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 40-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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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
