Chatty Monks Brewing Co

Great food, great beer and atmosphere !!! You’ve got to check out Chatty’s if you enjoy craft beer and are anywhere near West Reading !

This nano brewery recently opened a second floor bar and opened itself up for more seating. I’d give it more stars but as the designated driver for the group I was unable to drink, which is half the reason to go to a place like this. Everyone with me really enjoyed their beer, my wife tried several of the selections and settled on the bitter which she enjoyed. We then were seated we ordered a salad w/​chicken and the forbidden nachos w/​pulled pork. Honestly I we were a bit disappointed with the food, the pulled pork was dry, the salad was very run-​of-​the-​mill out of the bag like salad. Gems like this place need to be frequented because despite the small issues with the food the place was packed, had an amazing atmosphere and friendly staff who were all nice, friendly and accommodating even when it was busy.
I’m not sure this is a thing anymore but usually when I go to a bar and I bother to tell the bartender I’m the designated driver they don’t charge me for the soda I inevitably order. This was the first time in a very long time I was charged $ 2.50 which was almost half the price of a beer. I’m used to the Catskills of NY, maybe the drinking culture is different in PA.
We will certainly go back and give it another shot. I’m always up for changing my star rating upon return visits.

Have had a couple of beers here and they are awesome. My personal favorite is the Endoplasmic Reticulum. Also got the cheddar and bratwurst soup and it was the best soup I’ve had in a long time. They had these smoked tacos there that was out of this world, but they are a limited edition. That’s my complaint. Make those smoked tacos a full time meal! Also had good service despite the waitress waiting on practically ten tables at dinner time, so kudos to her. Highly recommend this place!

My rating is strictly for the beer, service, and décor. We stopped in for a quick thirst quencher. We will definitely be back to try the food. The selection of beers and hard cider was great and the bartender was knowledgeable, kind, and very attentive. I liked everything about my first experience.

Didn’t go for the beer but second time around and it was better than the first. Everyone seemed to be having a great time. The service was impeccable, the server even remembered me from my first visit. Pretty impressive. Manager even came to the table to make sure we were satisfied. Small café but just enough room to be comfortable. Now to the food… it was superb! They have a way of blending in hops like I never had before. The shrimp appetizer was crusty with a subtle bite, very nice.
I just can’t seem to get past seeing «chicken wings» on a menu and not try them, so… I did! Am I glad I did they were crispy, tender and what an awesome sauce that covered the wing but did not over power them.
Finally we had a skirt steak with homemade hoppy fries that was cooked to perfection. Medium rare with the perfect pink middle. If I lived near this place I would definitely be a regular. Not over priced and great food and service what more can you ask for!!!

Loved our experience at Chatty Monks! We were seated in the new upstairs area. Love the décor. Perfect service. Hubby liked the beer. I had a delicious holiday-​themed Sangria (Santa-​gria). We ordered nachos with pulled pork. Yummy. My husband had the buffalo chicken panini and I had the flat iron steak. Everything was delicious! Be sure to have the fries!

Stopped in today for the first time. I’ve been dying to get here, and boy did I leave happy.
Sat down at the bar and ordered a flight. After telling the bartender it was my first time, she was awesome! Told me all about the place, the different beer, what people liked, etc.
Unfortunately, I had other lunch plans and didn’t get to try any food, but hey, just an excuse to come back!
Thanks Chatty Monks for a great beer drinking experience.

Excellent beer choices and tasty food! Their hop fries and vegetable panini are excellent! Highly recommended.

Beer is good. My chair didn’t fit my backside, and I’m in alright shape. I thought being in Berks County the chair would be for the largest of folks. Didn’t get my food yet, be back later for the food review, hopefully my ass doesn’t get any bigger.

Nice city pub feel and also clean. Would be nice to see a vegan or vegetarian bar snack on the limited menu but the bar snacks and beer are heaven for the omnivore crowd.

My Husband and I stopped in on a chilly Saturday afternoon to this cute little brew pub. Décor and atmosphere is awesome! We sat at the bar and were greeted by Alex. She is an awesome bartender that really knows her beers! Which isn’t always the case at brew pubs. The beer list is small but every one I tried was a perfectly crafted masterpiece! The 227 Double IPA is off the charts! This is a hidden gem in Reading! Brewing done in the basement. We’ll definitely be back! Great job Alex!

I can’t believe i haven’t written a review before this but here we go… beer is fantastic! R some better than others? Of Course! The endoplasmic is fantastic whether u like single or xx IPA’s…bartenders are attentive w/​o being kiss!#/^&&*. Haven’t cared for any of the soups but the nachos are HUMONGOUS get ready for sharing. Specials are the hot ticket. Always go for the mussels!

Moved my son into his college house and lucky me I found Chatty Monk right down the street. They made a great IPA accompanied by really good food. I highly recommend this place to try and bookmark so you come back many times.
Here is my call out to the owners, you need to offer fried pickles Ll the time, not just late night. Anyway, do not let that stop you from trying this wonder little micro pub.

Had a fantastic time. The food and beer was amazing. The bartender was so knowledgable. I will definitely return! Even though we waited around 10 minutes before we waived down a passing employee to get some menus. He quickly realized we had been waiting and brought us water with our menus and apologized. Our waitress was very apologetic and very nice and fast. I ordered two of the specials and my girlfriend ordered a soup off the menu and the pulled pork dinner with baked beans. I had the mussels with sausage as an appetizer and the salmon cake po boys. The mussels were so tender and the po boy was excellent. My gf’s pork was so moist with smoked ends. It was done just right. Get there early because it filled up very quickly.

My boyfriend and I stopped in today for lunch after finding it on Unilocal.We thoroughly enjoyed our experience. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. I had the indulgence White IPA which was good and not too hoppy. I’m not usually an IPA drinker but I enjoyed it. My boyfriend had 3 samplers of 3 beers so he could try everything on tap. His favorites were the Belgian Dubbel and the Belgian Rye Saison. The buffalo chicken panini and pulled pork sandwich were good. We added the hoppy fries instead of chips and they were amazing! It was a nice spot to relax and enjoy good food and beer. We’ll definitely be back!

I’m not a huge review writer. But since other Unilocaler reviews led us to this place, we needed to chime in as well.
The food was DELICIOUS — his quote last night about our Jalepeno Popper Bacon Dip –«this is the best dip I ever had», which I’ve never heard before. The Monkey Wings were perfect! Sweet, hot, moist with a perfected crispness to the outside! My smoked Prime Rib Sandwich was Soo flavorful!!! & huge!!! I’m not big with taking home leftovers — but something about that smoked moist meat and caramelized opinions with the au jus on the side, needed to come home with me!
Our Bartender Chris — yes, we sat at the bar — was VERY attentive through out the whole night (and the place was packed by 6:30!), & his patience with our «choosing» was very admirable for a busy bar with one tender.
The all around experience here will have us back again when we are in the area :)

This place is definitely one of my favorites on the avenue. A solid addition, with solid service and solid food and drink.
I LOVE the Endoplasmic Reticulum IPA. It’s hands down my favorite India Pale Ale I’ve ever had.
Oh, and Hoppy Fries. Fresh cut fries dusted with hops and served with an aioli. They will explode your taste buds with bitter from the fries and calm them with the aioli. I’ve stopped in on the go, just to grab fries for the road.
Service has always been a major plus. Always friendly, always quick with a refill.

This place is totally the 4.5 stars that the last 44 reviews said it was. But Jen out server makes it a full 5 stars.
So I mean let’s talk about the beer.
ITS GOOD! Some of it is Great. Try the revelation ale for sure and the white ipa.
Though I of course tried them all.
The food was great. Wings, nachos, both specials Jamaican my crazy ;-)
Did I mention Jen though? She was great kudos to the monks for food beer and staff.
The building is cool too and the music rocks!
All around it was worth the hour ride from whitehall to check it out. You should def add it to the craft brew masters tour (I made that up but you belong).
Can’t wait to come back to try another seasons seasonal :-)
Thanks chatty monks

Beautiful renovation of a shoe store and a welcome addition to the nicest corridor in Berks. At midday on a Saturday, it was full like a Saturday night.
Excellent service from the owner at the bar, and I liked that you could get a half portion (cute small glasses). He was also very nice about giving tastes. They make all the beer there, would love to peek in the back. Lovely dry champagne-​style cider. Thanks for the bag hooks under the bar — nice sign of welcome for women. Some local beer bars are NOT welcoming to women, but this one is. Oh, and I love their coasters.
Another nice thing is that the servers walking by, even though we were at the bar, smiled at us and seemed really sweet. It’s a small thing, but these bits of friendliness stick with you.
My friend loved her salmon panini. I’d be there a lot more (and totally up the stars here), but about half of my friends are vegan, and there isn’t any vegan on the menu. If they had non-​dairy cheese (like Daiya, as Judy’s offers), they could easily make a few entrees all plant-​based. I will keep hoping. Center City Philly does a great job with vegan pub food (besides hummus and pasta!), and I bet this place could too. There is so little of this in Reading, so I often eat at Chen or Chipotle before heading to a pub, but I wish I did not have to.

Penn Ave needed a place like this! On a summer Saturday night with the door open, this was a welcoming sight. Upon walking in, we were greeted with a big smile and an offer of assistance. It was a great vibe right from the start.
The service was great. The waiter was attentive and full of information and questions. He spoke about how the beer brewed beneath and that they are a nano brewery. That’s cool! He explained the flavor profiles and types of beers on tap. After ordering drinks, the waiter came back to ask if we could taste the flavors and at what point in the sip the flavor stood out most.
Water comes in a mason jar with a straw and a slice of cucumber. It is refreshing and adds an incredible flair.
Food was decent, not too large a range of menu. But it is definitely unique for the setting. I had the Q platter. The pulled pork was delicious.
The wall to wall wood is a great feature of design and it seems anachronistic. I’ll be getting back there.