The Works used to be a really good restaurant with good service a couple years back. USED to be. Now their menu is not nearly as good, it does not have as much variety, and the service is mediocre at best. Very Very slow. Our appetiers came out cold and our meals were ok but for the prices its not worth it. It does have a gameroom so it is a good family friendly restaurant but if you are not going as a family and want a decent meal try one of the other many places in west reading.
Review Source:The Works is a smaller version of Dave and Busters, but lacking the edge for which DnB is known for. It's not bad, but not really all that amazing either. I've been going here maybe once or twice a year since 2001.
For what it is, the Works' arcade is decent. A small selection of traditional arcade games mixed in with some money sucking ticket machines. Don't even bother doing the math on the ticket prizes. If you stop to really look into how much money you've spent to claim a prize you'll discover you've paid 4 or 5 times as much for it as you could have gotten on Amazon.
The problem is that the variety in the arcade is kind of awful. Some of the machines shine, some which are just kind of "Well, this sucked 10 years ago, still sucks now!" (e.g. "Feed Big Bertha") and others are just in sad states of disrepair/upkeep (Time Crisis 3's screens are shot, as is Lost World's).
I get the feeling the owner(s) really don't want to sink a lot of money into updating some of the games.
As for the restaurant, the food is decent. Again, not bad, but not great. Just a lil' above average. Most of the issues could be resolved with some basic spices (of which many dishes are lacking). Our experiences have been mixed. Great service, and some that was appallingly bad (taking 20+ minutes to flag down a waitress for a refill).
The Works could really be so much more than it is, so much better -- and it wouldn't even take much to get there. It just needs to push quality and service, invest a bit more into the arcade and food quality. It could be a great hangout for adults and kids alike. As it is, it's not bad, but there's really no reason to go back often.
I've lived in this area for 7 years, and I've been here numerous times. It used to be one of my favourite places to eat - the environment was fun, the food was phenomenal. I don't know what happened, but the last 2 times I was there, the food has gone downhill. I'm not entirely sure what they're doing in the kitchen, maybe I visited on 2 off-days... but it's such a disappointment from what they used to be. Went from high-quality to a place that seems to not give a crap about what they send out to the tables.
Review Source:After some internal renovations that are improvements, the menu has gotten even worse. Â
Despite the impressive wall of glass wine bottle racks in the bar area (which make you thirsty for a reasonably good glass of wine), the only choices are Franzia boxes under the counter. Yes, really. The reds were very warm, must have been near a motor under there. So it took ice cubes to even make it semi-drinkable. But box wine isn't going to be any good no matter how much you try to doctor it up.
They don't seem to aim for any kind of adult patrons. There used to be a decent beer or two on draft, but the best they now have is Sam Adams Summer Ale. Our soggy fries tasted microwaved. Menu is mainly burgers and nachos. It is basically fast food.
The circular booths in the front are welcoming and different, so one star for that. It is a shame such an interesting space, a former printing press factory with high ceilings and exposed brick, comes up so short on style and substance on the menu. They must have spent tons of money on the physical space. But a similar major investment on staff and menu should be done, and soon.
Luckily, you can slip through a door to Building 24 next door which has a nice porch and a much more grown up atmosphere. The Works seems built for kids and teenagers used to Sonic. Even the local chain restaurants have much more to offer. Avoid.
Stopped in for lunch. I was expecting it to be more like a night time drinking place since that's all I have heard about it.
I couldn't be more wrong. The Works was a perfect place for lunch as the atmosphere was bright and surprisingly quiet. The steampunk-esque interior really shined in the sunlight.
I ordered a BBQ burger which was cooked very well and the bun was unique and worked very well with the burger. The chips that come with the meal were a little too salty for me, but still a welcome and presumably healthier change from french fries.
We were greeted with smiles and our server was nothing but courteous and friendly.
Overall, I had a very enjoyable experience and would definitely recommend The Works, especially for a business or semi-formal lunch.
If you've been to a Dave and Buster's before, nearly the same drill will apply at The Works. If not, pick up your card from a clerk at the prize redemption center so you can start loading up tokens to play inside the spacious arcade. The arcade has a nice selection of games from the classics (skee ball, ice hockey), pool, to some cool simulated games like Derby Owners Club. Derby is fun if you can get a group of people to play as The Works allowed G1 mode and has hosted Derby tournaments before.
Great for small kids and it's a switch up from Chuck E Cheese's with a better menu than pizza and just pizza.
The nightlife can vary. It all depends on what's happening as The Works always tries to book an exciting and different performer. Whoever they book, it can be crowded with high school kids just hanging out to college kids looking for some clean and inexpensive fun to adults jamming out to an 80's band. I'd advise checking out their Events or following them on Facebook to gain a sense of what they offer or if you know you're going to be hanging out here often.
There really is no dress code here but that isn't to say that it should be OK to look like a scrub. First impressions aren't just for job interviews.
Overall, it's a nice touch for the area if you're looking for a night out while saving the gas money if you were to drive to Philly. I will note that I have not been here in a few years so Building 24 would be new to me upon a return visit. Â I would return again with friends for the sake of nostalgia. Â It's a fun night out in a generally safe, quaint and clean neighborhood!
My food was burnt, as well as my dessert! Service was crap. Been here more than once and still the same result. Went with a group of friends for a birthday, we shared 2 crap dip... Friend's dip was fine, soft, golden brown... Mine on the other hand. My bread was hard, and burnt as well as the top layer of my dip... Burnt as in you taste nothing but bitterness. Friend got créme brûlée... As well as I did cuz they ran out of all the other dessert... Which was fine... Same thing (burnt). My friend's créme brûlée was nice and golden.. Mine was completely BURNT! You couldn't really stick your spoon though the thing! The whole caramelized layer was hard as a rock, I told the waitress... And she said it was suppose to be like that... Hard layer on top... I told her I know what créme brûlée is suppose to taste like, I've had it many times before.. The waitress was rude and talked to me as if I was retarded. She just said "well, thats how we make it here". I replied, "burnt?". Never again!
Oh yes, I failed to mention that she did offer me  another creme brûlée, but honestly... If "that's how we make it" is the same as the first... What's the point of getting another?
If you are looking for a local place to have some fun, I recommend The Works. Remember this will not be a massive D&B Â - but its perfect for kids and adults in Berks.
If you are looking for a gourmet meal, go elsewhere. The food is on the Applebees, Ruby Tuesday, TGIF level.  Its tasty enough  and efficient enough for this type of place.
There is a restaurant, bar, gaming section, a massive ball crawl section, and a nightclub area next door with live music. Â We like the duckpin bowling and the Sega horse racing game. The bar area has several TVs and was a good place to watch the NFL playoffs this year. Â Beware: Time seems to evaporate when you are at The Works.
It's clean, the staff is friendly and the games actually work.
Dave and Busters here we are.
I immediately thought of D&B when coming here. Â Â It has a cool warehouse converted feeling, that was the major difference. Â When we walked in there was a bar area to the right, with some local sports show doing a broadcast from there.. seemed pretty good.
We came here really to eat, as I wasn't 'feeling' my inner kid at that particular moment. Â Ordered some type of pepperoni appetizers.. not to bad. Â My friend had chicken cordon blu and I had a chicken sandwich on a pretzel roll. Â They were ok. Â Nothing gourmet, but sill decent enough for me.
After we ate, we decided to check out the fun area. Â The other difference here that I haven't seen at a D&B is that giant maze above me, tunnels, slides, sort of like Mc'Donalds playground on steroids.
As we were walking out they have a VERY VERY tempting display of desserts...... tempting, but I didn't bit... :)
Not a bad place...
It had been awhile since we visited The Works so we checked it out on a recent Saturday afternoon. Our waitress was stressed due to a malfunction in the computerized ordering system and was not as attentive as we are accustomed to. The food was great, better than we remembered it to be. After our meal is when the fun started. Ballocity, the new kids play area in the arcade, is AWESOME!!! My 6 year old and I spent the better part of 90 minutes in that thing, and both of us had a blast. I could not recommend it more!
Review Source:This is my go-to place when my grandkids are visiting because they love the arcade. Â Other than that, the food is average and there are very few healthy options. Â If you're vegetarian, forget it. Â Pizza or a salad is the only thing on the menu you'll be interested in. Â Service is young and inexperienced, although very friendly. Â The building itself is very nice and seating is comfortable. Â I really want to like this place, but the food just isn't that good.
Review Source:While some people have reviewed The Works and said it was strictly a kids haven, I'd have to disagree. The Works is more than just a kids virtual playground, but a place for anyone looking for a nice, clean, serviceable bar and good food.
As mentioned several times, The Works is a poor man's Dave and Buster's. Personally, I prefer The Works over Dave and Buster's solely because the food is better, the prices are cheaper, and the games in the game room actually work. I've been to D&B's countless number of times, and each time I'm there, there is a large percentage of games out of order.
The food at The Works is typical bar food. From a plate of their fantastic Pork BBQ Nachos to their wings and burgers, there isn't much on the menu that will leave you wishing you went elsewhere. Drinks at the bar are fairly priced and they constantly have specials on draft.
If you're in the area and looking for a fun, reasonably priced night out, I strongly recommend going to The Works.
This place is great. Â They are always keeping the menu up to date only keeping the best selling dishes to put on their regular menu. Â My wife and I eat and play here whenever possible. Â Best food at a reasonable price. Â The wait staff is super nice and the place is always clean.
The games are for all age groups and the prizes are a lot better then other places. Â The prizes too change so check back often to see what new stuff they have.
Remember to purchase a monster cookie on your way out. Â The best cookies ever. Â They are so big you may want to share with a friend.
They also have a rewards card that if you frequent there enough will pay you back.
I used to go here a LOT for a political club I led twice a month with anywhere from 30 to 100 people at a time, but management decided they no longer wanted my group for reasons that were murky (we were Democrats, and the owner is Republican and worried about how it looked; at least that is what I heard). Â
There were also service issues, and the group moved to Canal Street for better food and service. Â The Works was not prepared to handle cocktail service for larger groups, which I admit is tricky, so sometimes we had long waits, and we usually did not have enough servers assigned to our group. Â So it worked out in the end to move because we wanted a more grown-up place, although the manner in which we were asked to not come back was very unprofessional and gave us no notice. Â It was done in the middle of a gathering in full view of the group attendees! Â It now seems funny and typical of Berks County backwardness.
The Works is a great location in a nice neighborhood just outside the city of Reading with lots of parking. Â It is housed in a beautiful old restored factory, so it goes heavy on the too-cute gears theme. Â The brick walls and high ceilings are beautiful, but the place seems to shoot for a chain vibe, which is a disappointment. Â It is best known for its Dave and Busters type game room in the back (popular with kids and families) and weekend nightclub upstairs, which has never been of interest to me, but it might be better now that PA has no smoking in most places. Â I know the crowd can get rowdy because of the conduct and dress policies that are posted. Â The front bar is quieter and cozy with booths and has been refurbished.
Sometimes there is decent beer, but the wine is usually pedestrian and often has been open too long. Â The food is average, and there is not enough healthy fare. Â I feel the prices are fair. Â Service is consistently inexperienced, which I know from going there twice a month regularly for more than a year. Â Servers are probably chosen for looks and youth, although staff is always very friendly.
This place is for kids. It's like Dave and Busters just cheaper. I would much prefer The Works, if rather than the live music they play they would just get a huge animatronic band comprised of woodland creatures like Chucke 'Cheese has. Or perhaps if they incorporated some type of Dunk Tank for the bands so that when they start to play Fall Out Boy Covers you could launch softballs at them.
I gave it an OK rating regardless of how little I like it for the following reasons.
It's one of the only places you could likely go if your trying to see a large percentage of pretty girls i.e. it's very popular place.
It has skee ball, ice hockey, bowling, and a couple other games which are fun but only if you bring your own crowd to play them.
Everything else in this area is pretty bad as well.
Basically, I'd say if you want to rekindle those college frat house party memories it's great. Also, there is absolutely no point in going before midnight. Or sober.
Had the pleasure of living in Reading/Wyomissing/Sinking Spring for two years (it's really not that bad) and spent many a Wednesday night at The Works.
It's not really my kind of bar but the price was right. Wednesday night is $1 well drinks and for $1 they're not shy with the booze. Even if they are.. it's $1... just double fist it. Sodas cost more than that. Doubles cost $2.25 so there's a $0.25 surcharge for having a drinking problem.
It's a good place to come if some people in your group are underage, though after around 10 or 11 they kick the under-21s out unless they have someone 25 or older in their group. I went back a couple months ago and it seems like they've beefed up enforcement, they scan IDs and do wristbands when it gets late.
It's kind of like a mini Dave and Buster's, there's a restaurant (never eaten in it though) and lots of arcade games and mini-bowling. The only place in town I know of to get a load on and then play DDR.
They added a VIP section and another dance floor last year but I'm not really sure what makes you VIP in Berks county.
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