In more than a decade of Berks County Eats, I’ve seen a lot of restaurants come and go, and there is almost always a new restaurant ready to take its place.
I’ve also seen many that have been an improvement over what was there before.
Located along Penn Avenue in Robesonia, the Henry P. Robeson House is named for the town’s namesake and former ironmaster of the Robesonia Furnace. Two years ago, the restaurant took over the space that has always been known as the Robesonia House (or Roby House), regardless of what the official bar name was.
Years ago, when it was owned by Johnny and Hon’s, I played poker there. Back then, there wasn’t much as far as food, nor was there much of a kitchen from what I remember. But the Henry P. Robeson promised to be something much more.
The new restaurant was first announced in the spring of 2022. It finally opened in November 2023, a full year after the original planned opening date. With a 200-year-old building, delays were bound to happen.
The building’s core is a log cabin which was exposed during the renovation process. The walls alternate between dark brown slats and thick rows of plaster. Other than a single framed picture by the front door, the original walls remain bare to give the restaurant a classic feel.
In the rear of the dining room, which was a later addition, blue walls are covered with Conrad Weiser football memorabilia including helmets, jerseys, jackets, and a banner commemorating the Scouts’ 12 league championships.
In its logo, the Henry P. Robeson House touts “Beef & Ale” as the two focal points. The ale is evident from the large U-shaped bar in the center of the dining room. The beef in question is pit beef, the true star of the menu and one of the reasons why the Henry P. earned “Best BBQ” in the 2025 Reading Eagle Reader’s Choice Awards.
Both Julie and I decided to give the pit beef a try on our visit – me on a cheesesteak and Julie on a salad.
The pit beef cheesesteak came topped with onions, peppers, and Chetty Ale sauce, the restaurant’s signature beer cheese. I know some would call it blasphemous, but I think beer cheese is the ultimate cheesesteak topping. It melts into the meat and has rich, deep undertones that pair perfectly with the meat.
And the pit beef at Henry P. Robeson is a top-notch meat choice. On its own, it’s a savory delight. Mixed with the onions, peppers, and cheese, it made for one delicious sandwich.
The fries were almost an afterthought, but they were good, too. Dusted with salt and pepper, they were an excellent side that I finished off despite being full long before my last bite.
Julie’s “salad,” and I use the term loosely, started with a base of greens. But it was hardly noticeable beneath the piles of pit beef, cheese curds, fries, and tomatoes.
It came with their house-dressing which was kind of like a honey mustard but not as thick and with a little tang to it. Everything seemed to work, except maybe the cheese curds which Julie would have preferred warmed. Otherwise, the salad had a lot of good things on one plate.
We had great service throughout the meal, and at just over $40 for our meals, I felt like we definitely got plenty of food for the money. And after being there, and seeing the kids menu, we’ll probably be back with the whole family at some point. (Another thing I would have never imagined a decade ago).
The Henry P. Robeson House— especially that pit beef—is definitely an upgrade.
BCE Rating Food: Very Good Service: Very Good Ambiance: Very Good Price: $$
Henry P. Robeson House 124 E. Penn Avenue Robesonia, PA 19551
In September, Julie and I made our first visit to the Black Sheep Tavern. As is the case with nearly all of our blogs, we went unannounced so we could get a true feel for the experience and the food. No special treatment. No free meals.
When the owners saw the review, they invited me in for a second visit to meet with them and to learn more about the history of the building. (And they did offer us a free meal this time).
So on a Sunday in early October, we drove out Fritztown Road once again, this time to meet with Darrell and Carol. From the first introduction, it was clear how much the tavern and its history means to them.
A Deep Connection
Darrell’s personal connection with the building goes back to his childhood. His father was a friend of the owner so he spent a lot of time during his childhood hanging out at what was then Die Scheier (“The Barn” in Pennsylvania Dutch).
Standing in the main dining room, he points to the patches of lighter color on the wood-paneled walls. A small strip by the bathroom door was where the pool cues hung. Photos of Italy hung in a row along the opposite wall. After the walls were cleaned, it left these small hints to old decor, the places where the wall protected from the cigarette smoke that filled the room decades ago.
Cleaning the space was no easy task, nor bringing the building back to life after 25 years of sitting vacant. Darrell said that it was 22 months from the time he bought the building until the Black Sheep opened in the spring of 2025.
And that doesn’t include the months it took just to get in touch with the right people about purchasing it. Spring Township had all but given up on finding someone to fix up the property and at first wouldn’t answer Darrell’s calls.
But thankfully they did because the owners have taken great care of the century-old property that served as a speakeasy 100 years ago.
The Original Speakeasy
While upstairs is a gorgeously remodeled bar and restaurant, the downstairs is where men gathered in secret to enjoy drinks and other illicit activities during prohibition. (The owners joke that in the 1920s, “it offered drinking, gambling, and prostitution but today it only offers two out of three, you decide which two”).
Back then, the property was owned by Ralph and Anna Riffert. They operated a legitimate business, as well, installing a gas pump to make it one of the only service stations along the stretch of Fritztown Road while Anna’s ham sandwiches drew in repeat customers. The Black Sheep upholds that tradition with Anna’s ham and cheese sandwich as a staple of the menu.
Darrell and Carol took us on a tour of the downstairs where the original bar still sits. According to Darrell, the last time the basement was used was during the 1970s, and that was only for band practice. It hadn’t served a drink for decades at that point.
The original wooden bar looked like it could use some TLC but otherwise had survived rather well. Behind it was the metal sink and a wooden back bar that was looking a little worse for wear.
A staircase on the right dead-ends now, hitting the floor of the dining room. A hidden door would have opened here 100 years ago, letting thirsty patrons downstairs to their true destination.
Attention to Detail, Rooted in Community
While the family is working to clean up and restore the downstairs, it won’t quite be original. That’s because much of the usable material from the basement was incorporated into the upstairs remodel. The original floorboards – the usable ones at least – are now the floor of the game room. The sink from the downstairs bathroom was also moved upstairs (the antiquated style required a variance). And wood panelling from the walls became the front of the upstairs bar.
Hearing Darrell talk about every detail, it’s clear how much he cares about the building. Restoring it has been a labor of love for Darrell, Carol, and Darrell’s 91-year-old father who has done much of the woodwork, including customizing the server stand by the kitchen door. The stand, which he cut from eight foot to six foot, came from the former American House which operated just up the road in Fritztown. (Darrell told me that the American House had its own hidden history as a stop on the Underground Railroad).
And the dining room tables? Look closely because they are made from the alleys of the former Berks Lanes, now Bowlero. The lanes were repurposed into tables for the bowling alley’s onsite restaurant then known as Gilligan’s Pub. The pub’s former cutting boards are also now serving as tables inside the Black Sheep.
The Black Sheep obviously takes pride in local history. That extends to Wilson High School where Darrell is an alumnus. (His father graduated from the former Sinking Spring High School). When they found out Julie was also a Wilson grad, they insisted that she sign the alumni book, an old black-and-white covered notebook where line after line of Wilson and Sinking Spring graduates have signed their name and year.
Another Fine Meal
The challenge for the restaurant and bar is to live up to the building’s rich history, and so far, they are succeeding. In addition to our tour, we also had another great meal.
It started with an order of sweet potato fries as an appetizer. Julie had tried them when she came with some work colleagues a few weeks prior, and they were very good. The waffle-cut fries were served with a sweet maple dipping sauce. It was almost like eating sweet potato pancakes.
Our meals came out a short while later. On our last visit, I had enjoyed the rumrunner burger but I wanted to switch it up this time. So I decided to try the Virginia Hill burger. Named for the former girlfriend of mobster Bugsy Siegel (who also has a sandwich named after him), the Virginia Hill is a blended burger with onions and jalapenos cooked into the patty, topped with pepperjack cheese.
It was flavorful, but I wouldn’t say it was spicy. The peppers didn’t overpower the burger, just adding little hints, enough that I quickly went through my glass of iced tea, but not enough that I ever felt a burning. It was a very, very good burger.
Even though we had the sweet potato fries, I still got regular fries as my side. They were crispier than last time, maybe slightly overdone, but still good.
Julie passed on chips and fries with her sandwich, the Bugsy Siegel. (Look at us making the perfect pair). Julie chose grilled chicken for the protein, saying she wasn’t feeling a burger that day. And the sandwich that came topped with pastrami and kraut.
The chicken and pastrami played better together than she expected, and everything on it was cooked well. The sandwich also came with mobster sauce, which she described as like a Thousand Island but with a little kick to it. But it was a good kick that helped pull the whole sandwich together.
Even though we were offered dessert, we had to pass, and instead spent another 20 minutes or so talking about little details about the tavern – like the original supporting posts and beams, the nearly hidden stained glass window by the front the door (custom fitted by Darrell’s father), and the digital fish tank that is framed out by the historic fireplace in the corner.
As much as we enjoyed our first visit to the Black Sheep Tavern, we appreciate it so much more now.
We will definitely be making more visits. There are more stories to hear, and a lot more food to try, too.
Original Review: September 16, 2025
Speakeasies hold a fascination in the American mind a century after prohibition came and went.
Last year, we visited A Light in the Attic, which bills itself as a “modern speakeasy.” It’s a fun concept. They did up the theme with a bookcase at the top of the stairs and a curtain keeping the restaurant “hidden.” But that’s all it is, a concept.
The restaurant and bar opened at the former Camelot Inn on Fritztown Road in the spring of 2025. The building’s story is told at the bottom of the menu. Apparently it was owned by Ralph and Anna Riffert during the 1920s, and they operated a speakeasy throughout Prohibition, “despite paying fines for selling alcohol, gambling, and other illicit activities.”
It’s certainly ironic that 100 years later, guests not only can pony up to the bar for a drink but sit down at a skills machine.
The skills machines are set in a back room off the main dining area which is filled with low- and high-top tables with a banquette along the wall. The U-shaped bar takes up most of the second half of the space.
It was quiet when we arrived for lunch on Friday, just one other table filled, though a few people arrived later during our visit. Our server was fantastic throughout, and I suspect she would have been great even if she would have had a full dining room. But she came to our table quickly to get our drink order and answered all of our questions about the menu.
And we did have a few questions because all of the sauces have names that are connected to the restaurant’s theme, like sheep sauce, rumrunner sauce, and mobster sauce.
My burger came topped with rumrunner sauce, which is their homemade version of A1. It also featured Cooper Sharp cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onion.
The burgers are listed as hand-patted, and you can tell by the thickness. It was a hearty meal, and a delicious one. The sauce was really good – I love steak sauce on a burger – and it worked well with the creamy Cooper cheese.
I opted for fries on the side which were also very good, lightly seasoned with salt and pepper.
Julie had fries with her burger, the Bulger, which came topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and sheep sauce. Sheep sauce is their ketchup-mayo mashup and Julie enjoyed every bite of her burger.
And while Julie also found the fries to be OK, she had the opportunity to go back a few days later with some of her coworkers. Her recommendation: get the sweet potato fries with the dipping sauce. They are totally worth it.
Our visit ended up being a perfect lunch. The food was out quick, too, so we were in and out of the restaurant before anyone could miss us at work. And at $40 for burgers, fries and drinks, it felt like a fair price, too.
Maybe the experience is a little different during busier times – we drove past on a Sunday afternoon and there wasn’t a space to be had in the parking lot – but we really enjoyed our experience. (Obviously, Julie already went back for more).
The history of the building is fun, but thank goodness we’re not living with prohibition because it means I can blog about it without risking a raid.
BCE Rating Food: Good Service: Excellent Ambiance: Very Good Price: $$
Black Sheep Tavern 665 Fritztown Road Sinking Spring, PA 19608
I get asked all the time to name my favorites. The most common question: “What’s your favorite restaurant?”.
It’s a hard one to answer so I usually rattle off a couple names. But when someone asks me, “Who has the best burger?”, that’s easy for me to answer: Louie’s Kitchen & Bar in Flying Hills.
Louie’s opened in 2022 and we reviewed them in early 2023 (see full review below), but that review was mostly focused on brunch. Since that time, Louie’s has continued to evolve, and I can safely say that Louie’s has found its niche: it’s now the go-to place for burgers in Berks County.
At least, it’s my go-to place. And after winning best burger at the Taste of Hamburg-er Festival in 2024, Louie’s has the accolades to back it up.
The burger that won them the award is our absolute favorite: the caramel burger.
With twin smash burgers topped with bacon jam aioli, caramelized onions, American and Provolone cheeses, and caramelized bacon, the caramel burger is both an indulgence and incredibly flavorful.
The sweet and savory combination is hard to beat, especially the caramelized bacon (which is available as a side on their Sunday brunch menu). It’s crispy and sugary, adding both texture and sweetness to the burger.
Between Julie and I, we have ordered it three times and it never disappoints.
But it’s far from the only great option on Louie’s burger menu. Another is the smokehouse burger with double-smoked bacon, cheddar, bourbon BBQ sauce and onion petals.
There are plenty of places around Berks that do a similar burger with BBQ sauce and onion rings, but Louie’s just feels like it’s a level above, especially thanks to the perfectly crispy bacon.
Also, don’t sleep on Louie’s fries, described on the menu as “skin-on russet potatoes fried until golden and crispy in a combination of bacon fat and lard.” They look like other fries, but the frying oils give them a little different flavor. It’s a $3 upgrade to go from chips to fries, but it’s well-worth it in my opinion.
The restaurant also has a cheeseburger on the kids menu that Jakob really enjoyed. It’s simple, just a burger with American cheese and fries, but it’s a nice size and made with the same quality ground beef.
But Louie’s is more than burgers, and the Hamburg-er Festival was not the only competition where Louie’s has taken top honors. At the 2025 Wilson Iron Chef event, Louie’s entered the People’s Choice competition with their Bulldog Cheesesteak.
The sandwich featured a Liscoio’s seeded roll, ribeye, mushroom rice creamy mayo, sauteed onions and cheese sauce.
It got enough votes – including my own – to earn the title of People’s Choice champion. And though I only had a small sampling at the Iron Chef, I got the full experience when we visited Louie’s a few weeks later and found the sandwich on the specials menu.
I had to order it. It came as a half of a large roll, overstuffed with filling and swimming in cheese sauce. But there was something about the “mayo,” maybe an earthiness from the mushrooms, that was unexpected and made the sandwich stand out from other cheesesteaks.
I only wish the savory masterpiece was on the regular menu because I would gladly order it again. (They do have three cheesesteak options on the regular menu).
The prices are reasonable enough to keep us coming back. Even with the upgrade to fries, dinner for two will be less than $40. And kids meals are priced at less than $10 each so it’s still a reasonable night out for families.
But it’s also the quality of the food that you’re getting for the price: some of the best burgers and sandwiches that you’ll find anywhere.
BCE Rating Food: Excellent Service: Very Good Ambiance: Very Good Price: $$
Louie’s Kitchen & Bar 12 Village Center Drive Reading, PA 19607
Back in 2018, I discovered a restaurant in Lancaster County called Gracie’s on West Main. Located in the heart of Leola, it’s a fantastic place – especially for breakfast (with an entire menu section devoted to bacon). I’ve been there several times since, including taking the family there for dinner just a couple months ago.
So when it was announced in the spring that the owners of Gracie’s were taking over what was then known as Divot’s, I was very excited.
After a small update, the newly renamed Louie’s Kitchen & Bar opened in the space in May 2022.
I actually made my first visit over the summer but never wrote about it because shortly afterward, the restaurant went through some changes in the kitchen and my chili huevos rancheros tacos were off the menu.
The restaurant serves as the unofficial “19th hole” for the Flying Hills Golf Course. Located just steps from the clubhouse, I would imagine that it fills up quickly on warm days when the course is full. But with a chill in the air, the course is empty and Julie and I have the place mostly to ourselves.
Louie’s is unique to itself, but it has callbacks to Gracie’s. Most notably are the chalkboards throughout the dining room, each one adorned with inspirational quotes from sports legends like Babe Ruth, Emmitt Smith and Bo Jackson (plus fictional sports star Rocky Balboa).
The menus, however, diverge. Whereas Gracie’s is primarily known for its breakfast items, Louie’s is a lunch and dinner spot (though the restaurant did try breakfast, at first, and still does weekend brunches) so the menu is built upon burgers, wraps and sandwiches.
For my lunch, I went with chicken bacon avocado wrap with a side cup of chili.
The wrap is pretty basic and similar items can be found on menus around Berks County, but I enjoyed it.The wrap was filled with grilled chicken, red onion, lettuce, tomato, avocado and ranch dressing. It may not have been anything special, but it was done well and I enjoyed it, especially the bites that were loaded with avocado.
I was really impressed with the chili – the triple double chili, that is – which is one of the items that can also be found on the menu at Gracie’s. It gets its name because it includes three meats (ground beef, ground pork and bacon) and two beans (kidney and black). It’s hearty, for sure, and a bowl with some fries could easily be a meal. The chili, itself, was not too spicy but definitely had the familiar sting of chili pepper every now and then. Though the heaping helping of shredded cheese on top helped to tone it down.
Across the table from me, Julie enjoyed her Mediterranean pita and fries. The pita features chicken, hummus, olive tapenade, tomatoes, onion, cucumber and feta with tzatziki sauce. It was really good and really filling. The hummus was really good and helped make it a very filling dish.
The fries were a real highlight. Crisp, golden and lightly seasoned with salt and pepper, Julie and I both kept going back for more even after we were already full.
Because Julie upgraded to fries and I added on the cup of chili (and splurged on a fresh fruit iced tea), our lunch was a little more expensive than we would typically aim for with our total coming in around $40.
BCE Rating Food: Very Good Ambiance: Very Good Service: Very Good Price: $$
Louie’s Kitchen & Bar 12 Village Center Dr Reading, PA 19607
If you’re looking for a family-friendly place to eat, a brewery may not be the first place you think to look. But Saucony Creek’s Kutztown Brewery & Pub definitely fits the bill.
Saucony Creek is located just outside Kutztown, standing high atop a hill just off the Kutztown exit of Route 222.
The building that now houses the brewery was once a car dealership – the same one where I got Dale Earnhardt’s autograph more than 30 years ago. Today, there are no hints at the location’s former life.
Inside is an opening dining room with high-top tables down the middle and low-tops along the side. But for our meal, we were seated outside.
Saucony has one of the better outdoor dining areas in Berks County. The stone patio has coverings over the middle tables and umbrellas for the outer seats. But our favorite part is the kids’ playset with its two two-person swings, rock wall and slide. It’s a great place for the kids to blow off steam before and after their meals.
We ordered the kids’ meals first so they didn’t have too much time to play before their food arrived.
For Jakob, that meant a cheeseburger and fries. The burger was a solid quarter-pounder topped with Cooper sharp cheese. He ate nearly the whole burger but didn’t eat many of the fries.
They were really good when they came out, but Jakob said they got “hard.” He’s not wrong. Though they were delicious, loaded with salt and pepper, they cooled off and lost their consistency pretty quick.
Lukas didn’t seem to mind as he ate his. In the opposite mood as his brother, he seemingly only wanted fries and left his grilled cheese for us to take home as a leftover.
I can attest that the burgers are very good as I had the pub burger for my meal. The pub burger consisted of two quarter-pound patties and came topped with beer cheese sauce, bacon, and fried onions rings.
With two patties, it was difficult to get that first bite, but when I did, it was great. The cheese sauce made it a little messier than some burgers, but it was a delicious mess. The beer cheese had a little deeper flavor than a slice of American or cheddar. Onion rings are a favorite of mine so the fried onions were a welcome addition. And the bacon added a nice sweet and salty note to it. Overall, it was a very good burger.
Knowing how big the burger would be, I just got a side of chips with it (Good’s brand, according to the menu). And that was the right decision as Jakob ended up eating more of my chips than I did.
Julie went with a different pub staple for her meal, opting for the brisket tacos. They came two to an order, and were topped with guacamole and pickled onions.
They were good, and the brisket had some good flavor to it, but it could have used a little more guac or other sauce to add some depth of flavor that was missing.
While Julie and I finished our meals and waited for our check – which totaled $80 for the four meals plus a cocktail for Julie and iced tea for me – the boys were busy on the playset.
The food was good, the kids loved their playtime, and we left knowing that we found another spot for future family meals.
BCE Rating Food: Good Service: Very Good Ambiance: Very Good Price: $$
Saucony Creek Kutztown Brewery & Pub 15032 Kutztown Road Kutztown, PA 19530
Recently, we made a little day trip to Hamburg. We walked around the Reading Railroad Heritage Museum to see their new exhibits. Then we headed to Lazy Dog Vintage for some shopping. Eventually, we made our way to Cabela’s.
Normally, when we make a trip like this, we’d find our way to one of the many restaurants in Hamburg’s downtown, like Backwood Brothers, Copperz or 1787 Brewing. But on this trip, we decided to venture a few minutes north to an old favorite of us, the Port Clinton Hotel.
The Port Clinton Hotel is one of those “almost” Berks County restaurants. Located just a stone’s throw from the county line, Port Clinton is the first town you find in Schuylkill County when heading north on Route 61.
Locally, it’s best known for the Hotel and the neighboring Port Clinton Peanut Shop, a place to get fresh roasted peanuts, novelty candy, and chocolates.
It’s also home to the Reading and Northern Railroad, and before the railroad opened its station in Muhlenberg Township, it was the place to catch the weekend train to Jim Thorpe.
But the Hotel is the true anchor of the town – the gathering place for food and drinks. It remained so even after the front of the building was struck by a car in late 2022. The result was a new sign and a new front porch, but the interior remains unchanged, looking very much the same as it did when we first reviewed it in 2014. The bar area is still rustic with its wooden U-shaped bar that leaves little room for walking. The dining room is plain, decorated with signs and photos of Yuengling Brewery.
The menu is also very much the same as it was with large dinners, oversized sandwiches, and their famous baskets of French fries.
It’s so much the same that without thinking, Julie ordered the same thing – a cheesesteak wrap – that she did 11 years ago.
Looking at the photos of each, there was little difference between this and the last – both were stuffed to overflowing with steak meat and cheese. (Credit though for upgrading the fries from Lay’s to Good’s). A delicious and extremely hearty meal that was always going to see half of it go home as leftovers.
My chicken parm sandwich was just as large. Served on a whole 12-inch roll, it was stuffed with breaded chicken with slices of cheese and plenty of sauce. The sauce is on the sweeter side, which I remember from previous meals there. I ate half of it as a sandwich before skipping the roll for the second half. Not that the roll wasn’t good (we saw the boxes for ATV bakery stacked in the entryway), but there was just no way to finish the whole thing.
Jakob had a heaping helping of spaghetti from the kids’ menu. It was enough for an adult meal with two large meatballs on top. It had the same sweet sauce as the chicken parm, which Jakob got to enjoy more than once because more than half of it went home as leftovers.
We also couldn’t finish our French fry basket which had more than enough for our table. At $6 for the basket, it’s one of the best deals around.
In fact, our entire dinner was very reasonably priced at around $55 for all of our food and soft drinks. More accurately, our dinner and lunch the next day was reasonably priced because we didn’t have to think about what we would be having with the leftovers that came home with us.
While we don’t make the trip north too often, the Port Clinton Hotel remains a go-to spot for us when we do. And I look forward to more delicious meals.
BCE Rating Food: Very Good Service: Very Good Ambiance: Good Price: $$
Port Clinton Hotel 231 Centre Street Port Clinton, PA 19549
Original Review: November 2014
Long before our region was defined by the railroad, our cities and towns were carved by canals.
The small hamlet of Port Clinton, located just a few miles north of Hamburg and just across the line into Schuylkill County (quite literally, the border of Port Clinton is the border for the county), was a canal town.
Businesses in the town grew around the waterway. Businesses like the Port Clinton Hotel, which served meals and rented rooms to the canal boat crews who passed through on their way to or from Reading.
Today, the Hotel still serves a unique clientele. In addition to the residents of neighboring communities and those just visiting on their way to Cabela’s, the Port Clinton Hotel is a go-to for hikers along the Appalachian Trail.
On the opposite side of the Schuylkill River, the trail descends from the mountains, hanging a right through Port Clinton before crossing over Route 61 and leaving civilization again on its ascent to Maine.
The proximity to the trail means the Port Clinton Hotel is a sort of right-of-passage for hikers. Perhaps this is why the Port Clinton Hotel is serving portions fit for someone who hasn’t eaten in days.
While I can appreciate those who dare to trek the trail, I favor the short drive over the long walk, so the only hiking I had to do was from the parking space to the back door.
Like many establishments that still have “hotel,” “tavern,” or “inn” in their names, the restaurant crams more seats into the dining room than would seem possible. Our party of six was placed in a side room, two four-person tables pushed together with just inches between our chairs and the wall.
The daily specials are found on a hand-written piece of paper in the center of the table, while drink specials are found on a dry erase board on the wall. The menu itself is extensive with pastas, dinner entrees, salads, and lots of fried foods and sandwiches.
As small as the dining area may feel, the portions seem just as gargantuan. On a previous trip, I had made the “mistake” of ordering an actual dinner: a chicken pot pie special served with a homemade roll. And because I was hungry, I started with a cup of chili. As it turns out, the “roll” was half a loaf of white bread, the pot pie could have probably filled four soup bowls, and I would have been satisfied with just the chili.
This time, I was more prepared, opting for a simple hot roast beef sandwich.
My sandwich was served floating in a reservoir of gravy with shreds of meat taking an evening swim. The top slice of bread bulged in the center as the pile of beef tried to force its way out the top.
The beef pulls apart, not like the slabs or slices you find at some diners. I managed to find a piece that wasn’t fully submerged and found it to be tender and moist. Even without the gravy, it would make a delicious sandwich.
Next to me, Julie was attacking a monster meal of her own. Her cheesesteak sandwich wrap was sliced in two, with each half being about the size of your average sandwich.
The wrap was simple—steak and cheese with a little bit of onion—but it was balanced perfectly. Like most of the sandwiches on the menu, the wrap came with side of potato chips, a bag of Lay’s placed right on the plate. With so much food already on the plate, there’s a good chance you’ll take the chips home anyway so it’s better to leave them in the bag.
Another reason to leave them in the bag is the Port Clinton Hotel’s famous French fries. The fresh cut fries are not available as a side order (except as part of a select few dinner combinations) so if you want them, be prepared to share.
With the large portions on the entrees, a small basket of fries is easily enough to satisfy a table of four (a large basket should probably be reserved for a small family reunion).
But when it comes to the Port Clinton Hotel, it’s not just quantity. It’s quality. Many restaurants offer their foods in big portions, but the food at Port Clinton is so good that you can’t help but try to finish it.
Four our two sandwiches and fries, our total bill came to around $30, a steal for such good food—and for so much of it.
The canal is gone, but the hotel remains, still serving great food to everyone who passes through the town, no matter how they arrive.
It’s been more than a decade since I graduated from Kutztown University. While I was there, I visited quite a few of the restaurants along Main Street – many are gone but many are still there, some exactly as they were and others under new management.
If you’ve followed my blog, you know I’m not a drinker so one place I didn’t spend a lot of time during college was at the bar. So I never had a reason to check out the Kutztown Pub – or just “The Pub” to students.
Things are different now – not with me (I still don’t drink) but with the pub. It’s not just a dive bar anymore, it’s also a place to get some really good barbecue.
The Pub rebranded in 2014 – renamed K’Town Pub Taphouse & BBQ to better reflect the new focus on both beer and food. A year later the space got a necessary makeover and is still looking pretty good to this day.
My first visit came in late 2023. I was by myself, stopping in at the Pub after a day working from the Ktown Hall coworking space. I went in by myself around 5 p.m. It was a light crowd, still early, and I grabbed a table for myself along the wall opposite the bar.
The menu is small as there isn’t much of a kitchen to speak of. Beyond barbecue, there are burgers, tacos, nachos and mac and cheese. But I was there for ‘cue so I ordered my go-to: pulled pork.
K’town Pub’s pulled pork comes topped with apple slaw, pickled red onion and your choice of sauce.
The sandwich was very enjoyable. Savory meat mixed with the sweet sauce – I chose the apple butter bbq sauce – and the slight sour notes of the pickled onions made for a great sandwich.
As mentioned earlier, the menu is limited. There’s no fryer so fries aren’t an option. Instead, every sandwich is served with a basic handful of chips and a pickle, not bad, but nothing exciting.
My meal was good enough that a few months later, I returned, this time with Julie. Like me, Julie had never visited the Pub during her time in Kutztown, not that it was anything like back then anyway.
Julie ordered the beef brisket, which like my pulled pork sandwich came topped with the same slaw and onions, and she liked it just as much. Normally, I’m a pulled pork guy but I think I liked the brisket just a little bit more than the pork.
I also really liked the smoked meatloaf sandwich that I ordered on this visit.
This was not your typical meatloaf. Instead, the patty was ground beef mixed with pulled pork, bacon, caramelized onions and peppers. (When I ordered it, I actually thought a few of these would be toppings instead of mix-ins).
It was very good, but also very rich. The pulled pork gave a very different texture. I really liked the caramelized onions which were strewn throughout for a nice little subtle sweet hit.
I skipped the American cheese and ate it with just barbecue sauce on top, but it was delicious like that. The only issue is that it fell apart easily – likely a result of the inclusion of the pulled pork.
All in all, we both enjoyed our meals – Julie’s first and my second at the Pub.
And likely we’ll enjoy a meal there again.
BCE Rating Food: Good Service: Good Ambiance: Fair Price: $$
Long-time followers of Berks County Eats know how much we have enjoyed our visits to Klinger’s pubs across the county over the years.
While I will always love the original Klinger’s on Carsonia, Klinger’s at the Airport has recently become our family’s go-to for both the food and the look on our son’s face when he sees a plane takeoff outside the window.
Our most recent visit reaffirmed how much we enjoy the restaurant by the runway at the Reading Regional Airport. Jump to Original Review from 2017
We stopped in on a Friday night around 5:30. The bar was full and the restaurant was bustling but there was still plenty of seating in the dining area and we were lucky enough to get a table by the window.
Even though it was already dark outside, the lights of the planes illuminated them just enough so that Jakob could watch them take off while we waited for our food to arrive.
For my meal, I ordered Klinger’s boneless wings – half Parmesan peppercorn and half Jameson Whiskey BBQ. The boneless wings were always a favorite of mine at the Carsonia location and they did not disappoint. Klinger’s BBQ sauce is one of my favorite wing sauces I’ve found – smokey and sweet. And the Parmesan peppercorn was creamy and mild.
The best part, I ordered 10 wings and got a full baker’s dozen in my basket.
Julie had the Cadillac quesadilla. The name is an homage to Klinger’s former location in Fleetwood and is a delicious take on a cheesesteak. In addition to the steak, cheese and grilled onions, the quesadilla is drizzled with barbecue sauce.
Though it comes served with salsa and sour cream on the side, the barbecue sauce adds a sweetness to the dish that makes the other sauces almost unnecessary.
For Jakob’s meal, we got him pasta and tater tots. The pasta was curly noodles that he didn’t need to cut which made it easy for him to clear his bowl. He did the same with his tots, leaving just three left when he declared “I’m full” at the end of the meal.
It took him a little longer than the rest of us to finish his food because there were at least 10 planes landing or taking off while we were there, and for a five-year-old, each one is an event that can’t be missed.
Joining us on our visit was my mother-in-law, Peggy, who loves Klinger’s fries – beer-battered and crispy. She enjoyed them alongside her cheeseburger.
Overall, it was a great meal and a great experience – exactly what we were hoping for with this family meal. And for the four of us, our total was under $80 (and we had a $5 off coupon).
BCE Rating Food: Very Good Ambiance: Very Good Service: Very Good Price: $$
Klinger’s at the Airport 2385 Bernville Rd Reading, PA 19605
Every great movie franchise is built on the trilogy. Think Lord of the Rings, the Dark Knight and Star Wars (the originals, obviously). That formula apparently works for restaurants, too.
With the opening of Klinger’s at the Airport at the end of 2016, the Klinger’s trilogy is now complete.
Berks County Eats has already visited the original Klinger’s on Carsonia, and last year, we visited the new Klinger’s of Fleetwood.
If I were starting a restaurant, the Reading Regional Airport would not be my ideal location. The airport hasn’t had regular passenger service since 2004.
But with the closing of Malibooz early last year, the space was open and Klinger’s stepped in.
The lights were mostly off in the terminal when we arrived, but Klinger’s was alive and well, tucked in a corner on the left side of the building.
It looks like a hole in the wall, but the dining area opens up from the entrance. To the right is a 360-degree bar. A large mural dedicated to aviation history decorates the wall behind it.
The rest of the dining room is filled with booths and tables, definitely the largest dining area of the three Klinger’s restaurants.
Our table was by one of the windows overlooking the airstrip. During our visit – a Tuesday night where we played Challenge the Pub trivia – we saw exactly one plane out the window, though whether it was coming or going, I couldn’t say.
Klinger’s is known for their bar food and for me, their wings are some of the best around. So we had to start our night with a basket – five Old Bay and five Jameson Whiskey BBQ.
Both flavors can be found at Klinger’s other restaurants, the Jameson Whiskey BBQ being the signature flavor. It’s sweet, and a little bitey. When I’ve had the wings at Carsonia, the sauce is laid on much thicker. This was lighter, but the flavor was still there. And the Old Bay is exactly what it sounds like, wings rubbed down in the classic seasoning, Julie’s favorite.
The menu looks similar to the other two locations, though each one has its own unique offerings. For instance, all three feature different varieties of chili. I had an opportunity to sample the habanero chili during the chili cook-off at this year’s Fire & Ice Festival and loved it. It was a little sweet with enough heat to make you take notice, but not enough to overpower everything else.
Another twist comes with the sandwiches. All three locations have a section for steak sandwiches, but only Fleetwood and the Airport have the Lone Star Style steak sandwich featuring sautéed onions, barbecue sauce, beer cheese and bacon.
It is a phenomenal mix of ingredients. The steak meat – real cuts of meat, not Steak-Ums – is a great base. The beer cheese and the barbecue sauce blend together really well for a sweet and smoky flavor. The thick-cut bacon adds a salty note and more smokiness. And the sautéed onions are the perfect finish.
This is no Philly cheesesteak, but it is one of the best sandwiches that I have tried in more than three years of Berks County Eats.
One of the only-at-the-airport menu additions is Stromboli – seven varieties made with beer dough. Julie decided to try the Classic – pepperoni, ham, mushrooms, onions, green peppers, mozzarella and marinara.
Klinger’s did a good job with this. The doughy shell is very good, though I couldn’t taste anything uniquely “beer dough” about it. What really stands out though is the sauce. It’s a thick, deep red sauce that is quite enjoyable for a place that doesn’t qualify as an “Italian restaurant.”
We were joined on our visit by our friends Matt and Hannah, who were very excited to see a cookie sundae on the dessert menu.
I have to say, after the meal, the sundae was a bit of a letdown. The chocolate chip cookie, though it looked cute with a faux face made of chocolate chunks – was disappointing. It was hard so it was difficult to cut and share. We finished off the ice cream and chocolate syrup but left some of the cookie behind.
For Julie and I, our total bill was around $30 (that included our two entrees, wings and an iced tea as Matt and Hannah picked up the tab for the cookie). Good luck coming in under $30 for dinner at PHL.
The new Klinger’s, despite its location, should prove successful. It follows a similar formula as its two sister restaurants: a cool atmosphere, rotating craft beers for the bar crowd, and great food.
Now that they have the three-peat, will Klinger’s try for four?
BCE Rating Food: Good Service: Good Ambiance: Very Good Price: Reasonable
Klinger’s at the Airport 2385 Bernville Rd Reading, PA 19605
Editor’s Note: Barrel & Ale has undergone a slight rebrand since our visit with a menu now focused on steaks and barbecue.
When you look at the best downtown dining in Berks County, there is no doubt that Boyertown is an up-and-coming destination. Between Philadelphia and Reading Avenues, you’ll find diners, a brewery, sandwich shops, bars and even a vegan cafe. New restaurants have opened and more are on the way.
And that momentum has continued outside the downtown, as well. The new Barrel & Ale is a great example. On a recent Saturday afternoon, I met my friend and former colleague Joe for lunch and lots of catching up.
Barrel & Ale opened in August, taking over the former
Pit Stop Tavern, a mainstay since the 1950s just east of town. Now the
restaurant is owned by the same group behind Iezzi’s on Third (a mainstay in downtown for
even longer). Much like they did with Iezzi’s, the ownership group completely
renovated the tavern – which had just been converted earlier this year from the
racing-themed Pit Stop to the short-lived, prohibition-themed Decades Speakeasy.
Now the building has a rustic chic feel to it from the
clapboard exterior to the hardwood floor in the dining room. Black chairs and
accents add a modern touch (along with the flat screen TVs, of course).
I also appreciated the barrel-shaped lights hanging in the
bar room and the extra-tall menu that features a barrel on the front and back
covers.
Beyond the design, one of the things that appealed most to
me about the menu was the array of German entrees. Pork schnitzel, wurst and
sauerbraten shared the page with steaks, seafood and pasta. And the sauerbraten
sounded too good to pass up.
Sauerbraten is a traditional German roast beef that has been
heavily marinated in herbs and spices, giving it a slightly soured, pickled
taste. It’s a unique flavor combination and Barrel & Ale captured it well
in their version of the dish. The light gravy on top enhanced, rather than hid,
the flavors of the dish.
The dish was served with a pair of colorful sides: spaetzle
(small German noodles) and braised red cabbage. The spaetzle was bright yellow
and looked like corn at first glance. The red cabbage had a much deeper, almost
wine color to it.
Of the two, the cabbage was my favorite – and probably my
favorite thing on the plate. It had bits of beef throughout that added
unexpected, but welcomed, savory notes that broke up the vinegary flavor of the
braised cabbage. The spaetzle was fine but didn’t have much flavor on its own,
but paired well with the sauerbraten.
Across the table, Joe ordered from the sandwich side of the
menu, opting for the grilled chicken. The grilled chicken breast was topped
with roasted peppers, mozzarella and pesto aioli. Joe found it to be a really
good sandwich that was highlighted by the aioli, the primary source of flavor.
The sandwich was served with housemade chips and a pickle.
The chips were good, though some of them were a little soft, a little
under-done. But they were well-seasoned and had good flavor.
The pickle, Joe said, was obviously not store-bought. (A
Facebook post from when Barrel & Ale first opened showed craft pickles from
Tennessee). It was an added touch that didn’t go unnoticed.
At the end of the meal, our total bill was around $35, my
meal making up more than half it. (Really, the sauerbraten is a dinner entree,
not a lunch, and it’s priced accordingly at $17.95).
We weren’t the only ones in the restaurant, but it wasn’t
full by any means. Lunch doesn’t seem to have taken off yet at the Barrel &
Ale, though their Facebook page has been promoting that an expanded lunch menu
is coming soon so that could change.
And I would go back to try something new, for sure. It was a
good first impression and between the flavorful foods and enjoyable ambiance, Barrel
& Ale has the makings of a new long-lasting restaurant.
BCE Rating Food: Good Service: Good Ambiance: Very Good Price: Reasonable
Barrel & Ale 961 N. Reading Ave Boyertown, PA 19512
Editor’s Note: Beer Wall on Penn is closed. The restaurant closed in September 2024 after a five-year run. The space is now home to Taqueria Comalli, which moved into the space in Fall 2025.
Oftentimes, a bar is just a bar. It’s a place to get a
drink, eat some fried food and watch a game.
But sometimes, a bar isn’t just a bar. West Reading’s Beer
Wall on Penn is not just a bar. In fact, it’s one of the few places in Berks
County that can truly be called, “unique.”
Sure, there’s a bar. And dining room seating. And table
service. But then there are the 38 self-serve taps where anyone (over the age
of 21) can pour their own beer. Each beer is priced per ounce and customers are
in complete control over how much beer they pour. A card is swiped at the tap,
adding up your tab as you go.
The taps are a sight to behold – all of them in a single row along a wall (except for a few stragglers located on the top floor – more on that later). I don’t drink, but I brought along my buddy Josh to test out the taps. He lives in D.C. but was back in the area for the week (and who enjoys a good beer or two on his cheat days).
“This is cool,” he said. “I can’t believe they don’t have one of these in D.C. yet. It would do really well.” It is a cool concept, and one that actually puts Berks County on the cutting edge.
But the Beer Wall isn’t just about the booze – the
restaurant is serving up a unique food menu that includes tacos, burgers,
sandwiches, fried appetizers and a handful of large plate entrees.
Josh and I both opted for appetizers. For me, it was the
duck fat fries.
For the duck fat fries, Beer Wall takes its thick-cut fries
and cooks them in duck fat, topping them with truffle zest, shaved Parmesan and
scallions. It also comes with a side of roasted garlic aioli for dipping.
I love the richness of duck and it definitely adds another
layer of flavor to fries. I also appreciated the large parmesan shavings. But
for me, it was the scallions that really took everything to the next level.
That strong, concentrated onion flavor was the perfect addition and paired
nicely with the fries and the tangy aioli.
Across the table, Josh was enjoying an order of pretzel
nuggets. He graciously allowed me to try one of the parmesan and parsley-coated
pretzels, and it was delicious. But what really surprised me was the lager
mustard dip. I don’t like mustard and I don’t drink beer, but somehow this
combination worked so well and made for a perfect complement to the pretzels.
Both our appetizers left a great first impression.
I passed on the tacos and burgers in favor of one of Beer
Wall’s entree plates, the brisket mac-n-cheese. It featured braised brisket, sautéed
onions and cavatappi pasta in a white cream sauce, all topped with bread
crumbs, chives and parmesan cheese.
This is a case where I thought the individual ingredients
were better than the dish as a whole. I really liked the brisket. It had a
nice, smoky flavor, but I thought it was masked by the cheese sauce.
On the flip side, I thought the bread crumb mixture was a
welcome addition and brought out the best flavors of the cheese. It was a good
meal, but personally, I would have enjoyed everything just a little bit more if
the brisket had been served on top of, or beside the mac. (It was also a lot of
food, especially after finishing off the duck fat fries. I took half of it home
in a box at the end of the meal).
Josh had decided to go with one of the burger options, the banh
mi. It featured an eight-ounce patty of beef and pork (Beer Wall’s standard
burger base) topped with pickled vegetables, fried pork belly, seared tomato,
cilantro, a fried egg and balsamic reduction.
He and I argued over whether pork belly belongs on a banh mi
(in my world, it certainly does), but there was no arguing about the beauty of
the burger in front of him. Unfortunately Josh is one of the unfortunate souls
who suffers from an aversion to cilantro and somehow forgets until he tastes
it. That kind of marred what was a good burger.
The prices for food at the Beer Wall are pretty reasonable
for the amount and quality of the food. I spent about $25 for my entree, fries
and an unsweetened iced tea. For those who enjoy craft beer, you can expect to
add 50 to 70 cents per ounce to your tab at the end of the night.
When our meal was finished, we ventured upstairs where Beer
Wall not only has additional taps, but also vintage arcade games that you can
play for free. Mortal Kombat and the Simpsons are among the machines you’ll
find. Before we left, I schooled Josh in a game of NBA Jam, dropping 3s from
the corner with Scottie Pippin.
Maybe the novelty of pouring your own beer will wear off. Then
again, maybe not.
Either way, Beer Wall on Penn is not just another bar. It’s
something different, and different is a good thing for Berks County.
BCE Rating
Food: Very Good
Service: Very Good
Ambiance: Very Good
Price: Reasonable
Beer Wall on Penn
619 Penn Ave
West Reading, PA 19611
One of the most exciting developments in Downtown Reading in
recent memory is the reimagining of Franklin Street Station as a brewpub.
Saucony Creek Brewing Company’s Franklin Station Brewpub opened in July to much fanfare. Plans for the restaurant had been revealed in early 2018 but the project was delayed until the proper permits and zoning were in place. Other than a brief stint as an inter-city bus terminal in 2013 and an interactive art installation in 2017, it’s the first life this former passenger rail station has seen since the last SEPTA train rolled out 38 years ago.
We made our first visit on a Saturday afternoon in September,
arriving before 5 p.m. for an early dinner. We got the last parking space on
the restaurant’s parking lot (there is plenty of additional parking in the
adjacent garage – and it’s free if you spend more than $10) and were seated
right away.
The building is impressive inside. It retains the feel of a
classic train station with high ceilings and large windows. Rows of benches –
like the ones that would have been used by waiting passengers 90 years ago –
are the anchors of the dining area. The tables and chairs are arranged to
utilize the long benches, creating wide aisles for the wait staff and patrons.
In the far end of the room near the kitchen is a small display case filled with
model trains, Monopoly game pieces (for the Reading Railroad, of course) and
other railroad memorabilia.
We had plenty of time to admire the building, too, because
though we were seated promptly, no server stopped by for more than 15 minutes
to even bring water. Our toddler was ready to eat so the wait was not very welcomed
at our table.
The restaurant seemed to have both not enough and too much
help simultaneously. While we were waiting, servers continued to congregate
near the host stand (including our eventually server).
Once we ordered, it only took about 10 minutes for our
appetizer and Jakob’s kids’ meal to arrive. From there, the meal was much
easier.
For our appetizer, we ordered the avocado tacos. The order
consisted of two tacos: corn tortillas topped with beer-battered avocado
slices, roasted corn, tomato, onion and cilantro. On the side was a cup of
thick salsa that was very good and had a spicy after-taste. The tacos, by
themselves, were a little bland compared to a Mexican restaurant, but with the
spicy salsa, it was much better. It needed that little kick to bring everything
together.
Jakob certainly enjoyed his food. Their kids menu isn’t
huge, but it does have a decent variety. In the end, though, we went with
Jakob’s favorites – a quesadilla with corn on the cob. The corn lasted all of
about five minutes (at least it felt that way) as he ate through it in a hurry.
The quesadilla was a little more work for him but he managed to eat about half
of it at the restaurant with us taking the rest home.
Our dinners arrived just a short time later. The menu of large
plates – “Masters” as they are called on the menu – features a
diverse selection that leaned toward higher-end dishes. For example: my coconut
braised beef cheek.
Beef cheek is not found on a lot of menus, probably because
it is a tougher cut of meat that has to be slow-cooked. It’s also very rich, as
I discovered with my first taste. It reminded me a little of duck – not in
flavor – but in the richness. The flavor, though, was very good. It was braised
in one of Saucony Creek’s signatures beers so it picked up some of those flavor
notes with subtle hints of coconut.
It came served in a bowl of sweet potato puree that added a
sweet and savory contrast to the dish. It was also topped with a watermelon
radish that served more for garnish than flavor. As I look back on the menu, it
also said it was to be served with creamy blue cheese. There was definitely no
blue cheese on the plate. I’m not sure how it would have changed what was a
very good dish, but now I’m curious.
Nothing was missing from Julie’s plate. She ordered the Franklin
Station Burger which came topped with bourbon bacon jam, Boston Bibb lettuce
and Swiss cheese.
It was an awesome burger where the bacon jam really shined.
The salty, savory and slightly sweet spread is always a great burger topper.
This version had a deeper flavor thanks to the bourbon, and it really shone
through on the burger.
The burger was served with fries on the side. As our server
described them, they are boardwalk-style fries: skin-on and well-seasoned. They
were a little peppery at times, but very enjoyable, especially paired with the
homemade ketchup. The ketchup was not as sweet or as thick as the store-bought
variety, but it perfectly complemented the already flavorful fries.
While Julie and I did not save room for dessert, Jakob’s
kids meal came with a scoop of ice cream. His generous scoop of peanut butter
ice cream (vanilla, chocolate and strawberry cheesecake were the other flavor
choices) was topped with a mound of whipped cream and a cherry that elicited a
loud, “ooooh,” from our son when he saw it.
I think Jakob ate most of the whipped cream while Julie took care of the ice cream that he didn’t finish. It was around this time that we heard the unmistakable air horn of a freight train approaching.
Norfolk Southern trains frequently use the former Reading
Railroad tracks and a train’s arrival is a big deal at the bar. Upon hearing
the horn, doors were opened and everyone cheered loudly until the engines
passed. Jakob, like all young boys, loves trains. He joined in with a loud, “Choo
Choo!” as the train rolled past.
If there’s a downside to the building, it’s that the
cavernous dining room echoes. It can get loud quickly. That’s a good thing when
cheering on a passing train, but it can be a little distracting if you’re
trying to have some quiet conversation.
We paid our bill – $61.01 – and went outside to watch the
tail end of the train from the old station platform. The scene would have
looked a lot different 90 years ago when a steam engine would puff into the
station to pick up and drop off passengers.
While the hungry diners aren’t at the Franklin Street
Station to grab a train to Philly, the historic building is once again bustling
with people.
Sure, there are some issues to work out as there are with
all new restaurants. But Saucony Creek could keep the passenger benches full at
Franklin Street Station for a long time to come.
BCE Rating Food: Very Good Service: Fair Ambiance: Very Good Price: A Little Pricey
Saucony Creek Franklin Station Brewpub 690 Chestnut St Reading, PA 19602
