white plate with pasta in tomato sauce topped with a stuffed eggplant and shaved parmesan cheese
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Review: Stefano’s Ristorante & Bakery Cafe

exterior of a strip mall with the word "stefano's" in cursive and "ristorante and bakery" in all caps above the entrance

In early 2025, one of our favorite Italian restaurants – Mangia – closed after 15 years in business. Suddenly, we needed a new go-to Italian spot. 

I think we may have found it with the newly opened Stefano’s Ristorante & Bakery Cafe. 

Stefano’s first opened their doors in January 2026 before celebrating its grand opening the following month. The restaurant took over the former Mary Jane’s Kitchen along State Hill Road. 

tables for two sit against a wall with horizontal wood panels in a restaurant dining room

Two doors down is The Original Mama’s Pizza (our son’s favorite pizza), and while you can get Italian at both, the two restaurants could not be more different.

Mama’s is your typical takeout-first pizza place with a counter of ready-to-heat slices while Stefano’s is a full-service, sit-down dining experience. 

large banquette seat with tables set for six and four

Julie and I arrived in the late afternoon for a date night dinner. The restaurant wasn’t quite half-full when we arrived, but there wasn’t a table to be had by the time we left. The dining room isn’t huge, but it has a decent number of seats with tables for two and four. A large banquette sits along one wall – tables there were pushed together to accommodate larger groups. And by the entrance, a counter with tall stools looked out the front window. 

small salad wrapped in a sliced cucumber serving as a bowl next to a cup of ranch dressing

Our server was at our table quickly for our drink order and back again for our food choices. Our pasta dinners each came with a house salad and choice of dressing. 

The presentation on the salad was unique – a thinly sliced cucumber was formed into a small bowl shape to hold the mixed greens. Once the cucumber was “opened,” it revealed a sizable salad which was topped with tomato, croutons, and sliced carrots. 

We were still finishing our salads when the main course arrived at our table. 

white plate with pasta in tomato sauce topped with a stuffed eggplant and shaved parmesan cheese

For me, it was “Nonna’s stuffed eggplant,” a twist on the traditional eggplant Parmesan. Rather than a heavy breading on the outside, the eggplant was stuffed with breadcrumbs and ricotta cheese and was served with housemade tagliatelle pasta. 

Everything about the dish was impressive. The homemade pasta was thicker than store-bought which let it hold the sauce better. The eggplant was perfect with the creamy ricotta adding another level of flavor beyond the basic mozzarella. 

round white plate with raviolis and shrimp in an orange-hued sauce topped with shaved parmesan cheese

Juile, meanwhile, really enjoyed her lobster ravioli. 

The plate was filled with large homemade ravioli stuffed with lobster and ricotta. Pieces of shrimp were also swimming in the rich sauce. While the dish was rich, it was delicious. From the creamy sauce to the perfectly stuffed raviolis– every bite was amazing. 

bakery case filledw ith cakes, cupcakes and cookies at Stefano's in Wyomissing

When you walk into Stefano’s, you can’t miss the dessert case, and a slice of cake was calling our name so we decided to save some of our meals for lunch the next day. 

By this time, the restaurant was busy. All of the tables had been filled. Unfortunately, service slowed as a result and we found ourselves waiting about 20 minutes for our server to take our dessert order. (Another server or hostess came by and boxed our leftovers for us in the meantime). Another 10 minutes later, we had our slice of mango cream cheesecake. 

triple layer cake with yellow hue and layers of whipped cream in between and on top

What about this instead: This wasn’t your typical cheesecake. It was more cake-like with a light and airy texture. It had three layers of cake with cream in between each layer. The plate was dusted with powdered sugar and the slice came served with a dollop of whipped cream.

It was an indulgence, but absolutely worth it. 

pasta page from the menu for Stefano's in Wyomissing

Our bill was around the $65 mark which felt right for the portion size and the quality of the food. The service was great early on, but when the dining room got busy, our server seemed to get a little overwhelmed. 

While the service should get better with time and training, the food is already great. That’s enough to keep us coming back for more. 

And who knows? Maybe we just found our new favorite Italian spot. 

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

Stefano’s Ristorante & Bakery Cafe
1816 State Hill Road
Wyomissing, PA 19610

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keystone-shaped sign with the words "Nuse's Deli"
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Review: Nuse’s Deli – Morgantown

keystone-shaped sign with the words "Nuse's Deli"

As much as I try to get to all parts of the county, it’s easier said than done. Places with more restaurants – like Reading, West Reading, Boyertown and Kutztown – get more reviews than the rest of Berks. 

For whatever reason, the southern end of the county is the one that seems to be the hardest for me to get to. But there are great restaurants to be found in and around Morgantown – restaurants like Nuse’s Deli.

rack of chips and cookies in front of a deli counter at Nuse's Deli in Morgantown, PA

Nuse’s Deli has been serving Morgantown since 1986. New owners arrived in 2019, and they have grown and expanded in the years since. This included adding new menu items like specialty burgers and fries, ice cream and milkshakes, and a variety of sandwich options. 

In 2025, the business grew its footprint, moving to a larger space next door in the former Clair’s Family Restaurant. 

dark gray built-in bookcase on the right side of a wall that opens to an ice cream freezer on the left

I made my first visit in early April 2026, arriving a little past 12 noon. There were a couple parking spaces available in front of the restaurant along Main Street (Route 23), but I guess everyone was parked around back because the tables were packed. 

The restaurant is split into two sides. The first has a handful of booths around the perimeter with the order counter and deli case at the far end. On the other side of the separating wall is another dining area with larger tables and more booth seats, along with Nuse’s ice cream counter. 

burger topped with cheddar cheese, two onion rings, lettuce and BBQ sauce on a kaiser roll

I ordered a burger and fries, fully expecting to grab some ice cream before I left. But when the burger arrived at my table, I realized that was not going to happen. 

Somehow I missed that these were half-pound burgers. And with my Texas BBQ burger, I also got two onion rings, cheddar cheese, lettuce and BBQ sauce on top. 

I’ve had similar style burgers in other places, but this one stood out to me. And it wasn’t just the size. The sauce was just the right amount of sweet, and the onion rings were the right size for burger-toppers. There was a little too much bun, but everything else about the burger was as good as I could have hoped. 

basket of fries from Nuse's Deli in Morgantown, PA

The fries arrived five minutes later, and I was already deep into my burger. There was certainly no skimping on portions as the boat was filled with thick-cut fries. Maybe it was the fact that they were hot and fresh out of the fryer, but I absolutely loved the fries. They were golden and crispy, and they were perfect with a little dash of salt. 

My only regret is that with so much food already, there was no way I could handle a milkshake on this visit.

That will have to wait until next time. And I’m sure my next trip to Morgantown will be sooner than later. 

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

Nuse’s Deli
3146 Main Street
Morgantown, PA 19543

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to-go coffee cup with the word "honeypop" on it sits on a wooden ledge
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Review: HoneyPop Custom Beverages

black pull-behind camper converted into a mobile coffee truck

If you have followed Berks County Eats long enough, you know that I don’t drink coffee, but I love a good chai latte. It doesn’t matter if it’s a traditional spiced tea like those offered at places like Zaytoon and the former Greenhouse Cafe or if it’s an Americanized sweet drink like those served at Becca’s Coffee or Crave Cafe. 

After trying the bananas Foster chai from HoneyPop, I may have a new favorite. 

wooden counter with spring garland, a glass filled with black straws and a business card holder

HoneyPop is a mobile drink trailer specializing in coffee, tea and dirty sodas. The small converted camper debuted in the fall of 2025, and owners Erin and Meghan invited me to stop by and try a chai – and some of their other signature drinks – at one of their events. 

When HoneyPop set up at our local Easter Egg Hunt, I made it a point to stop by. 

I was originally going to have my standard chai with oatmilk, but when they mentioned their bananas Foster version, I couldn’t say “no.” 

to-go coffee cup with the word "honeypop" on it sits on a wooden ledge

The drink was out in short order, and it looked amazing with whipped cream, caramel drizzle, cinnamon and banana chips on top. After I put the lid on and took my first sip, I could confirm it tasted as good as it looks. 

There is nothing traditional about it. Whatever tea they used took a back seat to the banana and caramel. Basically, the word “chai” was just an excuse to not call it a dessert. Either way, I will order it again and again. 

to-go white coffee cup with the lid off showing marshmallows and chocolate syrup

Along with the chai, my oldest son, Jakob, got a s’mores hot chocolate topped with mini marshmallows and chocolate syrup. It was extra creamy thanks to the melting marshmallows. And it was deliciously sweet. Jakob approved. 

three drinks - two in plastic cups and one in a white to-go cup sit on a picnic bench

He also approved of the “shark bite,” a kid-friendly soda that included sprite, blue raspberry, cherry and a gummy shark. The kids don’t normally get soda so I wasn’t sure what Jakob would think, but the fizziness was toned down by the add-ins making it a smoother drink. He let me have a sip, and it was a little too sweet for me. But Jakob enjoyed it, and I guess that’s why it’s on the kids menu. 

Julie got to try the Island Time, a dirty soda featuring Sprite, peach, pineapple, vanilla and cream. The cream and vanilla made the drink smooth while the peach and pineapple popped in every sip. (Also, they added a peach ring for us, just for fun).  

In addition to the drinks we tried, HoneyPop offers cold brew, boba, refreshers and a rotating menu of specials. 

As of this writing, kids’ drinks are $6 each, dirty sodas are $7, and cold brew, boba and chai are $8. 

We enjoyed everything that we tried, and we will definitely be looking for the camper trailer at events all year long. 

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large cheesesteak and a cup of fries sitting on an unwrapped sandwich wrapper
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Review: Cheesesteaks & Water Ice at the Berkshire Mall

stand in a mall food court with the words "Cheesesteaks & Water Ice" over the order counter

Contrary to what some people believe, the Berkshire Mall is still going strong. And while the food court may not be as full as it used to be, there are still three dining options upstairs, including the new Cheesesteaks & Water Ice stand that opened in March 2026. 

Cheesesteaks & Water Ice is a partnership between Wit or Witout Cheesesteaks and Nick’s Water Ice. The former started by serving cheesesteaks at the Italian American Club of West Reading while the latter operated a weekends-only stand at the mall’s Center Court. 

Now, you can get the best of both in the second-floor food court. 

digital menu board with black background showing options for Cheesesteaks and Water Ice

I arrived right at 12 noon on a Friday. While the mall opens at 11, the stand was just turning their lights on to begin their day.

The order counter is adorned with images of Philadelphia sports legends like Mike Schmidt, Saquon Barkley and Joe Frazier. There were three people working behind the counter. A young woman took my order while the others manned the grill and the fryer. 

white paper bag with a foil-wrapped sandwich sticking out the top

The menu is simple: cheesesteaks, chicken cheesesteaks and fries. There are no “named” sandwiches with creative toppings, everything is customized with or without onions (or, more accurately, wit or witout) and with your choice of cheese, roll and toppings. 

There is no list of toppings, but I only wanted Cooper cheese and onions on mine anyway, ordering it in a combo with fries for $20 and taking it home to eat. 

large cheesesteak and a cup of fries sitting on an unwrapped sandwich wrapper

Wit or Witout only has one size of cheesesteak, and like so many other places, it’s a large sandwich. And while it wasn’t over-stuffed, it was definitely full, especially in the middle. The steak was cooked well, and there was the right amount of cheese and onions. 

It didn’t “wow” me, but I liked it. And it more than hit the spot. 

I definitely didn’t need the fries, but I wanted to at least give them a try. They were just your average crinkle fries so I wouldn’t miss them if I only got the sandwich next time. 

Would I get a cheesesteak from them again? Absolutely. And with the mall’s sale pushed back until at least July, there’s plenty of time for another bite.

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

Cheesesteaks & Water Ice
Berkshire Mall
1665 State Hill Road
Wyomissing, PA 19610

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table with various curries and a large bowl of white rice from Simran Indian Cuisine
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Review: Simran Indian Cuisine – Kutztown

exterior of Simran Indian Cuisine in Kutztown

Kutztown has an abundance of restaurants to its credit. But as a college town, most of them are either pizza places, sandwich shops or bars. 

There aren’t many true sit-down options in town, but there are a few, including Simran Indian Cuisine.

table with a #1 in the center and two place settings with napkins folded into the shape of crowns

Simran opened in spring 2024, taking over a spot on Main Street that had been vacant since Spuds closed in 2019. 

Earlier this year – February 2026 – I was spending the day with my coworking colleagues at Ktown Hall when we decided to venture out for lunch at Simran. 

mural inside Simran Indian Cuisine featuring a woman in a red sari tending to a cooking pot

The restaurant features maroon and tan banquets with wooden tables and reddish high-backed chairs. Napkins on the tables were folded up into crowns. Lanterns hung from overhead, and murals of women wearing saris as they cooked and spun thread graced the walls on either side of the room. 

It’s not upscale to the point of fine dining, but it’s a tasteful and inviting dining room. 

table with various curries and a large bowl of white rice from Simran Indian Cuisine

Our server was by quickly, but with a group of eight, we knew we would have a little wait for the food. Still, we had our drinks in short order and all of our food was on the table less than 30 minutes after we sat down. 

bowl with a lentil and tomato stew

I ordered the dal makhani from the vegetarian menu. It featured lentils cooked in a sauce with butter, onions, garlic, ginger and tomatoes – the latter giving the sauce its distinct red hue. 

plate with a lentil stew over rice next to a cut piece of naan bread

The lentils were tender, and the sauce was flavorful, bringing in the earthy notes of the spices. It was not short on onions, which I love. It wasn’t quite a tikka masala sauce, but it was rich and delicious – a dish that even non-vegetarians would enjoy. 

I didn’t need the naan that I ordered, but I was happy to eat it. The naan was thin and bubbly. I enjoyed it on its own and used it to scoop up the remaining sauce and rice from my plate. 

square white bowl half filled with rice pudding

At the end of our meal, we shared a few orders of rice pudding. It was sweet and satisfying. I wish I would have had a full order, but I’ll save that for next time.

I had ordered takeout from Siman previously, most recently a year ago when I picked up an order of malaik kofta. 

plate of rice topped with vegetable balls in a cream sauce

This was something that I had not seen on menus at other Indian restaurants. Among the vegetarian options, it featured falafel-like vegetable balls in a nutty cream sauce. I found it to be very good – the sauce was creamy and the vegetable balls were a hearty substitute for meat. It was another unique item that I couldn’t remember seeing on other local menus. 

Most entrees are priced between $15-$20 with portions large enough to spread over two meals, especially if you’re adding on a side of naan or an appetizer.

Simran is a great addition to the diversity of Kutztown restaurants. Not only are they serving a cuisine that couldn’t be found in the area before, but it’s a full-service, sit-down restaurant in a town that could use one or two more. 

Oh, and the food is totally worth it. 

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

Simran Indian Cuisine
163 W. Main Street
Kutztown, PA 19530

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plate with half a grilled cheese panini and a cup of tomato soup
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Review: Crave Cafe – Sinking Spring

exterior of a strip mall retaurant with a small yellow oval sign above the awning reading "Crave Cafe"

A good lunch spot has to have four things: good food, quick service, reasonable prices, and a cool vibe. 

Crave Cafe in Sinking Spring continues to check all the boxes. 

Though the cafe got a new owner in late 2024, the cafe is still delivering in all the areas that have made it a favorite over the last decade. 

order counter at Crave Cafe in Sinking Spring, PA

We first visited Crave in 2015, and with Julie working just five minutes away, we have visited many times since. 

Our most recent visit came in January 2026. We arrived for an early lunch – around 11 a.m. before the rush was in full force and still found only a couple open tables (they were a lot more scarce by noon). The fireplace is still the focal point of the main dining room, but a second dining area provides more seating in the room behind it. 

coffee urns on a table in front of a large stone fireplace at Crave Cafe in Sinking Spring, PA

We got in line and were quickly called over to a second station to place our order before taking our number back to a table for two along the wall. 

The temperature in the room tends to run a little cold, and I was quickly reminded of it as we sat waiting, but it didn’t take long for our food to arrive and I was no longer thinking about anything except lunch. 

chicken panini on a plate with chips

I always have a hard time choosing between their paninis and flatbreads, but on this visit I opted for a panini – The Dunk. The sandwich comes with chicken breast, tomatoes, mozzarella, pesto aioli and balsamic glaze. 

At it’s core, it’s a Caprese salad with the balsamic, mozzarella and tomato all working together to create a familiar flavor profile. But the pesto aioli adds nuttiness and earthiness to the dish while the chicken makes it heartier and more filling. It’s relatively simple but very satisfying. 

plate with half a grilled cheese panini and a cup of tomato soup

For her meal, Julie did a soup and sandwich combo with a hearty tomato soup and a grilled cheese with the addition of bacon. Julie loves bacon and it gives the grilled cheese an added crunch and savory notes. 

two coffee mugs - one with a US Air Force emblem and one with blue and white print - on a wooden table

Both meals are between $12-15, but Julie got a matcha and I got a hot chai. Both came served in mugs from the cafe’s eclectic collection – mine a stubby US Air Force mug, hers a tall blue and white. The chai is a typical sweet style tea latte that has little resemblance to a true chai but is no less enjoyable. The matcha had the distinct green color and sweet-yet-earthy flavor to it that was a perfect go-with. 

Lunch for two typically costs around $30, but we were around $35 for this one with our drinks. Sure, you can find places where we can eat for closer to $20, but it’s more than just the price – it’s the combination of everything. The price is fair, the food is good, the service is on-point, and Crave continues to be one of the coolest lunch spots around. 

And we’ll keep coming back. 

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

Crave Cafe
4600 Penn Avenue
Sinking Spring, PA 19608

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Original Review: November 8, 2015

crave-cafe-counter

There is always a buzz around a new restaurant when it opens. The trick, however, is keeping the buzz going weeks and months after the opening.

We have seen a lot of new restaurants open in Berks County in the past few years, but none have been able to sustain the buzz quite like Sinking Spring’s Crave Cafe.

Crave Cafe opened at Green Valley Nursery in November 2024, in the strip of stores off Route 422 behind the Charlotte Shoppe. It’s nearly invisible from the road, but that doesn’t stop the dining room from filling up every day at lunch.

The ambiance is truly unique. In fact, every table is unique. Each one has its own set of chairs, different styles, different colors and different sizes.

crave-cafe-fireplace

A pair of parlor chairs sit in front of a large stone fireplace. Highly sought-after, they are, at the same time, the most appropriate and most out-of-place chairs in the cafe.

Orders are placed at the counter where the cashier is set up with an iPad that’s connected to a cash drawer and credit card machine. We took our number and retreated to our little table for two (we made sure to save one before ordering, just in case).

It wasn’t long before our drinks arrived. Normally I don’t spend the money (or the calories) for a drink, but being at a cafe, I felt obligated.

crave-cafe-frozen-hot-chocolate-and-mango-smoothie

But instead of coffee or tea, Julie and I both went for frozen: a mango smoothie for me and a frozen hot chocolate for her.

Mine was good, but I was a little disappointed to see the syrup flavor going in when I was hoping for fresh fruit. Julie’s frozen hot chocolate did not disappoint, however. She happily slurped it down and was nearly finished by the time that our food arrived.

Both of us opted for the soup and sandwich combo. For me, it was a bowl of chili and an Italian chicken panini.

crave-cafe-chili

The chili thickened as the shredded cheese on top started melting. It had a good balance of flavors: not too spicy, a little sweet and plenty meaty. A bowl of it with some bread would probably make a nice meal on its own.

crave-cafe-italian-chicken-pannini

My sandwich was excellent. The Italian chicken came with grilled chicken breast, spinach, sun-dried tomato, mozzarella and basil pesto aioli.

Chicken and spinach poked out the sides of the sandwich along with the mozzarella that melted mozzarella that was oozing onto the plate.

The meat wasn’t the most flavorful I have had, but it didn’t need to be with the strong flavors it was paired with. I love pesto anything, especially when paired with sun-dried tomatoes. The mozzarella did well to keep everything together and hold most of the sandwich inside the grilled pita.

crave-cafe-soup-and-sandwich

Julie’s chicken and basil soup was the soup of the day for our visit. With little pastas and chunks of tomato, it looked like a pasta e fagioli, but there were no beans. Instead, the brothy soup was lighter with the basil providing light notes to go with the chunky ingredients.

For her sandwich, Julie went with the turkey bacon avocado. Turkey doesn’t have a lot of flavor to start which allowed the bacon, tomatoes and chipotle aioli to shine through. Likewise, the avocado took a back seat to the stronger flavors it was paired with. Overall, everything blended well together for a hearty and filling sandwich.

The soup and half-sandwich combos are very reasonably priced, but with the addition of our frozen drinks, our total came out much higher than it normally would for lunch at about $25.

Crave Cafe continues to generate buzz more than a year after it first opened. The relaxed atmosphere helps set it apart from other go-to lunch spots in the Sinking Spring area.

But it’s the food that keeps filling the tables at lunchtime.

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

Crave Cafe
4600 Penn Ave
Sinking Spring, PA 19608

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a rice bowl topped with marinated beef and pickled ginger
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Review: West Brew Izakaya – West Reading

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

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

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

restaurant interior with brick walls and a tv playing Pokemon anime

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

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

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

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

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

a rice bowl topped with marinated beef and pickled ginger

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

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

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

two tall cups filled with milk tea and boba pearls

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

West Brew Izakaya
424 Penn Avenue
West Reading, PA 19611

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wicker chairs set up around round tables with teal tops
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Review: Sweetie’s Back Porch Cafe – Oley

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

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

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

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

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

wicker chairs set up around round tables with teal tops

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

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

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

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

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

I ordered a breakfast croissant and a hot chai latte. 

brown mug filled with chai dusted with cinnamon

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

brown plate with a croissant stuffed with cheese and sausage

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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order counter at Carlo's Italian Restaurant in Wyomissing, PA
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Review: Carlo’s Italian Restaurant – Wyomissing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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white oval plate loaded with a breakfast hash topped with creamed chipped beef and an over easy egg
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Review: Selena’s Diner – Kutztown

small building with tan siding and a maroon awning

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

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

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

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

faint floral stencil on an antique wood ceiling

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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