Chatty Monks Brewing Co.

Ah, October! Time to check out the best eats and brews. Always fun — always a choice of where to go — because if Berks County has one activity you can count on, it’s eating great tavern food while lifting a tasty glass to good times and laughter.

If you’ve not yet walked inside the doors of Chatty Monks on Penn Avenue in West Reading, you’re missing out on a very good time. The sign says Chatty Monks Brewing Company, but craft beer’s just the main lure. The dinner fare is thoroughly enjoyable, with plenty of Oktoberfest specialties, including a best-selling sauerbraten with German red cabbage, wiener schnitzel, and a variety of seasonal “jaeger” dishes. The atmosphere? Unabashedly laid back.

As an appetizer, indulge in Cheddar Brat Soup. This is a perfect tavern soup. Get just a cup if you’re planning to order an entrée as well — it’s satisfying enough to be a meal in itself. Roundly luscious in the mouth, on the tongue, its flavor lingering for long minutes afterwards, this is a great soup for taking a spoonful or two, then just resting and enjoying it in between sips of beer. The cheese as garnish suffuses throughout the broth, which is rich with spices and brat bits (no fatty pieces) — a very seamless little soup. The finely minced spring onions add to its hearth-like, old country flavor; stringy cheese falls off the spoon, dropping back into the warmth if you don’t snatch it up.

“Flying Monky” Wings

Chipotle BBQ “Flying Monky” Wings. Yep, that’s what they’re called. Executive Chef Jim Kieffer has created a fully integrated taste experience with these insanely superb chicken wings. They’re expertly cooked crispy on all edges, yet the chicken stays succulent, enhanced by sneaky heat delivered through a sunset-hued, magic sauce.

Another familiar tavern food made uniquely yummy is the Hoppy French Friars (another of many monk-themed wordplays). Carefully chosen spuds are fresh-cut, fried, then dusted sweetly with light-tan hops.

The Bratwurst & Krautwich is tender on its roll with stoneground, sweet beer-based mustard and is blanketed with sauerkraut. The sausage is cooked in — what else? — one of their homemade beers. “Most of the meats,” says Rob Metzger, assistant brewmaster, visionary, and one of five Chatty Monks, “are infused in a combination of beers.”

A pub-style Fish and Chips has proven so popular it’s now a steady seller. Naturally, the batter is made with stout (Thelonious Monk). Metzger reveals that this dish has already received the ultimate compliment: “Our Irish customers love it,” he smiles.

The “Q” Platter, full of tender smoked pulled pork, sugary baked beans and straightforward coleslaw, satisfies. There’s also an adore-worthy Smoked Salmon Panini. “We smoke our own pork and salmon,” explains Metzger. Translation: these meats and fish hold optimum moisture.

Brewed on Site

All the beer is lovingly brewed on site, and anyone seeking out craft brews will agree that it just doesn’t get much better than that. Some beers are always on the menu; several others are seasonal. “We have in excess of 40 recipes at this point,” says Metzger. “Norm Eaton, our brewer, is a biologist, so he cultures his own yeast.”

Berks Bitter is a contradiction of sorts (which makes sense — Berks is full of contradictions and intricacies, isn’t it?). It’s a bit citrus-y, gentle and herbal — perfectly zingy, yet so smooth. A must-try.

Revelation Ale, their flagship drink, an English-style ale, is one of the brewery’s original beers, dark, with a lilt to it, a nice creamy head and a bright, deep aftertaste. It’s sort of like a champion thoroughbred. Savor this one. It contains chocolate malt yet shifts to a citrus finish.

Endoplasmic Reticulum (yes, be amused by all these brainy beer names — the owners are heady people — literally) is very, very hoppy.

In autumn, you’ll want Crash Test Pumpkin or Pumpkin Porter, but order fast whenever it’s offered because it’s totally seasonal — and it totally sells out. When it’s gone, it’s gone. On to another creation! That’s the joy of Chatty Monks. In the hottest dog days of August, you’ll find Summer Ale, light like a sunny day, with agave notes that feel like a fresh-picked salad.

Need help ordering? The menu and website offer clear descriptions of the brews’ notes and character, but you can also ask the knowledgeable, friendly wait staff, or anyone seated at the bar for that matter. The only problem is that everyone seems to have not one, but several, favorites. You can also get flights of different beers to sample. Toward the end of your meal, finish with chocolate milk —  Maids a Milkin’ Stout, that is. Put your nose into the top part of the glass and sniff-f-f-f for a sensuous first taste of this drink. Another great choice for meal’s end is Thelonious Monk Stout. Creamy, dessert-like, chocolate-y, tingly, super-smooth.