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Restaurants in Hamburg, PA: Downtown and Off I-78

Where to eat in Hamburg, PA, split between the borough's own kitchens downtown and what sits out at the Route 61 interchange.

Berks Connect Blog|Published August 31, 2026
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Hamburg feeds two crowds at the same time: the people who live here, and everybody pulling off I-78 for Cabela's, Hawk Mountain or the Pinnacle. Come off at the Route 61 interchange and the national brands are right in front of you, along Industrial Drive, Wilderness Trail and Tilden Ridge Drive. The borough's own kitchens sit about two minutes south on State Street and Fourth Street, and most of this guide is about those two streets.

Downtown Hamburg or the I-78 exit, and how to choose.

The split here is about addresses, not about cooking. The interchange is where the national brands built, on Industrial Drive, Wilderness Trail and Tilden Ridge Drive, because that is where the ramps, the hotel rooms and the big lots are. Fourth Street and State Street are older and narrower, and that is where the borough's independents kept their kitchens.

Cabela's at 100 Cabela Drive brings visitors through, and so do Hawk Mountain, the Pinnacle and the Appalachian Trail. If that is you, the useful thing to know is that the borough is minutes off the ramp and small enough to walk once you have parked.

How we picked the restaurants in this Hamburg guide.

We read the review detail indexed for the food businesses in our Hamburg listings, checked it against the borough's own merchant dining directory and the festival's 2026 vendor list, and ran every business below through a current operating-status check before writing it up. Anything we attribute to a reviewer came out of that indexed review detail, and where we hold none for a place, the write-up says so instead of filling the gap. Nothing here is ranked, and the groupings are by address, because in Hamburg that is the decision you are making.

Downtown Hamburg restaurants on State Street and Fourth Street.

Downtown is compact: two brewpubs and a barbecue counter on South Fourth Street, a diner and a winery on State Street, a breakfast room on Third Street. Most of it sits inside a few blocks, so park once. More Hamburg listings live on our Hamburg restaurants page.

1787 Brewing Company, beer and a kitchen on South Fourth Street.

This is the one we would send a first-timer to, because the kitchen keeps up with the taps. Its own listing describes a mellow brewpub with a few sidewalk tables, nearly a dozen beers on and classic comfort eats to go with them.

Order the corn and shrimp chowder. One reviewer called it "literally the best soup I have ever eaten," and the smash burgers draw their own enthusiasm, with one reviewer giving them a "strong recommendation" and another writing that they "enjoyed every bite."

The bar staff get credit for steering people, with one reviewer noting the bartender "is knowledgeable about the beers and how to compare them to known brands." One reviewer summed up the pork tots as "beyond description," which we take as a yes.

Its own site lists Thursday and Friday 4 to 9, Saturday noon to 9 and Sunday noon to 7, so it runs Thursday through Sunday. It is on the festival's 2026 vendor list.

Copperz Brewing Company, flights and a giant pretzel on South Fourth Street.

Come here for the beer and the things built to go with it. Reviewers point at the flights first, one reporting a traditionally hopped flight and a margarita flight that was "wicked good," and the beer list gets called "delightful" alongside a small selection of local wines.

The giant pretzel is the one reviewers call out, described as "incredible" by one and, by another, as "the best thing you've ever eaten." Follow it with the pickle chips and sriracha ranch, which one reviewer defended on principle: "Everyone has pickle fries but we all know chips are better!!"

Reviewers name their servers, which usually says something about how a room is run. Two of them did exactly that, one calling their server "awesome" and the other "THE BEST!!"

Its listed hours run seven days a week, into 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The borough's events calendar carries a standing listing for Bar Bites Nights here every Friday and Saturday, 8 to 10 p.m., late night food specials with a drink purchase, dine in only.

3rd Street Cafe, breakfast in downtown Hamburg.

This is the borough's breakfast counter, and it opens at 6 a.m. most days, which is earlier than anybody needs to be awake on vacation. One reviewer described the room as "very small, very old school little town diner feel," and two more mention a clean dining room.

Order the Eggs Benedict. One reviewer wrote, "I seriously think I had the best Eggs Benedict I've ever had anywhere here," and one reviewer went out of their way to praise the seeded rye toast, calling it "the highlight of this breakfast."

Portions get noticed too, with one reviewer "particularly impressed with how big the pancakes were," and another finished with the homemade Cherry Cheese dessert. Listed hours are 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. most days, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, closed Wednesday.

Hamburg Diner, the swivel stools at 210 State Street.

Hamburg's diner sits at 210 State Street, where the borough's own directory lists it as New Hamburg Diner, and it delivers the whole retro package. One reviewer describes "swivel stools at the counter" and old fashioned booths along the side wall; another had blueberry pancakes "made in front of me at the counter."

Breakfast is the obvious order, but the burger is the sleeper. One reviewer called theirs "delicious and well-made" and then spent a sentence praising the sliced tomatoes on it, which is not a thing people usually bother to write down.

If you want the local curiosity, the Glazed and Confused burger stacks bacon, egg and a patty on a doughnut, and the reviewer who hesitated over it reported back that "it was really good!" Listed hours open at 6 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 7 a.m. Sunday, with the kitchen running to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

Counters and paper menus are a whole category around here, and we have more of them in our roundup of diners in Berks County.

Backwoods Brothers Authentic Texas Cuisine, barbecue on South Fourth Street.

This is Texas barbecue out of a counter at 272 South Fourth Street, and whatever else you get, get the cornbread.

That is the item reviewers write home about. One reviewer ordered "2 pieces of the moms cornbread (best I ever ate)"; "sooooo good, not dry like a brick," wrote another. The jalapeño cheese sausage has its own following, described by one reviewer as "insanely good" and named by another as their favorite.

The sauces are made in house and reviewers treat them as a souvenir, with one buying a bottle to take home and another advising you try the hot. One reviewer describes the place as a mother and son operation, and it is on the festival's 2026 vendor list.

It runs 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and is closed Sunday. For the rest of the county's smoke, see our guide to barbecue in Berks County.

Westy Bar and Grill, the bar on West State Street.

The Westy is the bar at 279 West State Street, and its own listing puts it plainly: wings, steaks and American comfort food favorites, plus draft beer, in easygoing quarters.

We do not have review detail broken out for it yet, so we are not going to put words in anybody's mouth. What we can tell you is how the place sells itself. Its own site tells you to "start out with some of the best wings in Berks County, or have a full night out with our amazing ribeye steak!"

The useful thing its site adds is that the kitchen and the bar keep different hours: the kitchen runs 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday and to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, while the bar stays open to midnight Tuesday through Sunday. It is closed Mondays.

Lucky Leprechaun Vineyard and Winery, a tasting room on State Street.

A winery in the middle of a borough block is not the usual arrangement, and this one sits at 335 to 337 State Street. Reviewers keep it short: "They have great wines!" from one, "Delicious wine, nice owner" from another.

If you take your wine sweet, one reviewer says to ask for the "Pleasantly Confused Mango." Another describes a tasting that ends with the glass going home with you. Hours are not listed with us, so call ahead rather than driving over on spec.

Restaurants at the Hamburg I-78 interchange and Hawk Ridge.

The Route 61 interchange is chain country, and that is a fact about how the land was developed rather than a comment on anybody's cooking. The brands are spread along Industrial Drive, Wilderness Trail and Tilden Ridge Drive, which is where the hotel rooms and the wide parking are.

Two independent kitchens out here are worth knowing, and downtown Hamburg is a couple of minutes further south on Fourth Street. Some of the interchange addresses are listed further down, in case what you want is the address rather than the write-up.

Lou'ees Pizza, slices and hoagie bread on Hawk Ridge Drive.

If you want pizza without leaving the interchange side of town, this is the one to know, at 500 Hawk Ridge Drive. Reviewers do not hedge: "It's always been my favorite pizza, nothing else compares to it," wrote one, and "probably the best pizza you will find anywhere," wrote another.

They bake their own bread, and reviewers notice. One wrote that "they make their own bread and it's delicious," another that "their hoagie bread is amazing!" Bread is a good tell in a pizza shop, because it either gets made on the premises or it does not.

For a specific order, reviewers name the BBQ Chicken Ranch and the New Yorker. It is open every day, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Pappy T's Pub and Lounge, the bar on Industrial Drive.

This is a bar first, and the evening usually comes with a program. Reviewers describe karaoke, bar games, pool tables and live music on weekends, one writing that "they have something going on almost every night."

Reviewers praise the drinks. One guest described a rum and coke "so smooth and elegantly presented," another said the bartender was "spot on," and a third called the drinks and food "moderately priced."

It shares 50 Industrial Drive with the Microtel, so if you are staying there it is a walk instead of a drive. Doors open at 4 p.m. daily, running to midnight Wednesday through Saturday.

Farm stores on the edges of Hamburg.

Some of the best eating around Hamburg is not a restaurant at all. Two farm stores on the edges of town are worth a detour of their own, and their hours are limited and vary by day, so pick your day before you drive.

Meadow Hills Farm, scrapple and beef on Possum Road.

This one earns its place on the meat case and the fall season. One reviewer had scrapple shipped to California and reported it "was everything I remembered and more"; another described beef that was "very tender and almost cooked like tuna. Very lean."

Reviewers who came in the fall describe a hayride, a corn maze one of them called "surprisingly difficult (and fun!)" and animals to pet, listed by another as bunnies, goats and calves. Its listed hours are limited and vary by day, so check before you head out to 190 Possum Road.

LaFaver Family Farm Store, beef and pantry goods on Hex Highway.

A small store at 1241 Hex Highway selling its own beef next to other local producers' goods. Reviewers are blunt about the meat: "the quality of meat is wonderful," wrote one, and "excellent beef products, added plus are the local cheeses and drinks," wrote another.

Two reviewers name the chip steak specifically, one of them writing "I ALWAYS get their chip steak!" Beyond the freezer there are local cheeses, honey, maple syrup and other pantry goods, and the store is open Thursday and Friday afternoons plus Saturday and Sunday mornings.

The Taste of Hamburg-er Festival, eight blocks of downtown Hamburg.

The town's name did the work here. Hamburg's festival is built on the hamburger, it takes over eight blocks of downtown, and the 23rd annual edition falls on Saturday, September 5, 2026, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., rain or shine, free to attend.

If you are reading this at some other point in the year, the rule the festival prints on its own site is the part to remember: it is "always the Saturday before Labor Day."

The festival's own 2026 listings count 228 vendors in all, 48 of them burger stands, 59 of them concession and food vendors and 75 of them crafters and makers. The same page separately lists 27 live music acts, seven contests and 13 kids and family activities.

The stands compete for Best Taste, Best Appearance, Originality and Grand Champion. Judging takes place at First Reformed UCC, 76 South Third Street, from 11 a.m. New for 2026 is the America's 250 Burger Celebration category, marking the nation's 250th and encouraging red, white and blue entries.

Two beer gardens anchor the day: the State Street Square Beer Garden at 222 State Street and the Beer & Wine Patty-O at Fourth and Pine Streets, both pouring until 7 p.m., an hour past the festival's close. The borough's events calendar also lists a ticketed "Dine & Dash" that morning at 10:30, $35, at Second and State Streets.

More Hamburg food stops to look at.

More downtown Hamburg food stops on State Street and Fourth Street.

The case for the detour gets easier to make once you see how much else is packed into these two streets. Most of these came into our listings recently and carry no extracted review detail yet, so take the list as a map rather than a verdict.

A few of the names at the Route 61 interchange.

A few names and addresses, so you can picture the interchange before you take it. Which one you pull into is your business, not ours.

Frequently asked questions about restaurants in Hamburg, PA.

Where can you eat near Cabela's in Hamburg, PA?

Cabela's sits at 100 Cabela Drive at the Route 61 interchange. Two independent kitchens are close by: Lou'ees Pizza at 500 Hawk Ridge Drive, open daily from 11 a.m., and Pappy T's Pub and Lounge at 50 Industrial Drive, open from 4 p.m. Downtown Hamburg, with the two brewpubs, the diner and the barbecue counter, is a couple of minutes south.

What is open in Hamburg on a Sunday?

Going by listed hours: 3rd Street Cafe and Hamburg Diner both run 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., Lou'ees Pizza runs 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., the Westy's kitchen runs 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. with the bar to midnight, Copperz Brewing Company runs 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and 1787 Brewing Company runs noon to 7 p.m. Wawa on Lowland Road is open 24 hours. Hours move around, so confirm before you drive.

When is the Taste of Hamburg-er Festival?

The 23rd annual festival is dated Saturday, September 5, 2026, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., rain or shine and free to attend, across eight blocks of downtown Hamburg. The festival's own site gives the standing rule as "always the Saturday before Labor Day," which is the date to work from in any year.

Is Hamburg worth stopping at off I-78?

Yes, if you will drive two more minutes. South Fourth Street holds two brewpubs and a Texas barbecue counter inside a few blocks, State Street holds the diner and a winery, and Third Street opens at 6 a.m. for breakfast. All of it is within a few blocks, so you park once.

Does Hamburg have a brewery?

Two brewpubs sit on South Fourth Street. 1787 Brewing Company at number 43 pours nearly a dozen beers and runs Thursday through Sunday, and Copperz Brewing Company at 798 lists hours seven days a week, with a standing Bar Bites Nights listing on the borough calendar for Friday and Saturday evenings.

Sources.