It’s one thing for a restaurant to get a second chance. Sometimes it doesn’t work and you end up with much of the same. But sometimes it’s a home run as new owners bring fresh ideas and a new approach.
This iteration of West Reading Motor Club is a home run.
We had first visited West Reading Motor Club a year ago when it was under the previous ownership, before it and the Nitro Bar upstairs were closed (along with Say Cheese). We had always enjoyed Say Cheese, and I had a good first impression of the Nitro Bar, but we left our meal at WRMC feeling underwhelmed.
In late 2024, the West Reading Motor Club was reopened under new management, the same team behind B2 Bistro. It had been a few years since our last visit to B2, but we had always enjoyed the food, even if the service had never wowed us.
Certainly we had some preconceived notions entering West Reading Motor Club in January.
The first thing we noticed was that despite our early reservations – 5:30 on a Saturday – the place was already busy. The dining room wasn’t packed, but there were plenty of people already enjoying their meals by the time we arrived. We were led to a table for two by the front window that looked out onto Penn Avenue.
The dining room has an elegance to it with wood floors and dark tables against brick walls. But it’s also bright and inviting, not relying on the candlelight on the table.
Our waiter, Josh, stopped by quickly and couldn’t have been more delightful or helpful. When Julie asked if they had mocktails available, he asked the bar and returned quickly to let her know that they could, then delivered her a deliciously fruit-flavored drink to go with my iced tea.
Looking over the menu, and having seen a few desserts delivered to the tables around us, we decided to skip the appetizers to save a little room at the end.
Well, to be more accurate, I decided to double-up on the appetizers and make it a meal.
I started with a bowl of their “ultimate” French onion soup. What separates this from a traditional French onion is the inclusion of braised short ribs.
The short ribs made a huge difference. It made the dish not only heartier but more savory than the standard brothy version. But everything in it was delicious, from the broth, itself, to the French bread and cheese. It’s definitely high on my list of favorite soups.
For my “main,” I ordered the grilled chopped romaine. I’ve had grilled Caesar salads before, most notably at Lancaster’s Belvedere Inn, but those were whole romaine hearts while this was chopped.
The salad was very good, not too different from a traditional Caesar, but what really set it apart was the inclusion of crispy prosciutto. This thin-sliced deli meat, not quite ham, not quite bacon, was fried and sprinkled throughout. The salty and savory bites really popped. Every bite with a piece of prosciutto was just a little better than a bite without.
Even before dessert, I was very happy with my selections.
Julie, meanwhile, ordered a more traditional dinner: the pork tenderloin roulade. Roulade means “roll,” and in this case, the pork was rolled and stuffed with spinach, shallots, sun-dried tomato, and Parmesan, and topped with a demi-glace. It was a delicious mixture with subtle sweet notes. As good as my meal was, I think the pork was my favorite (even though I only had one small taste of Julie’s meal).
Her pork came with potato puree and asparagus. Though both were good, the pork was the star.
The real star of the evening, however, may have been dessert. We ordered a slice of the chocolate layer cake, and all I can say is “wow.”
First of all, the slice was huge. (Thank goodness we skipped appetizers and saved room). It came with sliced strawberry and blueberry, whipped cream, and chocolate drizzle. What made this so good was the ganache or frosting. It was absolutely decadent. I wished I could have just eaten a bowl of it, but the cake was a nice vessel for it anyway.
After the cake, we were definitely full, but extremely happy after a stand-out meal. In total, it cost a little under $100. It’s certainly not a price we’d pay for an everyday meal, but for a romantic date night, $50 per person didn’t feel out of place.
And with food and service like West Reading Motor Club delivered, it may not be a weekly stop, but I get the feeling we will be back for more.
BCE Rating
Food: Very Good
Service: Excellent
Ambiance: Excellent
Price: $$$
West Reading Motor Club
416 Penn Avenue
West Reading, PA 19611
