Saucony Creek has a great atmosphere, especially being set in an old train station--that was the best part. The beer was tasty, the food decent, and while service outside was slow, our waiter was friendly and helpful. A solid spot if you're into craft brews and cool settings. read more

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This could be so charming. Building is historic beautiful with huge windows. There's a great outdoor space with fire pits. Tons of parking. The microbrews were tasty and the menu looked nice. However, there was a hint of sewage in the air when I walked through the doors then I went to the bathroom and figured out where it was coming from. It was so rank in there, I realize now why the restaurant was completely empty. It's really a shame, they've got to get their sewer fixed. We did get a big pretzel and then decided to leave and have dinner elsewhere. The pretzel was old and smaller than expected and must've been in the freezer a long time. read more

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Even though it's too early in the season for table service on the patio Ty was amazingly kind and took care of my pup and I out here so we could enjoy the beautiful day. Do yourself a favor and come check this place out. To management, you guys have a great employee in Ty, he deserves props! read more

Saucony Creek Franklin Station - Delicious chili and cold beer on pup friendly patio - Gastropubs Near Me - Reading, Pennsylvania

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the service was great the food was great will definitely be back.When done dinner we sat at the bar to try a beer i saw i may like and the bartender was so super nice and so friendly had great conversation with him it was so nice he said he was there only 2 weeks didn't get his name but he is a great employee that you added to your team hope to see him next time!! read more

Came here before a concert at Santander. Waited forever for drinks. The place obviously was not prepared for an influx of people. Thank god we didn't even order food, especially because the people next to us (who had a reservation) were waiting nearly 40 mins before anyone came to them. Half hour before we got drinks. Waitress totally ignored eye contact w us, even as we tried to get our bill to leave. Not coming back. read more

Cool place! Kinda empty. Unfortunately in a not so great part of town. Loved the coffee cream ale!!!

The old train station building is very cool! We went at 1pm yesterday (Saturday) and were one of about 3 tables and a few people at the bar. There appeared to be just one server which should have been fine for the number of people. Service was very slow- at one point we waited about 30 min for refills and had to remind him that we ordered. We also waited so long to pay the check that we just went up to the bar to do it. Beer selection was good and we enjoyed it. The food was very good! Our group tried the cheese steak, burger, shrimp/grits, fennel salad and surf and turf. Everyone was happy with their choices. Only complaint is that the burger was to be medium and did not have any pink. I'd say we'd definitely be back for the food and beer but hope the service can improve. I know it's tough to get staff these days but there were not that many people to serve. If you are attentive to your tables, the tips will be great! read more

Saucony Creek Franklin Station - Flight - Gastropubs Near Me - Reading, Pennsylvania

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Sorry to report we showed up Sunday, March 3rd, 2024 to treat our buddies from Philadelphia. Unfortunately there was a two or three piece band playing at full volume and although we were seated as far away as possible we could not hear each other, even shouting. After five minutes (the brunch menu looked terrific) we told our server we had to leave. Our server could barely hear us! It's a large space and sound bounces off the hard surfaces. Management needs to be attentive to sound way too high. I almost pulled out my decibel app but simply needed to get out of the space before permanent hearing loss. read more

Slooooooooow service. Food was lackluster. Hard to mess up French Onion soup but it was bland. Had the brussel sprouts and they were awful, drenched in soy sauce. Flat bread was overwhelmed in goat cheese. Chef does not appear to be able to balance flavors. Big beer menu but better to perfect less. read more

This is such an awesome venue. It is just beautiful inside. The neighborhood remains in transition but it is a short 2 blocks from the Doubletree. Service was slow to begin, but was fine once I asserted myself once. The charred nopales cactus tacos were tasty despite being labeled as vegan ( but I did have the cheese). The live band echoed pretty loudly inside the old train station, but there is also some outside seating. A Norfolk southern train passed thru within a couple feet of the patio ( and lasted a good 45 minutes). All of the original details of the passenger train station remain, and it is lovely to behold. Thanks to the city and saucony creek for preserving this property. read more

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Very cool location. They must be under new management because the service and food were excellent. I'll definitely be back.

We came here before going to a show at Santander Performing Arts Center. There was a live band playing. The place was probably 3/4 full when we arrived but we were sat immediately. The place is an train station with the old ticket booths, etc as decor. Very cool vibe. We ordered drinks to start and they were great. The blackberry tequila cocktail was super tasty and not overly sweet, like some fruity cocktails can be. My husband ordered a beer from their extensive beer menu. We ordered food and it took nearly an hour to come out. We were really given many updates on the food until 45 min after ordering. A lot of other tables already had food, so not sure why it took so long. Once we got the food, it was really good! The BBQ chicken pizza was super tasty. The flatbread was crispy and surprisingly the strawberries on top went so well with the BBQ sauce. My husband got the steak sandwich and said it was very good and the steak was cooked well. Overall great experience aside from the food taking so long. We would visit again to listen to more live music and grab a few drinks. read more

So my family and I have dined at the Saucony Creek in Kutztown and LOVED it! So we figured we'd stop here and grab a bite to eat and check it out. They had plenty of parking and they look like they have a great setup for outside once the weather gets nice. Upon entering, I thought the place was absolutely beautiful and laid out fairly well. We were greeted by the host who quickly sat us. Then... we sat... and sat... and sat some more until the server who was chatting it up came over to grab drinks. Now, if in fact this server had been busy, I'd completely understand, but we were her only table at the time. The table next to us also complained how slow service was. We ordered the kids meals, which took quite a bit of time. My son liked the hotdog but did comment on how it sorta looked like it had been sitting out for sometime. My husband and I split the quesadillas. They were fairly small but did have great flavor. Our food took a long time to come out like I said prior, but not sure why, because there were only a few bar guests and maybe 2-3 tables. It took forever to get refills and extra napkins. When it came time to grab the check we waited forever. Then, we waited about 10-15 minutes for her to come back and grab it. She made about 5-6 trips to the bar for one table in the meantime. Generally speaking, most people prefer to get their drinks all at the same time. Overall, wasn't overly impressed. The service was lacking majorly. The portions were rather small for the prices IN Reading. My family and I will definitely be sticking to the Saucony in Kutztown. read more

Saucony Creek Franklin Station - Kids hotdog & ff - Gastropubs Near Me - Reading, Pennsylvania

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We just ate after Alvernias graduation the building is absolutely beautiful on the inside it's very close to what the original train station may have looked like. The craft beer was good and lots of choices and my wife's orange crush she loved. The food not a large menu but everything listed looked good and when our food arrived it was very well presented and everyone at our table enjoyed their meal we will definitely be back read more

Finding this place can be a little challenge, if you're unfamiliar with Reading. Parking out front may not be possible but there is a garage in front of the place. I really enjoyed the cleanliness and decor. They have a wonderful beer selection! The food was delicious. Especially love the sweet potato fries. I would definitely go back again and try something else on the menu.. read more

Dysfunctional food and bar service. Sat at the half filled bar for 10 minutes to get a beer and then proceeded to wait an hour for a half cooked "medium" burger. Like so many places these days, it's all about how nice the place looks rather than attending to what matters in the first place. Remember when we all felt bad for restaurants during Covid? Yeah, those days are gone. Charging 30% more for half the service while waiting for a 20% tip. read more

Beautiful place. Good food and good music. Service was deplorable. No one acknowledged us when we arrived. Then the greeter showed us to a table. No one acknowledged us again. Servers passed our table repeatedly. My friend finally had to get up and spoke to someone that turned out to be one of the owners. He apologized for the greeter, which was ridiculous, since he was the only one to notice us in the first place. Then, I was warned I may not be able to get a Bloody Mary without horseradish. Ok....it's a full bar, at a restaurant that specializes in brunches, he is the OWNER......? Really?.... He spoke to us in a condescending manner with veiled apologies. This guy was either buzzed or clueless. I'm guessing the latter. I wanted to love it here but this guy really tipped the scale. And our server was negligent, to put it politely. read more

Came here for dinner. It's in an old train station and you definitely feel like you're in one. Beer flight was pretty good with a great beer or two and most average. Started with fried green tomatoes and they were OK. My moms beet salad was excellent. The shrimp and grits were honestly the worst I have had in my life. It was grits sitting in about two cups of pure melted butter. Shrimp were way over cooked and rubbery. No real flavor to the dish and definitely couldn't taste any hints of barbecue. I couldn't eat much of it. Service was really excellent though and super friendly/attentive. Don't think I would go back though. read more

foods good. seems like employees stand around a lot especially by that long table at the end of the dining hall.

Great atmosphere but very loud inside due to the nature of the building. It was fairly hard to converse with my table of three. The 3 piece band was excellent but for the quality of sound was diminished because of the cavernous nature of the space. The drink menu was very extensive and adequate for most everyone. The food menu was very pricey however in my opinion. $17 burgers are a bit out of synch with the clientele. I had the bratwurst. It was cut into chunks and piled with an over abundance of onions in a German mustard sauce. The fries were tasty as were the flatbreads. Overall thought i. S the space is worth seeing but they are going to need to revamp the menu and reduce the pricing for king term viability in this space. The service was fantastic from host to waiter, they really were polite and knowledgeable foo. read more

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Located inside a converted Reading Railroad station, this Saucony Creek location is a welcome and needed addition to the downtown Reading eating and drinking scene. Plenty of appetizer, entree and drink choices made it hard to decide what to get. And there is something for everyone, from braised beef cheeks, tacos, octopus, chicken and sandwiches. We chose a variety of menu items, none disappointed. Large selection of Saucony Creek beers, along with wines and mixed drinks. Service was fast and friendly. Atmosphere is really neat and unique, inside an old train station, complete with old ticket windows and seating areas plus located right next to the tracks Kids menus with generous portions. Parking out front and overflow parking in adjacent parking garage. Not in the best part of town, but neither are the other nice restaurants scattered around downtown. read more

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This 1930 station closed for passenger rail in 1981 (sad day for Reading -- lack of vision and leadership has always plagued this town). The station sat rotting for decades and was finally miraculously rehabbed a decade ago. Then it sat idle again, until playwright Lynn Nottage used it as the setting of a performance about Reading's past and future, which gave the city a little hope... which quickly faded yet again. Oh Lynn, thank you for your work. So THANK GOD Saucony Creek is leasing it as a pub, keeping the grand look intact for a bright and dramatic setting with excellent beer and tasty food. I can't help but just stare around every time I am in, which has been a lot already. One of the original long train benches serves as a banquette. Decor is classic and simple to keep the focus on the space. It can get loud, due to all the marble. There is a growing display of train memorabilia. Nice bathrooms and hooks under the bar for your bag. Friendly quick service and of interest to my group: multiple plant-based items we can order right off the menu. The best is the maple mustard roasted brussels sprouts. There are also pickled veggies, fried avocado soft tacos, and a portabello-avocado stack on hearty bread. This is not the same menu as the original Saucony Creek in Kutztown -- no Impossible burger or quinoa bowl, yet. Most of the beers are vegan -- I love the Belgian IPA and the Stone Fly (portions of its sales go to Schuylkill waterways). You can also get local wine and spirits. Parking is free in the station lot or the adjacent garage. I am sure many people will be walking over from the new DoubleTree Hotel. I'd prefer to see the station used for passenger rail, but this is a wonderful alternative to add life and beauty to downtown. read more

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We were in Reading to see Old Dominion and stopped here for lunch on Wednesday. Food was great and service was excellent. Austin was our server. I had the Margherita flatbread which came with choice of chips, fries, or salad. Hubby and son had burgers with fries. Daughter had shrimp and grits which was delicious (but very spicy!). We asked Austin where the best parking would be for the concert and he told us that we could park in their parking garage and bring our receipt in to have it validated since we were having lunch at the restaurant. We really appreciated this since we were not familiar with the area and the restaurant was only a block from Santander Arena. read more

I generally go there to hear my friends band. I have ordered various things off the menu. Their burgers are good I also liked the salad with steak strips. The waiters are generally spot on! read more

The place is a pretty cool setting and the food is very good. However I have to give a 1 star rating because the service is just so bad. They seem to always be short staffed, I've been there several times and it's been the same every time. I do have compassion for the fact that you may be short or things aren't going well on a given night. But when you can't handle it all the time, that's a problem you need to address. Our last visit we waited over an hour and a half to get our food, none of it came out together, so each of the 5 people in my group had to eat separately when there food came. And I had to go ask the manager twice where our food was, meanwhile every other table was having the same issue. We ended up being late for the game we were attending and the whole experience ruined our night. This could be a 5 star place to go and eat but they need to get there act together. So I unfortunately can't recommend going here to anyone, unless you have 3 hours to wait for food. read more

Super cute building. My server, Maddy, was super accommodating and gave me the best recommendations for food and beer. The food menu is definitely different than your typical bar. I had the seafood ceviche and coconut braised beef cheek. All super good and definitely worth trying! read more

Saucony Creek Franklin Station - Coconut braised beef cheek - Gastropubs Near Me - Reading, Pennsylvania

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Our group had lunch in the beautifully redone train station in Reading, and it was wonderful. Our burgers were fantastic. The fries were amazing. Very nice that you can get a side salad instead of fries if you choose. The beer list is fabulous. Our waiter, Tyshawn, was the best. We just had an all-around fantastic time there. read more

Eclectic vegetarian menu. Beautiful indoor atmosphere. It has a large outdoor seating area too. The staff is very friendly.

Nice location, ok food. Abysmal service. Went here Saturday night and was immediately impressed with the awesome building and friendliness of the greeters. Then things went downhill. After being seated, it was 25 minutes before anyone even took our drink order. Then another 15 minutes passes. Yes. Seriously. 40 minutes to get the first round of beers for our table. I ordered the boar shank. It was fossilized. I am guessing it sat under a heat lamp way too long before it was served. The other food items seemed pretty decent. read more

Stunning food. Took a while to come out. Delicious drinks. It was quiet when we were there - Rainy Thursday night- and I wish we had more time- the space is beautiful. read more

My wife and I went here for our anniversary. We have been to the Kutztown location multiple times and always enjoyed it. I have worked in Reading my entire life and had been in the station before it was renovated. I was really anxious to see what they had done. It is amazing. Hi ceilings and beautiful stone work. The only negative is the amount of noise that bounces around. Both of us had a few drinks. I stuck with beer. Though none would rank as favorites, they were still very good. My wife had a signature cocktail. It was amazing. The staff was very friendly and efficient. We were greeted at the door and seated immediately. We ordered an appetizer of pork bellies. They were very good and served quickly. The menu has a good selection of items. They mostly run around $20. All entrees come without sides. I had the ribs. They had amazing flavor and were perfectly cooked. They ran $23. If I wanted to add a side of fries, they were an additional $6. This is where I run into a negative for this restaurant. I could easily run to West Reading and get similar quality food and beer at a better price and with sides. When we were there, there were only 3 tables seated and a few people at the bar. People need a reason to want to drive into downtown Reading. I don't think the prices will bring people in. The food wasn't amazing enough to bring me back. The beer wasn't any different than I could get anywhere else. I went in to see the building. It was certainly worth the trip. I'm not sure it is worth a return trip. I hope the reevaluate their menu and bring it inline with the other offerings in the area. read more

I have been to Saucony Creek before and had a wonderful time. But today, it was unfortunately lacking... literally, everything. Everything was sold out or unavailable. The only appetizer available was the fries. So we bought three orders for the table. We then bought the wings as an appetizer to split. When the food came, they had then run out of fries. So they substituted sweet potato fries which were just meh. I felt so bad for the server. He was a really nice guy who kept having to tell us that they ran out of something else. He was working very hard and doing a great job. Hopefully, they can do a better job with stocking the fridge next time. read more

This place is beautiful inside and out! The upgraded train station is a real treat. The food has always been delicious, and the drinks are top notch! The only complaint I had was the 2 times I went for dinner there was a live band. The music was great and the atmosphere was fun and upbeat, but it was very hard to hear the people in my party. I wish the music was a tad quieter so we could have a normal conversation over dinner. We will return again! read more

Saucony Creek Franklin Station - Caramel donuts - Gastropubs Near Me - Reading, Pennsylvania

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Service was great and beer was cold but $9 for a basic sized seemingly frozen super pretzel? Less then 4 blocks from the reading soft pretzel bakery and y'all are serving this? Save yourself the embarrassment and just buy from them. Reading knows pretzels and this won't fly read more

Saucony Creek Franklin Station - $9 pretzel - Gastropubs Near Me - Reading, Pennsylvania

This is one of, if not THE nicest spaces in the area. The owners have done an excellent job of rehabbing the railroad station and it looks spectacular. It's roomy and airy and has lots of windows. The staff is exceedingly friendly. After a few opening hiccups, service has become prompt. Now for the downsides: The food is hit or miss (mostly, a miss), particularly at the place's price points. The beer is also hit or miss but I usually find a selection or two that I enjoy. Worst of all, no free refills of ice tea. Boo!! In sum, it's a good/great place to meet for a beer or two for happy hour or before an event in town but not necessarily for a meal (e.g., lunch). I would rate it 2 1/2 stars if 1/2 stars were permitted. read more

The need for homemade beer seems to out weight all . Base line training of service is non existent. Very laid back approuch at greeting table . We sat for nearly 30 minutes waiting for our first round. The server had to check on the availability of menu items in the ordering process . The train station is magnificent, but they have nothing to do with that aspect . Food is comparable to a Diner or Movie Theater. Underwhelming experience overall . This ownership group lacks base line hospitality requirements . The beer was ok , service was truly awful . Food frankly is forgettable. Low quality & execution. They ruined the train station with this eyesore . Progress doesn't look like this unless your desperate . The Ugly Oyster smokes this place across the board . Avoid ! read more

Cho-cho-choose this place! The space is great... think 30th Street Station in Philly but on a much smaller scale. It's not in the best part of town, but there is parking. The beer list is decent and there are cocktails too. Would love to see more depth in the beer list but can't wait to go back and try the food. Tip: be sure to stand and cheer when the trains pass! read more

Beautiful location. Lots of parking. Good beer selection. Very personable and friendly staff. The burger was delicious as for the pretzel it was very dry and bland. Will be returning. read more

Saucony Creek Franklin Station - Franklin Station Burger - Gastropubs Near Me - Reading, Pennsylvania

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Terrible!!! 30 minutes no beer no service. Watched 10 people other than ourselves leave. It's not all that difficult to pour beers. Nobody to greet people at door and just a rudderless ship. Do not go!! read more

This location is absolutely beautiful - but their menu needs serious work, especially the "beer garden" menu. I am not sure who chose which items to include on that menu, but the menu is way too limited and not very appealing. The pretzel I ordered was served cold. Not room temperature, actually cold - like it had just come out of a refrigerator. The polpettini were good, but it was an odd choice for an outdoor menu, and they were chosen because they are one of only a few protein options available. Seriously, come up with a basic Caesar salad with some protein and you will sell a ton of them outside with little to no effort from your kitchen and your guests won't leave hungry. read more