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If you don’t know about Reading, Pennsylvania, you’ve surely heard of its biggest claim to fame—or at least its biggest claim to fame prior to West Reading being the birthplace of Taylor Swift. Reading was the home of the Reading Railroad, made famous by being a space on the Monopoly board.
The railroad is long gone (as is Taylor Swift), but the Reading area has a few great places for craft beer, including several breweries and one of my favorite beer bars in the country. Not bad for a small city!
The Best Craft Beer Bars in Reading, Pennsylvania
The Barley Mow
The Barley Mow is a phenomenal craft beer bar in West Reading. They boast of having over 700 craft beers from 100 excellent breweries. Not only is the beer available for drinking in, but it’s also a bottle shop for grabbing beer to go.
In addition to the packed coolers, The Barley Mow also has 20 taps of craft beer, available in anything from tasters to crowlers and growlers. Amazingly, the taster prices aren’t much of a premium compared to pints, so you can try tons of beers. The overall prices are also fantastic.
It’s easy to do that since the offerings are so good. You’ll find many of the top breweries in the United States rotating through the selection.
Book your hotel in Pennsylvania now!Not only is the beer great, but The Barley Mow is also a cool drinking venue. Between the beautiful house with lots of rooms and art for sale on the walls, the front patio, and the backyard, there’s plenty of space for drinkers. The bar is lively, with friendly staff and patrons making for great conversation.
A global food menu features everything from pho to Portuguese clams to Peruvian chicken.
I love a bar like The Barley Mow. It would be the best bar in most cities in the country, big or small. West Reading is lucky to have it.
Address: 719 Penn Ave, West Reading, PA 19611 (map)
Website
The Ugly Oyster Drafthaus
The Ugly Oyster Drafthaus is the oldest pub in Berks County, thanks to the building’s long history as a bar.
It’s an Irish pub with a genuine feel, with lots of wooden tables and snugs to sit in. The Irish music playlist includes everything traditional to The Cranberries. The pub was actually designed and built in Yorkshire, England, before being shipped across the Atlantic.
The beer selection includes lots of Belgians, some local East Coast beers, and some Irish beers (including Guinness, of course).
As one might guess from the name, the bar sells oysters, but also seafood and other pub food.
I enjoyed a scotch egg and the ugly pretzel, which was topped with crab and cheese.
Address: 21 S 5th St, Reading, PA 19602 (map)
Website
In addition to these bars, there are a few other Reading area bars and restaurants that have solid beer selections, including The Peanut Bar, Speckled Hen Cottage Pub, Reading Motor Club, Brewer’s Bar and Grill, West Reading Tavern and Restaurant, Craft 2700, and Liberty Ale House.
The Best Breweries in Reading, Pennsylvania
Schaylor Brewing Company
Schaylor Brewing Company is located on the outer edge of Reading on the way to Lancaster.
So it’s appropriate that the busy taproom has a bit of a roadside bar sort of feel to it. There are plenty of seats at the bar, plus a pool table (just don’t go too wild with a shot and hit the nearby fishtank). Out back, there’s a massive beer garden. The bar also hosts live music shows.
The brewpub has 14 taps of beer, including some interesting creative creations.
I enjoyed a flight that included Gettin’ Schmidty, an Unfiltered American lager with honey, Pineapple Express, a Double IPA with pineapple and milk sugar, Because Science, a Double IPA brewed with Mosaic and Cryo Pop Original Blend from Yakima, and Peaches O’Houlihan, a Blonde ale with peach, apricot, and black tea.
For non-beer drinkers, there are some excellent sodas from a craft soda place in Pittsburgh, including flavors such as birch beer, pineapple cream, and orange cream.
There’s also a full food menu including wings, pizza, fries, pretzel melts, and paninis.
I love sidewinder fries, so I enjoyed the loaded fries dish.
Address: 2390 Lancaster Pike #2373, Reading, PA 19607 (map)
Website
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Pagoda City Brewing Co
High on a hill overlooking Reading is one of the city’s most famous landmarks, the Reading Pagoda.
The pagoda has inspired the name of Reading brewery, Pagoda City Brewhouse Taproom and Lounge. It was originally Chatty Monks Brewery, which formerly operated in West Reading.
The brewery, located just south of downtown Reading across the Schuylkill River, features two main rooms: a taproom with 12 taps and a back lounge with an additional 12 taps. There’s also a red bus with food out front.
Pagoda City is brewing some interesting beers with local flavors.
Reading is nicknamed “The Pretzel City” due to the numerous pretzel manufacturers in the area. Back in the 1940s, the city produced a third of the pretzels made in the United States. It’s the ubiquitous Pennsylvania snack.
One of Pagoda City’s most popular beers is Split Face, which is an amber lager made with pretzels. It’s really a nice beer; toasty with a tiny bit of salt.
I also enjoyed the Cerveza Tigre, which had horchata in it.
The bar hosts trivia night, karaoke night, and other fun events. There are also lots of TVs for watching sports.
Address: 101 N Carroll St, Reading, PA 19611 (map)
Website
Oakbrook Brewing Company
Oakbrook Brewing Company is also south of downtown Reading across the river. The two breweries are close enough that you can walk between them.
Oakbrook Brewing Company is an awesome spot, thanks to its home inside an old firehouse that operated from 1905 to 2009.
The brewery is decorated with old photos and gear from the firehouse.
I enjoyed a nice flight from their 13 taps.
There are also a few TVs and a Mexican food menu that includes tacos, tostadas, crunchy-dillas, and tapas. The brewery also owns Comālli Taqueria in West Reading.
Address: 628 Park Ave, Reading, PA 19611 (map)
Website
Sly Fox Taphouse
Sly Fox Taphouse is located in Wyomissing, just on the border of West Reading. It’s one of several locations of the brewery, which is headquartered in Pottstown, between Reading and Philadelphia.
The spacious taproom has tons of TVs and a large central bar. Outside, there’s a patio with fire pits, plenty of shade, and fans, making it suitable for any season. Downstairs, Foxskeller offers golf simulators for a more active beer-drinking experience.
Sly Fox offers beers in most styles. I had a flight with the Slugger Unfiltered Pilsner, Hopfenbock, Coastal Quest West Coast IPA, Rye-zenbock, and O’Reilly’s Stout.
It was a bit of a mixed bag, but I especially liked some of the beers, such as the pilsner.
The brewpub also offers cocktails made with local Pennsylvania spirits, plus a full food menu that includes wood-fired pizza and wings.
There are special daily deals on weeknights, such as Taco Tuesday and Wednesday wing nights.
Address: 820 Knitting Mls Wy #100, Wyomissing, PA 19610 (map)
Website
Saucony Creek Franklin Station Brewpub
The old railway station in Reading is a beautiful building that dates back to 1930. Unfortunately, no passenger trains currently serve the city, but Franklin Station has been turned into a taproom by Saucony Creek Brewing Company, based in Kutztown, Pennsylvania.
While I love public transportation and hope that rail service to Philly someday returns to Reading, it’s cool to see such a nice building being reused for something (especially when that something involves beer!)
The Saucony Creek brewpub has up to 20 taps, although when I visited, all but one beer was being served from cans.
I enjoyed the POGS: Passion Fruit, Orange, and Guava Sour. POG is always a dependable flavor combo from Hawaii.
The taproom also serves cocktails and wine, as well as a full food menu.
Address: 100 S 7th St, Reading, PA 19602 (map)
Website
In addition to these great beer bars and breweries in Reading, there’s another beer-related spot to check out. Fawn Hill Hop Yard (website) is a hop farm and event venue that occasionally hosts a beer garden and harvest events.
Do you love craft beer? Check out more of my recommendations for the best craft beer around the world!
