Chatty Monks Brewing Company: Super Brew ’n Zesty Pub Fare

With homey wood-plank floors and a consistently outstanding bar, this classy-cool, upscale-casual locale on Penn Avenue in West Reading stuns anew with a fresh, super-cosmopolitan feel. There’s a decidedly Indian-fusion influence reflected in several lunch and dinner items, thanks to current ownership under Berks County’s Raj Jagadesan and family. They’ve launched an exciting evolution into fusion and cross-border foods across the menu, while maintaining Chatty Monks’ well-established favorites such as Hoppy Fries and Beer Mac & Cheese. The taproom and restaurant’s goal: to always deliver an exceptional flavor experience, from fine-crafted beers to hearty burgers.

Split Face and Jesters Song

As to be expected, the taproom’s success continues in their homemade beers, and what a range of fun, original choices! The Split Face is a super refreshing amber lager, brewed with the famous Reading pretzel company Unique Splits’ unsalted pretzels for a lip-happy hint of that toasty snack. Chatty Lager is classically American-smooth; The Alondra is a dry stout — very pleasing. Pilsner-lovers will want to try PA Pride, while fans of Belgian Double (aka dubbel, a strong beer at 9.1%) will want Jesters Song.

There’s something for every taste, including fruity and sour, and some surprises always on tap. Those who lean toward a heavy, rich stout will adore the well-named Depth Hast No Bounds, a barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout. Indecisive? Get a flight. You’ll try four 5-ounce tasters for just $12, quadruple the enjoyment and the best way to sample while narrowing down the dinner drink.

Beer, however, is just the tip of the drinking trough. There are ciders, seltzers, a rotating sangria and creative cocktails galore. The Brûléed Peach Old Fashioned is aromatic in every sip, made with a superior, satisfying dose of Manatawny Whiskey basking in burnt-sugary peaches, brown sugar syrup and vanilla bitters, garnished with citrusy orange peel.

Totally Un-Boring Appetizers

Always great with beer, Chatty’s Flying Monkey Wings (yes, chicken wings, just super-meaty and juicy) can be taste-personalized with sweet-and-tangy buffalo sauce, honey mustard, traditional BBQ, dry lemon pepper or worldly flavors like tamarind tandoori BBQ, pineapple jerk and Sweet Thai Chili.

Not to be missed is Big Azz Pretzel, which naturally must appear on any decent Pennsylvania craft-beer menu. This mouthwatering monster arrives on a large plate, hot and ready to be torn into by a whole table, with no less than three sumptuous sauces for dipping. There’s a highly addictive, perfectly silky, light-orange beer-cheese dip that kisses the pretzel’s dark, buttery crust and soft white interior, a radical bacon jam, all warmed up and loaded for bear, as well as a cool, sweet, feather-light honey mustard for a gentle caress. Swig of beer, bite of pretzel, dip as you will… Do save room for Eggplant Fries, a specialty of the house, and rarely available elsewhere. If you’re an eggplant fan, the kind of person who orders an eggplant parm hero, pop these veggie slivers into your mouth like eating French fries. Battered and cut just like fries, they’re done a bit dark for deeper taste, with crispy outer edges and a warm filling inside. So good. A mango aioli accompanies for savory dousing.

Vegetable Pokora fries up little fritters of potatoes, red onions and red bell peppers using a chickpea batter, making this dish both vegan and gluten-free. Owner Raj explains that incorporating Southern Indian cooking is “a big, big advantage” when it comes to pleasing diners seeking Vegan and gluten-free choices. “We don’t have to modify the menu to make it gluten-free,” he explains, “as the majority of Southern Indian foods are rice-based.”

Also divine: Wisconsin cheese curds transformed into Tandoori Cheese Curds — lightly spicy, bite-sized appetizers cooled by a coriander cream sauce for an unforgettable mix of charred and cheesy. (One server leans over to admit, “These are my favorite. I could eat them all day!”)

A Best-Burger Standoff: Salmon vs. Beef

In a county where hamburger competition is keen amongst restaurants, it’s true that the ever-luscious Chatty Beer Burger owns major bragging rights. It’s simply one of the best. Garnished with tomato, lettuce, fragrant bacon and a choice of melty cheese, this fat, handmade burger explodes with beefy satisfaction. Despite the butter-top bun holding it together, it’s definitely messy. So worth all the napkins!

But a second burger on the dinner menu is arm-wrestling for equal play: the Salmon Burger with Jalapeno Sauce appears every bit like a burger — pink-orange salmon sitting tall and round, slathered with a fantastically savory coleslaw plus mango coconut sauce, then encased in a brioche bun. It, too, demands napkins.

The dinner menu is deeply diverse, from Cincinnati Chili to Tikka Masala; Fish & Chips to vegetarian Lemon Curry. Cavatappi pasta forms the base for a longtime pub passion done Chatty-style: Beer Mac & Cheese, made gooey with beer-cheese sauce and crowned by toasted Parmesan breadcrumbs.

Chatty Monks Brewing Company