couldn’t say no.
It had been more than a decade since my last visit to the Kutztown Tavern. Things have changed since then. Last year, a new ownership group took charge of the restaurant and brewery that originally opened in 1999. That team includes Chef Aaron Hoppes, Bart Fenstermacher and Darren Calaman.
Bart’s wife Erin was the one who extended the invitation for a special tasting of their menu.
After we arrived, Erin showed me around the restaurant. It’s much larger than I had remembered with a spacious main dining room and multiple additional seating areas.
To the left is the tasting room. When I was attending Kutztown, this was the takeout area. Later, it was converted into a tasting room with a separate menu and tasting experiences. The full menu is now available to those dining in the space, though there is a unique drink menu.
On the other side of the waiting area is the Club Room, a private space that can accommodate up to 36.
Another private event space, the upstairs dining room, can seat up to 100. (This is actually where I sat the last time I visited the Tavern).
When you arrive at the Kutztown Tavern, it’s impossible not to notice the large vats where their signature Golden Avalanche brand beer has been brewed since the Tavern opened. Today, they have six flagship beers and a rotating list of seasonal brews, all made in a traditional German style using German equipment.
A long, wooden bar sits to the right of the vats. While there are a couple TVs, the Kutztown Tavern is not a sports bar and you won’t see TVs strewed about in the dining area. Instead of play-by-play of the day’s games, we heard acoustic renditions of pop songs coming through the speakers throughout the restaurant.
After my tour of the restaurant, including a quick trip downstairs to see Shorty’s Bar, we were ushered back to a booth near the rear of the spacious dining room. Sunlight poured in through a nearby window, giving us more light than the bulb that hung above our table.
Appetizers
The kitchen started us off with a trio of appetizers: cheesesteak eggrolls, hummus and chili.
I thought the eggrolls and hummus were both good, but the chili was excellent. Whenever I return to the Tavern again, I will be ordering a bowl of chili as part of my meal. It was hearty with plenty of beef and beans. But instead of heat coming in the first bite, there was a hint of sweetness that I loved. Julie and Jakob agreed, too, as we fought over who got to keep eating it.
The cheesesteak eggrolls were solid. They’re made in house with a thick, crispy outer shell stuffed full. They needed the marinara sauce to bring it all together. While I liked them, Jakob thought they were the best thing we tried.
We really enjoyed the hummus – it tasted fresh and homemade. The addition of some fresh basil on top and throughout was a nice touch. At the restaurant, I just wish it came with pita chips instead of the little naan pieces that didn’t have much flavor to them. And even with 10 pieces of naan, there was so much hummus that we still took half of it home. (I used some of the leftovers in a wrap the next day).
Sandwiches & Salad
The second wave of dishes included a burger, a sandwich and a salad. All three were very good, and I could see myself ordering them in the future.
The Tavern offers seven burger varieties on the menu. We had the Avalanche burger which came topped with Swiss cheese, sauteed onions and mushrooms. The burger patty, itself, was excellent. It was cooked perfectly with a little caramelization on the outside to hold in the juices. And it had a nice salty taste to it. It’s a great base for a burger, and the toppings worked well to give it a steakhouse-like feel.
Our Mediterranean salad was also very good. The blackened chicken on top was perfect – well-seasoned on the outside and perfectly cooked inside. It came atop a bed of baby spinach and assorted vegetables with bleu cheese, walnuts and a cup of creamy poppyseed dressing, which was also good and had a nice little tang to it.
I was pleasantly surprised by the French onion steak. While it comes topped with cheese, this is not a cheesesteak. It featured a black diamond filet topped with sauteed onions and a horseradish sauce, all smothered in melted Swiss atop a slice of toasted panini bread. The steak was nicely done and flavorful on its own. I was worried about the horseradish being too pungent, but it was actually flavorful without being overpowering. It added enough to make it feel like I wasn’t just eating a deconstructed French onion soup.
Thankfully, Erin was kind enough to provide us with plenty of to-go boxes so we could taste everything without having to finish it. Despite that, we were definitely starting to feel full by this point, but there were still two entrees left to come.
Entrees
First, we had the braised pork shank which came served on a bed of Yukon gold mashed potatoes. The pork pulled right off the bone and had good flavor, especially with the herbs that stuck to the outer skin. The potatoes were excellent. Yukon golds have such a distinct flavor that I was instantly transported back to the early days of the blog and meals at Muddy’s. I think I’ll need to order the shepherd’s pie, a dish where potatoes really shine, the next time I go.
The stir-fry was good, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as the rest of the meal. All the ingredients were there – chicken, rice noodles, onions, peppers and broccoli in a sweet and tangy sauce – but it didn’t feel like a “tavern-style” dish to me. That said, I did use it for lunch a couple days later.
On the day of our visit, the Tavern was featuring corn-on-the-cob from Heritage Farm and Market in Fleetwood. It doesn’t get much better than local sweet corn, and Lukas agreed as I got just one bite before he claimed it for his own.
Dessert
Because this wasn’t enough food, we also had to try two of the tavern’s signature desserts: chocolate peanut butter pie and coconut cream pie.
Chef Aaron’s background includes a stint at the former Arner’s (now Crossroads Family Restaurant) on Route 61. That influence shows in the homemade pies.
The coconut cream pie was a mountainous slice piled high with coconut cream filling and topped with a mound of whipped cream. The coconut flavor was more of an undertone to the light and airy cream, but it was absolutely delicious.
And the chocolate peanut butter pie was just as good. The Oreo cookie crust was topped with the peanut butter and cream cheese pie filling, which was then topped with chopped peanuts and chocolate drizzle. It’s decadent, but worth the extra calories.
Needless to say, neither of the desserts lasted long enough to go in a take-home box.
But we did take a lot of food home, and we did our best to get through all of the leftovers. In the end, we got to sample $135 worth of meals from the Tavern. I’ve included the prices (as of September 2026) below:
Cheesesteak Egg Rolls – $13.95 Hummus with Naan – $9.95 Chili – $5.25-$6.25 + 75 cents for “the works” toppings Mediterranean Salad – $13.95 Avalanche Burger – $13.95 + $3.95 for fries French Onion Steak – $16.95 Braised Pork Shank – $25.95 Stir-Fry – $17.95 Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie – $7.95 Coconut Cream Pie – $7.95
Realistically, we would likely spend around $50, maybe up to $70 if we were splurging, for four meals if we were ordering off the menu.
After a delicious meal (and many more with our leftovers), the Tavern is definitely back on my radar for future visits to Kutztown.
BCE Rating Food: Good to Very Good Service: Very Good Ambiance: Very Good Price: $$
Kutztown’s Main Street is one of the busiest in Berks County. An array of storefronts: shopping, services and restaurants (with a few residences thrown in) line the blocks from the edge of Kutztown University’s campus to the railroad tracks that bisect the town.
The more than a dozen eateries along Main Street cover just about every type of cuisine you could want: Chinese, Italian, sushi, barbecue, sandwiches, salads: you name it, and you’re likely to find it.
One of the most popular restaurants downtown, the Kutztown Tavern offers one of the most diverse menus in town.
Known simply as “The Tavern” to residents and students, alike, the Kutztown Tavern is housed in one of the largest buildings on Main Street. With a seemingly endless bar, a nice sized dining room and large upstairs event space, the restaurant is expansive. In addition, the building (which is actually two connected buildings) includes Shorty’s Bar, the Tavern Take-Out counter service and the Golden Avalanche Brewing Company.
Brewery equipment becomes part of the decor in the bar area as the system of vats and pipes that create the signature brew are in plain view just inside the front door.
Not being a fan of beer, myself, I was pleased to see Kutztown Red Cream Soda—a personal favorite of mine—on the beverage list.
A deep menu provides a wide range of appetizers, sandwiches and entrees. Everything from soft pretzels and 10 flavors of wings to Black Diamond steaks and seafood scampi. For me, a 9-ounce burger topped with Avalanche chili sounded like a winning combination.
The burger arrived on a toasted sesame seed bun. Chili poured over the edges and onto the plate below. All tavern burgers are served with lettuce, tomato and onion on the side, and I was more than happy to pile them on.
The burger was cooked perfectly with a nice little char around the outside. The mild chili added more flavor without being overwhelming (messy, yes; overpowering, no). And I certainly did not regret the curly fries, perfectly crisped, zesty additions to an already full plate.
Among the multitude of menu options are the “house smoked” offerings, three barbecue selections that are smoked in-house at the tavern. One of those—the brisket, cheddar and onion—caught Julie’s eye immediately.
Meat and cheese more than filled the toasted ciabatta roll. The brisket was flavorful, with a fair amount of fat left on for extra flavor. The sharp cheddar worked well with the sweet barbecue sauce and grilled onions to create a delicious sandwich.
The only part of our meal that I thought could have been better was the price. The $2.89 charge for fries (instead of the standard potato chips) brought our total bill up to $35.00 for the two of us. I guess that is the cost of quality, however, as we were treated to excellent food and surprisingly speedy service.
For the past 15 years, the Tavern has been a popular go-to spot along Main Street. After our visit, it was easy to see why. When food, location, ambiance and service come together all come together, it makes for a great restaurant.
BCERating Food: Good Service: Good Ambiance: Good Price: Reasonable
I love almost everything about food trucks: the convenience, the speed, the price. But I always struggle to keep up with knowing where to find them, if they are even out on a given day.
But Berks County’s newest food truck is easy to find: Tacos El Gordo has a permanent location at the corner of Lancaster Avenue and Museum Road in Shillington.
Tacos El Gordo officially opened on September 1. It’s the fourth location for the Lancaster County-based Mexican restaurant fleet. In addition to a brick-and-mortar location in Ephrata, there are two other food trucks with permanent locations in Lancaster and Lebanon.
I stopped by on a Wednesday afternoon, a week after opening day.
It was around 11:30 a.m. when I pulled in. An inflatable tube man emblazoned with the words “tacos” flailed in the breeze to beckon in customers.
The truck is located in the parking lot of Jade Garden. The restaurant, with its low-slung awning and dark windows, stood in stark contrast to the bright yellow truck with the mural of cacti and dessert dunes wrapping around the bottom.
When I stepped up to order, I was told about the Wednesday special: $12 for a burrito and soda. According to the menu, burritos are regularly $15-$16 so it was a great deal that I couldn’t pass up.
(I was also told about the Taco Tuesday special: four tacos for $8, which I will certainly take advantage of in the future).
After placing my order, I grabbed a drink from one of the two coolers sitting in front of the truck and just a couple minutes later, I had my food. Outdoor seating was limited to a single picnic table under a canopy along Lancaster Avenue. Rather than hang out, I took my food back home to Wyomissing.
I unwrapped the burrito which was still hot inside the foil wrapping. All burritos are filled with beans, lettuce, tomato and your choice of protein – chorizo for me.
The burrito wasn’t huge, but it was stuffed full. The chorizo was finely ground and not very spicy and it felt like a good ratio of ingredients inside.
Unlike most places that I’ve visited, the yellow rice was served on the side instead of wrapped in the burrito. It also came with a small cup of guacamole on the side. I put a scoop of guac onto every bite until the green stuff was gone and took a forkful of rice after every bite. The guac was definitely a welcome addition, helping to bring everything together while adding the distinct creaminess of the avocado and herbiness of the cilantro to it.
Overall, I was happy with my choice and would go back again, especially for the $12 deal.
Tacos El Gordo provides all the advantages of a food truck – fast service and lower prices (thanks to the lower overhead) – with the predictability of a set location. And you’d be hard-pressed to find a more high-trafficked location for a food truck in Berks County.
Hopefully, those ingredients all come together for a long-lasting business.
BCE Review Food: Good Ambiance: Fair Service: Excellent Price: $$
Tacos El Gordo 450 W. Lancaster Ave Shillington, PA 19607
The summer was a busy one for our family. It started with baseball tournaments as Jakob and his teammates took on the world (or at least, Berks County) for two full weekends in June. Exhausted after their last game, the parents decided to get together to celebrate the season. The chosen destination: Sly Fox Wyomissing Taphouse.
Sly Fox Brewing Company started in Phoenixville in 1995 and now has four locations, including the Wyomissing Taphouse which opened for business in 2019.
The Taphouse is one of the cornerstone businesses in the Knitting Mills complex, formerly home to the VF Outlet Center and before that, Wyomissing Industries. In addition to the restaurant and bar on the main floor, the location is home to the Foxkeller, a lower-level bar with golf simulators, and the neighboring event space, Eight-Twenty at the Mills.
Julie and I had visited Sly Fox once before, shortly after they opened. Sitting in the industrial-looking main dining room, we only ordered some drinks and wings – very good, but not enough to write a blog about.
This time, we had the whole family in tow, sitting amongst the other families from Jakob’s baseball team. Jakob sat with half a dozen other eight and nine year olds at one table while we sat nearby with some of the other parents.
I was impressed by Sly Fox’s organization and service. Including parents and players, there had to be close to 30 of us on the patio. The servers started tabs for each family using the player’s uniform number to keep track of who ordered what.
The only hiccup was that I was charged for two iced teas because two different servers added it to our tab.
Otherwise, it was as flawless as could be expected, and food started pouring out of the kitchen, one family at a time, with ours toward the end of the group.
I ordered the Main Line cheesesteak and fries. It came with grilled onions and Cooper sharp cheese – my go-to cheesesteak toppings – served on a seeded roll. It was everything I wanted out of a cheesesteak.
It wasn’t as large as you would get at a true cheesesteak shop – much more manageable for a single person – but with the fries, it was more than filling.
The fries were also very good. They were battered and fried golden and crispy. Julie, Jakob and I each had fries with our meals, and we ended up taking a good amount home for the next day.
For her meal, Julie went with their chicken and guacamole wrap. It features grilled chicken, bacon, guacamole, chili lime ranch and pico de gallo wrapped in a tortilla.
The wrap was very good. The chili lime ranch had a little kick to it, but not too bad. The guacamole was flavorful and the bacon gave it nice savory and salty notes.
Jakob ordered their chicken fingers and fries which came with four big tenders and a heap of the same delicious battered fries.
The chicken fingers were good, though nothing particularly noteworthy. He enjoyed it (and the leftovers), and that’s all that mattered.
For Lukas, we got a plain cheese pizza. With him, we knew we would be taking slices home for later.
I first tried Sly Fox pizza at their flagship location in Pottstown and was pleasantly surprised. Lukas’ pie had the flavor I remembered, but the crust was way too big with the toppings stopping well short of the edge (especially for a two-year-old who doesn’t eat crust).
Overall, though, our meal was very good. And I have to give credit to the servers who handled a rush of families as best as they could.
The meal was north of $80 for the four of us, but that included drinks – a mixed drink for Julie and soft drinks for the boys and me. And while their meals were kid-friendly, Jakob and Lukas had adult portions (hence the leftovers). So I would say it was fair for the amount of food that we had.
Overall, Sly Fox delivered quality in both the food and the service. I look forward to taking the boys there again in the future for a (hopefully) quieter family meal.
BCE Rating Food: Good Ambiance: Good Service: Excellent Price: $$
Sly Fox Wyomissing Taphouse 820 Knitting Mills Way Wyomissing, PA 19610
While there are plenty of places in Berks County for a date night, there are far fewer places that Julie and I choose to visit for special occasions.
One of the restaurants that has become a celebration spot for us is Mom Chaffe’s Cellarette in West Reading.
It has been more than a decade since our first visit (and first review) of Mom Chaffe’s. Our last visit came three years ago during West Reading Restaurant Week.
Three years is a long time so we were ready to go back, and with our anniversary approaching, Mom Chaffe’s felt like the perfect place to celebrate.
We arrived about 15 minutes early for our 6 p.m. reservations. We were surprised to find the dining room mostly empty. Apparently everyone else had reservations for 6 or 6:30 because it quickly filled up behind us with just a few tables left open just a short time later.
The restaurant is celebrating 90 years in 2026, and the dining room maintains a lot of historic charm – from the ornate bar to the framed oil paintings that fill the walls to the chandeliers that hang from the textured ceiling. The table linens add to the upscale feel, but Mom Chaffe’s still feels approachable and there were plenty of diners in the room dressed casually.
Our server was with us quickly. Even after the room filled up, she was never far when we needed something.
Mom Chaffe’s has a relatively small menu, especially compared to other Italian restaurants in the area. That’s not to say there aren’t plenty of choices – from traditional pastas with red sauce and choice of meat to more creative seafood and veal dinners. And there are always great specials.
We ordered one of the restaurant’s appetizer specials: prosciutto-wrapped melon.
It was a very different, but very enjoyable, dish. It featured three thick slices of cantaloupe wrapped in thin slices of prosciutto atop a bed of greens. Everything was then drizzled with balsamic vinegar.
There were moments with the balsamic and the general brightness of it that it reminded me of Caprese, but the sweet and salty combination of the melon and prosciutto was unique – and very enjoyable.
For my main course, I again ordered off the specials menu – penne pasta with hot Italian sausage in a vodka sauce. It was excellent – exactly the right amount of spice to add flavor and make me feel it while not being unbearable. The vodka sauce would have been good even without the meat, creamy and delicious. And the pasta held it all together well. If it were a regular menu item, I would order it again.
Julie went with one of Mom Chaffe’s classic entrees – the lasagna. Only available Thursday through Saturday, it’s a favorite of many. And you can include us among those after this meal. The lasagna comes in a large crock with layers of noodle and ricotta cheese topped with a delicious red sauce.
Our meals also came with salads, and Julie and I both decided on the Parmesan peppercorn dressing. The salads are simple – greens with onions, a couple cherry tomatoes, some cucumber and sliced carrots. The dressing was delicious, a little thick, but with the nutty notes of Parmesan with the little spice of the pepper.
Because of the salads – and because we wanted to save room for dessert – we both took half of our meals home for dinner the next night.
The dessert options change regularly. On this night, it was the coconut cake that caught our attention. Layers of white cake were separated by frosting with coconut flakes on the icing and the plate. There was also a dollop of whipped cream that added just that little extra decadence to it. Overall, it was a great way to finish the meal.
In total, including an iced tea for me and a mixed drink for Julie, we spent about $100 on food and drinks, but that included four courses and enough entrees for leftovers. The food was excellent, too, so I would say it was well worth the price.
At 90 years old, Mom Chaffe’s is as good as ever – good enough to keep us coming back for more.
BCE Rating Food: Excellent Ambiance: Excellent Service: Very Good Price: $$$
Mom Chaffe’s Cellarette 148 Tulpehocken Avenue West Reading, PA 19611
For such a small town, West Reading has a seemingly endless array of restaurants.
No less than 30 restaurants and cafes are packed into the town’s 1.5 square miles. From French cuisine to fried chicken and from vegetarian to Mediterranean, foodies can find a world of flavors in this tiny borough.
While most will never venture from the Penn Avenue and the vibrant downtown area, there is much more to this wonderful small town.
Tulpehocken Avenue shoots off from the 5th Avenue traffic circle. Blink and you may miss it and the hidden gem that it holds.
Mom Chaffe’s Cellarette looks like every other home on the block, except for the brightly lit sign proclaiming “Italian Food” and “Cocktails.”
A small brass plate on the front has a simple inscription: “Mom Chaffe’s Est. 1936.”
It is amazing that any restaurant could survive for nearly 80 years, especially one like Mom Chaffe’s, which still does not have a website, a Facebook page or any other online presence. What it does have are loyal customers and 78 years of history on its side.
Like West Reading, itself, Mom Chaffe’s packs a lot into a small space. At times it is too much as the wait staff is forced to navigate a maze of tables and chairs in the main dining room. Even the walls are cramped, with dozens of paintings fighting over the limited space.
What’s not cramped is the menu. It’s very limited-two pages of pasta, antipasto and entrees with a handful of specials added daily.
One of the specials on this night was the Italian fried hot peppers, which were served as an appetizer with sliced tomato and mozzarella over lettuce.
Though the dish was served cold, there was no escaping the heat. These were some very spicy peppers, loaded with heat and flavor. The creamy chunks of mozarella were a perfect compliment to the peppers, and along with the tomato and lettuce helped cool the taste buds.
While I was adventurous with the appetizer, I played it conservative with my meal and opted for fedelini with tomato sauce and meatballs.
The two meatballs were massive, clearly hand-formed and full of flavor. The sauce was bright red and thick, one of the best I have found in the area. My only complaint is that there was enough of it to mix with the mound of pasta that was buried underneath.
Across the table, my wife went with the lasagna (which is only available Thursday through Sunday). I wish I had made the same decision because the one bite of hers I tried was delicious. The lasagna featured both ground meat and thinly sliced sausage layered with pasta and cheese and topped with the same thick tomato sauce as my pasta. It was a meaty, yet balanced dish that I enjoyed as much as any lasagna I’ve tried (and was enough that she took home half for the next day’s lunch).
The dessert tray was sitting on a table near us, and after staring at it for most of our meal, there was no way we were going to be leaving without some. It was all fairly standard cakes and cheesecakes (I would venture to guess that these were not made in house, but at another local business). I went with a chocolate cake with a filling of ricotta and dried fruit. The cake itself was very dark, but the filling was incredibly sweet, with pieces of pineapple, apricot and other fruit mixed in for added texture.
In a restaurant with such limited seating, I had expected the prices to be higher to compensate. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the prices were in line any other restaurant with entrees falling in the $15-25 range. For our appetizer, two entrees and two slices of cake, our final bill was just over $50.
Overall, Mom Chaffe’s is a great little place for fine Italian food. If you go, make sure you save room. And be sure to call ahead or there may not be room for you.
BCE Rating Food: Excellent Service: Very Good Ambiance: Excellent Price: Very Reasonable
Mom Chaffe’s Cellarette 148 Tulpehocken Ave West Reading, PA 19611
West Reading has been a hub for Berks County’s dining scene for as long as I have been doing Berks County Eats. We’ve reviewed more than 26 restaurants in West Reading since 2014.
Some of our favorites are still going strong; unfortunately, others didn’t last.
La Abuela Mexican Restaurant was an early favorite of ours with our first visit coming in 2015. The restaurant had a good 10-year run before closing in late 2025.
The space has new life with the opening of Archie’s Taqueria in 2026.
Archie’s began a soft opening in late June after several months of renovations. I was invited by the restaurant to come try the new Mexican spot.
The restaurant has a more modern feel than the last time we ate at La Abuela. White shelves, smartly adored with succulents, pottery and sculpture, pop against a dark brown wall. The tables and chairs are a lighter wood, matching the new floors.
The restaurant is full-service, though counter-order takeout is available, too. I decided to dine in and quickly brought a basket of chips and salsa.
Archie’s salsa is thick, but not chunky, with a little more than a mild spice. It’s been run through a food processor so it’s smoother and more consistent.
With the heat on the back end, I was glad to have a glass of horchata to wash it down. The horchata was also very good with just the right amount of cinnamon.
The service was very fast. Less than 10 minutes after I sat down, my meal arrived.
While the restaurant had a limited menu for the soft opening, they were featuring three items in the “house of birria” section – birria tacos, birria quesadilla and birria pizza. I had opted for the classic birria tacos.
Served three to an order for $15.99, the birria tacos featured the namesake braised beef with cheese, onions and cilantro. The tortillas were grilled crispy and filled to the brim. On the side was a cup of consomme for dipping (along with red and green salsas).
The tacos were delicious on their own – incredibly hearty and savory. The consomme was loaded with onion and cilantro, slightly salty and very savory. While it didn’t need any additional salsa, I still tried both the red and green salsas. Both had a smooth consistency that was more like a sauce. The green was light, salty and mild with a slight kick at the end while the red was medium to hot. Both were good, and I would definitely enjoy them with other menu items. For the birria, though, the consumme was enough.
My meal was very good and quite filling, and it arrived incredibly fast. My horchata and tacos would have cost about $20. It’s not the cheapest meal in town, but it’s in line with the price at other local Mexican restaurants.
New additions are always welcome in West Reading and across Berks County. And after my first visit, I would say Archie’s is definitely a welcome addition.
BCE Rating Food: Very Good Service: Excellent Ambiance: Good Price: $$
Archie’s Taqueria 448 Penn Avenue West Reading, PA 19611
