By Zach Brown, Berks County Eats
While I have a great setup for my work-from-home, sometimes it’s good to get out of the home office. Not only does a change of scenery help, but it’s a great excuse to grab a table at a local coffee shop.
And when it comes to places to work away from home, Rooted & Grounded Cafe has moved near the top of my list.
The cafe is situated at the corner of Lancaster and McArthur Avenues. While the rest of the block has homes set up on a small hill with stairs leading down to the sidewalk, Rooted & Grounded is at street level, cut out from the embankment.
Out front, a church pew serves as a bench seat. Inside, Ephesians 3:17 is scrawled across the wall above the fireplace (the Bible verse also serves as the Wi-Fi password). The passage is where the cafe takes its name.
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that you being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled with all the fullness of God.
The cafe is also one of the coziest in the area. Greens in hanging planters come down from the ceiling, and there are two large leather chairs by the fireplace for relaxing. But there’s also plenty of seating for me and my laptop on those days when work-from-home means work-from-anywhere.
I have visited the cafe for both breakfast and lunch, and it is a popular place, especially for families with young children. What was a small closet in the corner is filled with wooden toys to keep toddlers occupied before and after their meals.
The wait for food and drink doesn’t take long, though. Drinks, like my chai latte, come out quickly.
I really enjoy the chai at Rooted & Grounded. I wouldn’t call it “authentic,” but it’s spiced and not as sweet.
It pairs well with a breakfast panini, which I tried on my first visit. I ordered a sausage, egg, and cheese, which was made up of a sausage patty, scrambled egg patties, and plenty of melted cheddar. It made for a good sandwich, nothing extraordinary, but a good, filling breakfast. (Other options include pancakes, scrambled eggs, and yogurt parfaits).
When I came back for lunch, it was a different story.
I ordered the special apple maple bacon panini, which featured apple slices, apple butter, cheddar cheese, and bacon with maple syrup for dipping. This was an excellent combination, a sweet and savory mash-up that went from very good to great after I dipped it in the maple syrup.
It’s the perfect sandwich for fall. (And it pairs pretty well with a chai, too). It also has me excited to try more lunch paninis on future visits.
The breakfast panini was $9 while the lunch special was $12 — it came with a side of chips. With the chai, my meals cost about $13 and $16, respectively. That feels like a fair price to pay, especially with the friendly counter service and quick arrival of my orders.
I’m going to keep coming back — adding punches to my frequent visitor card — and enjoying more chai, more breakfast, and more lunches at Rooted & Grounded Cafe.
BCE Rating
Food: Good
Service: Very Good
Ambiance: Excellent
Price: $$
Rooted & Grounded Cafe
1400 Lancaster Ave.
Reading, PA 19607
This story was contributed courtesy of Berks County Eats, a local resource for food and dining information. Berks County Eats is dedicated to promoting the dining scene in Reading and Berks County, PA, offering restaurant reviews, news, and events, and a comprehensive Berks County restaurant directory. You can read more at berkscountyeats.com.
The post Friday Food Feature with Berks County Eats: Rooted & Grounded Cafe appeared first on BCTV.
Source: bctv