By Zach Brown, Berks County Eats
A good lunch spot has to have four things: good food, quick service, reasonable prices, and a cool vibe.
Crave Cafe in Sinking Spring continues to check all the boxes.
Though the cafe got a new owner in late 2024, it is still delivering in all the areas that have made it a favorite over the last decade.
We first visited Crave in 2015, and with Julie working just five minutes away, we have visited many times since.
Our most recent visit came in January 2026. We arrived for an early lunch — around 11 a.m., before the rush was in full force, and still found only a couple of open tables (they were a lot more scarce by noon). The fireplace is still the focal point of the main dining room, but a second dining area provides more seating in the room behind it.
We got in line and were quickly called over to a second station to place our order before taking our number back to a table for two along the wall.
The temperature in the room tends to run a little cold, and I was quickly reminded of it as we sat waiting, but it didn’t take long for our food to arrive, and I was no longer thinking about anything except lunch.
I always have a hard time choosing between their paninis and flatbreads, but on this visit, I opted for a panini — The Dunk. The sandwich comes with chicken breast, tomatoes, mozzarella, pesto aioli, and balsamic glaze.
At its core, it’s a Caprese salad with the balsamic, mozzarella, and tomato all working together to create a familiar flavor profile. But the pesto aioli adds nuttiness and earthiness to the dish while the chicken makes it heartier and more filling. It’s relatively simple but very satisfying.
For her meal, Julie had a soup and sandwich combo with a hearty tomato soup and a grilled cheese with the addition of bacon. Julie loves bacon, and it gives the grilled cheese an added crunch and savory notes.
Both meals are between $12 and $15, but Julie got a matcha, and I got a hot chai. Both came served in mugs from the cafe’s eclectic collection — mine a stubby U.S. Air Force mug, hers a tall blue and white. The chai is a typical sweet style tea latte that has little resemblance to a true chai but is no less enjoyable. The matcha had the distinct green color and sweet yet earthy flavor to it that was a perfect go-with.
Lunch for two typically costs around $30, but we spent around $35 for this one with our drinks. Sure, you can find places where we can eat for closer to $20, but it’s more than just the price — it’s the combination of everything. The price is fair, the food is good, the service is on-point, and Crave continues to be one of the coolest lunch spots around.
And we’ll keep coming back.
BCE Rating
Food: Good
Service: Very Good
Ambiance: Very Good
Price: $$
Crave Cafe
4600 Penn Ave.
Sinking Spring, PA 19608
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.
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