Jimmie Kramer’s Peanut Bar Restaurant – A Nutty Taste of Old Reading PA

2018 Update: The Peanut Bar is still there, and they now have a Facebook Page! 

Original 2012 Post:

It was a dark and stormy night...suddenly...Retro Roadhusband said he was hungry as we were driving through Reading, PA in the pouring rain. Hoping that the lights would be on at Jimmie Kramer's Peanut Bar Restaurant, we made an easy exit off of 422, onto Penn Street, and  stepped back in time.

(Stinky photo, I know, but it was torrentially raining out!
I've got a better shot in the daylight, showing their sassy Peanut Man, at the end of the post.)

Opened in 1933 and still family owned and operated, The Peanut Bar was a welcomed refuge for us after dodging the raindrops. Soft lighting, vintage photos lining the walls,red checkerboard table cloths, we knew we picked the right place. And the peanut shells on the floor? Those are what make The Peanut Bar famous! You can even see a Travel Channel video about it on the front page of the Peanut Bar website.

Since it was so dark and stormy out (and a Tuesday) we practically had the place to ourselves so we sat at the bar. What luck!

During your visit you'll notice many vintage pieces from the Peanut Bar's long history still adorn the room,like the hand crank phone at the end of the bar for example.
The food at The Peanut Bar is something they're quite proud of. Indeed, upon glancing at our menus we were pleasantly surprised to see such exotic delights as ostrich burgers, bison burgers and wienerschnitzel along with more familiar entrees. (Tuesdays are Wild Game nights.)

I opted for the fish & chips,  RRH had the bison burger and of course we had some peanuts while spending our time at the bar. Shells on the floor brought me flashbacks of The Ground Round, but the Peanut Bar is much cooler than that place ever was.

(My fish even looked like a fish! And they knew to bring Malt Vinegar without asking- nice touch!)

What a lovely evening we had at the Peanut Bar! We know the place is usually hopping, but were delighted to have the opportunity to chat with the staff about Reading and days gone by.

Speaking of days gone by- a few days later I was in the neighborhood again (I always seem to Go West on my roadside adventures) and was able to snap a better photo of the exterior of Jimmie Kramer's Peanut Bar Restaurant, including their Peanut Man! This was taken from the street parking, but there's also a parking lot and entrance behind the restaurant.

You can't take a ride on the Reading Railroad anymore, but to travel back in time all you need to do is visit Jimmie Kramer's - The Peanut Bar Restaurant, in Reading, PA.