Restaurant Reviews: Snuzzles of Mertztown, Pennsylvania

Looking through any phonebook, it's possible to find a great number of restaurants, and a great number of advertisements attempting to convince us to go to those restaurants. However, often the best surprises are those places which find their customers strictly by word of mouth. Despite the lack of money spent on promotions, often times these restaurants are some of the most popular and greatest choices for a weekend night out. One perfect example of this type of restaurant can be found in Snuzzles, located just outside of Kutztown at 145 Lyons Road. It may seem to be a bit off of the beaten path, the restaurant and the experience are definitely worth the time spent travelling.

One of the first things to notice about Snuzzles is that one really wouldn't have noticed it unless you were looking for it. The outside of the building is really nothing more than a plain white box with a rather large parking area. There are two entrances in the front of the building, one that gives access to the bar and one that goes to the dining area. The bar also contains a takeout area for those who just want to grab something to go. Also, there is an ATM, as Snuzzles unfortunately doesn't take credit or debit cards. While this is definitely a bit of an inconvenience, the ATM located in the restaurant does somewhat make up for it. However, to avoid being charged the $1.50 withdrawal fee, the best bet is to come prepared with cash.

Entering into the dining area is definitely a surprise the first time one goes in. The entire dining room is covered in very nice hardwood flooring, there are tables located throughout the room, booths along windows in the wall, and even an upstairs dining area with a couple of tables. The interior is laid out nicely, and one never feels cramped or compacted while eating. The upstairs is a nice touch, although there are only a few tables, and the booths are wonderful to sit at when the weather is nice. There is nice ambient lighting, and the entire atmosphere is comfortable and welcoming. A lot of work has been put into designing the restaurant, and it is obvious as soon as one sits down. Unlike some restaurants, the entire experience of eating at Snuzzles, even waiting for the food, is a pleasant experience.

The enjoyable experience of eating at Snuzzles only increases as one orders food. There are a variety of choices on the menu, although they consist almost entirely of casual fair. There are a few pasta dishes and some chicken entrees. However, for the most part, the menu consists of sandwiches, cheese steaks, appetizers, and other such choices. While this might seem limiting at first, Snuzzles does their best to extend these few simple concepts as far as possible. For example, there are many varieties of cheese steaks, all prepared differently with different combinations of ingredients and even different styles of cooking those cheese steaks. There are several delicious chicken sandwiches, and some tasty appetizers to round out the menu.

Definitely one of the highlights on the menu is the "Snuzzle Stuffer", a cheese steak filled with several different kinds of cheese, mushrooms, fried onions, and hot peppers. There are some varieties of cheese steaks that even include pepperoni and other types of meet along with the steak. While this sounds strange at first, it is actually very interesting to eat pepperoni inside of the cheese steak, and even though it may not be for everyone, for those who enjoy it, it is definitely something different. All of the steaks are very large, and there is no skimping on the cheese or any of the other ingredients that come rolled into the sandwiches. Have no worries about disappointed with the size of your meal at Snuzzles.

Even the appetizers are good. The French fries are large cut steak fries, perfectly browned, and recommended with dinner since most dinner choices only come with chips. The prices and portions are very reasonable, and one never gets the feeling that they are overpaying for their meal. The cheese steaks are very large, and it is obvious that a lot of time has gone into preparing them. However, one must be prepared to wait a little bit in order to enjoy the food. The food takes a while to come out of the kitchen even when there are few people in the restaurant. However, when one considers that this is due to the time and care put into preparing it, the wait becomes more than bearable.The staff is very friendly and does whatever they can to make your dining experience as enjoyable as possible. In fact, everything at Snuzzles really does add up in the best way possible. The atmosphere is nice and comforting, the people are friendly, and the food is absolutely delicious. Although it may not be a restaurant that one might have heard of from advertisements or marketing, Snuzzles may very well be one of the best kept secrets in the Kutztown area. For those who are hoping to enjoy a casual meal, with a nice atmosphere, Snuzzles is a perfect choice, and may easily be on the best in the Mertztown area.