white coffee cup with a drink dusted with cinnamon on one half
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Review: Deep Roots Cafe – West Reading

townhome with a white railing around the porch and a sign that says "Deep Roots Cafe"

There are many places in Berks County that can lay claim to being farm-to-table. Local restaurants often partner with our area farms and producers to provide the freshest ingredients. 

What’s less common is a local farm opening their own eatery. But that’s exactly what Deep Roots Valley Farm did when they opened Deep Roots Cafe in West Reading. 

Inside Deep Roots Cafe in West Reading with an order counter on the left and a bench in front of a window on the right

Deep Roots made its debut in February 2026, taking over the former Trish’s Specialty Cheesecakes on 6th Avenue. It makes it one of the few West Reading eateries that’s not on Penn Avenue, but it’s just a half-block away, with parking on either side of the street and the public parking lot across the street. 

The cafe is open Wednesday through Sunday, and I made my way on a Thursday morning for breakfast. One table was taken up when I arrived, but three or four were full by the time I left. The cafe sits in a townhouse setting. 

Dining area of Deep Roots Cafe with photos arranged in a mosaic pattern on a wall behind a table for two

The front door takes you onto the right hand side with the order counter and drink coolers. A small bench is available for waiting by the front window.

I ordered at the counter and took a seat at one of the tables for two in the dining area to the left. The walls are filled with photos of farm animals as plants hang above the windows. There’s a second room behind it, with a larger round table. 

plate of biscuits topped with chorizo sausage gravy

My breakfast actually arrived first. It was a plate of biscuits and gravy. While a more traditional version of the dish was available, I went with the chorizo sausage gravy. The smoked paprika from the chorizo gave the dish a slightly orange hue and – along with the other spices – gave it a nice kick. It wasn’t too spicy to handle, just that extra heat that chorizo is known for. 

The biscuits were hearty, more square-shaped than rounded, with lots of flaky layers. They soaked up the gravy nicely while also toning the spice down just a little. 

white coffee cup with a drink dusted with cinnamon on one half

My drink arrived just after my meal. As much as I love chai lattes, my chai didn’t do much to tone down the heat or to help me recover. The chai is a little on the spiced side, itself. The presentation was very nice with a mug that was partially dusted with cinnamon. 

Unfortunately, it was a little too much milk and not enough chai so the drink tasted a bit watered down. However, I made another visit just to try the chai. This time the proportions were right. If you like a spiced chai, it’s a decent option. But if you’re more into sweet drinks, this one isn’t for you. 

plants hanging above a window at Deep Roots Cafe

Overall, though, I was impressed by the cafe. The dining space was cozy, the food was good, and the price was reasonable. My biscuits and gravy cost $10 while my drink was $6. 

I’m sure I’ll be back at Deep Roots Cafe again. I want to try their “biscuit bombs,” biscuit hand pies filled with meat, egg and cheese. And it’s a nice space to enjoy a meal, get some work done or just hang out. 

And you won’t find farm-to-fork meals like this at any other coffee shop. 

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

Deep Roots Cafe
22 N. 6th Street
West Reading, PA 19611

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Review: Cheers American Bistro

sign at the entry way for Cheers American Bistro shows the retaurants hours

There are many great reasons to visit downtown Reading, but none are as high profile as the 18-month old DoubleTree Hotel.

The DoubleTree is a big deal. The hotel brings meetings, conventions and visitors that would otherwise be staying outside the city. And it also brought a highly regarded restaurant.

I have eaten in a lot of hotel restaurants, very few of them offering anything remarkable, but Cheers American Bistro gets high marks across all of the major review sites (4.5 stars out of 5 on both Yelp and TripAdvisor).

While I have wanted to go in for dinner, my first opportunity to try Cheers was a Sunday brunch with Julie and 10 members of our church congregation.

buffet table with various breakfast items including toast, potatoes and eggs

Because of our large numbers, we were seated in the Boscov Executive Board Room, a private space normally reserved for small meetings.

It was a different experience from the dining room – private and quiet with desk chairs around a boardroom table.

The brunch buffet was on the other side of two small sets of stairs. On my two trips to the buffet, I peeked into the dining room – lots of tables for two, a combination of booths and tables (and some seats that were a mix of both). If not for our large numbers, we wouldn’t have needed reservations as there were plenty of seats available.

plate with a southwest omelet and a dollop of salsa

The buffet was fairly standard. It was dominated by breakfast foods, the lone exception was the tray of meatballs in marinara sauce. After surveying the landscape, I went to the made-to-order omelet station.

Mine was stuffed with onions, red bell peppers, spinach, tomato and cheese. On the side, I had a dollop of fresh made tomatillo salsa (the three salsas were labeled – hot, hot and very hot).

The omelet was very good. The ingredients were fresh and vibrant. But the hot salsa made it memorable. It had heat but also a great flavor that accentuated the vegetables instead of hiding them.

plate with a slice of French toast, a biscuit covered in gravy and a serving of cubed breakfast potatoes

On my second trip, I loaded up on breakfast buffet staples: French toast, home fries and a biscuit with cream chipped beef.

The French toast was just a small piece, but it was rich and tasty, if a little crispy from sitting in the warming dish. The home fries were well-seasoned and enjoyable.

But the most remarkable item on the plate was the cream chipped beef. It was very rich with a buttery note. On the buffet, it seemed runny, but it thickened up nicely atop the biscuit and I found myself really enjoying it. The biscuit, like the French toast, had been on the hot bar for a little while, but it wasn’t bad.

buffet station with various pastries next to a selection of fruits

If I have one regret, it’s that I did not have room to indulge in any of the dessert pastries. The strudel bites, cinnamon rolls, Danishes, muffins and assorted breads all looked delicious.

Overall, everyone was very happy with the experience and food at Cheers. It wasn’t the variety that Wyomissing Restaurant & Bakery offers, but it was enough to please everyone at the table.

And the $14 per person price tag was in line with what I would expect to pay for a good breakfast buffet. (And you don’t have to pay to park because the restaurant will validate the parking for you, as long as you use the DoubleTree’s lot).

The DoubleTree Hotel will continue to bring thousands of people to downtown Reading year after year. Those people will come to stay, to explore and to eat.

And it will bring me back to try dinner.

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

Cheers American Bistro
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel
701 Penn Street
Reading, PA 19601

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