blackened chicken over vegetables and salad greens from the Kutztown Tavern.
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Review: Kutztown Tavern

exterior of the Kutztown Tavern in Kutztown, PA

I’ve made many visits to Kutztown in recent years, but I spent a lot of that time trying the new and new-to-me restaurants in town that I haven’t made many return blogs. Recently, though, I got an invite to revisit the Kutztown Tavern, and I couldn’t say no. 

logo for the Golden Avalanche Brewing Company on a brick wall inside the Kutztown Tavern

It had been more than a decade since my last visit to the Kutztown Tavern. Things have changed since then. Last year, a new ownership group took charge of the restaurant and brewery that originally opened in 1999. That team includes Chef Aaron Hoppes, Bart Fenstermacher and Darren Calaman. 

Bart’s wife Erin was the one who extended the invitation for a special tasting of their menu. 

Booths along a yellow-orange wall inside the Kutztown Tavern

After we arrived, Erin showed me around the restaurant. It’s much larger than I had remembered with a spacious main dining room and multiple additional seating areas. 

rectangular bar with metal base and wooden countertop against a brick wall at the Kutztown Tavern

To the left is the tasting room. When I was attending Kutztown, this was the takeout area. Later, it was converted into a tasting room with a separate menu and tasting experiences. The full menu is now available to those dining in the space, though there is a unique drink menu. 

tables for four set up against a brick wall with wooden chair rail at the Kutztown Tavern

On the other side of the waiting area is the Club Room, a private space that can accommodate up to 36. 

Another private event space, the upstairs dining room, can seat up to 100. (This is actually where I sat the last time I visited the Tavern). 

Kutztown Tavern beer menu in front of brewing vats

When you arrive at the Kutztown Tavern, it’s impossible not to notice the large vats where their signature Golden Avalanche brand beer has been brewed since the Tavern opened. Today, they have six flagship beers and a rotating list of seasonal brews, all made in a traditional German style using German equipment. 

Custom tap for Blonde Ale with the image of a woman in a blue German dress at the Kutztown Tavern

A long, wooden bar sits to the right of the vats. While there are a couple TVs, the Kutztown Tavern is not a sports bar and you won’t see TVs strewed about in the dining area. Instead of play-by-play of the day’s games, we heard acoustic renditions of pop songs coming through the speakers throughout the restaurant. 

Two brown round plants on a ledge in front of the dining room of the Kutztown Tavern

After my tour of the restaurant, including a quick trip downstairs to see Shorty’s Bar, we were ushered back to a booth near the rear of the spacious dining room. Sunlight poured in through a nearby window, giving us more light than the bulb that hung above our table. 

Appetizers

The kitchen started us off with a trio of appetizers: cheesesteak eggrolls, hummus and chili. 

bowl of chili topped with shredded cheese from the Kutztown Tavern

I thought the eggrolls and hummus were both good, but the chili was excellent. Whenever I return to the Tavern again, I will be ordering a bowl of chili as part of my meal. It was hearty with plenty of beef and beans. But instead of heat coming in the first bite, there was a hint of sweetness that I loved. Julie and Jakob agreed, too, as we fought over who got to keep eating it. 

six cheesesteak eggrolls arranged in a circle around a center cup of marinara sauce

The cheesesteak eggrolls were solid. They’re made in house with a thick, crispy outer shell stuffed full. They needed the marinara sauce to bring it all together. While I liked them, Jakob thought they were the best thing we tried. 

bowl of hummus with large basil leaf in the center surrounded by 10 small naan rounds from the Kutztown Tavern

We really enjoyed the hummus – it tasted fresh and homemade. The addition of some fresh basil on top and throughout was a nice touch. At the restaurant, I just wish it came with pita chips instead of the little naan pieces that didn’t have much flavor to them. And even with 10 pieces of naan, there was so much hummus that we still took half of it home. (I used some of the leftovers in a wrap the next day).

Sandwiches & Salad

The second wave of dishes included a burger, a sandwich and a salad. All three were very good, and I could see myself ordering them in the future. 

cheeseburger topped with mushrooms and a side of fries with a steak knife on the plate from the Kutztown Tavern

The Tavern offers seven burger varieties on the menu. We had the Avalanche burger which came topped with Swiss cheese, sauteed onions and mushrooms. The burger patty, itself, was excellent. It was cooked perfectly with a little caramelization on the outside to hold in the juices. And it had a nice salty taste to it. It’s a great base for a burger, and the toppings worked well to give it a steakhouse-like feel. 

blackened chicken over vegetables and salad greens from the Kutztown Tavern.

Our Mediterranean salad was also very good. The blackened chicken on top was perfect – well-seasoned on the outside and perfectly cooked inside. It came atop a bed of baby spinach and assorted vegetables with bleu cheese, walnuts and a cup of creamy poppyseed dressing, which was also good and had a nice little tang to it. 

open-faced steak sandwich topped wtih Swiss cheese sitting on a plate a with a steak knife and a side of chips

I was pleasantly surprised by the French onion steak. While it comes topped with cheese, this is not a cheesesteak. It featured a black diamond filet topped with sauteed onions and a horseradish sauce, all smothered in melted Swiss atop a slice of toasted panini bread. The steak was nicely done and flavorful on its own. I was worried about the horseradish being too pungent, but it was actually flavorful without being overpowering. It added enough to make it feel like I wasn’t just eating a deconstructed French onion soup. 

Thankfully, Erin was kind enough to provide us with plenty of to-go boxes so we could taste everything without having to finish it. Despite that, we were definitely starting to feel full by this point, but there were still two entrees left to come. 

Entrees

braised pork shank atop a bed of Yukon gold mashed potatoes and gravy from Kutztown Tavern

First, we had the braised pork shank which came served on a bed of Yukon gold mashed potatoes. The pork pulled right off the bone and had good flavor, especially with the herbs that stuck to the outer skin. The potatoes were excellent. Yukon golds have such a distinct flavor that I was instantly transported back to the early days of the blog and meals at Muddy’s. I think I’ll need to order the shepherd’s pie, a dish where potatoes really shine, the next time I go. 

stir-fry with chicken, rice noodles and broccoli in a bowl with brown sauce artfully drizzled on the edges of the plate

The stir-fry was good, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as the rest of the meal. All the ingredients were there – chicken, rice noodles, onions, peppers and broccoli in a sweet and tangy sauce – but it didn’t feel like a “tavern-style” dish to me. That said, I did use it for lunch a couple days later. 

small white bowl holding a cob of bi-color sweet corn from the Kutztown Tavern

On the day of our visit, the Tavern was featuring corn-on-the-cob from Heritage Farm and Market in Fleetwood. It doesn’t get much better than local sweet corn, and Lukas agreed as I got just one bite before he claimed it for his own. 

Dessert

Because this wasn’t enough food, we also had to try two of the tavern’s signature desserts: chocolate peanut butter pie and coconut cream pie. 

Chef Aaron’s background includes a stint at the former Arner’s (now Crossroads Family Restaurant) on Route 61. That influence shows in the homemade pies.

overhead view of a plate with a slice of coconut cream pie drizzled with cream and topped with coconut flakes from the Kutztown Tavern

The coconut cream pie was a mountainous slice piled high with coconut cream filling and topped with a mound of whipped cream. The coconut flavor was more of an undertone to the light and airy cream, but it was absolutely delicious. 

overhead view of a square plate with a slice of peanut butter pie drizzled with chocolate and a dollop of whipped cream from the Kutztown Tavern

And the chocolate peanut butter pie was just as good. The Oreo cookie crust was topped with the peanut butter and cream cheese pie filling, which was then topped with chopped peanuts and chocolate drizzle. It’s decadent, but worth the extra calories. 

Needless to say, neither of the desserts lasted long enough to go in a take-home box. 

menu from the Kutztown Tavern

But we did take a lot of food home, and we did our best to get through all of the leftovers. In the end, we got to sample $135 worth of meals from the Tavern. I’ve included the prices (as of September 2026) below:

Cheesesteak Egg Rolls – $13.95
Hummus with Naan – $9.95
Chili – $5.25-$6.25 + 75 cents for “the works” toppings
Mediterranean Salad – $13.95
Avalanche Burger – $13.95 + $3.95 for fries
French Onion Steak – $16.95
Braised Pork Shank – $25.95
Stir-Fry – $17.95
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie – $7.95
Coconut Cream Pie – $7.95

Realistically, we would likely spend around $50, maybe up to $70 if we were splurging, for four meals if we were ordering off the menu.

After a delicious meal (and many more with our leftovers), the Tavern is definitely back on my radar for future visits to Kutztown. 

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

Kutztown Tavern
272 W. Main St
Kutztown, PA 19530

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Original Review: March 2015

sign over a large picture window that says "Kutztown Tavern"

Kutztown’s Main Street is one of the busiest in Berks County. An array of storefronts: shopping, services and restaurants (with a few residences thrown in) line the blocks from the edge of Kutztown University’s campus to the railroad tracks that bisect the town.

The more than a dozen eateries along Main Street cover just about every type of cuisine you could want: Chinese, Italian, sushi, barbecue, sandwiches, salads: you name it, and you’re likely to find it.

One of the most popular restaurants downtown, the Kutztown Tavern offers one of the most diverse menus in town.

Known simply as “The Tavern” to residents and students, alike, the Kutztown Tavern is housed in one of the largest buildings on Main Street. With a seemingly endless bar, a nice sized dining room and large upstairs event space, the restaurant is expansive. In addition, the building (which is actually two connected buildings) includes Shorty’s Bar, the Tavern Take-Out counter service and the Golden Avalanche Brewing Company.

Brewery equipment becomes part of the decor in the bar area as the system of vats and pipes that create the signature brew are in plain view just inside the front door.

bottle of Kutztown Red Cream Soda

Not being a fan of beer, myself, I was pleased to see Kutztown Red Cream Soda—a personal favorite of mine—on the beverage list.

A deep menu provides a wide range of appetizers, sandwiches and entrees. Everything from soft pretzels and 10 flavors of wings to Black Diamond steaks and seafood scampi. For me, a 9-ounce burger topped with Avalanche chili sounded like a winning combination.

close-up photo of curly fries and a burger topped with chili

The burger arrived on a toasted sesame seed bun. Chili poured over the edges and onto the plate below. All tavern burgers are served with lettuce, tomato and onion on the side, and I was more than happy to pile them on.

The burger was cooked perfectly with a nice little char around the outside. The mild chili added more flavor without being overwhelming (messy, yes; overpowering, no). And I certainly did not regret the curly fries, perfectly crisped, zesty additions to an already full plate.

Among the multitude of menu options are the “house smoked” offerings, three barbecue selections that are smoked in-house at the tavern. One of those—the brisket, cheddar and onion—caught Julie’s eye immediately.

brisket sandwich and fries from Kutztown Tavern

Meat and cheese more than filled the toasted ciabatta roll. The brisket was flavorful, with a fair amount of fat left on for extra flavor. The sharp cheddar worked well with the sweet barbecue sauce and grilled onions to create a delicious sandwich.

The only part of our meal that I thought could have been better was the price. The $2.89 charge for fries (instead of the standard potato chips) brought our total bill up to $35.00 for the two of us. I guess that is the cost of quality, however, as we were treated to excellent food and surprisingly speedy service.

For the past 15 years, the Tavern has been a popular go-to spot along Main Street. After our visit, it was easy to see why. When food, location, ambiance and service come together all come together, it makes for a great restaurant.

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

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cafeteria tray with a hot dog topped with bacon, a chili burger and a small order of fresh-cut fries
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Review: The Dog House in Reading

small building with a neon sign on the roof that reads "The Dog House"

Sometimes, simple is better. 

Don’t get me wrong, there are some great restaurants in Berks County that have adventurous, creative menus. But for a quick lunch or a simple dinner with the family, less is more. 

That’s the case at The Dog House. 

small dining area in a restaurant with counter seating and low-top tables for two and four.

The restaurant has been a staple on Lancaster Avenue for more than 45 years. While the sign out front is retro cool, the inside feels clean and modern with wood floors, black tables and chairs, counter seating and a stainless steel order counter. 

Above the order counter, the menu is scrawled out in colored marker on a black dry-erase board. It’s simple at its core: burgers and hot dogs (with hamburger BBQ and a pork roll sandwich thrown in) with fries, coleslaw and soup on the side. 

black dry erase board with the menu for The Dog House in Reading, PA

Simple doesn’t mean boring, though. There are more than 20 specialty dogs and burgers to choose from, everything from California cheeseburgers and Chicago dogs to local twists like the Berks County dog with American cheese, scrapple and bacon or the Pagoda dog topped with hamburger BBQ. 

I was flying solo on my visit and wanted to taste as much as I could so I ordered a Coney burger, a bacon BBQ dog and a small order of fries. 

cafeteria tray with a hot dog topped with bacon, a chili burger and a small order of fresh-cut fries

My food was out quickly – the burgers and dogs were ready and just needed assembling. I started in on the burger first, a traditional Coney burger with chili and cooked onions. The no-bean chili sauce was mild with a subtle flavor compared to the onions. The burger, itself, was a pretty standard fast-food patty so the chili did add a little extra savory flavor to it. The bun was a bit soggy by the end, but I had the fries to scoop up any sauce that fell out. 

The fries were very good, fresh-cut and piping hot. The closest comparison I have to them are the fries from the Oley Fair. I gave them a little spritz of vinegar from the squeeze bottle on one of the tables and enjoyed every bite. 

The hot dog was solid, too. It came topped with cheddar cheese, BBQ sauce and a strip of bacon. The Dog House uses Berks hot dogs, which I love. And BBQ bacon is usually my go-to burger order so I knew I would enjoy the flavor combination of the toppings. 

With a bottle of iced tea to go with it, my total was just $17. It was more than enough food (though I forced it all, anyway), and I would have been fine with either a burger or a hot dog so I count this among the best bargains out there. 

There’s nothing fancy about The Dog House. It’s good food and fast service – simplicity at its best. 

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

The Dog House
1216 Lancaster Avenue
Reading, PA 19607

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Review: Saucony Cafe – Kutztown

brick building with a sign over the doorway reading "Saucony Cafe"

I can think of several locations around Berks County that feel like a revolving door for restaurants. Each time, I think “this is the one that’s going to stick.” 

One of those locations is 100 Constitution Boulevard in Kutztown, currently the home of Saucony Cafe. 

This is actually the fourth time we’ve reviewed a restaurant in this space. One of our earliest blogs was CC’s Wooden Grill which closed in 2014. We also visited Potts’ U Hot Dogs (2016) and Mad Dogs (2018). 

Saucony Cafe took over the space in 2022, already outlasting its two most recent predecessors. It helps that the business began across town seven years earlier. 

interior of Saucony Cafe in Kutztown, PA

I arrived on a Thursday afternoon in June – the students were all home for the summer and the Cafe was quiet. It was clear they weren’t expecting dine-in guests – boxes of supplies were on a table by the front door, and the lights were dimmed at the far end of the space. 

After I ordered, I took a seat at one of the three available tables. In just five minutes, my food arrived. 

I ordered a rodeo burger – onion rings, bacon and BBQ sauce – with fries. I had watched as the burger was hand-patted while I paid so I knew it was fresh. And you could taste the difference in the first bite. 

Burger topped with onion rings, bacon and BBQ sauce with a side of fries

I’ve had many similar burgers, and this was one of the best. The twin patties were smashed thin so they caramelized on the outside. The onion rings were good, the bacon was excellent, and there was plenty of sweet BBQ sauce on top. 

The battered fries on the side were perfect for cleaning up the sauce that fell on the plate. They were hot and crispy, perfect on their own or to dip. 

With my Icy Tea, the meal came to about $18, a fair price for the portion sizes and quality. I would order again, but with a less-than-inviting dining room, I would probably stick to takeout.

order counter at the Cougar Cafe in Kutztown Park

Although this was my first visit to the Saucony Cafe, I had tried their food the prior week at the Cougar Cafe, the snack bar at Kutztown Park where Jakob was playing in a baseball tournament. 

chicken sandwich on a seeded roll with fries

On that day, I had a chicken bacon ranch sandwich. The chicken breast patty was fried to order so it came out piping hot. It was loaded with ranch dressing and bacon. Unlike some places that put strips of bacon on top, this featured finely chopped bacon which ensured that salty and savory flavor in every bite of the sandwich.The seeded roll was a nice touch. 

And on the side, I had the same delicious fries they serve at the restaurant. 

trophies on the wall of the Cougar Cafe in Kutztown Park

They also have indoor seating with sports trophies adorning the walls around the brick structure. Just be aware that the building is not air conditioned so it didn’t provide any relief from the 90-degree heat outside. 

If you’re attending an event at the park, I recommend grabbing a bite from them. And I would definitely recommend a burger from the Saucony Cafe. 

With good food like this, it has a great chance to be the restaurant that finally works in this location. 

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

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Review: Copperz Brewing Co. in Hamburg

exterior entrance of Copperz Brewing Co in Hamburg, PA

If there’s one thing that almost every Berks Countian loves, it’s a good deal. When you have kids, finding those deals is even more important. That’s why I have a guide on Berks County Eats highlighting all of the restaurants that offer free kids meals. 

On a recent Sunday night, with Julie out of town, I found myself looking for a spot to take our boys (Jakob – 8 and Lukas – 2) for dinner. 

glass with a logo for Copperz Brewing Co featuring mechancial cogs next to a table card with the same logo

I wanted to take advantage of a free kids meal, if I could, and we had several choices of where to find one on a Sunday night. One of those restaurants is Copperz Brewing in Hamburg. 

This was not our first visit to Copperz – Julie and I had brought Jakob in 2022, when it was just the three of us. This time, I had Jakob’s little brother in tow for his first visit.

We arrived just at 5 p.m. I was surprised to see so many cars in the parking lot already as that’s usually early enough to beat the crowds. Once inside, we saw a few other families taking advantage of the Sunday special as we sat in one of the last two open tables. 

wide angle view of the dining room and bar at Copperz Brewing Co

Thankfully, Copperz has a fairly large dining room with tables for six along the wall, four-seaters in the middle and plenty of bar seating. Behind our table were two large brown couches. At the opposite corner, a party of eight was gathered at tables by the door. A few more tables were set up outside, but we didn’t dare brave the heat and late afternoon sun. 

We made some quick decisions on dinner and when our server arrived to greet us, we already knew what we wanted. Just 20 minutes after we arrived and 15 minutes after we ordered, our food arrived. 

burger topped with beer cheese and bacon with a side of fries from Copperz Brewing Co

I had decided on one of the restaurant’s signature sandwiches: the brewdaddy. It starts with a pretzel bun with either a burger or chicken sandwich (I chose a burger) topped with spring mix greens, bacon, beer cheese and “a drizzle of hot honey.”

Even though I don’t drink beer, I really enjoy beer cheese on a burger or a sandwich. This was no exception. The flavor was solid – with that little bit of hoppiness coming through. The bacon was a true star, with little hints of heat and sweet pairing well with the salty bacon. 

The burger was served with fries (a slight upcharge from the chips). The golden battered dipped fries were excellent, but I couldn’t finish them as large as the burger was. 

wooden plate with half a cheese flatbread from Copperz Brewing Co

Jakob happily helped me with them. He had ordered the kids’ flatbread pizza – a half flatbread topped with sauce, mozzarella and seasonings. It’s not “real” pizza, but it was solid. And it was much better than the frozen stuff we’ve found on some kids’ menus.

And with it only being a half of a flatbread, Jakob was happy to finish off the fries that I couldn’t. 

boneless wings and fries from Copperz Brewing Co

Lukas got his own fries with his chicken nuggz kids meal. (The flatbread is the only kids meal that doesn’t come with a side). The chicken was more like boneless wings than generic nuggets. Of course, Lukas had to start with his fries – eating all of them so he only had enough room for two of his nuggets. Again, they could have taken the easy way out with the kids meal, but it felt like we got quality.

Jakob’s flatbread was $5, the cheaper of the two, so that was taken off our bill, bringing the total down to about $35, a reasonable price for three meals (with an iced tea for me and a lemonade for Jakob). 

two large L-shaped leather couches facing each other in the dining room of Copperz Brewing Co

We loved our food and had a good time. At the end of our meal though, we found ourselves waiting for our check as our server was tending the bar. But we were still in and out of the restaurant in under an hour. 

Overall, it was a great boys’ night out. And we made a great choice when we chose Copperz. 

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

Copperz Brewing Co.
798 S. Fourth Street
Hamburg, PA 19526

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Review: Nuse’s Deli – Morgantown

keystone-shaped sign with the words "Nuse's Deli"

As much as I try to get to all parts of the county, it’s easier said than done. Places with more restaurants – like Reading, West Reading, Boyertown and Kutztown – get more reviews than the rest of Berks. 

For whatever reason, the southern end of the county is the one that seems to be the hardest for me to get to. But there are great restaurants to be found in and around Morgantown – restaurants like Nuse’s Deli.

rack of chips and cookies in front of a deli counter at Nuse's Deli in Morgantown, PA

Nuse’s Deli has been serving Morgantown since 1986. New owners arrived in 2019, and they have grown and expanded in the years since. This included adding new menu items like specialty burgers and fries, ice cream and milkshakes, and a variety of sandwich options. 

In 2025, the business grew its footprint, moving to a larger space next door in the former Clair’s Family Restaurant. 

dark gray built-in bookcase on the right side of a wall that opens to an ice cream freezer on the left

I made my first visit in early April 2026, arriving a little past 12 noon. There were a couple parking spaces available in front of the restaurant along Main Street (Route 23), but I guess everyone was parked around back because the tables were packed. 

The restaurant is split into two sides. The first has a handful of booths around the perimeter with the order counter and deli case at the far end. On the other side of the separating wall is another dining area with larger tables and more booth seats, along with Nuse’s ice cream counter. 

burger topped with cheddar cheese, two onion rings, lettuce and BBQ sauce on a kaiser roll

I ordered a burger and fries, fully expecting to grab some ice cream before I left. But when the burger arrived at my table, I realized that was not going to happen. 

Somehow I missed that these were half-pound burgers. And with my Texas BBQ burger, I also got two onion rings, cheddar cheese, lettuce and BBQ sauce on top. 

I’ve had similar style burgers in other places, but this one stood out to me. And it wasn’t just the size. The sauce was just the right amount of sweet, and the onion rings were the right size for burger-toppers. There was a little too much bun, but everything else about the burger was as good as I could have hoped. 

basket of fries from Nuse's Deli in Morgantown, PA

The fries arrived five minutes later, and I was already deep into my burger. There was certainly no skimping on portions as the boat was filled with thick-cut fries. Maybe it was the fact that they were hot and fresh out of the fryer, but I absolutely loved the fries. They were golden and crispy, and they were perfect with a little dash of salt. 

My only regret is that with so much food already, there was no way I could handle a milkshake on this visit.

That will have to wait until next time. And I’m sure my next trip to Morgantown will be sooner than later. 

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

Nuse’s Deli
3146 Main Street
Morgantown, PA 19543

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Review: That Burger Place at Shillington Farmers Market

hamburger-shpaed logo for That Burger Place next to a blackboard menu for loaded fries

Over the years, the Shillington Farmers Market has been home to some of our favorite spots. Brocmar Smokehouse and Matt’s Chicken were favorites before they closed while Eve’s Thai Kitchen remains one of our go-tos. 

And now, I can add That Burger Place to the list of great offerings at the market. 

That Burger Place opened in late 2023 as Shillington Burgers and More in the former Matt’s Chicken stand. It became That Burger Place in early 2024, and last year, the business moved to a larger stand at the north end of the market.

five blackboards stacked three over two with menu items written for That Burger Place at the Shillington Farmers Market

I visited for the first time in early January. The stand was hopping at lunchtime with a line of people waiting for their food and another two people in line in front of me waiting to order. 

The menu is written out on blackboards on the front of the stand. It starts with cheeseburger combos – quarter-pound burgers with fries and a drink for $8. Other options include grilled chicken, pulled pork and chopped cheese. 

Normally, I would have started with the basics but not knowing when I’d make it back, I couldn’t pass on the January burger of the month: the French dip burger. 

burger topped with slices of roast beef next to a cup of French fries and a small container of au jus for dipping

Roast beef and Cooper sharp cheese topped the burger which came with a side cup of au jus for dipping. After about a 15-minute wait (all burgers are made to order), I got my food and headed to the upstairs seating area. 

To say I was impressed would be an understatement. The burger, itself, was delicious: perfectly cooked and flavorful on its own. The roast beef on top was also flavorful and the Cooper sharp was a great choice for the cheese – melty, but not overpowering in flavor. That Burger Place couldn’t have made a better first impression. 

The fries were also good. Though they weren’t anything particularly special, they were hot, golden yellow, and perfectly satisfying while allowing the burger to be the rightful star. 

food wrapper opened with a burger topped with lettuce, tomato and onion next to a pile of golden yellow fries.

I enjoyed the meal so much that I had to go back for another taste. This time, it was a simpler burger. 

The standard toppings are cheese, mustard, ketchup and pickles. I prefer the classic lettuce, tomato and onion so I passed on those toppings and spent the extra dollar for the veggies while also adding some BBQ sauce. It was about a 10-minute wait while they made everything fresh, then I made the short drive home rather than eating at the market. 

Everything traveled very well. The burger was excellent again with the patty showing a nice caramelization as it hung out the sides of the bun. It was good from the first bite to the last. The fries also held up well on the trip home and remained crispy. 

The prices are excellent, too. The French dip special was $13 for the combo while my custom burger combo was still less than $10. Two meals for less than $25 is a great bargain, but the best part is that That Burger Place doesn’t sacrifice quality for those prices. These are some of the best burgers in Berks at half the price of a sit-down restaurant. 

I know I’ll be paying more attention to their monthly burger specials, looking for an excuse to return. Not that I need one, the burgers at That Burger Place are just that good. 

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

That Burger Place
Shillington Farmers Market
10 S. Summit Avenue
Shillington, PA 19607

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Review: State Hill Craft Cocktails & Kitchen

exterior of State Hill Craft Cocktails and Kitchen in Wyomissing, PA

While we’ve found a lot of great restaurants around Berks County, Julie and I are always on the 

lookout for date night options – places to go when we can leave the kids with their grandparents or a sitter for a couple hours. 

One of the places that has moved near the top of our list is State Hill Craft Cocktails & Kitchen in Wyomissing.

Yellow string lights hang over a patio at State Hill Craft Cocktails and Kitchen in Wyomissing.

State Hill Craft opened in 2023 in the former Tino’s/Santino’s along State Hill Road. It’s always been an awkward location with limited parking. That was partially solved when the restaurant purchased the adjoining property and expanded with a new patio and larger parking lot. Even so, we still found a full parking lot when we arrived for dinner on a Friday night in December. 

We had reservations, so we weren’t worried, but it turned out the crowd was for a private party on the patio and there were plenty of tables for us in the main dining room. 

Restaurant dining room with a Christmas tree lit with yellow lights next to a table for four with a black tabletop and blue leather chairs.

We were seated at a table for two at one end of a large oval-shaped banquette. Julie sat on the blue leather booth side while I took the chair. Behind me were two tables against a wall with two mirrors. More black tables with blue chairs lined the front wall. 

Our first trip to State Hill came in November 2023. I wasn’t writing reviews at the time, but we were incredibly impressed with our meals that night. 

brown colored mushroom pasta topped with bean sprouts

I had the umami bomb pasta – a mushroom-infused pasta dish with miso cashew cream while Julie had the coho salmon. It was absolutely excellent, and while the gray-tint of the pasta didn’t make it the most appealing visually, the earthiness of the mushrooms combined with the nutty sweetness of the miso cashew was so good. 

But by the time I got back to writing reviews, they had already swapped out their seasonal menu and the pasta was gone. 

The menu has morphed many times since our visit, and the latest iteration came out in November. It’s a mix of large and small plates with a few sandwiches and burger options. There’s nothing quite as adventurous as the umami bomb, but even familiar items had a little bit of a unique twist to them. 

a burger with cheddar cheese and a brioche bun next to a pile of fries topped with garlic and parmesan.

For example, my billionaire smash. The traditional smashburger got an upscale makeover with wagyu beef, truffle aioli, bacon onion jam, smoked cheddar, lettuce, and tomato. 

As much as I love a good aioli, it was the bacon jam that made this a great burger. The salty-sweet combination is just a great addition. I had just a few bites where I didn’t get enough of the jam, but others where it really shone through. 

The fries were also delicious. It didn’t list it on the menu, but I’m guessing it was garlic, parmesan and herbs. They were addictive, and I just had to finish them, even after I was full. 

Julie ended up taking some of her meal home. She had the wagyu meatloaf which came with an applejack demi glace, garlic mashed potatoes, asparagus and crispy shallots. 

Like my burger, the wagyu beef had a deeper flavor than regular ground beef to start. But the applejack demi-glace, with its sweetness and little bit of bite to it, was excellent. It made it feel like something more than meatloaf. 

three bao buns filled with beef next to a cup of sauce for dipping.

Part of the reason that she took half of it home was that we started with an order of birria bao buns. 

The fluffy buns were filled with birria-style short rib, red onion, cilantro, and mozzarella. On the side was birria consomme. We found the consomme to be more like a spicy chili rather than a traditional broth, but I really enjoyed it. The bao soaked it up well and we each finished off one-and-a-half of them before our entrees arrived. 

Overall, it was a great meal for a great date night. 

Two glasses - one with a red drink, the other with iced tea, on a table with a lit Christmas tree in the background.

In addition to the food, Julie had a strawberry “no-jito” mocktail that she really liked, and I had my unsweetened iced tea.  We spent $65 after using a $10 off coupon. Even at full price, it felt reasonable for the quality of the food. 

State Hill Craft impressed on our first visit and our latest visit, and we are looking forward to more impressive meals to come. 

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

State Hill Craft Cocktails & Kitchen
1 Wellington Blvd
Wyomissing, PA 19610

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burger and fries in a basket, the burger has the top bun off showing white cheese covered patty on one side and a red steak sauce on the other
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Review: Black Sheep Tavern

A sign reading "Closed for violation of national prohibtion act" on a wood post next to a dark green bar.

In September, Julie and I made our first visit to the Black Sheep Tavern. As is the case with nearly all of our blogs, we went unannounced so we could get a true feel for the experience and the food. No special treatment. No free meals. 

When the owners saw the review, they invited me in for a second visit to meet with them and to learn more about the history of the building. (And they did offer us a free meal this time). 

Two chairs sit in front of a brick fireplace that has a digital fish tank where the fire would have been.

So on a Sunday in early October, we drove out Fritztown Road once again, this time to meet with Darrell and Carol. From the first introduction, it was clear how much the tavern and its history means to them. 

A Deep Connection

Black picture frames hang on a wall with assorted old photographs and advertisements.

Darrell’s personal connection with the building goes back to his childhood. His father was a friend of the owner so he spent a lot of time during his childhood hanging out at what was then Die Scheier (“The Barn” in Pennsylvania Dutch). 

Exposed dark wooden beams highlight a dining room with wood-paneled walls.

Standing in the main dining room, he points to the patches of lighter color on the wood-paneled walls. A small strip by the bathroom door was where the pool cues hung. Photos of Italy hung in a row along the opposite wall. After the walls were cleaned, it left these small hints to old decor, the places where the wall protected from the cigarette smoke that filled the room decades ago. 

Cleaning the space was no easy task, nor bringing the building back to life after 25 years of sitting vacant. Darrell said that it was 22 months from the time he bought the building until the Black Sheep opened in the spring of 2025. 

Two chairs sit in front of a brick fireplace that has a digital fish tank where the fire would have been.

And that doesn’t include the months it took just to get in touch with the right people about purchasing it. Spring Township had all but given up on finding someone to fix up the property and at first wouldn’t answer Darrell’s calls. 

But thankfully they did because the owners have taken great care of the century-old property that served as a speakeasy 100 years ago. 

The Original Speakeasy

A wooden barn door hinged on a wall with green paint on top and the bottom boards removed inside the basement of the Black Sheep Tavern.

While upstairs is a gorgeously remodeled bar and restaurant, the downstairs is where men gathered in secret to enjoy drinks and other illicit activities during prohibition. (The owners joke that in the 1920s, “it offered drinking, gambling, and prostitution but today it only offers two out of three, you decide which two”). 

A yellow ladder leans against a stone fireplace in the basement of the Black Sheep Tavern.

Back then, the property was owned by Ralph and Anna Riffert. They operated a legitimate business, as well, installing a gas pump to make it one of the only service stations along the stretch of Fritztown Road while Anna’s ham sandwiches drew in repeat customers. The Black Sheep upholds that tradition with Anna’s ham and cheese sandwich as a staple of the menu.

A dust-covered wooden bar sits in the basement of the Black Sheep Tavern in Sinking Spring, PA.

Darrell and Carol took us on a tour of the downstairs where the original bar still sits. According to Darrell, the last time the basement was used was during the 1970s, and that was only for band practice. It hadn’t served a drink for decades at that point. 

An old wooden back bar with one drawer pulled out and sitting on top sits against a green wall in a darkly lit basement.

The original wooden bar looked like it could use some TLC but otherwise had survived rather well. Behind it was the metal sink and a wooden back bar that was looking a little worse for wear. 

A wooden staircase dead-ends at the underside of a floor in the Black Sheep Tavern in Sinking Spring, PA.

A staircase on the right dead-ends now, hitting the floor of the dining room. A hidden door would have opened here 100 years ago, letting thirsty patrons downstairs to their true destination. 

Attention to Detail, Rooted in Community

A woman tends to dishes behind a u-shaped bar with dark green wood panelling and black leather stools.

While the family is working to clean up and restore the downstairs, it won’t quite be original. That’s because much of the usable material from the basement was incorporated into the upstairs remodel. The original floorboards – the usable ones at least – are now the floor of the game room. The sink from the downstairs bathroom was also moved upstairs (the antiquated style required a variance). And wood panelling from the walls became the front of the upstairs bar. 

Hearing Darrell talk about every detail, it’s clear how much he cares about the building. Restoring it has been a labor of love for Darrell, Carol, and Darrell’s 91-year-old father who has done much of the woodwork, including customizing the server stand by the kitchen door. The stand, which he cut from eight foot to six foot, came from the former American House which operated just up the road in Fritztown. (Darrell told me that the American House had its own hidden history as a stop on the Underground Railroad). 

Dining table made out of an old bowling alley with narrow slats of light-colored wood

And the dining room tables? Look closely because they are made from the alleys of the former Berks Lanes, now Bowlero. The lanes were repurposed into tables for the bowling alley’s onsite restaurant then known as Gilligan’s Pub. The pub’s former cutting boards are also now serving as tables inside the Black Sheep. 

two hands holding a black-and-white covered composition book that reads "Wilson High School Alumni Roster."

The Black Sheep obviously takes pride in local history. That extends to Wilson High School where Darrell is an alumnus. (His father graduated from the former Sinking Spring High School). When they found out Julie was also a Wilson grad, they insisted that she sign the alumni book, an old black-and-white covered notebook where line after line of Wilson and Sinking Spring graduates have signed their name and year. 

Another Fine Meal

The challenge for the restaurant and bar is to live up to the building’s rich history, and so far, they are succeeding. In addition to our tour, we also had another great meal. 

A cup of maple syrup sits in the middle of a basket of sweet potato fries.

It started with an order of sweet potato fries as an appetizer. Julie had tried them when she came with some work colleagues a few weeks prior, and they were very good. The waffle-cut fries were served with a sweet maple dipping sauce. It was almost like eating sweet potato pancakes. 

A burger sits in a basket with black and white checkered paper. The burger is topped with pepper-infused cheese and sitting atop a bed of French fries.

Our meals came out a short while later. On our last visit, I had enjoyed the rumrunner burger but I wanted to switch it up this time. So I decided to try the Virginia Hill burger. Named for the former girlfriend of mobster Bugsy Siegel (who also has a sandwich named after him), the Virginia Hill is a blended burger with onions and jalapenos cooked into the patty, topped with pepperjack cheese. 

It was flavorful, but I wouldn’t say it was spicy. The peppers didn’t overpower the burger, just adding little hints, enough that I quickly went through my glass of iced tea, but not enough that I ever felt a burning. It was a very, very good burger. 

Even though we had the sweet potato fries, I still got regular fries as my side. They were crispier than last time, maybe slightly overdone, but still good. 

A chicken sandwich with the top bun off is topped with pastrami and sauerkraut as it sits in a bakset wtih black-and-white checkered paper.

Julie passed on chips and fries with her sandwich, the Bugsy Siegel. (Look at us making the perfect pair). Julie chose grilled chicken for the protein, saying she wasn’t feeling a burger that day. And the sandwich that came topped with pastrami and kraut. 

The chicken and pastrami played better together than she expected, and everything on it was cooked well. The sandwich also came with mobster sauce, which she described as like a Thousand Island but with a little kick to it. But it was a good kick that helped pull the whole sandwich together. 

Slot machine type skill games fill a small room with antique wood flooring at the Black Sheep Tavern.

Even though we were offered dessert, we had to pass, and instead spent another 20 minutes or so talking about little details about the tavern – like the original supporting posts and beams, the nearly hidden stained glass window by the front the door (custom fitted by Darrell’s father), and the digital fish tank that is framed out by the historic fireplace in the corner. 

As much as we enjoyed our first visit to the Black Sheep Tavern, we appreciate it so much more now. 

We will definitely be making more visits. There are more stories to hear, and a lot more food to try, too. 

Original Review: September 16, 2025

brick building with an oval sign on the front reading "Black Sheep Tavern"

Speakeasies hold a fascination in the American mind a century after prohibition came and went. 

Last year, we visited A Light in the Attic, which bills itself as a “modern speakeasy.” It’s a fun concept. They did up the theme with a bookcase at the top of the stairs and a curtain keeping the restaurant “hidden.” But that’s all it is, a concept.

The Black Sheep Tavern really was a speakeasy. 

dining room wtih a U-shaped bar in front of a large stone fireplace in the corner with a few tables with black chairs scattered around

The restaurant and bar opened at the former Camelot Inn on Fritztown Road in the spring of 2025. The building’s story is told at the bottom of the menu. Apparently it was owned by Ralph and Anna Riffert during the 1920s, and they operated a speakeasy throughout Prohibition, “despite paying fines for selling alcohol, gambling, and other illicit activities.” 

It’s certainly ironic that 100 years later, guests not only can pony up to the bar for a drink but sit down at a skills machine. 

The skills machines are set in a back room off the main dining area which is filled with low- and high-top tables with a banquette along the wall. The U-shaped bar takes up most of the second half of the space.

restaurant dining room with tables with black chairs and a long green banquette on one wall, the wall is wood paneled with vintage signs hanging on it

It was quiet when we arrived for lunch on Friday, just one other table filled, though a few people arrived later during our visit. Our server was fantastic throughout, and I suspect she would have been great even if she would have had a full dining room. But she came to our table quickly to get our drink order and answered all of our questions about the menu. 

And we did have a few questions because all of the sauces have names that are connected to the restaurant’s theme, like sheep sauce, rumrunner sauce, and mobster sauce. 

burger and fries in a basket, the burger has the top bun off showing white cheese covered patty on one side and a red steak sauce on the other

My burger came topped with rumrunner sauce, which is their homemade version of A1. It also featured Cooper Sharp cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onion. 

The burgers are listed as hand-patted, and you can tell by the thickness. It was a hearty meal, and a delicious one. The sauce was really good – I love steak sauce on a burger – and it worked well with the creamy Cooper cheese. 

I opted for fries on the side which were also very good, lightly seasoned with salt and pepper. 

basket with a burger and fries, the burger has the top bun off with a ketchup-mayo mix on it and yellow cheese on the patty

Julie had fries with her burger, the Bulger, which came topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and sheep sauce. Sheep sauce is their ketchup-mayo mashup and Julie enjoyed every bite of her burger. 

And while Julie also found the fries to be OK, she had the opportunity to go back a few days later with some of her coworkers. Her recommendation: get the sweet potato fries with the dipping sauce. They are totally worth it. 

Our visit ended up being a perfect lunch. The food was out quick, too, so we were in and out of the restaurant before anyone could miss us at work. And at $40 for burgers, fries and drinks, it felt like a fair price, too.  

Maybe the experience is a little different during busier times – we drove past on a Sunday afternoon and there wasn’t a space to be had in the parking lot – but we really enjoyed our experience. (Obviously, Julie already went back for more). 

The history of the building is fun, but thank goodness we’re not living with prohibition because it means I can blog about it without risking a raid. 

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

Black Sheep Tavern
665 Fritztown Road
Sinking Spring, PA 19608

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green plate with two big pancakes drizzled in lemon cream cheese with whipped cream on top
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Review: Quality Shoppe

exterior of the Quality Shoppe in Kutztown

Quality is a word you’ll see in the marketing materials of many restaurants, but in Kutztown, one restaurant puts it in their name. 

The Quality Shoppe is located off Main Street in the Dollar Tree strip mall on Constitution Boulevard. It takes up the corner space in the strip, the words Quality Shoppe over the door are the only hint that there’s a restaurant inside.

Quality Shoppe’s dining area is bigger than it looks like from the outside, partially because the grill is located at the counter service area at the front of the shop. The back half of the space opens into a dining room with booths lining the walls on both sides and tables spread out in between. 

long wooden table with eight wooden chairs in the dinring room of the Quality Shoppe in Kutztown

My first visit was for breakfast. We were seated at a booth not far from the counter seating at the front of the restaurant. The service was quick – it has to be because the food is coming in and out of the kitchen in a hurry. 

The breakfast menu is fairly extensive but rooted in traditional diner favorites like pancakes, eggs, and French toast. But within each there is plenty of variety plus daily specials. 

green plate with two big pancakes drizzled in lemon cream cheese with whipped cream on top

One of the daily specials on my visit was lemon cheesecake pancakes – a dish that sounded so sweet that I couldn’t resist. 

Two heaping pancakes arrived topped with creamy cheesecake frosting, lemon sauce and a large helping of whipped cream on top. I immediately regretted ordering a side of potatoes, but I did not regret getting this sweet treat. 

The lemon sauce had the sour notes you expect, but mixed with the incredibly sweet cheesecake and whipped cream, it wasn’t overpowering. In fact, they balanced out very well. Quality Shoppe does these special cheesecake pancakes and French toast often and I would definitely try another flavor in the future. 

white plate with home fried potatoes and strips of bacon

I mentioned the side of homefries. While I should not have had them, I was almost glad to have something non-sweet just to break up the sweetness bite after bite. They were good, too. They had a nice crispy edge to them. Nothing fancy, just a diner staple done really well. The same could be said about the crispy bacon strips. These came with the pancakes – though they were also completely unnecessary with how large the stack was. 

I finished most of my meal, which totalled around $18 with a drink. 

The next time I stopped in at the Quality Shoppe, in early May, it was lunchtime. Like breakfast, the lunch menu is mostly no-frills diner food with a few daily and weekly specials. There are sandwiches, wraps, burgers, and entrees. 

round blue plate with a burger top bun off topped with cheddar and BBQ sauce and a side of fries

I decided on a burger for my meal – the Texas BBQ burger to be specific. It came topped with fried onions, cheddar cheese and barbecue sauce. 

It’s not the fanciest burger you’ll find in Berks County, but it was good. The BBQ sauce was simple but did the job to give that little bit of smokey sweetness. 

All of the burgers come in either four-ounce patties on a regular roll (like mine) or an eight-ounce on a Kaiser roll. The four-ounce burgers also come with a side of fries, which I really liked. They’re fresh-cut and sliced thin. And there was no skimping on the portions. 

The burger meal was actually a really good deal: it was less than $10 (my drink put it over that mark) and like all good diners, it came out quickly, which is exactly what I’m looking for at lunch time. 

I would say that breakfast was my favorite of the two, but for a reasonably priced meal, good service, and quality food, the Quality Shoppe is a great option. 

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

Quality Shoppe
45 Constitution Blvd
Kutztown, PA 19530

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styrofoam clamshell with a pulled pork sandwich and fries from Mountaintop Bistro
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Review: Mountaintop Bistro at Bouchette Vineyards – CLOSED

setting sun illuminating the side of a large yellow-tinted building with a pergola and food truck in front

Editor’s Note: Bouchette Vineyards & Winery closed in August 2026. The owners say they plan to continue operating the Mountaintop Bistro as a food truck at local events.

Tucked away in the northwest corner of Berks County, the village of Bethel is a quaint little country crossroads. It feels a world away for many in the other corners of Berks County, though it’s an easy side trip for thousands of motorists traveling I-78 every day. 

If you exit the Interstate, you’ll find a couple blocks of old buildings, including at least one log cabin that’s been added on to. It’s mostly residential with only a few businesses, one of those being Bouchette Vineyards & Winery. 

black painted food truck with a circular white logo that reads "Mountaintop Bistro Est. 2025"

Bouchette opened the winery in 2017. In May 2025, they added something new: an on-site food truck called the Mountaintop Bistro. 

We hadn’t visited the Bouchette before, but the menu at the food truck features two of our favorite things, smash burgers and BBQ, so we had to make the 30-minute drive from Wyomissing to check them out. 

outdoor tables and chairs, including firepits and wicker sofas under a pergola

We pulled in around 5 p.m. on a Saturday night, Julie and I taking advantage of a babysitter to have a night to ourselves. There was a couple waiting for food and another person waiting to order when we got into line. We had to wait a couple minutes to place our order as the food truck was a one-man show, with one person both taking and making the orders. 

But that gave us time to figure out what we wanted. Then knowing that we had a few minutes before the food would be ready, we headed inside to check out the winery options. 

wooden shelf filled with bottles of wine and cans of hard cider

Bottles of various varietals and vintages line the shelves inside the door. There is also an assortment of hard cider in cans in one corner. 

The bar is small with four chairs and room for another person or two to stand. In addition to wines and ciders, they also offer wine slushies. (The featured flavor while we were there: black cherry merlot). 

bar at a winery with four stools in front of a metal bar structure

Julie sampled some of the wines and ciders and decided to pick up two cans of cider to take home while enjoying a glass (or plastic cup, in this case) of Daybreak, their strawberry wine. Julie is a fan of sweet wines, and this one was on the sweeter side but not overly so. It had a freshness to it with a subtle strawberry flavor that she really enjoyed. 

styrofoam clamshell with a smashburger and fries from Mountaintop Bistro

She sipped it while she ate her Classic Smash smashburger. It featured two three-ounce patties on a Brioche roll with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, ketchup and burger sauce (and mustard, which Julie opted out of). 

The burgers were made fresh, and the patties had good flavor on their own. And there was plenty of fresh flavor coming from the toppings, too. The Brioche roll was the perfect choice because it held everything together nicely.

styrofoam clamshell with a pulled pork sandwich and fries from Mountaintop Bistro

Not being a drinker, myself, I settled for a can of Sunkist to go with my pulled pork sandwich. That was my choice for dinner, and it was a good one. The pork is marinated in their apple hard cider and topped with coleslaw on the same Bricoche bun. 

The pork was perfect. I could taste hints of the cider in every bite, kind of like how you can taste the subtle notes of the alcohol in a whiskey BBQ sauce. The coleslaw was also very good, the cabbage adding a little crunch to the dish. 

Both of our meals came served with French fries (and their French fry dipping sauce). They were absolutely delicious: fresh cut and reminiscent of the Oley Fair fries. The dipping sauce was like a Chick-fil-A Sauce. I passed on it, but Julie liked it. 

picnic tables on a lawn next to a pavilion filled with bistro tables and chairs

There are three distinct seating areas at the winery: a pergola with cushioned chairs and fire pits; a pavilion with bistro tables and chairs; and a collection of uncovered picnic tables. Even though others came and went while we were there, we had the pavilion to ourselves so Julie and I sat and talked long after our meal was done. 

We were there long enough that we decided to go back inside to pick up a couple bottles of wine to take home (including the Daybreak that she had just enjoyed). 

corner of a small room with vintage and country decor including hand-painted vertical welcome signs against a wall on the left and paintings hanging in the far corner

In all, we spent $25 at the food truck and about $50 for wine and cider. And though Julie and I enjoyed our date night, the setup makes it a place where we could bring the kids if we wanted. 

And maybe we will next time (I’m sure there will be a next time) because both the winery and the Mountaintop Bistro exceeded our expectations. 

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

Mountaintop Bistro
at Bouchette Vineyards & Winery
9684 Old US Route 22
Bethel, PA 19507

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