There is nothing like the atmosphere at a popular coffee shop. It’s hard to put your finger on what makes it work, but you know it when you feel it.
And you can feel it when you step inside Queens’ Cafe in Wyomissing.
Queens’ Cafe has a unique location inside the Riverfront Federal Credit Union building along Keiser Boulevard in Wyomissing. It was the former home of one of my favorite restaurants, Squawk Cafe.
Despite occupying the same space, the two cafes couldn’t be more different. While I always enjoyed Squawk for the food, Queens’ Cafe feels more vibrant. The dining area is filled with bright colors – from the selfie wall in the corner to the artwork on the walls to the chalkboard highlighting the specials.
When Julie and I visited on a January afternoon, we found nearly every table full, which only enhanced the vibe. We ordered our meals at the counter and found an empty table – there weren’t many, and there were even less by the time we left.
And while Squawk focused on elevated dishes, Queens’ Cafe offers a simpler menu with classics like omelettes and pancakes at breakfast and cheesesteaks and BLTs at lunch.
The cafe serves breakfast all day so I ordered a couple of those breakfast staples: French toast with a side of homefries.
The portions aren’t huge, but they’re not small either. My French toast came in four triangles topped with powdered sugar with a cup of syrup on the side. It wasn’t fancy or inventive, just really good French toast.
I could say the same for the home fries. I opted to add grilled peppers and onions to it, and there was something about it that just tasted like homemade in the best way.
While there are certainly familiar items on the menu, that’s not to say that everything is “boring.” Julie found an exciting offering on the specials menu: the apple and brie grilled cheese.
The sandwich was on the smaller side, but packed with flavor. The sweetness of the apple played well with the creamy cheese, and the multigrain bread was the perfect counterbalance to both. It was enjoyable from the first bite to the last.
It came served with a cup of soup, and Julie opted for the vegetable. It was a little brothy, but filled with hearty vegetables like cauliflower, carrots, celery and more. Enjoyable, but not the star like the sandwich was.
Julie also got one of the cafe’s drink specials: an iced cinnamon roll matcha tea. The matcha tea was lightly sweetened with the maple syrup and topped with cold foam and cinnamon for a not-too-sweet pick-me-up.
In all, our meal cost around $35 which felt reasonable. You could certainly spend less (the tea added to the cost) and still leave full at breakfast or lunch.
I still miss Squawk sometimes, but at least I know there’s a cool new spot in its place. And I have a feeling I’ll be enjoying more meals at Queens’ Cafe in the near future.
BCE Rating
Food: Very Good
Service: Good
Ambiance: Very Good
Price: $$
Queens’ Cafe
2609 Keiser Blvd
Wyomissing, PA 19610
