Inn on Main — Restaurant in Oley Township

Our first time trying The Inn on Main in Oley PA will unfortunately be our last. Friends were in from out of town so we decided to have dinner. We really are not a picky group (there were 3 couples). We were greeted and seated upon arrival. We did have reservations ahead of time. Our waitress was very pleasant and tried to make everything good for us. We were there to enjoy our friendship and a good meal! We started with cocktails. 2 of us ordered a cocktail that was to have a sugar rim. When they arrived, a surprise when the rim was salted. Now, it was not bad that way, so we just informed our waitress and kept the drinks. We did order another round later, and she ensured the rim had sugar this time. In the meantime, we all had placed our food orders. The food came out in a timely manner. 2 of the guys in our group had ordered ribeye steaks @$32 for the meal. One wanted his Med well, and the other wanted it medium, slightly pink. The slightly pink came out well done. The other seemed to be cooked as anticipated. These steaks were not appropriately sized for the cost, they were on the small side. Not what was expected for this type of establishment. The waitress took the well-done steak back and asked for it to be remade correctly. Some time passed, and the steak diner still had not returned. I asked about it and soon thereafter it arrived. This one was rare ( I would have loved it). One of the other ladies received her meal, Stuffed Chicken (cream cheese, spinach, mushroom, etc.). She cut it open, and there was nothing, and the meat was dry and overcooked. We asked if they were perhaps premade. We were informed that everything is made fresh. There was nothing appetizing about her chicken. My husband had a chicken Ceasar salad, and his chicken was cooked nicely. I had a shrimp dish, and it was very good. My other friend had the Chicken Alfredo and said it was good. I had worked extensively in the restaurant business in my younger years. Waitress, bartender, and chef. The only person who seemed to care was our waitress. We all assured her we did not blame her. She was tipped on her service, not the issues. She tried and was pleasant the entire time we were there! The two meals that were a disaster were for one of the couples. They were not charged for those meals. Nothing further was done to try and mitigate the situation. No Vist from the chef, management, or owner. This simple gesture may have increased the chance of us trying the restaurant again. Showing some concern would have been the best option. To top it off, upon a trip to the restroom, staff were overheard, out in the bar area "talking" about the situation. This is never a good idea... keep it in the kitchen. I have a picture of the "stuffed chicken " and the "medium- slightly pink" replacement steak. We really wanted to...

Walking up Friedensburg road, the yellow lantern lights floating above dark rails and white beams bid my curiosity to walk faster. As the colonial stone above came into focus, the striking brass reading 401 below the brilliant American flag instantly sparked nostalgia.

Captivated by the spirit of the building, I walked through the side door to be greeted by a kind, gentle host. She guided me to the bar room to a wooden high-top next to hanging greenery in front of a shuttered window. Between dark, polished floor and planked ceiling, exposed brick and stone peaked through pale robin-egg blue walls.

A vibrant server with a warm smile named Caitlin approached, welcoming me in. After receiving a town made glass of Red, I swirled around the Chambourcin listening to bar banter. The spirited Brooke tending the bar was keeping rowdy, young lads at bay with her marvelous wit all while maintaining an inviting glow for the middle aged couple to the right.

The charcuterie board was a pleasant starter. With locally sourced ingredients along with the Pennsylvania wine, it was reminiscent to a winery I worked in years before. Delicate prosciutto, sharp wine brined cheese, crumbly Gorgonzola and dried cranberries stood out on rustic, black slate. The crab and lobster stuffed shiitake mushrooms were delightful with the quintessential lemon squeeze as well as the added surprise of tart, pineapple chunks.

As I waited for a signature cocktail and dessert, I enjoyed the satisfying glass pattern on the opened door leading to the porch with Luke Combs’ Beautiful Crazy playing softly in the background. “Strawberry Fields” was a mild yet revitalizing gin lemonade mixture that was just enough for an after dinner refreshment. As I ate the irresistible coconut cream pie- flaky and velvety with just the right amount of sweet!- I watched the TV change from Duck Dynasty to the cult classic Tommy Boy.

The Inn on Main is just as much a hometown hero as it is a destination darling. It is a pitstop for beers and buddies around the bar. It is a cocktail spot with cosmopolitans and gal pals out on the front deck. It is a family night dinner at the back patio. And it is a romantic getaway off to the dining room. All of it wrapped up into one gift for beloved Oley. Today reminded me of why I cherish Berks county and why I moved here from Suburbia in the first place. The historic, country charm of the Inn needs to be appreciated and preserved. In...

This was the worst restaurant I’ve ever been to.

We never got our food. We waited an hour and 20 minutes for salads and then decided to leave. When we asked about our food, the manager (our server) was rude and her behavior was disgusting.

We were celebrating the birthday of my father in law who passed in February. She took no responsibility and blamed her kitchen staff. She told us it wasn’t her service (our drinks stayed empty, she never checked in to update). The only redeeming quality was the 16 year old kid that genuinely apologized when we left. My mother in law left in tears.

When we arrived, the “manager” told us they were running behind. We patiently waited to put in our order (with two young kids). About 15 minutes, no problem.

30 minutes in they brought out drinks. The special cocktail lacked alcohol and flavor. My husband requested 3 different beers, they were out of all of them, before he just asked for any pils or lager they had. She brought out a 10% quad. Based on her insufficiencies elsewhere, I’ll assume our manager/waitress didn’t ask for the right beer. He did not complain.

An hour in they brought out the kids meals. They were cheap US Foods spongy chicken fingers and undercooked pizza. Thank god for well behaved kids and on the go snacks.

At this point we asked about our food and the manager snapped it was coming and she told us it would be a long wait. Her demeanor here is where we’d had enough.

An hour and 20 in they brought out salads. They were good. But at that point, with no other food in sight (we ordered apps too) we asked for the check. The manager was insincere and the closest apology we got was her recognizing it had been over an hour and that she was happy she got the kids meals out.

When she brought the check my MIL expressed her disappointment and she interrupted her and said “WELL CAN I SHOW YOU WHAT I DID FOR YOU”. Like she was doing us a favor…she couldn’t even get soup on the table. I told her to be stop talking and give her the check, she responded by saying “you don’t have to be rude to me” :) The irony.

A strong manager would apologize, recognize and correct. This manager made excuses, told us she wasn’t rude, and blamed her staff.

They charged us for alcohol and not the salad and kids meals. At that point, it didn’t matter. Tam is a very talented chef and we were so looking forward to it, I hope they find a new manager so the restaurant can run the...