By Zach Brown, Berks County Eats
Earlier this year, I visited Esterly’s Sandwich Shop in Bowers. My post about the little hole-in-the-wall sandwich joint received more engagement than any other Facebook post I had done in more than 10 years of Berks County Eats.
While almost all of the posts were locals attesting to their love of Esterly’s, there were a few who suggested that maybe Esterly’s wasn’t the best in the area.
Those commenters pointed me to Mark’s Sandwich Shop in Kutztown.
Mark’s has never really been on my radar. Even back when I was in college, I was loyal to Spuds. But with so many recommendations, I decided to check it out.
The shop is one of the many eateries along Kutztown’s Main Street. On the outside, it’s an unassuming, rather dull-looking building — pale yellow with dark red trim.
Inside, I was surprised to find a little bit of a diner vibe with stainless steel counter seats to go along with a much larger dine-in section than I expected from the outside. It does have the same colors as the outside, so I wouldn’t say it’s the most appealing dining area in the county.
I had ordered my food ahead of time, and it was ready for pickup right on time.
Of course, for comparison’s sake, I had to order the same steak sandwich that I ordered at Esterly’s — that meant a steak sandwich with sauce and onions.
I have to say that I liked it, but it wasn’t my favorite. Specifically, the sauce was a little too tangy for my taste. But the steak meat was good and done well. I would just prefer to go a little lighter on the sauce next time.
(Even the admin for Mark’s Facebook account agreed, saying they ordered it with light sauce.)
The best part about Mark’s, though, is the fact that they have Dutch fries as a side option. There’s only a couple places that serve Dutch fries outside of the Kutztown Fair, and Mark’s is one of them.
While Dutch fries look like potato chips, they are fried, not boiled, and they are served hot. Some of the fries get crispy, others stick together and come out softer. Both are absolutely delicious.
Again, taking my cue from Facebook comments, I headed back to Mark’s, this time for a chicken parm sandwich. I have to say, it fell a little flat for me. It wasn’t anything special, and I didn’t think the roll held up very well. But at least I had a nice big bag of Dutch fries with it.
My total was about $15 each time, just a couple dollars more than Esterly’s. I would still say Mark’s is very reasonably priced, though. It’s kind of the perfect price point for a grab-and-go meal in a college town.
And the food is good enough with excellent service that I’m not surprised they have the following that they do.
BCE Rating
Food: Good
Service: Very Good
Ambiance: Fair
Price: $
Mark’s Sandwich Shop
123 W. Main St.
Kutztown, PA 19530
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.
