What a great place to eat and drink. I love everything on the menu and my other has found many things she will eat, even though she is from Plainsillania. Seafood, Irish dishes, beef and chicken all great. One of the best places to find all the variety in beer you would want and a fully stocked bar. The bartenders are a collection of characters that take wonderful care of your needs. When in Reading visit and see for yourself. read more

Went here with a friend on a Saturday at 5pm. The place was packed. We sat at the bar and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The female bartender was friendly and engaging and our drinks were served promptly. I ordered oysters on the half shell and they were outstanding. I also ordered the fried oyster platter which were excellent. I would definitely return to this classic Irish Pub. read more

The Ugly O is my fave place in Reading for seafood with an Irish pub atmosphere. I love sitting at the bar and joking around with Desiree, our favorite waitress/bartender. The seafood is always fresh and delicious. I love the shrimp cocktail, shrimp bisque soup, crab legs, raw oysters, and crab cakes. My dad loves to get the steamed clams. Get the mushroom soup when they have it, and the pulled pork when they have it. It's so good! The steaks are huge and juicy. The wings come with a signature sauce that's perfect...spicy but not too spicy. You need a reservation if you want a table. If you haven't tried it, go! read more

Date night--my husband and son were here in the past and liked it so my husband decided I needed to try it as well. Such a cool little hole in the wall. Who knew? The beer selection is great, steamed clams were amazing, and fish and chips were fabulous. My husband said he thought he remembers reading that the interior of the pub did come from Ireland? Our waitress Was very attentive and patient as we struggle to make decisions because everything looked good on the menu. The only thing, I wish parking felt a little safer. read more

This place was one of a kind. My boyfriend and I love to find unique places we have never been before and I am so happy I found this one. With our new found love for mussels we were excited to see they had a variety. At 7 on a Wednesday the places seems a little desolate, I would love to see it at full volume but none the less the staff were very friendly and welcoming and recommend beers for us when we sat down. the food was to die for and I would recommend this place to anyone, you'll swoon over the Pub decor and the food soon after. read more

The Ugly Oyster - Birthday dinner - Irish Near Me - Reading, Pennsylvania

Close to Vanity Fair Outlets. Very cool place to visit. We ordered wings as an appetizer. Only come in one sauce which was amazing. Very tasty and had alittle kick. Blue cheese dressing was fresh served with celery and carrots. My husband ordered fish and chips; I ordered a crabbie patty sandwich. With the fish and chips you can ordered two different ways...husband ordered "new school" which is panko beer battered style (extra crispy). It was excellent! Crabby patty had very little filler. It tasted awesome! Both served with homemade shore fries. Yum! Look for the bras while your there. When you spot them; Ask your server why? Interesting story... read more

Its ok. Ive been here numberious times. The worst is happy hour on Fridays when its over crouded and obnoxious people become overly loud. The place is historic and beautiful. The food and drink prices are higher than average. Best time to go and really enjoy this place is during the week, lunch or dinner, before Thursday you are guaranteed a seat. read more

Stopped here while traveling through Reading because of the name and reviews. Well worth it. Probably one of the best burgers we've had anywhere. Pub atmosphere. We would go back. read more

As a gastropub frequenter, many of these types of places fail to stand out. Not this one, though. I pick this place for outings with friends, birthday dinners, and any other chance I get. Awesome food, really cool atmosphere, and friendly, quick service! read more

The bartender with the beard is the man! Ask him about the Reading Railroads! Great food/great place Enjoy read more

This is the former Hof Brau restaurant. I have only been to ugly oyster once, and it left alot to be desired, unfortunately. Service was on the slow side, and being a burger girl, that is what I ordered. It wasn't anything special. In the future I will review as soon as I'm done because I cannot really comment in detail because it has been awhile since I have been there. However the Decor was beautiful, dark wood and alot of nice wall art. I do give a place X2 to see if I just was there on a bad night, so hopefully I can give better props next time! read more

Rolled into the bar at 6pm before a show. Waited for two bar seats. No problem there, however they were booked with reservations and turning walk ins away. Once we settled into the bar beers, nice pours and good food made for the perfect pre show meal. Notable: oysters, wings, burger. Friendly staff. Will return!! read more

Wonderful food and drinks ! Pleasant place to go. Only drawback for some would be its in the city. If you dont mind that then youll have a great dining experience ! read more

Best steak in Reading, period. This is a really nice spot to grab a meal or a drink before an event, or for a nice night out. The only problem is the place is a bit small so I suggest either getting there early or calling ahead. read more

The place could be cleaner. It seemed dirty. Table was sticky. The waitresses are somewhat blunt in nature- don't expect polite service. Food is pretty good. Drink selection is great! read more

Food was phenomenal, service was terrible...clientele was obnoxious, derelict locals who the bartender catered to...word of advice to the bartender -- you never know who you're serving or how they tip...when I order "just fries," I automatically tip $10 because I worked in the industry all through my 20s; I know I'm taking up a seat. But I'm only there for a half hour and just want some carbs and a drink after a concert before I make my hour ride home. The kids next to me that ordered 4 drinks and food and gave you $2? Hope you had fun with them all night! Thanks for the attitude!!! Place would be 5 stars if the service was better. Restaurants aren't just about the food, it's the WHOLE atmosphere. I can sit home and watch politics and order takeout. read more

Met a few buddy's in Reading for a golf weekend on 7/14-7/15. Went to dinner here on 7/14 and it was FANTASTIC! Food was delicious and the beer selection was amazing. Talked with one of the owners for a bit. Staff was friendly and quick. Will definitely head back here if we do another trip to Reading. read more

I found this place through YELP and am so thankful. I was in Reading for a convention and went here the first night in town. I met an amazingly brilliant and funny manager named Desiree who also tended bar. She was such an excellent server I went back every night I was there. The staff there treated me like family. One worker sat with me (Thanks Papi) and drank his beer. The food was amazing and the prices were very reasonable. Do not hesitate to go there, you will not be disappointed. Mark H. read more

My now husband and I had our first date at The Ugly Oyster years ago and have come back countless times since. The food is always delicious and the service is great!! read more

Excellent food and a friendly atmosphere. Always love stopping for a beer or staying for a great dinner. During covid-19 they are keeping the same excellent quality in their take out service. Great experience. Ugly Pretzel is a staple and a "must order" read more

Very solid Irish bar in center city Reading. Not a regular but I stop by once in a blue moon. Good food & beer.

Glenn R both times we came was week night. We would of understood had it been busy or weekend

One of my fav places. Only downfall is how busy it gets...love the crab dip. Best around! Fresh cut fries are awesome.

Love this place... Always have had great service and excellent dishes on each occasion I have visited.

Never again. Walked in at around 7:30 for dinner. Hostess/Waitress, whatever she was was busy sitting at a high top drinking. I wait to be seated. She looks at me and makes eye contact. Then gets up and walks to the bar for another drink. I stand waiting. The bartender is standing there. I guess I was invisible. I waited and waited and finally left. Never again. read more

Make sure you make reservations. We got there and it was full from 5:00 until 8:00. It looked packed which is a good sign. We didn't stay. I gave it the same rating it already had so we didn't change the rating. I just wanted to give others a heads up. read more

Started off with wings as an appetizer; hands down my favorite. Only 1 flavor but always come out piping hot and crispy. Burgers are always fresh, and fries are hand cut. Beer selection is great! read more

My husband and I had no reservations but was still seated quickly. Our waitress was awesome, sorry can't remember her name, she took our ordered and never had to wait for anything. read more

I met a friend here today for lunch. This was my first time here. We sat at the bar. Service was quick and very friendly. I ordered the French onions soup and no lie, it was the best I have ever had! It could have almost been a meal alone! I also ordered the grilled chicken salad. It was amazing! I will be back! read more

Very disappointing experience! I expected way more based on the reviews. The ambience was of a cheap neighborhood dive bar, the oysters were meh, the waitress seemed high. I couldn't wait to get out of there! read more

Sorry, but this place is awful. The only thing going for it is the eclectic Irish pub decor, which with better food and service, would be very quaint. I felt like I was transported to Ireland, or at least somewhere in Great Britain near water. The service was terribly slow, as we waited almost 20 minutes for a beer and on, of all things, a Monday night. Either they were short staffed or it's even worse on weekends, but I won't be back to give them a second chance. The server wasn't very friendly, bordering on rude, and the restaurant as a whole wasn't customer service oriented. The bartender, when asked about getting a table, because we had been standing at the doorway for a few minutes without acknowledgement, ignored me and continued talking to a coworker. I ordered a Cider and my son ordered a Guiness. The Cider tasted off, so I asked if it was fresh and turns out she brought me a sour beer by mistake. Ordered both the crab bisque and shrimp bisque appetizers, both were overly salted and seemed frozen, but sadly, the best part of the meal. Ordered mussels and frites, no frites, just fries, ok, I'll take them. My son ordered a crab cake sandwich, which was disgusting and mostly roll. It took 45 minutes to receive our food, unacceptable! The mussels were huge and overcooked and the fries tasted as if they had been sitting around and were slightly burnt. Needless to say, we won't be back--ever... Both my son and I were in agreement on this one. read more

Stopped here last Friday around 5:00 p.m. The place was already starting to get busy. Our host/server was wonderful - nice big hello, ushered us to our table, and the fun began. I wanted a martini, something fruity, but couldn't decide so our server told me he would have the bartender create something for me -- mango-berry -- I loved it! Had two, in fact. That's just something awesome to offer your customers! My husband likewise enjoyed his vodka tonic. We decided to share an order of mussels in white wine and garlic and the seafood sampler for dinner. A salad came with the dinner which was fresh and just the right size, and the creamy peppercorn dressing was delicious. Love, love, love the mussels here, and the great bread that comes with it to dip in the juices. One order is PLENTY for 2 people. The seafood sampler was good, but not great, although I really enjoyed the deviled clam, and the real french fries were definitely a treat. Didn't have time for dessert as we were headed to a concert. In response to some other reviewers stating that it looked "dark." I've been here late at night and during daytime hours, but I've never considered it super dark. At 5:00, the sun was still shining so not a problem. Yep, tiny bar bathrooms but clean (so wish there wasn't a little hill in the floor to get to the bathroom - alcohol and heels make that a dangerous trek). Also, the din can rise to quite the decibel level (room acoustics?), but hey, it's a bar, not fine dining. Have to say, service was excellent. The servers and bartenders were upbeat, friendly, professional, and attentive. read more

Wow, not sure what is happening with this place, but after tonight I am pretty sure we won't return. From the loud and crude employees just sitting around swearing, the warm beer, and the dirty dining room. We were so disappointed at what used to be a favorite place to eat. The only high points were our waiter who I think was named Kyle and the fries. read more

I love the Ugly Oyster! It's the best bar in Reading. They have a great food (try the crabby pretzel), but let's be honest, I usually just go for the beer. Long live the Ugly O! read more

This is my favorite hometown bar. I have been coming here for 9 years, and it's more than just the lovely beer selection and delicious crab pretzels ( and other menu items, of course!).. It's family. My lovely bar maids and fellow patrons are the best you can get. It's a cozy Irish pub, where everyone knows each other, and is accepting of newcomers. Come out and shoot some darts, drink some beers, and make some new friends! read more

The food is good, but takes forever to arrive. Also, there are not a lot of choices on the menu if you don't like seafood (which I don't). Love the atmosphere, though. read more

I have relatives who have lived in and around Reading for years. So I was surprised that we'd never tried The Ugly Oyster before. Walking in the pub on the unassuming city corner, my wife and I were pleased by the authentic Irish pub atmosphere complete with Guinness decor. We ordered the pretzel/cheese/crab appetizer - tasty! - then settled in with a Guinness, the mussels (big portion!), and the fish & chips (crispy and delicious). Since it was a Monday afternoon, there wasn't a crowd, but I can only imagine the fun it would be to revisit on a Friday night. We'll be back for sure! read more

It is a dump. Menus have food on them. Wait staff is gross. This is what is wrong with Reading. It is like a factory worker who lost their job and refused to become educated and retrain themselves. However this is a bar wanna be food prep joint that is stuck in the 1980's--its like they are watching 'fame' learning to dance in 2016. read more

Ok, so I have decided to review the Ugly Oyster after my recent visit at New Years. Catchy name isn't it. Is it the best irish pub i have been to, probably not. Is it a good on in a now crappy city, yes. Growing up outside of Reading and seeing this city gradually get worse and worse over the years, we always had a lack of cool places to go. I wish this place was around when I was, this definitely would have been on our regular bar list. This Irish Bar is located down the street from the Sovereign Center. Quick tip, if there is a concert or something going on, your chances of actually getting a seat in here are slim to none. The Oyster's menu is typical bar food however their beer menu is fantastic. You can get anything from Weyerbacher to LaChouffe to Victory to Young's Double Chocolate. Of course being in an Irish bar, you go with what you know, Guinness. Is it typical, yes, but they pour a mean Guinness and it is cheaper than most of the other beers here. The food here is decent enough. Their raw bar is pretty solid. I really enjoy their hot steamed shrimp and French mussels. The service is always polite and prompt. For me, this place is a bright spot in a declining city. It is unfortunate because living in Berks County is great. I do enjoy coming back here and I have a good time every time that I do. If you are in the Reading area and what to check out a cool little Irish pub, come here, I don't think you will be disappointed. read more

The Ugly Oyster - Youngs double chocolate - Irish Near Me - Reading, Pennsylvania

There are places that I've been to during a trip that I just get bummed out because its just simply not closer and I know ill only go there Maybe once a year and this would be one of them. Due to the high ratings on YELP I decided to go here after spending an entire day at the WWII weekend in Reading PA(which was fantastic, Id suggest going to anyone). This place hit the spot. Prices were great and service was the nicest I have encountered. I got the pretzel app that everyone raves about and they aren't kidding when they say this thing is amazing & got the mussels for dinner. For 10 bucks u get an entire plate piled high with mussels and garlic bread.... Back in CT this plate would easily of been like 20-30 bucks. WHAT A DEAL! And they tasted awesome! I will be making this trip a yearly thing and each time will be going to the Ugly Oyster. read more