close-up of french fries and a burger with bacon and cheese on a metal tray
— Leave a Comment

Review: Louie’s Kitchen & Bar

white doors with a round sign above that reads "Louie's Kitchen & Bar"

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. 

long bench seat with chalkboard behind it and tables with orange chairs in front of it

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. 

three awards - two for hamburgers and one for cheesesteak - sitting on a wooden table

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. 

top view of a burger with cheese and bacon sharing a round metal plate with a pile of fries

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. 

close-up of a burger on the left with fries on the right. The burger is topped with melted cheddar cheese, a strip of bacon and an onion ring

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. 

close-up of a plain cheeseburger with fries on a metal plate

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. 

long steak rolls laid out on a table with a black tablecloth. Some cut portions filled with cheesesteak are set next to the loaves in white takeout boats

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. 

round metal plate with half a cheesesteak on a seeded roll topped with sauce next to an order of fries

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

More Burgers in Berks County

More Restaurants Near Green Hills, PA

Original Post: January 2023

Side of a barn-shaped building with a round sign that reads "Louie's Kitchen & Bar"

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. 

white doors with a round sign above that reads "Louie's Kitchen & Bar"

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. 

plate with two tortillas topped with chili, egg and avocado

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. 

dining room filled with orange chairs with a chalkboard on the wall filled with inspirational quotes

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. 

chicken wrap, cup of chili topped with cheese and a bag of Good's potato chips from Louie's Kitchen & Bar

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. 

metal tray with a gyro and fries from Louie's Kitchen & Bar

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

More Bar Food in Berks County

Bars & Pubs Lunch & Dinner
takeout container with lamb meat topped with white sauce, pita chips, and salad from Zaytoon Kabob & Grill in Wyomissing, PA
— Leave a Comment

Review: Zaytoon Kabob & Grill

brick facade of the stripmall storefront for Zaytoon Kabob and Grill in Wyomissing, PA

Having been blogging now for more than a decade, I can say with certainty that Berks County has grown tremendously in the diversity of its food offerings. It’s almost night and day to compare today to when I started in 2014. 

Not every new addition has been a hit, and restaurants continue to come and go. But one restaurant we hope sticks around is Zaytoon Kebab and Grill. 

Zaytoon opened in spring 2025 in the former Zoup!, in the strip mall known as the Shoppes at Wyomissing. It’s a halal grill, one of the few halal spots in the area (Aladdin in West Reading and Sajal in Kutztown being two other notable ones). 

view from a booth with green cushions looking at a selife wall with black background and green neon light that reads "Zaytoon"

The restaurant is cozy with green-tinted booth seats lining one of the walls – half of them built for four, and the other half built for two – with tables dotting the open space surrounding the order counter. A soccer match can usually be found on the lone TV in the corner. 

Zaytoon’s menu is highly focused and rooted in Middle Eastern cooking. That means beef, chicken, lamb and falafel as the stars of the dishes. On my first visit, shortly after they opened in the spring, I decided to try their lamb platter. 

takeout container with lamb meat topped with white sauce, pita chips, and salad from Zaytoon Kabob & Grill in Wyomissing, PA

It came served in a compartmentalized takeout container with the lamb meat over a bed of rice, topped with white sauce. A small salad and two pieces of pita filled the other two spaces. 

The lamb was absolutely one of the best things that I have had. It was so tender and juicy, almost melt-in-your-mouth. And the white sauce was perfect. It’s tzatziki-like in consistency, but I feel it has a more subtle flavor than most similar sauces. It really was there to enhance rather than overpower. 

About a week after my own visit, Julie stopped in with one of her coworkers. She ordered the exact same meal as I did. She also gave it a rave review. 

two takeout containers with lids open, one with a gyro topped with lettuce and the other with an order of golden colored French fries

It was so good that on my second visit, I once again got lamb. But this time, I got it in a gyro. 

The gyro was over-stuffed with meat and veggies (tomato, cucumber, shredded lettuce, and onion). Like the platter, everything was smothered in that white sauce. 

And again, the flavors were excellent. Even the few bites where I didn’t have the sauce – just meat and pita – were very good and highlighted just how flavorful the lamb is. 

My only regret with the trip was that I had ordered a side of fries that I quickly realized I didn’t need. The fries were fine, nothing special, but I didn’t need them anyway because the gyro was so filling on its own. 

Back on my first visit, I also tried their pink chai. As a lover of chai, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try this unique variation. 

It was strong, definitely real tea and not made from a powder or syrup that some coffee shops use. It had spice to it, not as easy to sip as the more Americanized lattes that are more sugar than spice, but I enjoyed it and would get it again if I needed a pick-me-up with my lunch or dinner. 

order and food prep counter at Zaytoon Kabob and Grill in Wyomissing, PA

In addition to serving delicious food, Zaytoon has good prices. Meals are priced under $15, and with it being a quick counter-service spot, it’s a great place for a quick lunch or a no-fuss dinner. 

The lamb will definitely keep me coming back. Maybe I’ll eventually try something else on the menu. But even if I just get the same thing every time, I’m glad to have it here in Berks. 

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

Zaytoon Kabob & Grill
760 Woodland Road
Wyomissing, PA 19610

More Wyomissing, PA Restaurants

Afghan Halal
— 2 Comments

Taste of Hamburg-er Festival 2017

On a rainy Labor Day weekend, the 14th Annual Taste of Hamburg-er Festival took over the streets of Hamburg, Pennsylvania.

Berks County Eats braved the weather and enjoyed some of the unique burger creations that you will only find at the festival. Here’s a look back at our afternoon in Hamburg.

Driven by Food

Black banner with white letters that read "Driven by food International Street Food"

I had not heard of Driven by Food until I saw the name on the festival website. But as soon as I saw that they were serving a chorizo burger, I knew the caterer would be my first spot.

The line wasn’t long, but the burgers were made to order so it was a good 10-minute wait until my name was called and my burger appeared in the window.

black erasable menu board with purple lights on the outside advertising a chorizo burger, PBJ burger and skirted taco burger

Chipotle mayo, cheddar jack cheese and a poblano pepper were piled atop a chorizo sausage patty.

The chorizo held its shape on the bun, but unlike a ground beef patty, this was melt-in-your-mouth. Chorizo itself has so much flavor that it made a perfect burger base.

burger topped with cheese and chorizo

While the poblano pepper served more as a garnish, the chipotle mayo added a zing to the dish. It wasn’t spicy, per se, but it was flavorful and tied all of the ingredients together.

Overall, it was an outstanding burger that I was glad I tried.

The Perk-Up Truck

Hand holding up a smoothie in front of a food truck with the name "The Perk Up Truck"

Sometimes, you just want dessert first. The Perk-Up truck is Julie’s favorite food truck. Anytime she sees it, she has to have a smoothie.

With the Perk-Up Truck parked just a few stands away from Driven by Food, she just had to stop.

A peaches and cream smoothie was her choice on the day. It was rich, sweet and creamy, everything that you could hope for from a smoothie.

It was also filling, and helped calm Julie’s hunger until we found the burger she was looking for.

Scott’s Gyro Box

white food truck with the name "Scott's Gyro Box"

I knew that I wanted to try one more burger before I left. It came down to two choices: a gyro burger from Scott’s Gyro Box or a shepherd’s pie burger from the Hamburg Diner.

Both were on the same block as Driven by Food. In the end, the long line for the diner was the deciding factor for me choosing Scott’s.

selfie of a man holding a gyro and a woman holding a smoothie

I was going to get a gyro burger, but the tropi-terranean burger piqued my interest. Similar to the gyro burger, it was served on a pita and featured feta cheese, tzatziki sauce and lettuce (the Mediterranean) with the addition of pineapple (the tropical).

To make it worthy of a burger festival, sliced hamburger patties replaced gyro meat as the dish’s protein. This change didn’t result in much change in flavor as it was still very clearly a gyro. The biggest difference was made by the pineapple which added a bright, sweet flavor that worked surprisingly well with the more traditional ingredients.

It was a good second act, but didn’t quite match up to the chorizo burger.

Salem E.C. Church

burger topped with onion straws, bacon and cheese

Proudly proclaiming that its burgers are the most heavenly at the event, Salem E.C. Church is a multi-time award winner – again this year it was judged best burger for a local organization.

After hearing about it every year, Julie decided that this was the year to try it.

woman taking first bite of a burger

The Heavenly Hog burger is topped with bacon, French fried onions, balsamic vinegar and Italian cheeses, but what makes it unique is the blend of beef and pork in the patty.

It gave the burger a different flavor, almost making it sausage-like, but not as flavorful as the chorizo. The toppings were overloaded and fell out of the bun, but what remained were good. After experiencing the other flavors, the balsamic hits. It’s a lingering taste that evokes a love or hate reaction.

It’s a good burger that aspires to be great, but for us, it didn’t quite live up to the hype.

Winners

While we tried three burgers on the day, judges chose winners in multiple categories and fans picked one winner for the People’s Choice award. Here is a full list of the day’s best burger winners:

People’s Choice
Deitsch Eck
Lenhartsville

Best Restaurant
Bull & Bear
Allentown

Best Organization
Salem E.C. Church
Lenhartsville

Best Mobile Food Truck
Uncle Paul’s Stuffed Pretzels
Hamburg

Best First Time Vendor
Video Burger
West Lawn

More Burgers in Berks County

Upcoming Food Events in Berks County

10 Listings Found
A to Z (title) Z to A (title)

More Filters

Food Festivals & Events
— Leave a Comment

Review: The Hot Spot

Farmers market stand with a sign that says "Scott's Hot Spot"

If you subscribe to the daily edition of the Reading Eagle, then you have likely seen the full-page advertisement for the Boscov’s Fairgrounds Farmers Market that runs every Wednesday.

Lately, I have been using it as a checklist and for inspiration for my blogs as I eat my way through the Farmers Market.

What caught my eye over the past few weeks was the note under the Scott’s Hot Spot section: “UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP”

Scott’s opened in 2010. A health issue forced the owner to close the stand for several months in 2015, but otherwise, it has been a staple in the market for seven years.

On April 12, the restaurant’s Facebook account announced the new owners: Roseann Rothenberger and Brian Miller, who are now running the stand and will soon rename it, “The Hot Spot.“

We decided to make it our latest Friday night stop on our Farmers Market odyssey.

The Hot Spot was certainly one of the busiest stands at the market, with a line to order and several people waiting at any given time. While we stood in line to order, we heard another customer complain about his order. “I said no onions on both,” was the cry before his food was remade.

Our food took a little while because of the line that had been in front of us. We probably waited 20 minutes before it was called and I could pick it up at the counter.

gyro with beef, tzatziki sauce and shredded lettuce on an unrolled foil wrap

My entree choice was Scott’s traditional gyro, one of the items that had been a staple at the stand (and spawned a catering trailer called Scott’s Gyro Box).

Gyros are not something that I order very often. My only other gyro in my Berks County Eats journey was from Cafe Sweet Street so I was excited for another taste.

I really enjoyed it, especially the salad base. It had a flavor that I couldn’t quite put my finger on, but it complemented the meat and tzatziki sauce nicely.

boat of fresh-cut red-skinned potato fries

It was also very filling to where I probably didn’t need my side order of fries.

But I really wanted those fries, especially after I saw that they were red-skinned potatoes.

I was slightly disappointed with them. Red-skinned potatoes have such a strong flavor compared to Idaho or russet potatoes, but the natural flavor of the red skins didn’t shine through as much as I had hoped.

For French fries, they were good. They were a little oversalted, but good. But I was hoping for more.

styrofoam container with a tuna melt and two slices of pickle

Julie was a little perplexed by her order. She got the tuna meltaway, but was surprised to find that it really wasn’t a true tuna melt.

While the bread was clearly toasted, the cheese and tuna filling were still cold. That’s not to say it was bad, but you can’t call something a tuna meltaway and then not melt the cheese.

tuna melt cut in half with the top of one removed to show the tuna and tomato underneath

Her sandwich was much smaller than mine, though she wasn’t upset by that. For her, it was just the right size.

Also, her sandwich was supposed to come with a bag of chips, but we never got them (she wouldn’t have eaten them with her meal, but we would have taken them home for later).

Overall, there was confusion at the stand, as would be expected of a new business. Because of the setup at the farmers market, you can see the kitchen very clearly and the three people behind the counter seemed to be stepping on each others toes, leading to small mistakes.

I fully expect things to get better, especially as the menu shifts with the new owners. For now though, it’s a little scattered.

One thing that is still good is the pricing. Our meals (plus two bottles of water) cost $20 and change. That’s one great thing about all of the stands at the market – there’s low overhead costs so the prices are generally lower than if you ordered a similar meal at a restaurant.

The new Scott’s Hot Spot, soon to be The Hot Spot, has the makings of a great stand. It’s just not quite there yet.

Hopefully it reaches its potential because I want to come back in a few months and enjoy something new.

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

The Hot Spot
Fairgrounds Farmers Market
2934 N. Fifth St. Hwy
Reading, PA 19604

More Farmers Market Eats

More Muhlenberg Township Restaurants

Farmers Market Meals Reviews
— 4 Comments

Review: Cafe Sweet Street

large block letters spell the word "Cafe" above a small garden area

If you live in Berks County, chances are you’ve indulged in a Sweet Street dessert at least once.

Sweet Street’s cheesecakes, pies, cakes and other tasty treats are well-known around here, and with distribution in more than 60 countries, it’s safe to say that they’re known worldwide.

But what is less well known is Cafe Sweet Street.

Steps lead to the front door of a building with four windows with awnings that say "Cafe Sweet Street"

The Cafe is attached to Sweet Street’s corporate office building on Hiesters Lane. While the parent company is all about the sweets, the cafe is more in-tune with savory foods, offering a range of hearty options for breakfast and lunch.

That doesn’t mean it escapes its roots altogether. Just inside the front door, you are bombarded with the desserts that have made Sweet Street famous. In addition to serving fresh-prepared meals, the cafe serves as a retail store, with tables full of temptations.

We saw dozens of customers come through the door while we were there, and the vast majority of them were passing through simply for the desserts.

But we were there for something more, and when it comes to lunch, there are plenty of options to choose from.

The dessert counter at Cafe Sweet Street in Reading, PA

The menu is scrolled across the entire wall, only broken up by a tall TV screen that displays the weekly specials. The wall was filled with burgers, sandwiches and salads, each one sounding more tempting than the next.

It was hard to know where to begin until we saw a sign on the counter telling of the in-house flavored sodas. The first decision was made.

While Julie grabbed a high-top table by the window, I watched as our cashier became a barista of sorts. Our drinks were not pre-made but mixed on the spot. After scooping a full cup (16 oz.) of ice, she poured in the flavored syrup. Then she sprayed in the unflavored soda and stirred it with our straws.

two plastic cups filled with red-colored sodas

I was a little put off when I saw the cups full of ice, especially after paying $3.00 ea. for the sodas, but I was actually glad to have it once I started drinking. The sodas were a little too syrupy at first, but once the ice began to melt, it helped tone it down. By the end, the flavors were just right and only a few ice cubes were left sitting at the bottom of my cup.

After a short wait, my food was the first to arrive. I had decided on the lamb gyro with a side of fries. It was something completely different for me—I had never so much as thought about eating a gyro before—but yet it seemed like the right thing to order on this day.

a gyro wrapped in foil with a bag of fries from Cafe Sweet Street

The pita was packed with grilled lamb, tomatoes, and a mound of onions. And the whole thing was oozing with tzatziki, the white Greek sauce that I mistakenly took to be melted cheese when I first saw it.

gyro meat topped with tzatziki sauce, onions and peppers

Instead I found that tzatziki is actually a yogurt-based sauce that is quite refreshing, especially given the hints of mint that work so well with lamb. It was a messy meal for sure, but one that I happily devoured.

The fries were much more familiar, but Cafe Sweet Street put a unique twist on it. The menu touted them as world famous, hand-cut, double-fried and seasoned to perfection. While I don’t know about “world famous” (I had never heard about them), they were certainly seasoned to perfection and quite addicting.

As much as I loved eating them, I was still happy that I only got a “baby” order because the regular order is a full fryer basket.

Julie munched on a few of my fries while we waited for her Caprese salad. After a few minutes, she went back to the cashier to check on it and was told “they are still working on it.” That’s restaurant code for, “sorry, we forgot to make it.”

caprese salad with red and green tomatoes drizzled with balsamic

When it arrived, it looked beautiful: red and yellow heirloom tomatoes, fresh mozzarella slices and a balsamic drip. There’s no denying that it was delicious, but we were both expecting something a little bit more for the money ($9.00).

The one saving grace about having such a light lunch was that she had more than enough room for dessert.

Ordering dessert was another cause for confusion as there was a dessert counter (sparsley filled) with individual servings plus all of the aforementioned desserts at the entrance: the whole pies, cakes and sheets. In between is the cash register which had a list of the week’s featured desserts.

As it turns out, the featured desserts are the latter, not the ones meant for consumption at the table (though it would have been quite entertaining to watch us open an 8-inch square box of the salted caramel stack and dig in).

chocolate bundt cake topped with chocolate sauce and pecans from Cafe Sweet Street

Once we got this figured out, we ordered a turtle Bundt cake to share. All previous grievances disappeared with the first bite.

The cake was topped with pecans and caramel and drizzled with chocolate sauce. The molten center was rich and gooey. In a word, it was divine.

Cafe Sweet Street, like the desserts they serve, is an indulgence. Our lunch was more than $30.00, certainly not a bargain by Berks County standards.

But there’s no denying the quality of the cafe, the same quality that goes into every goodie that rolls off the assembly line next door.

Besides, it’s good to indulge sometimes.

BCE Rating
Food: Excellent
Service: Fair
Ambiance: Very Good
Price: A Little Pricey

Cafe Sweet Street
722 Hiesters Ln
Reading, PA 19605

More Restaurants in Reading, PA

Cafes & Coffeeshops Dessert Lunch & Dinner Reviews