Looking out over a pool and golf greens, Gracie Volker and Jim Lorah’s venture called Louie’s Kitchen & Bar kicked off in March of 2022, encompassing a family-friendly dining area and a separate bar-and-food area. There’s ample seating for outdoor dining as well. The natural light and the view from tall windows that stretch along the building trigger relaxation in customers who will feel like they’re on vacation, about to order dinner from a well-designed, exciting menu that includes gourmet comfort-food entrees, double-smashed burgers and warm New Orleans-style beignets for dessert.
Gracie assures diners of the restaurant’s commitment to superior flavor and freshness, saying, “Our food is all house-made, from our dressings to the tartar sauce.” She adds, “It’s bar food done right!” Some of the most popular items, she says, are the Mediterranean Salad and Mediterranean Bowl, the Beef and Cheddar Handhelds and a Nashville Chicken Sandwich. The latter is fried chicken tossed in hot sauce inside a toasted brioche bun, adorned with thinly sliced red onions and savory homemade pickles. Indeed, this menu holds creative cuisine from top to bottom.
Triple Double Chili & Chicken Wings with House-made Sauces
Topping the appetizers are such perfections as Louie’s beloved Chicken Wings (bone-in or boneless) with an array of choices for dipping: house-made ranch, blue cheese, Fresh Orange Sesame, Nashville Hot, K.C. BBQ, honey mustard and hot/mild (hot sauce in butter).
“Our wings are made Korean-style — that is, battered and twice-fried — so they’re very crispy,” explains Gracie.
The Triple Double Chili is uniquely meaty, dense and spicy (“but not too spicy!”) crafted with kidney beans and black beans, mingled with ground bacon, beef and pork. The base sauce pulls everything together, thanks to four types of dried chili peppers yielding “smooth heat,” says Gracie. Three meats impart a signature flavor profile here, a welcome change from standard chili. Diners choose between a cup or bowl.
For vegetarians especially, but for any fan of Middle Eastern delicacies, the Hummus Plate is a slam-dunk. It’s rare to find house-made hummus anywhere, but Louie’s version is superbly nutty and lightly garlicky, accompanied by grilled pita bread, cut-up cucumbers, olive tapenade and feta cheese embellished with olive oil, tzatziki and zesty za’atar spice. Licking your fingers cannot be avoided! So good.
Refreshing Summer Salads — from Cobb to Fajita Shrimp
Sometimes a salad is just exactly what the day calls for, and Louie’s distinctive variations are tough to choose from: Cobb Salad, Taco Salad even a Cheeseburger Salad…
The Fajita Shrimp Salad is gorgeous to behold with its rainbow colors, tossing mixed green leafies together with Fajita-sauteed shrimp, tomatoes, cukes, black bean salsa, pineapple salsa, pickled red onions and shredded cheese for good measure. Those contrasting textures, soft to crunchy, plus engaging counterpoints of individually full-flavored ingredients make this salad a truly playful, healthy choice, just the type of salad to linger over with a draft or craft beer, or perhaps a Jalapeño Margarita.
The Caramel Burger
A hamburger that’s caramelized! This mouth-melting burger invention is so popular that some diners confess they can’t order anything else, despite so many enticing burger options emerging from the kitchen like the Smokehouse Burger, Steakhouse Burger and the Cheeseburger Melt on grilled rye with two types of cheese.
The Caramel Burger is made with two 4-ounce patties smashed down twice, made sweet and richer than rich, thanks to caramelized bacon, American and provolone cheese, caramelized onions and painted with bacon jam mayo. Sitting tall and juicy in its toasted brioche bun, this is a serious bit of beef.
French fries, delightfully herbed, come with the platter, though diners can opt for an upgrade of Loaded Cheese Fries (cheese sauce, chopped scallions, ranch dressing and bacon) or Louie’s famous Brew City Onion Rings. The latter are tremendous — juicy, sweet and large — with that crispy outside juxtaposed against soft onion-ring interiors. They’re totally satisfying all on their own, but when dipped in house-made Sriracha, a burny bite lingers luxuriously.
Yuengling Lager-Battered Fish and Chips
Two fresh white fish filets dredged in Louie’s house-made batter are alluringly draped on a pile of French fries for a classic presentation of Fish and Chips. What’s really special is the opportunity to try that creamy tartar sauce, subtly enhancing each bite of tender, flaky fish.
Other entrees abound. There’s Roast Beef with gravy, Chopped Steak, roasted BBQ Pork and a Shrimp Bowl. The Mediterranean Bowl is a local favorite, featuring tender marinated chicken, grilled, then placed on seasoned rice along with spinach, sweet cherry tomatoes, feta, tart tzatziki sauce, olive tapenade and grilled pita.
Croissant-Style Beignets Finish the Meal
Order a House Brew Coffee or cappuccino, or maybe Gracie’s Signature Latte and get ready for an unusual treat, beignets! Munch and crunch into these warm pastries with their soft, doughy interiors, served with gooey dulce de leche dip, to finish with a fancy flourish.
12 Village Center Drive, Reading | 610.775.6575
