GoReadingBerks · Bars & Taverns Archive
Bars of Reading & Berks, 1988
Suds Kroge and Dregs Donnigan's last and final crawl through every taproom, sudsery, and Go-Go joint in the county — one mug rating at a time.
Suds Kroge and Dregs Donnigan published the book “Bars of Reading & Berks” in 1988. The authors had previously written four other guides: “The Bars of Reading,” “The Bars of Berks,” “Eat,” and “Eat II.” The authors' real names were David Wardrop and Bob Weirich, Jr. Dave was known as Dregs, and Bob was known as Suds. They visited every bar in town to write the Beer Drinkers Guide to the Bars of Reading in 1975. Being high school teachers and understandably concerned about how their book would be taken in the community, they chose to use pen names that stuck with them through four more volumes.
It was at Wilson High School, where Wardrop taught industrial arts and Weirich taught English, that the duo hatched the idea to hit every bar in Reading. Wardrop, who began teaching at Wilson in 1963, was already a member of an extracurricular teachers' group called W.A.L.B. (We All Like Beer). When Weirich joined in 1969, the duo began researching local saloons to find an optimum drinking spot for the group's monthly meetings. From these inauspicious roots grew the book.
Suds and Dregs became something of celebrities, and not only in Reading. They appeared on the “Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson and were written about in many national newspapers. They followed the first book with one on Berks County bars, then books called Eat and Eat II, before revisiting every bar in Reading and Berks County to write their last book in 1988.
Each bar got a 1 to 5 mug rating, an address, a quote from a manager or regular that typified it, a note on what you'd likely see (or not see) there, and a one-line summary — all delivered with wry humor that could be either lighthearted or biting, but never dismissive. When a bar was a filthy disaster, they said so; when it was a rough gem, they said so; when it was a fern bar, they said so.
The rarity of the book makes it a valuable addition to any book collection. In addition to bar ratings, the book includes illustrations, a historical account of breweries and taverns, and a detailed case study of their impressive feat of visiting 24 bars in 11 hours (with a designated driver).
133→109City taprooms, 1975–1988
238→200County taprooms, 1977–1988
188County bars visited for “Best Of”
24 / 11 hrsBars hit in the case study
The Bar Reviews
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| Bar | Address | City/County/Go Go Bar | Décor | Clientele | Pastimes | Beer | Food | Comments | Bar Rating | Composite Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10TH AND MARION CAFÉ | You guessed it! | City | Capped and Canopied | Over and Under | Cohabitating | 5 domestics @ 40c on tap | Chili Dogs, “Calif. Fish,” and “Pickled Egg” | “Subway” men's room and lots of stools. It's not “Sassy's” anymore but it could be much worse. | 3 Mugs | |
| 18TH WARD CAFE | Belvedere and Morgantown Rds. | City | Nice Patina | Tatooed | Pool, Short Board, Electro Darts, and other pleasant diversions | 6 domestics @ 45C on tap | French Bread Pizza to Crab Cake Sandwiches | Worn but friendly, the 18th Ward boasts a nice tin ceiling, mini-skirted barmaid and a colorful crowd. QUOTE: “You should be here when it's jumping with the Rugby team and the bikers.” | 3 1/2 Mugs | |
| ????????? TAVERN | Rte. 724, Between Douglassville & Birdsboro | County | Teeny-Tiny Country Deco | “How long have you been out of work?” | Reducing Vocabulary to the Bare Essentials | 90C per long neck | Racked, Jarred and Candy Barred | The world's smallest trophy fish, shrunken heads and other interesting characters, a parking meter, and 8 bar stools are packed into a bungalow-style room the size of Sammy Davis' closet. The side room has a working pot-bellied stove and darts. Old refrigerators stand guard over a Madonna in the backyard. We like this place, whatever its called. | 4 Mugs | |
| ADAM'S APPLE | 935 South St. | City | The outside “bar” is much better than the inside bar | Believe the Ads | Estimating Mr. Lee | Expensive bottles only | Full “Idea-of-the-Month” fare | Another place with great potential. The beer garden with a panoramic view of the city is outstanding but the inside is iffy and the restaurant seems to change names constantly. | 2 Mugs | |
| ADAM'S HOTEL | Adams Hotel Road, East of the Shooey Brick Plant | County | Country Ooze | American Gothics | Knocking Their Clackers | Bottles only @ 50-80C | Chicken Gizzards, Beef Tongue, Blind Robbins, and Sandwiches | This is one of the top 5 unchanged, unmodernized, untouched antique bars in Berks. And Verna is a classic in her own right. Come visit on Verna's birthday, March 7, and drink a few. QUOTE (Verna to Beam-Me-Up Bobby): “Do you play pocket pool?” | 5 Mugs | |
| AL & MARY'S | 8th and Greenwich | City | Diamond In The Rough | Welfare Regulars | Pinball, Pac Man and Jigsaw | 40C Schmidt's draughts served from Beermeister | Pizza Pie, Chuck Wagon Beef and freshed-up micro pretzels | The rough almost overshadows the diamonds here but the gorgeous stamped tin ceiling and walls and the 100-year-old bar and back bar, along with the original orange safety machine in the men's, brought nostalgic tears to our eyes. Jack and the rest of the BTA would love this place, but the sign on the ancient men's room door sums up the neighborhood's current status — “Towels, Soap, Water and Service cost money - Patronize or Tip.” | 3 1/2 Mugs | |
| AMERICAN HOUSE | 2325 Railroad Ave., Leesport | County | Priceless Old and Below-Cost New | Red-Necked Speed Freaks | Doing It In The Dirt | 3 domestics @ 35C + 1 import on tap | Pickled Chicken Gizzards (10C), Sandwiches and Snacks | The American has a basement men's with an attached iron-pumping annex, intricate 1890's back bar, rare “Sunny” clock, antique juke and Old Reading blackboard in a “renovated” mid-1800's hotel. NOTE: Real Darts spoken here. | 4 Mugs | |
| APRIL'S | Front and Elm Sts. | City | Constantly Changing | Salesmen | Sidewalk Sales | 75C per Pony | Pigs Feet, Hot Sausage and Fresh Columbian Pickles | This neighborhood is so bad that we spotted ornamental cement lions CHAINED to a porch. As we approached April's from our parking spot we heard a cry of “White Meat” from a porch. Good thing we wore throw-away skivvies that night. | 1 Mug | |
| APRIL'S II | Green and Gordon Sts. | City | Brighter Than The Clientele | Don't Play Ice Hockey | Blackjack and Eight-Ball | 3 Ponies = $2.50 . . . whitey | Soul Snacks | Believe it or not this has one of the great back bars in the County and you might want to check it out. Then again . . . | 3 1/2 Mugs | |
| BARNEY'S | 12th and Buttonwood | City | Big-Screen Neapolitan | Warm | Damn the Calories - Let's Eat! | 4 domestics @ 40C-50C on tap | One of the best Italian menus in Berks | The bar, sports-oriented with an unusual multihued corrugated front bar, does a thriving business. The restaurant, especially with Milloni's for sale and Pachuilo's on the skids, may be the best Italian eatery in Reading. NOTE: Open 7 days year-round | 4 Mugs | |
| BASIN STREET | Kutztown Heading Out | County | Contrived Victorian | Kiddie City to the Woodstock Generation | Videos and Polaroids | 4 domestics @ 45C + 1 Canadian | Very full reasonable menu | This is a re-do but a classic re-do with its Victorian bar, stamped tin ceiling, carved wood accents, ceramic tile and etched glass. According to rumor, this is a reproduction of a famous Disneyworld restaurant. | 3 1/2 Mugs | |
| BEEF AND BEER | Across from George Field | City | NOTE: At midnight on a Friday it was almost empty, for sale, had a $3 cover and a band so loud that we couldn't even converse with the doorman. We passed. | We'll give it a 4 — tough to dance to. | ||||||
| BETTY'S PARADISE | 336 N. 6th | City | Paradise Lost | Friendly at 5 p.m. | Rapping | 3 domestics @ 50c on tap | Snacks and Whoppers from Burger King on bar | A former 1-B bar, this place has changed color and demeanor since we last visited. We did not feel at all threatened at 5 p.m. on a Thursday, but we wouldn't go near the place at 11 p.m. on a Friday night in August. | 3 Mugs | |
| BEVERLY HILLS TAVERN | If you don't know, you can't get there! | County | Hearth-Baked Stone Ground | “I want it,” “I own it,” and “I can get it” | Catalog Shopping, Clubbing, Carring, and Ducks, all unlimited | 2 domestics @ 75C + Stoudt's @ $1.75 on tap | Full Upscale Menu | You're right. It's not “The Hills” anymore. Kate Smith and Cannibal and the Headhunters have been replaced by Muzak and live jazz, the silly hats are gone, and chips and pretzels have given way to pricey nouvelle cuisine. But the Robitzer clan has done a stunning restoration and the ambience, highlighted by the toasty walk-in fireplace, is warm and friendly. Best of all, “The Hills” is NOT listed in the Hall of Shame. | 4 Mugs | |
| BILL'S PLACE | 11th and Cotton | City | Hells Angels East | Could provide the inspiration for Stephen King's next novel | We don't want to know | 4 domestics @ 40c on tap | Micros and kielbasa | This is a strange, rowdy crowd that places a premium on good times. We cringed upon entering but were made to feel very welcome and stayed much longer than we had planned. | 2 1/2 Mugs | |
| BIRCH TAVERN | Birch and Buttonwood | City | Derailed | Interested in the Shell Game | Cash Streaming | Bottles only; Yuengling was 75c at the bar and $1.25 at the 4-feet-from-the-bar table. | Full menu featuring quality seafood at heavy market prices | This former neighborhood bar and shellery now caters to the big-bucks-from-the-burbs crowd. A massive pillared back bar dominates the main room and the addition of lots more railroad clutter has really enhanced the overall feel of the place. | 3 Mugs | |
| BIXLER'S LODGE | Stony Creek | County | Down and Funky | Lodge Brothers and Sisters | Hunting and Pecking | 3 domestics @ 50C + Labatts | Neapolitan-Accented Menu | We liked the old, cluttered-antiqued Bixler's much better, but the combination of knotty pine, stone fireplace, hewed beams, flagstone floor, and attractive young crowd makes this a very popular quaffery and well worth a look. | 4 Mugs | |
| BOB'S SHIPWRECK PUB | 5 N. 9th St. | City | Nautical Knobs | The Good, The Bad, The Ugly and Boy George's Mother | Beer Bottle Short Board and Tough Darts | 4 domestics (incl. 1/2 & 1/2) @ 35C at “low tide” | Pizza, Cheese and “Imported” Sandwiches | A strange, non-threatening mix of good-timers surrounded by the worst art gallery in Berks. Special nights include 16 oz. draughts @ 60c and a Saturday night “Buy American - Save a Job” celebration. | 3 1/2 Mugs | |
| BOO-BOO'S | 1016 Cotton St. | City | Re-Electrified | Polish Nationals | Baseball on the radio, pool and politicking | 5 domestics @ 30C on tap | Sliced-behind-the-bar Sandwiches | Boo-Boo's reminds us of a time when we had row houses instead of town homes and bars instead of lounges. The decor and clientele are very basic and you're tempted to look around and say, “Why do I like this place?” And you'll probably say the same thing the next time you go back, and the time after that and . . . OBSERVATION: We experienced our first sighting of a seeing eye dog in a bar here and the pooch was better behaved than most children. | 4 Mugs | |
| BOOK AND BREW | Kutztown Central | County | Wickes Lumber Showroom | Full Tilt | Pinball and Foosball | 3 domestics @ 60C + 4 imports @ $1 on tap | This has always been a Kutztown hot spot for undergrads and overgrads. Two of the big assets are great happy hours featuring free hot dogs and other treats and Beth, the bodacious barmaid. | 3 1/2 Mugs | ||
| BORELLI'S | 3rd and Franklin | City | Animal Proof | Looking For Mr. Goodbuy | “That's nothing, I once knew a guy . . .” | 7 domestics (incl. Colt .45) @ 50C on tap | Full very cheap Italian-American menu | It's real LOUD and the potpourri clientele wouldn't last 10 minutes in Wyomissing, but the beer's cold and you could eat here for a year for the price of one BMW payment. | 3 Mugs | |
| BOWERS HOTEL | By the stream in Bowers | County | Edish & Dotish | Read the Book | Finding Peace | 3 domestics @ 50C + Moosehead @ 75C | Fully imaginative menu ala Tam | This is a good example of what can be done with an old hotel. The decor is pristine, the ownership and helper bee corps make you feel like family and the food is among the best values in Berks. | 5 Mugs | |
| BRASS LANTERN | 12th and Pike | City | Shupp's Grove North | Missed the Shuttle to Suburbia | Checking Their Grips | $1 per mug of “Mich” | Full Pseudo-Colonial Menu | We liked it better when it was Sammy's Steaks. | 2 Mugs | |
| BREEZE INN | Pricetown Rd. & Rte. 73 | Go Go | Surprisingly Intact | Weathered and Leathered | Wind in the Face and Bugs in the Teeth | Bottles only @ $1 no-go + $1.25 go-go | Finger Food | Though the clientele bordered on seedy, the bar was tidy and almost attractive. Go-Go Desiree kicked it off with a fitness number that, in our inexperienced opinion, fit the bill just fine. COMMENT II: We love the Breeze Motel ad: “Now open 24 hrs.” | 4 Mugs | |
| BREWERY INN | 9th and Laurel | City | K-Notty | Eager Eaters and Lite Drinkers | Waxing Their Volvos | Lite only on tap; bottles pricey | Full, very reasonable Italian menu featuring a one-price-feeds-all full course extravaganza. | The bar trade has faded here but a 3-month wait for a dinner reservation is not uncommon. The dining room and bar areas have certain charm and Russ and family put on quite a feed at dinner. | 2 Mugs | 4 1/2 Mugs |
| BRICK HOUSE TAVERN | 11th and Green | City | A Breath of Fresh Air | Loyal Regulars | Tongue Twisting | 4 domestics @ 50c on tap (incl. Stoudt's) | Full Menu with mix of standard fare and creative specials like Coquille St. Jacques ($8.95). | Very pleasant owners have restored this Reading classic featuring stamped tin ceiling and walls, ceramic tile, original lower back bar, and marble front bar. | 4 Mugs | |
| BY-BAR | 220 Penn St. | City | Dark and Shingled | Friendly Calico Crowd | Olde English 800 and Colt .45 | 4 domestics @ 40C on tap | Sandwiches and Snacks | Though the place was busy, the people were friendly, and the Art Deco tiled floor and nice lower back bar were nice touches, we found the Kurtz much more interesting. | 2 1/2 Mugs | |
| CAMEL INN | Downtown Centerport | County | One Hump or Two? | Humpers | Pool, Darts, Video and, of course . . . | 4 domestics @ 50C per large mug | Sandwiches, Snacks, and Limited Platters | You will find little in the classical vein here, but you will find a pleasant little country bar with an attractive, attentive barmaid and a men's room with a view of Main Street. | 3 1/2 Mugs | |
| CENTRAL HOTEL | Next to the M. Domer Leibensberger Funeral Home, Hamburg | County | Half and Half | Heads and Tails | Tough Darts and Pool | 4 domestics @ 25C (happy hour) on tap | Sea Nuggets, Sandwiches and Snacks | Probably the most popular bar in Hamburg, the Central has a nice late-Victorian back bar and a young free-wheeling crowd. SIGN: “Nobody is ugly after 2:00 a.m.” | 3 Mugs | |
| CHARMER'S CORNER | Moss and Walnut | City | Old Blonde | Older and Thicker | Dodge City, Talking Tic-Tac Strike and Pool | 4 domestics @ 30C on tap | Stewart's and other Sandwiches + Snacks | The epileptic bar dog is gone and the champion softballers' bats have gone limp but the “Corner” has retained a certain old time charm missing in many of the ferned sudseries of the 80's. | 3 1/2 Mugs | |
| CHAS | 23rd and Howard St., Mt. Penn | Go Go | Better Than Average | Decent Unthreatening Male Mix | Ogling | $1.75 per domestic bottle | Sandwiches with Great Buns | This is one of the nicer Go-Go's we visited. The girls were much better than some of the retreads we saw elsewhere and were very personable. Much of the original Mt. Penn Tavern decor is still intact. NOTE: Some of the guys at the bar seemed more interested in one another than the dancing girls. | 5 Mugs | |
| CHEF'S LOUNGE | 9th and Green | City | Fubar | Que Paso | Pool and Cards (as in green) | Limited bottles only; 55C “Rock” Ponies | Full menu with heavy Latino accent | We didn't speak the barmaid's language. This is a terrible waste of a stamped tin ceiling and great old back bar. SIGN: “Please throw the ball straight at all times. No Gambling.” | 2 Mugs | |
| CHET & BETTS | 723 N. 8th St. | City | If Our Homes Looked Like This, We'd Move | Crust of the Earth | LEAVE IT TO BEAVER and Pinball | 3 domestics @ 35C on tap | Full sandwich menu | Gallons of Muscatel, Sherry and Port dominate the back bar as does the barmaid. The men's room has a nice sink. QUOTE (overweight barmaid): “I've been doing pretty good in my meal planning - we don't have any leftovers.” | 2 Mugs | |
| CHIP SAVINI'S BERKLEY INN | Off Rte. 61 near 83 Lumber | Go Go | 1850's Exterior + 1950's Interior | Have Big Rigs | Tightening Up | 4 domestics @ $1.25 on tap | $1.25 Hamburgers and Chips | A great old stone hotel with an unusual permo-stoned interior, a barmaid who made Dregs look obese, and a convivial unchested Go-Go dancing behind the bar, the Berkley could be much worse. | 3 Mugs | |
| CONRAD WEISER INN | Womelsdorf | County | Western Berks Victorian | Dorfers | Short Board and Pinball | 4 domestics @ 40C on tap | Full Menu | This is one of the best turn-of-the-century barrooms in Berks and has a massive back bar with service bar, ornate tin ceiling and colorful tile floor. The food has been inconsistent here the last few years but the bar area is a must for purists. | 4 1/2 Mugs | |
| CORNER HOUSE | Lancaster and Funston Aves. | City | Sheeted and Ironed | Young and Horizontally Static | Facing Off | 3 domestics @ 50C on tap + lots of imports in bottles | They list spaghetti and meatballs under the “Charry Broiler” section of the menu. Does that tell you anything? | A well-known tavern with a good import selection that remains busy, perhaps due to lack of competition in the immediate area. | 2 1/2 Mugs | |
| COTTON GIN | 16th and Cotton | City | Subterranean | Sniffers and Snuffers | Short Board, Darts and Video | 2 domestics @ 40C on tap | Tack's is across the street | This is one of the only 3 basement bars left in the County and we have a soft spot for it. The crowd is friendly and boisterous and the bartenders remind us of the bad guys in Dirty Harry flicks. | 3 1/2 Mugs | |
| COZY CORNER | 414 S. 9th St. | City | Dark | Discussing the Latest Shooting | Dodge City, Pool and Prism | 4 sour draughts @ 35c on tap | Stewart's and Alka-Seltzer | Rolling papers and condoms for sale behind the bar. | 1 1/2 Mugs | |
| DEWEY'S | 10th and Perry | City | Panel City | Bang-for-the-Buckers | Eating Out | 5 domestics (incl. Yuengling) @ 40C on tap | Full “twofers” dinner menu | Antique Clydesdale light, large-screen TV, ceramic-framed urinal, and lots of space. | 3 Mugs | |
| DIANNA'S PLACE TAVERN | 309 N. 8th St. | City | Pre-Z-Brick | Pony Bottlers | Obstacle Shuffleboard, Electro Darts, Short Board | 4 domestics @ 45C on tap | Jerky | They got nervous when they saw the notebook and moved the playpen to the back room. QUOTE: “I think that Reagan is a Jelly Beaner, not a Gerbiller.” | 3 Mugs | |
| DOUGLASSVILLE HOTEL | Rte. 422, Douglassville | County | Cheers! | There's not a prejudiced bone in my body. | Trying to hear one another | 8 domestics and imports @ 55-90C on tap (incl. Dock Street and Anchor Steam) | Huge Sandwich Menu | This is a loud, friendly place with a great selection of imports, alluring barmaids, a good bang-for-the-buck sandwich, and yet another Sunshine Beer clock counting the hours. SIGN: “Please keep your hands off the barmaids' buns.” QUOTE: “I think that welding is hereditary.” | 4 1/2 Mugs | |
| EAGLE HOTEL | Bernville | County | Blended | “Dead” Shirts to “Deere” Caps | Pool, Pinball and Long Board | 4 domestics @ 35C + Yuengling in bottles | Jarred Cuisine — hot bologna, tongue, pickles, tomatoes, red beet eggs, chicken gizzards, tripe, and pepperoni | Though a short-sighted owner tore out the original back bar, the glass block front bar and the expansive stamped tin ceiling are still intact and the Eagle is the kind of place that “one for the road” usually is not enough. | 4 1/2 Mugs | |
| EARL'S OLD MILL | Somewhere on Rte. 737, North Berks | County | Pre-Naugahide with a Side Order of Gas | Not many can find it | Wetting the Old Whistle | Bottles only (incl. Yuengling Porter @ 60c per Pony) | Sandwiches and Snacks | We screwed up and missed this one in our County book. This classic bungalow-style pastel piece has unique neon ceiling lights and a bathroom with a toilet tank that looks like a giant Excedrin mounted horizontally on the wall along with an oak seat that provides autoflush when its customer has been satisfied. | 4 Mugs | |
| EBERHART'S | Under the Bridge | City | Nondescript Stainless | I'm no Bimbo! | Dodge City and LOUD Music | 4 domestics @ 45C on tap | Soup, Sandwiches and Lotsa Snacks | It's not cluttered and the men's room doesn't stink any more but at night entry is gained only after being checked out through the locked door and, once inside, we wondered why we bothered. | 2 Mugs | |
| ELBOW ROOM | 252 S. 9th St. | City | Wrought | Ingie Pingie Drop-Outs | Pinball and Barmaid Watching | 3 domestics @ 35c per short draught | Hot stuff on weekends | We expected the pits here and were pleasantly shocked. Local youngsters and well-seasoned oldsters were having a great time with the vivacious barmaid. The decor is wrought iron, cheap paneling and formica but could be much worse and the “Elbow” has the longest beer coasters in the County. | 3 Mugs | |
| FRANK'S | 7th and Pine | City | Worn and Wonderful | A hard man is good to find | Tag-teaming | Bottles only @ 75C per Pony | Bag it | The back bar is large, long and delicate. The front bar is old and worn. The dominant colors are dark. The patrons are a combination of all of the above. We kind of like this place but you'll probably wonder why. | 4 Mugs | |
| FRIENDLY INN | 6th and Robeson | City | Quilted Stainless Modern | Real McCoy Blues | Pool, Electro Darts, “Nintendo” | 40C domestic draughts | Cub Scout M&M's, Pizza and Sandwiches | Dregs remembers buying 3 quarts of Reading for $1 here when he was 16 (this place is OLD) and the ever-popular Friendly is starting to show its age. The men's and the glass block reflect past crowds and this could probably now be the cocktail lounge for Motel Hell. | 2 Mugs | |
| GAME ROOM | 10th and Exeter | City | Long | Shooters, Shufflers and Spreaders | Figuring the odds | 5 domestics @ 40c on tap | Sandwiches, Snacks and 1 Meal | Bring back the Rathskeller! | 2 Mugs | |
| GENARO'S | 11th and Buttonwood | City | Uninformed Eaters and Draught-Guzzling Spinsters | Soaps and Suds | 6 domestics @ 35c on tap | Cajun (so they say) and Italian at uptown prices | The glass block front bar and unusual Arthurian back bar with windowed beer doors are nice touches. Some people swear by the food here. We've tried it several times and each time swore AT it and the overpriced bill that accompanied it. NOTE: A “widow” at the bar divided her time between soaps on the tube, talking to herself and playing a strange mix of Big Band and Little Richard hits on the juke. | 4 Mugs | 2 Mugs | |
| GENTLEMAN JIM'S | 10th and Amity | City | Dark and Flaky | Desperate | Changing Oil | 50C ponies | Hot Dogs and Gumballs | This could be a long night. We had to go here in the name of research; you don't. NOTE: Closed at time of publication. | 1 Mug | |
| GLASS DOOR | 221 N. 5th | City | Funked Up Chameleon | The Boys and Girls In The Band | Discoing, Decorating and Cheek-to-Cheeking | Bottled only @ $1 per domestic/$1.50 import | Depends on when you come | This is a hard place to capture. We love the place but outsiders should be warned - the dessert of the day might be you. OVERHEARD AT THE BAR: “Stop and see us sometime . . . and bring the whips and chains.” | 3 Mugs | 4 1/2 Mugs |
| GOLDEN LION | 3rd and Greenwich | City | As Strange As The Clientele | Beastly Boys and Girls | Nibbling | 5 domestics @ 50c on tap | Sandwiches and Snacks | If the old Bev-a-Door in the corner could speak, things could get very embarrassing for many of you reading this. But don't worry, it can't and we won't. | 3 Mugs | |
| GRAND CENTRAL TAPROOM | Fleetwood, on the Square | County | Grand Funk | Hay Seeds to Hay Bailers | Checking Their Lucky Numbers | 4 domestics on tap but stick to the bottles of Yuengling | Sandwiches, Snacks, Platters, and the best French Fries in Berks | The ONLY drawback to this one-of-a-kind classic piece of Americana is the tap system. The Grand Central, like the Grand Canyon, must be seen to be believed. | 5 Mugs | |
| GUARD HOUSE | 6th and Spring | City | Authentic Post-War Art Deco | Authentic Pre-War Artifacts | Remembering when the old organ was still pumping away | 4 domestics @ 40C + 1 import on tap | Full cheap menu featuring seafood | Another Reading institution, the Guard House features a plethora of glass block, gold lamé bar stools, recessed ceiling, “subway” men's room, organ music at dinner, beer bottle chute, large semicircular bar, ceramic-tiled walls and terrazzo floor. It is THE Art Deco bar in Reading. URBAPHOBIA DEPT.: Suds put his money in his shoe before getting out of the car. City-boy Dregs laughed at him. HE WHO LAUGHS LAST DEPT.: Dregs' VW emblem was missing from his car 15 minutes later. | 3 1/2 Mugs | |
| HAAG'S HOTEL | Shartlesville | County | Bent and Knurled | Live Here/Wish They Lived Here | Puttin' On The Trough | Bottles only @ 55C per Pony | Full Pa. Dutch Menu | The most unusual bar furniture in the County along with a brass bar rail, trough, Bavarian back bar, inlaid tile floor, loads of brewabilia, and a panoramic view of the Blue Mts. make Haag's another must-see. | 4 1/2 Mugs | |
| HAROLD'S | Oley and Locust | City | Bricked and Rugged | Their collars are so blue that they even hate Ollie North. | Short Board and Pinball | 4 domestics @ 40c on tap | Faller's Pretzels on bar + sandwiches and snacks | A typical neighborhood bar with nothing special save the “Rock-ola” juke boxes on the walls, but every neighborhood should have a Harold's. | 3 Mugs | |
| HARRY AND NETTIE'S | 7th and Spruce | City | Downtown Saturday Night | Have Been to the Apollo | Gettin' Down | Bottles only. We paid $1 for Ponies at disco time. | We didn't ask | We had been to just enough places and had just enough to drink that we started to like this place. They did not feel the same about our lily-white buns. When Suds tried to soul-disco with “Space Shuttle,” one of our guest stars, we were sniggered into submission and we gingerly backed out the door. NOTE: According to the bartender, this bar was used in the film RABBIT, RUN. | 1 1/2 Mugs | |
| HOF BRAU | 5th and Cherry | City | Post-War Rustic Downtown Nostalgic | Businessmen, Bag Ladies, and Urban Cowboys | Bellying up to the Big Boy | 3 domestics @ 50c per mug + lots of imports and specials | Full soup, sandwich and small meal menu, decidedly unGerman and very reasonable | An a.m. eye-opener Happy Hour offers a shot for 75C and a shot-and-a-beer for $1. The men's has a great walk-in urinal, the original back bar features huge Doric columns with intricate scroll work and, at 4 p.m., we found a nice crowd, a congenial work force and moderate drink prices with plenty of free munchies. COMMENT II: If you expected us to stoop to “Shots are on the house” and “Bloody Mary” jokes here, you were dead wrong. | 5 Mugs | |
| HORSESHOE TAVERN | Rte. 419, north of Womelsdorf | County | Modified Paddock | Passers By | Pickin' and Plowin' | Bottles only @ 50C per Pony | Bar Sandwiches and Snacks | From the old “Bar-Beer-Liquor” sign out front to the knotty pine, Ballantine sign and Venetian blinds inside, the Horseshoe is a quiet trip into days gone by. | 4 1/2 Mugs | |
| HUEY'S GREY FOX INN | Across the road from #3 tee | County | Cluttered Dark | Golfers and Other Strange Beasts | Chalking Their Cue Sticks | 3 domestics @ 40c + Molson @ 55c on tap | Sandwiches and Snacks | Huey's made the Best of the County because it has a great 2-man urinal and it has Huey, and we included it in the Case Study. | 3 Mugs | |
| HUNTS HIDEOUT | Thorn and Douglass | City | Nouveau Centre Park | Upwardly Mobile Westsiders | Facing Off | 3 domestics (incl. Yuengling) @ 75c on tap | Full lunch and dinner menu | Old Beer-a-Door and friendly gregarious crowd make Hunts a pleasant stop along the way of life. | 3 1/2 Mugs | |
| INN-TOWN CORNER PUB | Centre Ave. and Exeter St. | City | Eaten | Beaten | 8-Ball, Fast Cars and Slow Women | 6 domestics @ 35C on tap | Reservations available at bar | The music was LOUD 60's rock, the painted doll at the bar was probably not for sale and the crowd was downright threatening. | 2 Mugs | |
| JACK'S PUB | 10th and Amity | City | Classic | Know One Corner From The Other | Long Board and Short Board | 5 domestics @ 35C on tap | Sandwiches and Snacks | Jack's features a grand old back bar with turned marble pillars, an original front bar, grandstand seats, great ambience and lots of history. | 4 1/2 Mugs | |
| JACKSON'S EAST READING CAFE | 14th and Cotton | City | East Reading Funky | East Reading Nightclubbers | Electro Darts | 4 domestics @ 50C on tap | Big selection of pizza, sandwiches, soup, etc. | The prices were too high, the bartender was too hip and the place was too slick for Cotton Street. When we visited 10 years ago the septuagenarian bartender was reading a newspaper with a flashlight at the ancient square bar and we thought that, with the right ownership, this place showed great potential. The potential is fading fast. | 3 Mugs | |
| JAKE'S PLACE | Old Rte. 22, across from the State Hospital | County | Vintage Road House | Vintage Hamburgers | Darting and Soothing | Yuengling on tap @ 30C per | Real Bar Sandwiches and Snacks | We love the ancient Pepsi cooler, the porcelain-topped tables, the Jujyfruits behind the bar, the local characters, and we especially love Betty. In short, we love this place. | 5 Mugs | |
| JOHN AND MARGE'S | 9th and Green | City | It Doesn't Get Much Worse Than This | Tattered and Shattered | Trying to Beat the Odds | 2 (shudder) domestics @ 35C on tap | We hope not | Think of the most depressive dive you've ever been, then multiply by 2. | 1/2 Mug | |
| JOHNNY AND HON'S GRILL | Kutztown Rd., Hyde Park | County | Paneled Warehouse | Blue-Collared Hot Dogs and White-Collared “Nurses” | Dog Biting and Pool | 3 domestics @ 40C on tap | Superb Coney Island Dogs, Burgers, Soup, Luncheon Specials | Don't let the outside fool you, it's just as bad inside. But despite the basic decor, this place packs 'em in day and night and we don't know of a better place in the County for a dog and brew. | 4 Mugs | |
| JUMBO'S CEMETERY INN | Upland Ave. and St. Bernardine St. | City | Panelrama | Bikers and Porkers | Pool and Plotting | 2 domestics @ 35C per sour draught | “Turkey Hog” to “Pasta Sausage” | We hope the new owners clean the tap system. | 3 Mugs | |
| KETCH BAR | 4th and Buttonwood | City | Bright Paneled | The “girls” from the Woodward followed us here | Pool, Short Board and Shawnee | 3 domestics @ 50C per on tap | Sandwiches and Snacks | This place could be edgy late at night but, thanks to one of our favorite server-uppers, Barbara, we felt very welcome. | 3 Mugs | |
| KOSAK'S | 611 Chestnut St. | City | Converted Living Room | Mixed and Respectable | Bitching about the loud neighbors and watching the even louder TV | 4 domestics @ 40C on tap | Charm's Pops, Blow Pops and Tootsie Pops | One of the few mid-block bars left in Reading, Kosak's is also one of the cleanest. The men's room was cleaner than many restaurant kitchens we've been in. | 3 Mugs | |
| KURTZ HOUSE | 240 Penn St. | City | Worn and Forlorn | What! Me, Work? | Pool, Ponies and Pac Man | 5 domestics @ 40C per | Soup, Sandwiches and Snacks | Kurtz seems to follow the Stanley philosophy of keeping the prices down and the volume up. It's generally packed with a strange array of Americana and other vintages and the crowd always seems to be having a great time. | 3 Mugs | |
| L & M MOTEL AND BAR | Rte. 222, Moselem Springs | County | Musty | Few | Passing the Time | Bottles only @ 50C per Pony | Ronson Flints and Lance Ripples | We'll be surprised if the L & M is still open when you read this but if you appreciate purism, stop in for one. When the neon is lit, Laura is open. CONVERSATION (Suds): “How old do you think the place is?” (Laura): “Oh, I don't know, but it's older than I am and that's pretty old.” | 4 1/2 Mugs | |
| L.T.L. LOUNGE | Rte. 10, Green Hills | Go Go | The Inside Matches The Outside | Sneakers and Peekers | Dedications | $1.50 per domestic bottle | Chips, Dips and Linguini | The L.T.L. (Legs, Ta-Ta's and Liposuction?) featured an amply-endowed Clairol girl with an “outee,” lotsa grease caps and plaid shirts, a Blackbeard clone, and one peeper on crutches. We were actually upset when Rich bought us a beer because it forced us to stay longer. SIGN: “Rules for Dancers: No Socializing, Nipples Completely Covered, Pubic Area Covered . . . No Touching” | 2 Mugs | |
| LITTLE BROWN JUG | Lancaster and Hoover Aves. | City | Jugged | Mugged | Watching inchworms on 2nd floor windowsills | 2 domestics @ 40C on tap | Burgers and such | A once popular spot that has gotten rough around the edges, as have the patrons. May have the seediest men's room in Berks. QUOTE (husky broad at bar): “That's all for me . . . 3's my limit.” SIGN: “We now stock grapefruit juice” | 1 Mug | |
| LONGLOTT'S | 7th and Walnut | City | Twinkle, twinkle little bar, what you were ain't what you are. | Favor Long Necks | Bitching | 6 domestics @ 50C on tap | Hot Dogs au jus with choice of toppings | We had sour Pabst draughts and froze our buns off. A train derailment would not exactly be a tragedy here. | 1 Mug | |
| MAD HATTER | 9th and Oley | City | Cleaned and Capped | Heard It Through The Grapevine | Experimenting | 5 domestics @ 75C-$1.25 on tap (incl. 1/2 & 1/2 and Stoudt's) | Seafood Gumbo, Muffaletta, Jamaican Meat Pie, Oriental Wings, Spanish Fries, and much more | Messer's X has been Phoenixed from the ashes and the result is the best new bar-restaurant in Reading in years. The Hatter is bright, cheery, very reasonable, and features a menu that made us sorry we were too full to eat more. The only problem is that by the time you read this the place will be overrun with smiling tongues. | 3 Mugs | 4 1/2 Mugs |
| MANATAWNY INN | Along the Creek | Go Go | Unrestored Post-Agnes | Some were more in love with their cue sticks than the dancing girls. | Tough Darts, Pool and Philanthropy | Molsons were $2 each | Edible | Decor is too kind a word for what this place looks like but the live-action visuals produced the best bazoomies in Berks and the fully-clothed barmaid turned us on as much as the dancers. | 1 Mug | |
| MAPLE BAR | 1029 Chestnut St. | City | Aero-Block | Shop at L-B Metals | They don't play piano | 5 domestics @ 40C on tap | Full, Sea-Accent menu | They're down to one plane since our last visit and the signs are now bi-lingual, but the place seemed clean and friendly enough and some old features like the plethora of glass block and one very interesting dancing fool, along with the proximity to the best outlet in the County, L-B Metals, make Bilak's worth a look. NOTE (courtesy of Ernie): Open X-mas Day | 3 Mugs | |
| MAPLE GROVE HOTEL | R.D. 1, Alburtis, just below the slopes | County | Hand-Hewn | Missing in Action | Waiting for the barmaid to clean her glasses | 2 domestics @ 65c + 1 import on tap | Full Menu | This is one of the most striking bar/dining areas in Berks with its stone walls, open beams, and walk-in fireplace amid a splash of contemporary. | 4 Mugs | |
| MARIA'S RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE | Penn St. | City | Beer-On-A-Budget Blah | Not-So-Hot-Stovers | Waiting for the next Social Security Check | 6 domestics @ 50C on tap | Italian | We liked this place much better when it was staffed by graduate corsetiers. Maria's gives new meaning to boring. | 1 1/2 Mugs | |
| MAXIE'S | Carsonia Avenue, next to the Park | County | Knotty, Nutty and Greasy | Loyalists and 1 Johnny Yuma Clone | Cutting the Grease | 3 domestics @ 50C on tap | Broiled and Fried | We're not sure what the secret answer is here but they've found it. An acquaintance of Suds tried to sum it up when asked, “Why do you come here?”: 1. “It's close.” 2. “I love their onion rings.” 3. “They have a lousy selection of beer.” | 4 Mugs | |
| McKNIGHT'S CAFE | 2nd and Elm Sts. | City | Clean, Classic Corner Bar | Behave . . . Or Else | Cleaning Up The Neighborhood | 70C per Pony | Wings and Things | It's hard to believe that this is a mere block from Combat Corner. From the huge pillared back bar to the incomparable men's room to the no-nonsense owner to Delightful Debbie behind the bar, McKnight's is a Reading classic. | 4 Mugs | |
| MICKEY'S | 10th and Elm | City | Pressed Board Attack | Probably Have Paneled Bathrooms | Watching the tube and filling the tube | 3 domestics @ 50C on tap | Gizzards, Tripe, Giant Sandwiches and FULL Meals | There are 2 good reasons to visit: the Gospel according to Mickey and prime time munching. QUOTE (Mickey, on certain-types using the bathroom to abuse substances): “If they want to do that sniffity-snuffity stuff, they can do it at home.” QUOTE II: “I'll take Vanna in arrears.” | 3 Mugs | |
| MIKE'S | 135 Exeter St. | City | Organized clutter | Aging, Aged and Absent | Tubing | 3 domestics @ 35C on tap | Broiled Burgers, Sandwiches and Snacks | This is a nice old cluttered knotty-pine bar with a modest antiquated back bar, lots of memorabilia, deer heads and tails, tripe, Sen-Sen Tic-Tac and an enticing barmaid in a hot pink Ocean City shirt. | 3 1/2 Mugs | |
| MILLMONT HOTEL | Grace St. and Upland Ave. | City | Beheaded | Trophy Hunters | Short Board and Pool | 4 domestics @ 40C on tap | Daily lunch specials + Stewart's and hot dogs by night | Best ornate stamped tin ceiling in the County, great front and lower back bars. A fine find on the outer limits. | 4 Mugs | |
| MORGANTOWN HOTEL | Morgantown | County | Ungentlemanly Clubbish | On The Road Again | Watching the Barkeep Add to His Girth | 4 domestics @ 50C on tap | BYO | The good old boys toasted to life while we enjoyed the Victorian back bar and the clean, comfortable atmosphere of the best sudsery in town. NOTE: Last decent watering hole before New Morgan. | 4 Mugs | |
| MT. PLEASANT INN | Mt. Pleasant | County | Logger Rhythms | We were it at 4:45 p.m. | Staying home | 60C-$1.10 per “goblet” | Full Menu | A modest old back bar stands watch over a 1793 log house and remembers the jumpin' days of the Bulldog Saloon. | 4 Mugs | |
| NAOMI HOTEL | Rte. 724, downtown Seifert | County | Untouched by Newgooders | New Dickies and Old Dickies | Keeping the Little Lady Happy | Schmidt's on tap (30C) and Lord Chesterfield in green necks (75C) | Stewart's Gourmet Cuisine | But what about Naomi, Electric Company fans? Why is this little-known place near the top of the Suds and Dregs Berks Classics list? Ceramic tiled front bar and walls, Old Reading paintings, ancient beer cooler, 50's juke, pre-50's country crowd, wood box bench seat, poker table, trough, wash and wear floor, modest pillared back bar with an itinerant oil painting, great back room with kerosene stove and long board, second great back room with antiques galore and more, more, more, that's why. Well, what are you waiting for? | 5 Mugs | |
| NICK'S | 11th and Chestnut | City | Chain Saw Massacre | Made Our Arms Feel Naked | Staring at people who know the answers on JEOPARDY | 3 domestics @ 35C on tap | Sandwiches and Snacks | The original bar was sawed off at the 6-foot level but much of the original mill work, including the time warp front door, still exists. | 2 1/2 Mugs | |
| NO NAME BAR | 9th and Franklin | City | Read Between the Lines | Foreign Language Majors | Long Board and Check Cashing | 3 domestics @ 40c on tap | Stewart's and Snacks | The ancient barroom also features a flagstone floor, tiled front bar with brass rail, window seats, antique Reading beer art, wooden beams, and a “subway” men's room that you should go to even if you don't have to go. NOTE: Bar closes at 6 p.m. | 4 Mugs | |
| NORTHEAST TAPROOM | 12th and Robeson | City | Peterbuilt | Wild Kingdom | Electro Darts and Men's Room Reading | 4 taps (avg. $1 per bowl) incl. Molesterfield @ 75C + “under 1 zillion” brands in bottles. A 12 oz. bowl of Molesterfield and a 12 oz. bottle of Chesterfield Ale is a Best Buy at “1 George.” | Dogwoods, “Martian Dix,” “Peta Za,” and “Hot Units” | The Taproom is the best bar in the County for serious beer drinkers. It has a “beer only” license but is generally overflowing with a great mix of characters like the Mayor, Tapper and even Sally Starr. Parking is a bitch, service sucks and the men's room stinks — we love this place. Pete is the answer . . . but we forget the question. | 5 Mugs | |
| NOSTALGIA | 9th and Robeson | City | Flintstone Rickers Modern | Remember What The Little Dutch Boy Did? | See Back Room | 3 domestics @ 40C on tap | Sandwiches (incl. liver and onion) + Snacks | This seems to be a mixed crowd by day and a different crowd later at night. The great old carved back bar complete with hand-painted mirrors is almost lost in the renovated bar area and we also noticed that the barmaid gets better after 10 p.m. or 8 beers, whichever comes first. | 3 Mugs | |
| NUDING'S TAVERN | 14th and Cotton | City | Pa. Dutch Ukrainian | Absent | Reading the latest K-Mart flyer | 2 domestics @ 30C on tap | Burgers, Dogs, and Soup | Although Nuding's has a nice collection of early 1900's Reading photos and a built-in checker board on the bar top, this place was empty when the rest of the Cotton Street bars were jumping. A key factor may have been the sourpuss “mother-in-law” bartendress who was more interested in THE DATING GAME than business. We've been to viewings more interesting than this place. | 2 Mugs | |
| OASIS | 10th and Court | City | Urban Bungalow | They were friendlier, maybe because we were soberer. | Enjoying It While They Can | 16 oz. can of Black Label - 60C | Snacks and one sandwich | The place has not changed one iota since THE BARS OF READING 12 years ago. We even had Bloody Marys for old times' sake. This is another great nostalgia trip. | 3 1/2 Mugs | |
| OBERC'S CAFE | 10th and Elm | City | Happy Anniversary | Prune Juicers and Double-Knits | “When I was . . .” | 2 domestics @ 40c on tap | Soup, Sandwiches + Snacks | Great old front bar with nice leaning rail, 3-man cupped urinal, Bev-a-Door, and nice bright atmosphere. A Mom and Pop place that's becoming a rarity in Reading. | 3 1/2 Mugs | |
| OLLIE'S | 9th and Spring | City | Glenn Miller Meets Mr. Mike | Know the words to “In the Mood” | Reminiscing | Bottles only at inner-city cocktail lounge prices | We saw little edible here | Dripping with nostalgia. Ollie's is the kind of bar Billy Joel could write about. Surrounded by big-buck outlets, Ollie's has somehow survived on a very limited-hours schedule. How? The bar is a classic postwar cocktail lounge complete with Big Band mushy audio, Mr. Mike bar lights and bands that play “I Left My Heart In San Francisco” to the delight of the blue-haired and rug-domed cheek-to-cheekers on the carpeted dance floor. The very proper bartender wore patent leather shoes with white socks. The men's room had a Richmond Standard Odorite, an original orange “Trojan” dispenser, a real cloth towel unit, and a chrome ashtray stand. The best-looking chick in the place had a platinum-blond beehive. We love this old girl. QUOTE: “If I can't gum it, I don't eat it.” NOTE: Open Fri. and Sat. only, 9:30 p.m. - 2 a.m. | 5 Mugs | |
| P & J'S BAR AND RESTAURANT | 10th and Green | City | Cluttered Boring | Motley Crew | Pinball & Piercing | 4 domestics @ 35c on tap | Essence of Italian | We got the screaming lemmeouts. | 1 Mug | |
| PACHUILO'S | 850 N. 8th St. | City | The Inside Is Much Better Than The Outside | Neighbors and DINKS | Video and Muncho | 3 domestics avg. 40C on tap | Full reasonable Italian menu | The massive back bar is one of the finest we've seen anywhere in this country and worth a visit just for that. But Pachuilo's is known for the food and, despite new ownership and some upscale prices, the food seems to be holding up fairly well. | 4 Mugs | |
| PADDOCK | 10th and Franklin | City | Incomparable | Still In Love With Sophie | Getting Back in the Saddle Again | 2 domestics @ 45C on tap + Ballantine Ale in bottles | Limited reasonable lunch and dinner menu | The Paddock, a member of the BTA Hall of Fame, is one of THE classic taverns in the United States. It has been featured on national television and in numerous publications and first-time visitors generally stand transfixed upon entering the door for 10 minutes or so before finally remembering to order a beer. But its days may be numbered so don't wait to experience this rare treat unparalleled in the annals of bardom. Thanks for the memories Sophie, John and Frank. QUOTE: “Throw those guys outa here!” NOTE: The latest barkeep does not suck lemons to achieve his facial expression but he should. | 5 Mugs | |
| PALLADINO'S | 12th and Cotton | City | Art Deco Homey | Youngsters and Berks Heim Holdouts | Rockin' and Rollin' | 3 domestics @ 40C on tap | Sandwiches and Snacks | Featured items here included a nice ceramic tile front bar, art deco back bar, Yuengling in bottles, and some good local color. An old wheezer-geezer who could barely talk was chain-smoking generic cigarettes. NOTE: This bar changed ownership recently but experienced no major changes except for a much better stereo and live music some weekends. The name may be officially changed by the time this is in print. | 3 1/2 Mugs | |
| PARADISE CAFE | Morgantown Rd. and Upland Ave. | City | Dull Clean | Suds, Dregs, and a very dull barmaid who was more interested in DIVORCE COURT than her only 2 patrons | Counting the slats on the Venetian blinds | 3 domestics @ 35C on tap | Stewart's, Snickers and Snacks | The loser behind the bar gets our nomination for Worst Barperson of the Year (pick a year). If this is paradise, we'll take the alternative. | 1 Mug | |
| PATTY'S | Pearl and Bingaman | City | Glass Blocked | Surprisingly White | Short Board | 3 domestics @ 40C on tap | “Italian Style Sandwiches” | A surprise for the neighborhood. Glass block front bar and modest Art Deco back bar in a well-controlled atmosphere. | 3 Mugs |
No bars match that search. Suds and Dregs would suggest trying another neighborhood.
Reviews originally published in “Bars of Reading & Berks,” 1988, by David Wardrop & Bob Weirich, Jr. · goreadingberks.com
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