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
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Original Post: January 2023
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
