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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old-fashioned diner counter with stainless steel stools in dark red motif
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Review: Mark’s Sandwich Shop – Kutztown

beat up wooden sign that reads "Mark's Steaks Subs Fries"

Earlier this year, I visited Esterly’s Sandwich Shop in Bowers. My post about the little hole-in-the-wall sandwich joint received more engagement than any other Facebook post I had done in more than 10 years of Berks County Eats. 

While almost all of the posts were locals attesting to their love of Esterly’s, there were a few who suggested that maybe Esterly’s wasn’t the best in the area. 

Those commenters pointed me to Mark’s Sandwich Shop in Kutztown. 

order counter with a sign above it that reads "Mark's" in red script

Mark’s has never really been on my radar. Even back when I was in college, I was loyal to Spuds. But with so many recommendations, I decided to check it out. 

The shop is one of the many eateries along Kutztown’s Main Street. On the outside, it’s an unassuming, rather dull looking building – pale yellow with dark red trim.

old-fashioned diner counter with stainless steel stools in dark red motif

Inside, I was surprised to find a little bit of a diner vibe with counter stainless steel counter seats to go along with a much larger dine-in section than I expected from the outside. It does have the same colors as the outside so I wouldn’t say it’s the most appealing dining area in the county.

I had ordered my food ahead of time and it was ready for pickup right on time. 

Of course, for comparison’s sake I had to order the same steak sandwich that I ordered at Esterly’s – that meant a steak sandwich with sauce and onions. 

white plate with a cheesesteak with sauce and potato chips

I have to say that I liked it, but it wasn’t my favorite. Specifically, the sauce was a little too tangy for my taste. But the steak meat was good and done well. I would just prefer to go a little lighter on the sauce next time. 

(Even the admin for Mark’s Facebook account agreed, saying they order it with light sauce).

The best part about Mark’s, though, is the fact that they have Dutch fries as a side option. There’s only a couple places that serve Dutch fries outside of the Kutztown Fair, and Mark’s is one of them. 

While Dutch fries look like potato chips, they are fried, not boiled, and they are served hot. Some of the fries get crispy, others stick together and come out softer. Both are absolutely delicious. 

piece of alumninum foil unfolded to show a chicken parm sandwich, cut in half, and a bag of chip-shaped fries.

Again taking my queue from Facebook comments, I headed back to Mark’s, this time for a chicken parm sandwich. I have to say, it fell a little flat for me. It wasn’t anything special, and I didn’t think the roll held up very well. But at least I had a nice big bag of Dutch fries with it. 

My total was about $15 each time, just a couple dollars more than Esterly’s. I would still say Mark’s is very reasonably priced, though. It’s kind of the perfect price point for a grab-and-go meal in a college town. 

And the food is good enough with excellent service that I’m not surprised they have the following that they do. 

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

Mark’s Sandwich Shop
123 West Main Street
Kutztown, PA 19530

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two unwrapped aluminum foil wrappers on a counter - one has a steak sandwich topped with sauce, the other a pile of fries
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Review: Esterly’s Sandwich Shop

single-floor home that has been transformed into a restaurant with a sign over the house that reads "Esterly's"

It feels passe to describe a restaurant as “unique” or a “hole-in-the-wall.” Every restaurant is unique in its own way. And in an age where you can look up any restaurant online, are there really any hole-in-the-wall spots left? 

If there is a unique, hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Berks County, it has to be Esterly’s Sandwich Shop. 

Esterly’s is located in the village of Bowers, three miles from Kutztown on Fleetwood Road between the Deka plant in Lyons and the borough of Topton. But more than the geographic location, it’s the physical location – what appears from the road to be a house with an open sign in the window. A small sign hangs along the road and another spans the facade above the front entrance, otherwise there would be nothing to distinguish Esterly’s from the nearby homes. 

small area in front of an order counter with a fridge in the left corner and a rack of potato chips

There is no parking lot, just five spaces or so along the street. But there’s no need for a lot of parking because there is no dining area except for the three mismatched picnic tables in the front yard.

I arrived for lunch and stepped through the front door into a small, wood-paneled room. 

In one corner was a fridge to grab your drinks. Next to it, a small rack of Martin’s potato chips. Opposite the order counter were small bench seats. After placing my order, I took a seat on one and looked around. 

Beneath the order counter were a pair of maps – one of the United States, one of the world – showing not only where customers were from, but where the cheesesteaks had traveled to. A poster next to the counter highlighted the most exotic locale – Mount Kilamanjaro. 

an order counter with two maps underneath and to the right, a poster showing Kilamanjaro

Apparently in 2013, a suitcase full of cheesesteaks made their way to Africa (with a layover in Amsterdam). Seven sandwiches were eaten on an African safari and another three were enjoyed as a reward for hikers who made the six-day trek to the top of Africa’s tallest mountain. 

My steak sandwich wouldn’t travel that far – only back to Kutztown to the Ktown Hall coworking space where I was working that day. 

The sandwich still looked pretty good after the 10-minute drive. In true Berks County style, I had ordered it topped with sauce (and onions). 

two unwrapped aluminum foil wrappers on a counter - one has a steak sandwich topped with sauce, the other a pile of fries

Esterly’s advertises it as the home of the “no-greasy cheesesteak” and that was true. There was plenty of meat on the sandwich but no grease to make the roll soggy. I might have liked a little more of the slightly sweet sauce, but it was a very good and very filling sandwich, nonetheless. 

The fries were solid too. The menu called them “grade A” and while I wouldn’t call them the best around, I still ate the whole order. (I did what I could to dip them in the sauce that was hiding out on the foil from the sandwich). 

What really separates Esterly’s, beyond the uniqueness of the location, is the price. The sandwich and fries only cost $12.50, less than you’d pay for just a cheesesteak at some places. And while I wouldn’t call it the best that I’ve had, I definitely got my money’s worth. 

If you want to get your money’s worth, bring cash because Esterly’s is cash-only. 

And I’m sure I’ll be back again, with a few dollars to spend on some good food from this unique hole-in-the-wall in eastern Berks County. 

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

Esterly’s Sandwich Shop
479 Fleetwood Road
Mertztown, PA 19539

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red tray with two baskets lined with checkered paper - one has a hot dog topped with bbq sauce, the other is filled with fries
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Review: UpDog Hot Dogs

stripmall storefront with a sign over the door that reads "Updog Hot Dogs"

Starting a business is a milestone for entrepreneurs. And hopefully for them, there are many more milestones along the way. 

UpDog Hot Dogs started out as a mobile hot dog cart in 2020. Four years later, the business celebrated a milestone with the opening of a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Blandon. 

three paintings of hot dogs on a wall above a pair of booths

The location in the Maidencreek Towne Center along Fleetwood-Blandon Road was most recently Mad J’s BBQ. That restaurant closed in early 2023, leaving the space vacant. 

After some work inside including a fresh coat of paint (although the Fleetwood Tigers logo on the wall remains), UpDogs celebrated its grand opening in August 2024. 

large vinyl decal of a tiger's face on the wall of Updog Hot Dogs

I visited for a quick lunch in mid-September, a few weeks after the restaurant opened. 

The menu is focused – just hot dogs, fries and mini donuts – but there are eight specialty dogs to choose from plus a dozen toppings to customize. You can also order a regular sized hot dog or a quarter-pound “Big Dog.” 

I went with a Big Memphis BBQ dog and a side of fries. 

red tray with two baskets lined with checkered paper - one has a hot dog topped with bbq sauce, the other is filled with fries

The dog was topped with shredded cheddar cheese, bacon crumbles, BBQ sauce and green onions. First, a quarter-pound dog doesn’t sound like much, but it’s huge. And it was delicious. The hot dog was perfect and the bacon and BBQ sauce added a little sweet and salty flavor. The bacon and onions also added a delightful crunch. 

The fries were really good, too – perfectly crispy fast-food style fries with a little bit of seasoning beyond the standard salt and pepper. 

And it was a quick meal – perfect in-and-out for a no-fuss lunch on a workday – at a reasonable price for around $10 for the hot dog and fries. 

Overall, I was really impressed. I didn’t know northeastern Berks County needed two hot dog joints (the other being Potts’ Top Dog in Topton just 15 minutes up the road), but I’m glad UpDog is here. 

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

UpDog Hot Dogs
850 Golden Drive
Blandon, PA 19510

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a plate with a cheesesteak topped with red sauce and a side of fries from Redvo Restaurant
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Review: Redvo Restaurant

roadside sign advertising Redvo Restaurant with an image of a ladle with marinara sauce

Five years ago, our family made the drive to the Oley Turnpike Dairy for the first time. The out-of-the-way diner was okay, but nothing special (the ice cream was great, though). The combination restaurant and ice cream parlor was open for 52 years before closing in August 2022.

But the space didn’t remain empty for long as the new Redvo Restaurant opened in February 2023. The restaurant is a new venture from the owners of Penn Steak & Fries, which operated in the Coventry Mall in Pottstown from 1989 until it closed prior to Redvo’s opening.

The space has certainly received an upgrade since our visit in 2018. The wood paneling has been painted a light gray and the dining area is much brighter. The wood-top tables are a big improvement over the vinyl tablecloths that I remember from our first visit.

wooden tables with black chairs in the dining room of Redvo Restaurant in Oley, PA

On the other side of the building, what was once the ice cream parlor is now empty. But when I stopped in for lunch on a Tuesday afternoon, quite a few tables were full in the dining area.

The sign said “seat yourself” so I grabbed a booth at the far end of the room and was quickly greeted and offered a menu. A minute later she was back with my drink and my order was in.

With Redvo’s predecessor being Penn Steak & Fries, I was always going to order a cheesesteak. In addition to creative sandwiches like the pepperoni cheesesteak, spicy pesto chicken cheesesteak and chipotle chicken cheesesteak, Redvo has a build-your-own option with a dozen toppings, an equal number of sauces and three different cheeses.

Though I really wanted to try the spicy pesto, I decided to stick with a more traditional “Berks County” style cheesesteak with Provolone cheese, onions and marinara sauce.

a plate with a cheesesteak topped with red sauce and a side of fries from Redvo Restaurant

After one bite, I was hooked. The sandwich was packed with perfectly prepared steak. The sauce was on the sweeter side which balanced nicely with the savory meat. And rather than a cold slice of cheese sitting on the bun, the Provolone was melted throughout so every taste was as good as the last.

The best part was that the fries were just as good. The fresh-cut style fries were crispy and flavorful – never once did I have to reach for the salt and pepper shaker. And they made for a great utensil to pick up the excess meat and onions that had fallen onto the plate.

Overall, I was really impressed by both the food and service –  and the price was right at about $15 for my sandwich, fries and drink.

While the menu does offer more than just cheesesteaks (they even serve breakfast from 6 a.m. to 12 noon every day), there’s too many cheesesteak options to explore before I branch out from there.

And I can’t wait to try them all.

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

Redvo Restaurant
6213 Oley Turnpike Road
Oley, PA 19547

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Hand holding a wrap, cut in half, filled with broccoli and rice
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Review: Betty’s Wraps

oval sign hanging from a brick building that reads "betty's wraps, smoothies, salads, soups"

During my college career at Kutztown, I had a chance to enjoy most of the restaurants in downtown, but sadly there were a few that I overlooked back then. I regret it now, but thankfully there’s still time to go back and make up for those missed opportunities.

One restaurant I regret never visiting back then is Betty’s.

In a college town filled with unhealthy choices (I still miss Spuds), Betty’s stood apart with a lighter menu of wraps, soups, salads and smoothies. Now that I’m inching closer to 40, that kind of food speaks to me a lot more than it did back then.

counter seating at a restaurant with a sign on the wall that says "Betty's"

Recently, I had the opportunity to spend a day in Kutztown, and when it came time for lunch, I made the short walk down Main Street to Betty’s.

It’s a small storefront with no more than 20 chairs, including a handful of stools along a counter by the kitchen. The tables they do have are actually pretty cool, decorated with cartoon-ish drawings that just make you feel a little happier.

Table that is painted with a cartoon drawing of a busy cafe

The menu at Betty’s may be healthier, but it’s definitely not small. There are more than 20 wrap options when you count all the hot wraps, cold wraps, specialty wraps and snack wraps. (Plus, the hot wraps can all be made into burrito bowls).  It makes it hard to choose just one.

But I settled on the Thai wrap. One of the hot wrap options, the Thai wrap came stuffed with broccoli, carrots, red pepper and rice with a soy peanut sauce.

The first thing you taste when you bite in is the peanut sauce which comes through strong, but then you get a little of the salty sweetness of the soy. The rice really soaked up a lot of the sauce, ensuring flavor in every bite.

Hand holding a wrap, cut in half, filled with broccoli and rice

The wrap was overstuffed with vegetables and after one bite there was rice and broccoli sitting in a pool of sauce on the unfolded wrapper.

Not wanting to go overboard with a smoothie, I settled instead for a flavored iced tea – peach – which was sweet and refreshing.

The food was out quick, despite the fact that I had ordered behind a group of KU field hockey players who had arrived just before me, and at around $10, the price was right.

Most of the customers that I saw coming through were doing takeout, and I would probably do the same in the future. Not that it was bad inside, but the dining area is definitely cramped and quite frankly there are plenty of beautiful open spaces in Kutztown to enjoy a meal.

And there are plenty more places – like Betty’s – that I definitely still need to try in town.

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

Betty’s
129 W. Main St
Kutztown, PA 19530

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A photo of a calzone and French fries on a dark blue plate.
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Review: Piero Pizzeria

Photo of the exterior of Piero's Pizzeria in Reading, PA

Sometimes it feels like there is an Italian restaurant on just about every corner.

While that is an exaggeration, there is no question that you can find good Italian food wherever you go in Berks County.

Like at Piero Pizzeria.

Piero is wedged in on the corner of Route 183 and Upper Van Reed Road in Leinbachs, just a short drive north of the Reading Airport and Route 222.

Photo of an order counter in an Italian restaurant. Photos of food are on the wall above the counter while pizza is on display on the counter.

The location has limited parking in the front and on the side of the building, more than enough especially if you’re just stopping in to grab takeout (though Piero does have a decent size dining area for those who would prefer to dine-in.)

Our order was prepared quick and was ready to go by the time we made our way from Wyomissing to pick it up.

Piero’s, like many Italian family restaurants, offers a little bit of everything on their menu, including pizza, subs, salads, fried appetizers, burgers and Italian dinners.

I was in the mood for pizza but didn’t want a whole pie so I opted instead for a calzone.

A photo of a calzone and French fries on a dark blue plate.

All of Piero calzones are stuffed with ricotta and mozzarella and served with a side of marinara sauce for dipping. I decided to add meatballs to mine, creating something between a pizza and a meatball sandwich.

I was not disappointed. It was really the ricotta that sets the calzone apart. The lighter and creamier cheese adds a different element than just mozzarella (as would have been in a Stromboli).

The calzone was also the perfect size for one, though I couldn’t help but order a side of fries. They were the battered kind, fried to a golden crisp and perfect for eating one after another without thinking about it.

A photo of a tuna sandwich, cut in half, with the cut side facing the camera.

Julie, meanwhile, had a tuna melt – her favorite sandwich order. The sandwich was stuffed with tuna and overflowing with lettuce and tomato. The roll was toasted perfectly. It was a very good sandwich, and Julie gave it her stamp of approval.

A close-up picture of a slice of pepperoni pizza.

And our toddler approved of his slice of pizza. Jakob enjoyed his pepperoni pizza. The thin crust pie was a solid offering, and Jakob even ate the pepperoni slices. (He has been known, in the past, to not eat his pepperoni because it is “too spicy”).

Photo of Piero's Pizzeria's ham puffs - rolled dough with ham and cheese.

We also couldn’t help but order a half dozen of Piero’s ham puffs. Ham puffs are basically pepperoni rolls – rolls of dough filled with cheese and meat – but with slices of ham instead of pepperoni inside. Piero’s uses a very good dough for all of their items and it was just as good in the ham puffs.

Our meal was enjoyable across the board. It wasn’t anything earth-shattering, but Piero delivered on everything that we tried.

For everything we got, it was right around $30, not a bad price at all for so much food.

And good food, at that.

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

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Screpesi's Ham on Roll
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Screpesi’s Sandwich Shop

Corner store with a sign with a Pepsi logo and the words "Screpesi's Sandwich Shop Pizza Homemade Meatball Sandwiches"

Berks County has its share of old-school restaurants – especially in and around the city of Reading.

Screpesi’s Sandwich Shop is one of those places, serving customers since 1949 – just four years after World War II ended.

White board with hours and sandwich prices at Screpesi's Sandwich Shop

If Screpesi’s doesn’t have the smallest menu in Berks County, it’s close. There are eight sandwiches: ham, Italian, tuna, turkey, roast beef, steak, meatball and sausage. And they have three sizes of cheese and one-topping pizza.

Deciding on a whim to get subs, I didn’t call ahead. Instead, I made the quick drive along Route 422 to Lancaster Avenue. Screpesi’s small storefront is on the corner opposite one of our favorites, Romano’s Chicago Style Pizza. Afghan Chicken & Gyro and a brand new Wawa fill the other two corners.

sandwich prep area with toppings and rolls

But Screpesi’s is smallest of the storefronts, looking like an afterthought on a block full of townhomes. Two backlit signs face the streets – one promoting pizza and homemade meatball sandwiches; the other, more faded sign promotes ham on roll, Italian, tuna and steak.

If the wood paneled walls and green tiled floor aren’t original, they’ve been there for decades. There are no seats – it’s take-out only. On one wall is a portrait of the founders, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Screpesi, dated 1949.

racks of chips and snacks and a cooler with various drinks

There were three young women – high school or college aged – working when I arrived. Two behind the counter and one who had just finished mopping. I know because she had the mop propped next to her as she restocked the potato chips. I had to climb over it to get my bottle of orange cream Kutztown Soda from the drink cooler.

Getting my food was a lot easier, and really quick. I was in and out of the shop in about five minutes, heading home with two sandwiches, two bags of chips, and the aforementioned Kutztown soda for $16.

steak sandwich with sauce and potato chips

I ordered a steak sandwich and Screpesi’s does them Berks County style – chopped steak meat in sauce with onions (and served on a roll from Reading’s ATV bakery). I didn’t expect much when I saw them dish it out from the pot on the stove, but I have to say, it was much better than expected.

What I liked most about it was that the sauce wasn’t too heavy. Most of the flavor came from the meat (and a little grease). I was honestly amazed that the soft roll stood up to the filling, but it did. And I actually really enjoyed it.

ham on roll with lettuce

Julie had me grab her a ham on roll after seeing it promoted as the “Best ham on roll in Berks County.” She had it topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato  and mayo.

Normally, she orders turkey or tuna when she gets a sub, but she thought the ham on roll was really good. The roll, itself, was very good. And all of the ingredients were good, which added up to an excellent sandwich.

It’s also worth mentioning the selection of Good’s and Dieffenbach’s snacks (I grabbed bags of Good’s chips – the red bag, of course) and local drinks that included Kutztown soda, Clover Farms teas and milk, and cans of A-Treat.

Yes, this old-school sandwich shop is about as Berks County as it gets.

BCE Rating
Food: Good
Service: Poor (For the Mop) | Excellent (for the sandwich making)
Ambiance: Fair
Price: Very Reasonable

Screpesi’s Sandwich Shop
500 Lancaster Ave
Reading, PA 19611

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Review: Matt’s Steaks – CLOSED

white sign with red letters reading "Matt's Steaks" with a phone number

Editor’s Note: Matt’s Steaks is now closed. The owner announced their retirement in November 2025. There is no word whether a new restaurant will take over the space.

Everyone wants things that are quick, convenient and quality. When you have a four-month old at home, convenience is everything.

Lining up someone to watch Jakob isn’t always easy. Even “spur-of-the-moment” decisions are not really spur-of-the-moment.

So when we decided to grab a quick bite after a recent trip to the grocery store, we had to find someplace close and fast.

That’s how we ended up at Matt’s Steaks in Spring Township.

road sign reading "today's special cheeseburgers 80 cents"

A worn-out marquee on a home across the street pronounces “WELCOME 2 WHISKEY DITCH.” Long-time Berks Countians know the area across the railroad tracks from West Lawn as Whiskey Ditch. Today, most people know the area as “West Wyomissing.”

Matt’s is one of the few businesses left in the area. The sign out front also promotes two businesses that have long-since moved to more high-traffic locations along Penn Avenue: Sprecher’s Meats and Domino’s Pizza.

rack of potato chips and a soda cooler at Matt's Steaks

But Matt’s has survived – along with a hair dresser and auto shop – since 1991. On our visit, the staff were all wearing green football jerseys with “Matt’s” and the number 91 on the front. But don’t be mistaken, these were not in celebration of the Super Bowl champions. A Green Bay Packers hard hat hanging on a post in the kitchen says everything.

order counter at Mat's Steaks

Matt’s is clearly popular. As we sat in our booth, we heard countless rings of the bell (it sounded like an old-school phone) as customers came through the door. Most of the business was takeout, but it’s a quiet spot to sit down and enjoy a meal.

Many of the customers that we saw during our visit were taking advantage of the Saturday specials: 70-cent hamburgers and 80-cent cheeseburgers. And at those prices, I can’t blame them.

But it is Matt’s Steaks, after all, so we were there for steak sandwiches.

steak sandwich with sauce cut in half from Matt's Steaks

I know it’s heresy but I’m not a cheesesteak guy. I much prefer my sandwiches with onions and sauce with no cheese.

Matt’s version is one of the best around. The soft roll was stuffed full with meat and topped with just the right amount of sauce. A base of sweet peppers (another add-on favorite of mine) made it feel like two different sandwiches – one with a little more bite than the other.

Of all of the ingredients, the one thing that made it stand out more than anything was the steak meat. It was juicy and somehow more flavorful on its own than similar sandwiches.

chicken cheesesteak cut in half from Matt's Steaks

Julie ordered a chicken cheesesteak and when offered the choice of tomato sauce or ranch dressing, she couldn’t pass up the ranch. It was a great decision as the ranch created a very different sandwich from my own.

The chicken is a lighter meat and is generally more pre-seasoned than steak. But the addition of the ranch – messy as it was, added a creamy, herby flavor that was worth savoring.

plate of onion rings from Matt's steaks

Our side order of onion rings had actually arrived first, serving as more of an appetizer. I love onion rings but I don’t order them often because they just feel so much heavier than fries.

These were your typical fast food rings, lightly salted and exactly the what I was looking for.

With the addition of two bottles of water, our total bill was just shy of $20. I’m sure the table of four behind us, all of whom were enjoying the burger specials, had a tally even less than ours.

woman and child sit in a booth at Mat's Steaks in West Lawn

I also have to give credit to Matt’s for being baby-friendly. We had Jakob along on our outing and they had a high chair ready (his car seat didn’t quite fit correctly, but that wasn’t their fault) and the customer restroom had a changing table, an all-too-rare feature as we are starting to find.

Matt’s Steaks is a friendly place that’s great for our young family, and as Jakob grows up and learns to love hamburgers, I’m sure we will be visiting more often.

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

Matt’s Steaks
57 W. Wyomissing Blvd
Reading, PA 19609

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Review: Monte Lauro European Gourmet

Man standing at the order counter of a stand with a sign that says "Monte Lauro European Gourmet Foods

A trip to Fairgrounds Farmers Market can be overwhelming for the unprepared.

There are sixty stands inside the Fairgrounds Farmers Market and at least 20 of them offer dine-in meals or snacks.

Even for Julie and I, deciding where to grab our meal is a daunting task.

On a recent Friday evening, we arrived at the market not yet knowing where to go. We surveyed our options as we paced up and down all of the aisles, hoping that something would catch our eyes.

That something was Monte Lauro European Gourmet.

Menu board at Monte Lauro in the Fairgrounds Farmers Market

The flagship location for the deli is on Mount Laurel Road in Temple (Monte Lauro is Italian for Mount Laurel) and is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays while the Farmers Market is open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

One of the advantages that Monte Lauro has over other dining options is the common dining area across the aisle. On a Friday evening, when things are a little slow, there are plenty of seats to be had (you just may need to take a napkin and clean it yourself).

The selection is both limited and expansive at the same time, with eight cold sandwiches and five hot sandwiches, many of which are also available as paninis. There are also select salad options both as entrees and sides. The only other side available is French fries.

We placed our order, took our number and grabbed a seat. It was a short wait – maybe 10 minutes – until our number was called and I retrieved the tray.

Chicken cutlet sandwich with roasted peppers, cheese and broccoli rabe cut in two halves and sitting on a paper plate

For food being served on a cafeteria tray, it looked beautiful, especially my chicken cutlet sandwich.

Sliced in half, you could see the bright colors of the roasted red peppers and spinach that the cutlet sat upon.

I enjoyed the sandwich – particularly the roasted reds – but I wanted something a little more. The cutlet was OK, but nothing special, and I would have loved another slice of sharp Provolone.

Also, the roll was very good. It was heavy enough to soak up the juice from the roasted reds, but not too heavy to overpower the rest of the ingredients.

meatball Parmesan panini cut in half and sitting on black and white checkered paper

Julie’s homemade meatball panini looked just as good with beautiful grill marks on top, a hint of red from the marinara sauce and meatballs sliced perfectly for the grill press.

It was a good sandwich. The meatballs were solid though we’ve tried better. And I would have liked a little more sauce.

With little other choices, we decided to split a side of French fries to go with our sandwiches.

order of French fries inside a paper bag

The thin cut fries were in the traditional fast-food style: skins off, cooked to a shade of golden brown and served in a paper bag. They were good and certainly helped fill us up, which is all you can really ask for from an order of fries.

Overall, we enjoyed our meal at Monte Lauro. It was fast, it was tasty and it was right around the $20 mark for the two of us.

I’d like to go back again to try the homemade sausage or one of Monte Lauro’s take-and-make Italian specialties.

Of course, we have many other stands to try first.

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

Monte Lauro European Gourmet
Fairgrounds Farmers Market
2930 N. Fifth Street Hwy
Reading, PA 19605

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