I'm really disappointed and honestly baffled by all the good ratings... I got this dish tonight from Mom Chaffe's and it was worse than a freezer meal. I ordered linguine with clams and it is priced at a whopping $24.95. The clams were cut up like cat food and very tasteless. The pasta did not have enough garlic or butter. I don't know what to do with the free bread because there is no sauce in the bottom of the container. I'm appalled. And I'm Italian and very well traveled so I've had linguine with clams maaaaany times. Never have I seen a restaurant dare to serve it with chopped up frozen clams. Wow. Save your money (seriously $25????) and go somewhere, anywhere, else. read more

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The ambiance and service were very good. Sadly, we found the food to be pedestrian and overpriced. Salmon smelled fishy and lacked flavor.

I was very surprised to find this place down a loan road. I was expecting something simple like a deli or pizza but it turns out it's a very well-dressed sit down restaurant with good drinks and high quality food. The prices are high but it's a nice place to take family maybe once a year. read more

Excellent food excellent service. Nice atmosphere. Great desserts. Can't go wrong by visiting mom chaffe's

Ate hear 5 years ago recommended by sterling mansion.Place was loud and tables too close together.Arms length,your hitting your neighbor.Restroom was a shoe box-extremely small. Now the food.Seafood lasagna was good BUT COLD in the inside and covering sauce was cold also.Returned and came back Luke warm. Waitress was outstanding.Serve hot food and you got a nice place. read more

Ravioli was great. Meat sauce was too meaty for me but was still good. Creme brûlée was probably the best I've ever had. Great service

Absolutely THE hidden gem for fine Italian in Berks County. Reserve your table early. It's small and fills quickly. House made fresh pasta and salad dressings are fantastic! Crab cakes and lasagne 10/10 again and again! read more

Great authentic cuisine. Service is great. A true cellarette. Excellent decor great homemade desserts.

A bottle of white, a bottle of red Perhaps a bottle of rose instead We'll get a table near the street In our old familiar place You and I-face to face A bottle of red, a bottle of white It all depends on your appetite I'll meet you any time you want In our Italian Restaurant. Billy Joel must have nailed this song after visiting Mom Chaffee's in Reading. Mom Chaffee's is the kind of place Buca de Beppo wants to be; it's intimate, oddly homey, and purely authentic. It's the kind of secret you want to guard, or else the lines from the chain resturaunts will form on Tulpehocken Avenue. It's the kind of place, I told my wife during dinner, I want everyone to go for lunch the day they plant me in the ground...in the meantime, I'll bring the woman I love and married here so that I can look deep into her eyes, and see the reflection of her lobster and crab ravioli! Now that's what I'm talking about! Walk in- after making a reservation, please- and you will be seated at a table that will be in close enough proximity to smell your neighbor's appetizers, and closer enough yet to borrow his fork when he isn't looking. And this is acceptable; that's the kind of atmosphere your are going to get, and it is good. The menu- purely Italian- isn't enough to overwhelm you, and it keeps the selection process simple enough that you can focus on the conversation without being dragged into a culinary vortex of chaos and confusion. We went with the garlic bread and mozzarella over tomato ($8) appetizers...bread was excellent, but a basket of 4 slices didn't last, so for $3 we had a second basket with dinner. House cabaret was decent. For dinner, we went by the Yelp recommendations of Crab and Lobster Ravioli ($25), and the lasagna ($15). The lasagna really good, but the nod goes to the ravioli...outstanding. Lobster inside, crab on top. My wife and I generally do the swap halfway through, and neither of us was let down...but ho mama, the ravioli rocked our socks. Yes. Dessert consisted of peanut butter and chocolate cake, with coffee. Great way to polish off a great meal. I think the last time I was at Chaffee's was around 1995, and although the interior seems different, it's the same. Excellent authentic Italian food, intimate atmosphere, fine service. What makes this place special is the intangible quality that you are eating somewhere really unique, memorable. It can't be recreated with a 10-page Olive Garden menu or Applebee's "neighborhood" faux decorations; this is the real deal, purely authentic. It's the place oft imitated, but never recreated. It's hidden on a side street in a cellar, and it's one of the best-kept secrets of Reading. Don't tell anyone. read more

This place is a treasure. Hidden location but super excellent food. Ordered a daily special main course, which is a seared fish with risotto, garnished with okra and carrot. Best risotto I ever had. Super creamy. Okra and carrot nicely balanced the creamy flavor. Dessert is stunning too. Had a piece of banana walnut cake and totally blew me away. Regretted not taking any picture. read more

Wow, I had not been here in over 20 years. This used to be the place I'd take a date to impress. Unfortunately, none of those ever worked out. We called in on a Saturday night around 7:30 and got reservations for 8:30. We got there around 8 and the place was packed. We waited about 5 minutes at the bar and then they took us back to the table. This place is just as I remembered it. Somewhat dark-ish, which I love. The smell of garlic in the air. Lots of people laughing and having a great time. This place has a very low ceiling. After all, it IS in the cellar of the building. I'm 6'1" and the ceiling at the bar was about 6'7 or so. This place is "old school" in the best possible way. So many places nowadays look like they were decorated by someone who has a discount at Ikea or Pier One. Not here. Sure, it can get noisy. The place is packed and the ceiling is low. Deal with it. Everyone is laughing and having a good time. Someone else mentioned that they should play some Dean Martin. Sure, that would be great but might be tough to hear. When I ate here in the 90s they had a guy walking around playing a violin. Unfortunately they don't do that anymore. It would be tough on a busy night just to move around. Service was excellent. Food was excellent. Manhattan cocktail was excellent. If you call ahead for reservations you might want to specify that you don't sit in the back near the kitchen. Lots of traffic back there. The owner was very nice and chatted with us a while, as did the chef (since we were there near closing time). read more

Back from Florida and was looking forward to our meal. The chicken parmigiana was not pounded and were thick chewy breasts. The calamari was greasy and the tomato sauce tasted like jarred Prego sauce. So disappointed. read more

My wife and I try to eat here anytime we are near Reading! This place is Awsome! It has plenty of history and Ambiance which is apparent as soon as you walk in! If you like Italian food, then I HIGHLY recommend this place!! read more

This place is cool in all but it smells horrible idk if there too much perfume the waitress had on or it just smells that way. Clearly the waitress also can't read human speech. I said spaghetti and she thought it was another word. Don't come here I don't recommend it. read more

This was the second time my wife and i have had Dinner there and both times we have not been disappointed we own a retail butcher shop the meal was fantastic the meat was great quality and the dessert was very good and Steve our waiter was on the spot every time so i THANK YOU very much for the enjoyable evening 5 stars from us and we will be back read more

Unique dining experience and delicious authentic meals that definitely feel homemade.

I don't understand why everyone recommends this place so highly. When we walked in on the Tuesday evening it smelled strongly of mothballs. The place was cute otherwise. The food was very average. I asked if the pasta was homemade, which I expected it was. I was told that some of it was homemade by them and the rest was purchased. So I asked which pasta on the menu was homemade by them and I was told none. Lol. The salad was a basic iceberg lettuce with some vegetables. The bread was soft Italian with no flavor. The best way I could explain the food was if you went to a good diner. The filet mignon was very tender except it had zero flavor. Like when you buy cheap meat and it doesn't have any taste. It was smothered in what seemed to be canned mushrooms. I don't know I've been waiting years to go here and it was very mediocre. $120 worth of mediocre for two people. The wine tasted cheap. The portions are big. read more

Flew in from California this morning to visit my daughter for her birthday weekend. Wanted to go somewhere original & Mom Chaffe's was a referral from daughters co-worker. Walked in, no reservation, on a Saturday night at 7pm. The "boss man" & Aaron made a table for us. Entire experience was phenomenal, service, food, ambience. When I return at Christmas time with my husband this place is a must... I will be sure to make reservations though! read more

Mom Chaffe's Cellarette - Italian Near Me - West Reading, Pennsylvania

This is a quite interesting place... I went at Mom Chaffe's Cellarette after a business meeting. Some guys of the local team suggested it as a good spot. And it was indeed great! Several things surprised me; the first one is that the restaurant is located in a residential place. And what I mean by that is that I would say it's basically the only restaurant you can find there. Second, that the restaurant is actually in what it seems someone's basement. All that makes the place sort of unique... a different experience. In terms of food, excellent! The bruschetta I got as an appetizer was very good. Not exactly like the traditional one if you want, but simply delightful. As a main course I got a special: sea food lasagna. It was delicious. A perfectly executed dish! The desserts looked awesome, but unfortunately I couldn't try the since the lasagna portion was quite generous. Certainly a place you want to check out if you're in the area! read more

After moving to the area this year, Mom Chaffe's is one of the consistently recommended restaurants to try. I had high expectations, as those who recommended it said it was one of the best restaurants in the area and that we would not be disappointed. Unfortunately my experience went as follows. I called the day before to make the reservation. It was odd because I got the busy tone as soon as I called. I tried again to see if maybe I could get through, assuming that another caller was on the line at the time. I received a busy tone again. Interestingly enough, I received a phone call back. At that point I was able to make a reservation for the following night on Saturday. Later on in the evening, plans had changed and we had less people confirmed to come to dinner. I called again to change the reservation for less people, but I was greeted again by the busy tone. I figured I would try the following day. The next day, I call. Sure enough, the busy tone... I call one last time at about an hour and a half before our reservation. To my surprise... I got the busy tone, AGAIN! At this point, I felt as though I made a valiant attempt to give the restaurant a heads up. We get there 5 minutes before our reservation, and we were greeted quickly by the hostess. I shared that I made several attempts to call to change the reservation and explained the difficulty getting a response, but our group was only going to be 4 people instead of the 7 I initially requested. She acknowledged and said, "no problem." As she was putting away place settings for the table that we were initially going to be seated, she was abruptly told by a man with white hair behind the bar, to stop what she was doing and to seat us "over there." I was taken back by the way he spoke to her, and I think she was too. As she seats us at a different table, the man with white hair, behind the bar, proceeded to tell us, "in the future, you should really call to let us know." He said this in a very condescending manor. I responded by explaining that I had called multiple times in the last 2 days to try to change it, but I could not get through due to the busy tone. I was met with no response and lack of eye contact. I was truly taken back by this interaction, which quite honestly ruined the experience. Stressed and busy or not, a customer should never be spoken to in this way. If it weren't for the hostess and our amazing server, I probably would have given this restaurant a worse rating. The food was great. The ambiance and quaint character of the restaurant itself was like your grandma's dining room in the basement. I didn't hate it. Our friends also noticed the way that this man with the white hair, behind the bar, communicated; nonverbal and all. His RBF and baseline attitude was uncalled for, which was even noticed as he interacted with other guests. I really wanted to like this place a lot more than what we experienced. Unfortunately, I can say that I would never recommend anyone to go there and will likely not come back. read more

Seafood Lasagna is my favorite dish, but everything I've ever had there is excellent. The service is always good. There is a time travel element to Mom Chaffe's; the radiators in the ceiling make it feel like you are not in the 21st century. The microscopic rest rooms are an adventure in themselves. read more

Best Italian food in the area. The ambiance is tight. The bathroom is TERRIBLE, there is no parking but the food is amazing! They have great recipes. Crab cakes are best in town. The sauces are incredible. Even a simple chicken parm is far superior than any local restaurant but the specials are what you want to focus on. Chilean Sea Bass entree and seafood lasagna are spectacular dishes. Can't fail. read more

Great cellar restaurant! I'm recently eating Vegan and they accommodated my needs. The three of us had veal seafood and mushroom dishes and it was excellent food and wonderful service. read more

I love this intimate dining experience. I have relatives in this area and always try to make it to Mom's. It was pretty loud this past Wednesday and busy at 8 PM. The martini olives in size indicate that they know how to make a good gin one. Apps are great; the hot peppers are killers. The steak entree was fabulous. Pasta in the past was great. Service excellent Highly recommended. read more

My husband took me here for my birthday. Warm, cozy, ROMANTIC atmosphere. Food was OUTSTANDING! For our appetizer we had the superb bruschetta. Next we had a delicious salad with homemade dressing. For our entree I have fidelini pasta with meat sauce and my husband had the Lobster and Crab Ravioli....both were out of this world. Such a wonderful, authentic Italian restaurant that I highly recommend. read more

Mom Chaffe's Cellarette - Bruschetta - Italian Near Me - West Reading, Pennsylvania

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Mom Chaffe's is an old-school gem. I had never been there before last night, even though it's been there since the thirties. The restaurant is in the lower-level of a home in a residential section of West Reading. It would be easy to miss if not for the charming retro lit-up sign attached to the building. Once inside, we were warmly greeted by the bartender and an older lady (perhaps the owner?) who seated us in the mostly-full dining room. The decor is far from hip or trendy--think oil paintings with gold frames, pink tablecloths, brassy chandeliers. I found it quite charming and romantic. The bathroom was notable because of its teeny size. I'd guess the place hasn't changed much for decades. The service was fantastic. Our waitress was attentive without being over-bearing. The food was good. The highlight was the special appetizer we ordered, garlic toast topped with smoked salmon and a currant cream sauce. Totally delicious! The salad with house vinegarette was simple and nice--not overdressed. For entrees, we ordered simple pasta dishes. I had the linguine with pesto, my husband had cheese ravioli with marinara and Italian sausage. The dishes were well done, though had a bit too much sauce in both cases. The bill was not cheap, but included cocktails and a bottle of wine. I suppose I'm spoiled by the many BYOBs around. I would definitely recommend this restaurant for a romantic evening out or a special occasion dinner. Or a charming trip back in time. read more

Ok, in my opinion, hands down the best place to eat in Berks County. They don't try to be cool or trendy, the decor on the walls is filled with picture frames that look like they were grabbed from my grandmother's walls and garage sales, but it as quaint and romantic place to have dinner in the area. When you walk in, you'll probably see the mother of the owner sitting behind the bar answering the phone. The restaurant has been in her family forever or since 1919, whichever is longer. She's an old sweetheart and you'll most likely talk to her when you make your reservation, which you should do especially if dining on a weekend. Also, if when you do make a reservation, ask to sit in the front. The atmosphere is a little nicer in the front and there's less foot traffic, due to the kitchen being located in the back. Also, just as an interesting note, Mom Chaffe's may have the smallest bathroom in the County. It's absolutely tiny. I'm not sure how this affects your dining experience unless you need cathedral-like restrooms, but I will say it is shockingly tiny. The food is delicious. Always, believe me, ALWAYS, wait to listen to the specials from the wait staff. You won't be disappointed and I almost always get something on special. My favorite item off the regular menu is the lobster ravioli and the veal parmesan is also delicious. For an appetizer, the calamari is the best I've had anywhere and the fresh bread they serve with garlic oil is perfect as well. The only thing I would say negatively is the garden salad that they serve with the meal is pretty basic/almost boring and isn't anything to write home about. The wait staff is great and friendly and quick with your food and drinks. The place is almost always full on weekends and I hardly ever remember waiting long for anything. I'm not Italian, but I love Italian food and the total experience you get at Mom Chaffe's is wonderful. From the low ceilings in the cellarette (my head almost touches the ceiling at 6'3") to the romantic ambiance at a private table for two, this is the place to go for Italian fine dining in Berks. Overall, I give this restaurant an A+ read more

I'm not one to nitpick about ambience as I have found that the most hole in the wall places tend to have the best food, so my reviews are all based on food quality. With that out of the way... The seafood lasagna will change your life. I'm half Italian and have Italian food more often than most so I consider myself an authority on good Italian food. It pains me to say this, but the food here blows my own grandmother's homemade Italian food out of the water. I'm sorry grandma, but it is what it is. If you are looking to have the best (Italian) meal of your life and have a chance to dine at the Cellarette, don't delay. read more

Had a wonderful meal here with a group of 10 adults. I wanted to post a picture of the menu since I couldn't find it online, and I thought it would be helpful to others. We had several appetizers and almost everyone ordered a different entree, and we all enjoyed it! Mom C has wonderful specials so don't decide what you want until you've heard the specials for the evening! The crab cake special was great and the salmon entree was even better! I also tasted veal and chicken entrees, all spot on! Classic Italian! Service was friendly and quick. Would recommend to friends and will be back! Thank you!! read more

Mom Chaffe's Cellarette - Menu - Italian Near Me - West Reading, Pennsylvania

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Good "old school" Italian. Great ambience. Best desserts ever (turns out they were made by our server Rose) Strawberry crumb cake and coconut cake were worth the drive to Reading. read more

Tucked on a West Reading backstreet, Mom Chaffe's is one of those places you'd never find by accident. The décor is definitely old-school, but in a good way. Not hip or trendy, but classy and well maintained. If West Reading had a Godfather, I could imagine him sitting at the table in the corner. "Hey, come over here, kid, learn something. You never know, you might have to cook for 20 guys someday. You see, you start out with a little bit of oil. Then you fry some garlic..." The food is good, seriously good. The menu contains classics, but make sure you listen to the specials. The filet mignon with mushrooms was one of the best I've had. An appetizer of fresh mozzarella and roasted peppers was just perfect too. Mom Chaffe's is easily 1000 times better than Olive Garden. Reservations are a good idea on the weekend. Get directions before you go, but go. read more

I have a hypothesis that restaurants with interesting signs out front often yield interesting dining experiences within and Mom Chaffe's holds true. Outside it has a 1950's, when-you-could-still-get-to-Reading-on-a-freakin'-railroad feeling to it. Inside is close and warm and inviting and intimate and pre-we-need-to-have-tvs-or-music-or-something-grabbing-your-attention-all-the-freakin' time. We'll definitely be back with family on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday to try the lasagna. read more

It's been a while since I've been here though I can remember enough that I can proffer that it was a pleasant experience. Very romantic place to bring a date. Food was on the expensive side, though well worth it in food quality and atmosphere. Nice wine list. The place is a bit on the small side so expect crowds, especially given the good reputation this establishment has obtained over the years. I wouldn't bring a child here - breaks the ambiance for others. read more

The crab cakes are phenomenal. Had a wonderful time and great service. Also the best Italian food around

Just finished a solo meal at Mama Chaffe's. Per the other yelp'ers, I went with the lobster and crab ravioli. I was not disappointed. The cream sauce was perfect - not too buttery, nor too thin. I had some bourbon as well, and the pour was among the most generous I've had in a long time. Unfortunately, the dessert left something to be desired. I rarely get dessert, and given the wonderful meal I had, I figured the chocolate and peanut butter cake would be worth the splurge. I was wrong. The presentation was excellent, with a chocolate dusted plate. However the cake itself was rather dry, and the whip cream was straight out of a can. I'd expect that from a chain restaraunt, but had higher expectations here. Dessert was a mistake, but the entree, and spirits, were great. I'll be back, but will save the calories on the end next time. read more

When you first arrive at this place you'll notice the authentic exterior immediately. Upon walking inside you are greeted with a quaint cozy interior with candle lit tables, quite romantic if you ever need a place. The service and food was top notch, great specials and standards with excellent portion, quality, and size. read more

Amazing decor. The servers are really friendly. Ordered a garlic bread. It just melts in your mouth. Their pasta is really fresh. A little more olive oil than i would expect, but good pasta nonetheless. The deserts were amazing. I rarely have deserts, but these guys get a whole tray of desserts when u ask for the menu.... So much for free will ;). All in all a great experience. It is a lil higher on the price, but i guess u already know that read more

Awesome, especially for the Reading area. My lobster ravioli is always perfect. Their seafood cakes are amazing. The only drawbacks are the small wine list, sometimes they overdress the salads, so always order dressing on the side, and the desserts are hit or miss. I had chocolate cake there once that tasted old and stale. But you aren't going there for dessert. You're going there for dinner. It's a total gem. Love it. read more

Went here on a first date. The environment is very cozy and intimate due to the low lighting and a low ceiling. The decor is old school Italian. The food was pretty good. The garlic bread was tasty, the salad was ok. The calamari was f-ing divine. I have had calamari all over the place, and this was probably the best I've ever had. Very full, meaty, rings with great breading. Superb. For the entree I ordered Veal medallions with Prosciutto. It was pretty good. WOuld have been better if I had gotten it without Prosciutto, but this is not the restaurant's fault, its mine since I'm not a huge fan of Prosciutto, but ordered it anyway. The place was great for ambiance and flavor, but the menu is kind of limited, hence the three star rating. If not for that I would have given it 4 stars. Definitely worth going though. read more

Always a hit with me and anyone I'm with. Food is outstanding. The place is a bit crowded and noisy so if you can get past the noise issue then this will be a a regular place for great food read more