Amazing food and drinks. Can't beat the atmosphere. Oldest building in reading. The food is great. Get the Irish nachos. The burger I had was excellent. Also the fries are amazing. Great beer selection to. Overall this is a one of a kind place. Reading is so fortunate to have a pub of this quality.
Review Source:The wife and i went here for dinner last night for the first time. The setting was romantic, the food was very good and the waitstaff was very friendly and attentive.
The restaurant is very cozy, somewhat dimly lit (not in a bad way) pub/ale house that may remind you of a small Irish/English pub, completely made of dark wood. Its also the oldest building in Reading, made in 1784, which adds to its history.
Complete bar, including lots of micro-type brews, which they rotate often, so there's always a different selection.
For an appetizer, we had Phenomenal Fries with Parmesan and Garlic
pesto dipping sauce, which was very good. Their fries are similar in size to McDonalds, but crispier and much better tasting. Add the Parmesan, garlic and pesto sauce, and you have a winner. Good, but not too filling.
For entrees, we had the fish and chips, and the Shepard's pie. Both were very good. The fish was crispy on the outside, but tender and fresh on the inside. The pie was well portioned and well seasoned. With dinner, we also had a side of Macaroni and Cheese, with a crispy top and creamy inside, also very good.
We didnt have room for dessert.
Easily a great find, especially amongst downtown Reading, and we are eager to go back again.
My family and I went there last night to eat. Never been in the place before. Â Had fish and chips ( we're English ) so it's always nice for a taste of home. Â Fish was nice chips were skinny chips and way to well done. Beer was good but after finishing dinner we all couldn't believe when we seen MICE RUNNING ROUND THE RESTAURANT. Â YES MICE... We told the waiter who said " what do you expect in a building so old, we have the control people come in each week but its to be expected". Â SORRY TO INFORM YOU ALL AT THE SPECKLED HEN... But just because a building is old doesn't mean you have mice... By the time we got home 3 out of 5 of us had thrown up. Don't know if it was the food or the thought of mice being aloud to run were food is served.
Review Source:Who's down for some good ole' fashioned pub food? Â The Food Hounds were uber-excited to kick back and enjoy a GREAT little treasure in Reading, Pennsylvania called The Speckled Hen Cottage Pub and Ale House. Â The overall vibe in the 'Hen' is laid back; perfect spot to go for a drink or a bite to eat. Â If you are a beer drinker, they actually change up their taps on a weekly basis - so it's always a bevy of fresh new flavor for their clientele. Â Now, if you are drawn to the sound of music like Lush and I... you'll be ecstatic to know that they have open mic night on Thursday's! Â It happened to be Thursday when we stopped in; but since the entertainment normally starts later in the evening... we missed out on getting in on the fun. Â The ambiance of the place is dark and romantic, perfect for college kids seeking an inexpensive spot to hang out, a first date or an older couple looking to head out for a night cap.
On to the food... Starters, we tried the Classic Scotch Egg - WHOAH... first time ever sampling the taste of this bad boy! Â This sucker is just so ridiculous that it works... a hardboiled egg, enclosed in a pocket of seasoned ground sausage and then FRIED!!! Â This egg is slammin' and served on a spicy grain mustard sauce. Â The Char Grilled Pub Burger sported a 6oz slab of ground sirloin doused with cheddar cheese (Mmmm CHEESE!!!) and bacon... Bacon... BACON! Â Add the delectable fries and POW... a great meal for the guy on the go looking for a quick bite. Â The Baked Braided Pretzel with Crab Cheddar Au Gratin was a VERY unique creation. Â A large homemade pretzel drowning in cheddar and huge chunks of tender crab... Â Mmm CHEESE! Â The WIN for me was quite simply the Cottage Sheppard's Pie. Â A hefty portion entombed in a small crock-pot of love. Â This is comfort food at its finest; seasoned ground sirloin topped off with buttery mashed potatoes... Off the hook! Â I could eat that all night long... it was like buttery heaven on my tastebuds! Â They have a lot to choose from at Speckled Hen, make sure you stop on in and try them on for size, you certainly won't be disappointed.
My mom and I had dinner here tonight and it was great! We started out with the Scottish egg, this is a must, you only get one egg so get your own! Then we had ham and white bean soup which was really good too! For our entree we both got fish and chips and it was so good, the fish was perfect and super moist! Â Service was great also; our waiter, Jerrell,was very nice! Â We will be coming back!
Review Source:Rustic, cozy, warm, and romantic.... All ways I would describe the Speckled Hen. What a gem in Reading! Who would have thought that the oldest building in Reading would be a cute little log house cottage turned into a restaurant?? This was the perfect Friday night relaxing dinner. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. The atmosphere, service, and food were delicious.  We started dinner with the Irish fries which were delicious... a little bit of bacon, cheese, and diced tomatoes made this appetizer marvelous! The Irish fries went great with our European beers (Leffe Blonde was very good). My main entrée was the country turkey salad with sweet and sour vinaigrette dressing, which was so refreshing. My boyfriend had the crab cake sliders and the macaroni and cheese. I managed to snitch a little bit of both and boy were they tasty. It was so hard to choose what to order; I would have loved to try the Scotch egg or the bangers and mashed but maybe next time. We were finishing up dinner and live music started to play- an extra bonus!
Some tips to remember- Speckled Hen is only open from Wednesday to Saturday.... so sad. Also Speckled Hen closes in the summer because the outdoor garden restaurant (right next to the Speckled Hen) opens.
Overall I would highly suggest this place to anyway! The food was very good, the atmosphere was cozy and comfy and the prices were reasonable as well.
The Speckled Hen is in the same building as Judy's on Cherry, one of Reading's nicest restaurants. Â The Hen is formerly Widow Finney's and in one of the original log cabin buildings in town. Â It was once a fancy formal restaurant that I never went to, because I was poor then and intimidated by it, but I later worked on a board with one of the women who restored and ran it and loved hearing her stories. Â She even brought in her files of the building's history, old menus, etc. to show me. Â Thanks, Arlene!
The building has long been rumored to be haunted, and I have heard a few testimonies of weird events from friends who are normally very skeptical types. Â So I am always on the lookout for an odd occurrence or feeling, but this never happens to me, darn. Â The bathroom is down a lonnnng flight of stairs, so hold on to the railing! Â You can walk through a corridor (not near the bathroom) to get to the other side of the building, where Judy's is. Â I have never had a problem parking on the street, but there are free spaces in the adjacent garage too. Â I believe they share a kitchen with Judy's, because I have been able to get Hen food while in Judy's.
The fireplace is a great place to warm up in the winter, and it is nice and dark in there, which I love. Â You can also sit in the garden area or in an outer room. Â In the spring and summer, the Hen is closed (update -- it won't be this year!), and the area is a bit rearranged to become Plein Air, a French country themed outdoor spot (alleyway) that is truly lovely and relaxing.
They go for an Old English pubby atmosphere and succeed. Â Beers are usually great, wines good, and they recently added two vegetarian items, one of which is vegan. Â The bulghur wheat and broccolini dish can be made without the cheese, and the falafel sandwich is light and fresh and gives Aladdin a run for best falafel in town. Â I used to skip this place because of the lack of food diversity, so I am delighted to see their additions.
The sweet images of hens in old ads on the walls are incredibly cute to me. Â There are even more in the bathroom. Â Bock bock!
Speckled Hen = my favorite restaurant in Reading. I've been here at least 2 dozen times total, and never had a bad experience.
Between my wife, friends, and myself - I probably tried about 75% of the items, although it's not the largest menu you'll see. The food is the real draw, but the atmosphere and service (with one small hiccup) can't be beat either. The location isn't too bad, and you'll find plenty of parking.
It really looks and feels like an English pub, although they also have a garden room since the main dining area is so small. In fact, the building itself is a restored log house. They have outstanding beers on tap, with a small rotating list of European beers in addition to some locals and micros.
My fav dinner by far would be the bangers and mashed, with the fish and chips and cottage pie right up there. Try the scotch egg and wedge salad as well. They also make darn good wings, and I really enjoy the buffalo shrimp from time to time.
A few slight criticisms include the fact that they are NOT kid friendly, are only open Wed-Sat, and close to make way for a different restaurant during the warmer months.
I can't really suggest anything to avoid on the menu, so I recommend this place 100%
We love it here. Not only is the food delicious, but it is so cozy! The only downside is that it is so cozy, it gets packed fast and when it's packed, you are not too far from the other diners!
My husband adores the Scotch egg and garlic fries! I love the chicken wings and cheesy crab pretzel.
We usually bring out of towners here to get a flavor of Reading and see the oldest standing building.
I hadn't been to the Speckled Hen in years, and quite frankly, the last time I ate there (5 years ago?), I was not impressed with the food. Â We decided to try it again last night, knowing how cozy it would feel on a cold winter's night.
The atmosphere at the Speckled Hen is fantastic--it's a beautiful old building which is charming and quaint. Â We were seated right next to the fireplace in one of the smaller rooms. Â Perfect on a cold night. Â There was live music, which to me is a nice bonus.
We had the yummy crab soft pretzel appetizer. Â I had the crab cake sliders (good) and I thought the fries were excellent: Â perfectly crisp and salty. Â My husband liked his burger. Â For dessert, my husband ordered the apple cake, which I don't usually like all that much but somehow I could not help myself from taking bites of his.
The service was very friendly. Â The hostess was welcoming and our waitress was knowledgeable. Â She did seem pretty busy and sometimes it took her a while to check in with us. Â It appeared that they might have been busier than expected, and it wasn't a big deal. Â
They also have an interesting selection of beers on tap--though not a huge one. Â I'm glad I gave this place another try, and I will definitely be headed back soon!
Fantastic place to get some great pub food with your favorite beer. Â I stepped into this all wood building that is apparently the oldest structure in Reading and were blown away by its simple and homey atmosphere. Â When you walk into the dining room you are greeted with a full bar with seasonal beers on tap. Â In the center of the dining room is a fireplace for that lets you know that you can stay a while and warm yourself from the Pennsylvania chill. Â While I was there I had some Northeaster pub favorites the Scotch Eggs and some Old Bay Fries. Â The fries were fantastic with just the right amount of Old Bay sprinkled over the whole basket. Â Try them with the tartar sauce to balance them out. Â The Scotch Egg was ok but I think that I should have ordered the fish and chips which looked and smelled fantastic. Â All of which go great with a hand poured ale. Â Enjoy!
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