raved roadside retro: the jukebox cafe

Jukebox Café—since 1995—has put chrome-trimmed, elvis photo-decked diners to shame. nestled on a bend of south reading avenue, the nostalgic, above-average café celebrates all-day-breakfast in a snappy setting specked with leather-lined turquoise booths, pink countertops, an old-fashioned bubble jukebox, and of course, pin-ups of Marilyn Monroe and James Dean.

Conceptualized by Sandy L. and John E. Hilbert, the area's 15-year-old go-to breakfast, brunch, and lunch spot has been a constant hustle since opening day, when the managing couple premiered their soda shop-inspired eatery to the Boyertown crowds, mashing their love for coffeehouses with the simple structure of a retro diner.

The black-and-white checkerboard-floored space opens everyday, Monday through Saturday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Sunday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., slinging original, luxe updates of fifties comfort food, while celebrating the best of the season peppered through various selections. For example, as fall is prime apple and pumpkin season, items like hot apple stuffed french toast, apple bread french toast, pumpkin coffee, pumpkin soup, and pumpkin pancakes currently line their regularly-updated menu of specials.

 

Previous seasons also followed suit, including their attractive “Peach Mania” roundup as seen this past summer, that roundup, as seen this past summer with fresh slices pressed into sandwiches. 

Family-run and friendly, Jukebox Café also encourages visitors to savor bites at their counter space, available in addition to their up-to-four sleek booths and tables, for an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink omelet or a piping bread bowl flooded with one of their homemade soups, available also in to-go quarts. With well-done mainstays served aside continuously-new varieties, like Hungarian mushroom, tomato bisque, baked potato, italian wedding, and vegetarian chili, this nearby establishment swirls cordial soups on-par with grandma's best.

 

Considering they spout a moniker which marvels in the glory days of sock hops and triple-thick milkshakes, Jukebox Café also trots a classic assortment of burgers, fries, and meat and non-meat eater sandwiches, including melts and BLTs. Proud to not pack any of their menu items with canned creations, the always-fresh ingredients are locally-sourced, including goods found next door at Frecon Farms.

Better yet, if you have come to satisfy your sweet tooth, you may easily slip into a sugar coma. with this step back into the fifties, they bake all of their own perfectly-pinched pies, fruit-topped cheesecakes, traditional sticky buns, and multiple-flavored muffins.

Jukebox Café is no secret, as the lines for weekend brunch attest, and the service—manned by attentive, favorable females—leaves cozy diners dashing to squeeze more and more pop-ins into their wild work weeks.

Jukebox Café is cash-only, located at 535 South Reading Avenue in Boyertown and can be reached by phone at 610.369.7272. Operating hours are as follows: Monday—sSturday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Take-out is available, as well, during operating hours.

 

(Also published on news, not blues. Swing over there to enter yourself for a free slice of pie from the Jukebox Cafe!)

a pleasuresome peek into collingswood's pop shop

Nothing screams "summertime" more than a spontaneous field trip to an quasi-new place to tantalize my always grumbling tum'. My oldest brother, once a resident of Collingswood, NJ (the destination of my brief road trip), never once mentioned visiting The Pop Shop. Yes, he is a fan of the overcommercialized Cherry Hill, but come on, his sister is a food-obsessed fiend!

So, on a tip from myself, and also, a reminder that a few months back I had enviously viewed my food editor Drew Lazor chowing down on the shop's specialty, a mighty grilled cheese, while participating in Bobby Flay's Throwdown, we put the pedal to the metal.

Without a doubt or a single second of hesitation, a journey across the Ben Franklin became immediately in order for B and I. Located on downtown Haddon Avenue, a street flooded with cutesy small-town boutiques, sits the retro-styled and adorably-decorated Pop Shop.

Splashed in my utmost favorite color, turquoise, the soda shop is quaint and cozy, and supplies it's guests, at seating, with a newspaper-styled menu that's pounded with an overwhelming choice of options. Do you want the served-all-day breakfast, lunch, snacks, a vegan option, one of almost 30 grilled cheeses, ice cream, just sodas, etc.?

Being that Bobby Flay beat the shop at their own grilling game, and then, in exchange, the eatery created a similar 'wich in the episode's honor, I opted for just that, the 5B's -- a crunchy and toasted country white smeared deliciously with brie and goat cheeses, applewood-smoked bacon, watercress and tomato.

For B, he was giddy in anticipation on building his own burger (can choose between an old-school Black Angus beef burger to a salmon, veggie and chicken patty), without an exchange for an extra add-on charge for his obsessive-layering addiction. From caramelized onions, Granny Smith apples, Swiss cheese, applewood-smoked bacon -- all on sliced sourdough --his build-your-own reached an impressive top-notch slot as one of his top five favored burgers.

Other necessary notables do include anything from the fountain (I'd be a jerk not mentioning the soda at this shop!). Opting for swirls of vanilla and chocolate in my creamy and bubbly coke was definitely one of the better decisions I've made in the prime of my chowdowning. For B, he kept his build-your-own theme alive by sweetly stirring together seltzer with chocolate and raspberry.

The Pop Shop, excellent in its attempts to replicate a 50's diner without being too smack-in-the-face showy, will be seeing this girl again 'cept next time, I promise to save room for the ice cream!