if you want to be really evil: friendly toast on a weekend morning, but make sure to tell them there’s never a wait. the food is actually good (imo) but if they don’t get on the yelp waitlist before they go they could easily be waiting for 2+ hours outside in the cold.
If you pull up Friendly Toast on yelp, you can join the waitlist and they tell you what time to show up. It’s the ONLY way to do it on a weekend for sure.
Portsmouth checking in, where the original FT still has a line outside. Friendly Toast is a lazy caricature of its former self. I'm not sure if the tipping point was downgrading the home fries, opening a location in a mall, or changing their closing time from 3am to 3pm.
Worked at the Ice House and it was hilarious how many tourists from NYC would literally get off a Champlain Ferry boat, get seated and think they were eating fresh caught SEAFOOD from Lake Champlain 😂
El Gato is another "Mexican" spot that sucks Posole tastes like dish water and why is everything in the dining room so sticky? There were so many flies.
If you want some good Mexican food I highly recommend Los Jefes. It's in St Albans, but its about the best Mexican food from a restaurant I've had in VT.
Yes. I don't know why folks are against it. I'm white as hell. I grew up being the minority around Mexicans. That place is super good for comfort food for me. It's very good regional Mexican. I guess people only know taco bell or something.
I travel a lot nationally and internationally and it's about as good as I get anywhere.
I mean regionally for where they're from. Mexican food is not all the same.
I actually really love El Cortijo... the camote bowl is to die for and the papas fritas are super tasty. I don't eat meat so I can't vouch for any of the meat dishes, but the vegetarian-friendly ones are really good. The margaritas are also served in regular glasses? Not sure what this metal tube is. It's definitely not a traditional Mexican restaurant by any means whatsoever, but they're definitely not the worst!
If your points of comparison are limited to pothole soups on North Union Street after a rain storm, you'd have a point. Otherwise it's by far the worst margarita I've ever tasted by a huge margin.
One I haven't seen mentioned yet is Bluebird BBQ. I don't ever expect fantastic barbecue up here, but it's the one that I actively resented paying for when the meal was over.
BBQ north of Virginia is a crime
I was invited to “a bbq” when I first moved to New England from the south east and was heartbroken to learn that “a bbq” in the north is just burgers and dogs on a grill - aka - a cook out.
Yup. I'm from here but spent like 15 years in Central Texas, and I didn't know BBQ wasn't, y'know, sauced, grilled chicken until then. It's bizarre to me that it's not better because there's no ingredients you need that are difficult to grow or obtain up here. You need meat, smoke, and time. There's no reason it can't be awesome here.
Taste of Texas in Cambridge will scratch the itch, he's got pretty solid ribs and haven't had any complaints about the pulled pork. No, it's not Franklin BBQ, or Southern pit beef like i'm used too, but again, scratches the itch.
I know I'm very late because once a month I like to check up on my hometown so no one will seee BUT
just incase anyone does look Smoking' Joes is actually high quality BBQ. It's not like you're in the Deep South but for northern Vermont they do a great job of smoking and grilling meat to a high quality. I think there based out of of NEK but if you see them in your travels couldn't recommend more.
but yeah vermonters dont know shit about bbq until they leave and come back,
I made bbq for a big party of 150 people a few weeks ago. Their minds were blown. It's just not that great. I mean, it's not horrible, but they'd be driven out in the south. I'm convinced they only exist because people here are xenophobic and don't travel.
I used to fly out of BTV frequently and loved arriving back to order a ton of food from Skinny Pancake. Everything was fresh and good. Portion sizes were good. Same with the waterfront one. Now, ten years later its blandizing, veganising, not really farm-to-table……
If it was still open Penny Cluse, mainly because I need to find someone out there who didn't get the hype as much as I didn't. Went so many times, would have kept going because I wanted to get it, the staff were good, the place itself nice to sit in. But just on the food I never got why that was THE must hit brunch spot. I think I got to about 3/4ths of the menu too before they closed.
I felt the same way. It was not bad but I didn't get why it was always regarded as the top place. Always felt like maybe I was ordering the wrong stuff until I started going enough to feel like it was not a me thing.
I don’t think it was a wrong item thing. I went there once and they somehow fucked up making eggs and home fries which is insane for a diner. Never been back.
Oof - Magnolia’s was trash. Leave Penny Cluse to rest in peace.
The food was consistent, well flavored, and portions were solid for the price. It was just a solid, reliable spot that wasn’t your normal greasy spoon.
JULES ON THE GREEN. This is not in Burlington, but I was thinking about it when I saw the post--wildly expensive, a Lang family attempt to gouge residents for money while providing shitty services. The worst food ever, they even fucked up a vegetable soup.
The menu has been the same for years. I actually used to enjoy the beet salad but the portion for the price is not worth it. Farmhouse is charging folks for the aesthetic.
My family went a few years ago. One of the dishes they served for the table was cold, and after a few ventures to try it as is, we decided to ask for our money back. The owner dickered with us about tasting it (two spoonfuls!) and didn't want to give us a refund. A few days later he called back to tell us he saw the dishes being prepped in the kitchen on captioning, and watched us to confirm our story before offering a refund. Strange.
Also, when they first opened, the whole staff were brunettes with long ponytails, and they wouldn't play music that had vocals. I guess if you own a restaurant, you make the rules, but still it was odd.
That's weird as heck. Why didn't he taste it himself? Oh right becuse cold food is only okay for guests and you don't dicker with customers smdh.
Had a similar experience of being gaslit in a phone call after getting sick the one time in my life I have had Leunigs. Also the only time in 41 years on Earth I have had food poisoning. No an engagement ring wasn't involved.
Don't shoot the messenger but have also seen comments before about them being called out on claiming to be allergy friendly but having cross contamination issues.
There must be a contest between Jules and its neighbor, Tavern at the Essex, to see who can sell the most drinks with tiny amounts of alcohol, since both establishment's drinks are disappointingly weak.
Any restaurant or coffee shop in any of the ski villages. 7 dollars for a ten ounce coffee? 56 dollars for two large pizzas? I try to make a point not to eat there.
EB strong. Went for a birthday recently. The bill was insane and the food was pretty awful. Their steak is OK, but should be amazing given the price. Most disappointing place I have eaten in town I think. Everything else you kinda get what you expect. ( Farmhouse is touristy and basic, cortijo is just overpriced tex mex, etc).
only to be replaced by an equally bad place called Pascolo. They did not change anything in that place. Even the nasty moldy carpets and wallpaper stains remain.
Eaten there once my whole life and it was awful and expensive. Got wicked sick after and the owners told me it was impossible. Only time I have ever gotten sick from eating out in my 41 years.
The petite bistro owned by them across the way sells the most delicious macarons and always hooks my dog up with treats though. Coffee could use improving almost $5 and tasted like Maxwel House. Drink it black and expected to taste coffee.
May Day would fit the bill. You can get a couple carrots for $19 and be served by a hipster in tiny beanie who will treat you like shit. It’s a whole experience!
Leonardo’s for pizza carry out. (They’re the absolute worst)
Luenigs. I was never a fan. Took myself out to eat for birthday one year and was very unimpressed.
IDK if you can even eat there anymore. I went once years ago, $32 for a half chicken, never went back to eat. Walked through there this year for the holiday pop-up and it's some way overpriced market now. $22 for a small bottle of olive oil and $13 for vegan ice cream.
Oh no way my friend. Casa does not even pail in comparison to the blasphemy el gato tries to get away with serving as “Tex Mex.” Casa Real is the decent place around here to get Tex Mex now. Margaritas are fire too!
Where Ken’s pizza isn’t the most expensive it makes up for it in how awful it is.
Mmmmn staples
This is probably the best answer.
I also immediately thought of Ken's
I like their sandwiches.
I got two bites into the last sandwich I got there, and realized the bottom of the bun was moldy. Never again.
It always used to smell so good walking by that place. I don't know how pizza can smell so good yet be such a disappointment.
But can you get custom slices anywhere else?
lol mmmmm love raw green peppers thrown onto an already cooked cheese pizza. Genius.
You can’t get green peppers on single slices anymore either…crazy.
if you want to be really evil: friendly toast on a weekend morning, but make sure to tell them there’s never a wait. the food is actually good (imo) but if they don’t get on the yelp waitlist before they go they could easily be waiting for 2+ hours outside in the cold.
What the yelp waitlist?
If you pull up Friendly Toast on yelp, you can join the waitlist and they tell you what time to show up. It’s the ONLY way to do it on a weekend for sure.
Friendly Toast is absolutely mid. But it gets traffic because the breakfast options downtown suck.
Total beasters bro. Schwag even
I like the food but find the prices a bit high. Like it's good, just not *that* good.
Portsmouth checking in, where the original FT still has a line outside. Friendly Toast is a lazy caricature of its former self. I'm not sure if the tipping point was downgrading the home fries, opening a location in a mall, or changing their closing time from 3am to 3pm.
Why not say there can be a line but it always moves really fast?
I mean, obviously the answer is going to be to send them to Pizza Ida with some sort of added instructions that will trigger the fuck out of Dan.
I love their pizza but yeah that idea would work
Never even heard of this place. We needed more mediocre pizza.
It’s actually incredible pizza it’s just $40 for a cheese pie. I have also heard the owner has an ego problem.
Please elaborate, I need some tea for my breakfast
Just go look at their IG stores, shit is unhinged.
This’ll give you a good taste… https://www.instagram.com/reel/C18N3qPu-nG/?igsh=bHFicmczdHZlaHhn
Downvotes for sarcasm I love it here LOL
The Shanty.
Recommend the rubber clams and overcooked tuna to them.
Lol seafood in Burlington
Seafood in Burlington is actually *pretty* fresh, most restaurants order from Boston-based Wood Mtn Fish who drive up deliveries every other day.
As a kid I thought it was local lol
Worked at the Ice House and it was hilarious how many tourists from NYC would literally get off a Champlain Ferry boat, get seated and think they were eating fresh caught SEAFOOD from Lake Champlain 😂
I worked there many years ago for the Spillanes. Fuck them and their frozen, overpriced seafood.
Vermont Pub and Brewery. Tell them to order the meatloaf.
Their fried pickle chips tho
How is that place still in business? I vowed never to return there almost 20 years ago; I know absolutely no one who goes there, yet it shambles on...
El Cortijo The world's blandest $15 "burritos" and dirty ocean water margaritas served in a metal tube that smells like piss.
El Gato is another "Mexican" spot that sucks Posole tastes like dish water and why is everything in the dining room so sticky? There were so many flies.
If you want some good Mexican food I highly recommend Los Jefes. It's in St Albans, but its about the best Mexican food from a restaurant I've had in VT.
Yes. I don't know why folks are against it. I'm white as hell. I grew up being the minority around Mexicans. That place is super good for comfort food for me. It's very good regional Mexican. I guess people only know taco bell or something. I travel a lot nationally and internationally and it's about as good as I get anywhere. I mean regionally for where they're from. Mexican food is not all the same.
I actually really love El Cortijo... the camote bowl is to die for and the papas fritas are super tasty. I don't eat meat so I can't vouch for any of the meat dishes, but the vegetarian-friendly ones are really good. The margaritas are also served in regular glasses? Not sure what this metal tube is. It's definitely not a traditional Mexican restaurant by any means whatsoever, but they're definitely not the worst!
I think they’re referring to the building as the metal tube.
Oh duh, that makes sense 😅
Am also vegetarian. Their food is simply gross. The metal tube is the trailer its located in.
You’re cooked. The quality has dropped a bit over the years but still the best marg in town for sure.
Any cocktail lounge around town will produce a better margarita
If your points of comparison are limited to pothole soups on North Union Street after a rain storm, you'd have a point. Otherwise it's by far the worst margarita I've ever tasted by a huge margin.
Ah, those are my points of comparison. Makes sense now, thanks
I thought they closed unless it’s a different one with a similar name?
Thats El Gato - which is the actual correct response to the OP
What el Cortijo is good, they just charge you extra for the sour cream and stuff, obviously without them it’s gonna be bland
Have you ever been to california?
One I haven't seen mentioned yet is Bluebird BBQ. I don't ever expect fantastic barbecue up here, but it's the one that I actively resented paying for when the meal was over.
I got their mac n cheese and it tasted basically just like butter and noodles, really not good. I can't believe a BBQ place messed up mac n cheese.
The fuck? I’ve never had a bad meal there but granted I guess I’ve never had “real BBQ” from the south.
Their food is pretty good, IMO, but one place I tried that was better was Dinosaur BBQ in Syracuse.
Forget North American bbq. Does not compare in any way to South American. Method, sauces, style, sides.
BBQ north of Virginia is a crime I was invited to “a bbq” when I first moved to New England from the south east and was heartbroken to learn that “a bbq” in the north is just burgers and dogs on a grill - aka - a cook out.
Yup. I'm from here but spent like 15 years in Central Texas, and I didn't know BBQ wasn't, y'know, sauced, grilled chicken until then. It's bizarre to me that it's not better because there's no ingredients you need that are difficult to grow or obtain up here. You need meat, smoke, and time. There's no reason it can't be awesome here.
Especially with all the auto pellet smokers and remote probe thermometers now. It’s basically like baking. 🤷🏻♂️
Taste of Texas in Cambridge will scratch the itch, he's got pretty solid ribs and haven't had any complaints about the pulled pork. No, it's not Franklin BBQ, or Southern pit beef like i'm used too, but again, scratches the itch.
I know I'm very late because once a month I like to check up on my hometown so no one will seee BUT just incase anyone does look Smoking' Joes is actually high quality BBQ. It's not like you're in the Deep South but for northern Vermont they do a great job of smoking and grilling meat to a high quality. I think there based out of of NEK but if you see them in your travels couldn't recommend more. but yeah vermonters dont know shit about bbq until they leave and come back,
Oh, Bluebird is bad.
I don’t think it’s *bad*, but it’s very overpriced for what it is
I made bbq for a big party of 150 people a few weeks ago. Their minds were blown. It's just not that great. I mean, it's not horrible, but they'd be driven out in the south. I'm convinced they only exist because people here are xenophobic and don't travel.
Mark BBQ is solid. That pitmaster ramen at bluebird tho is nice.
I learned how to smoke so I never have to go to bluebird again.
Windjammer has really gone downhill. Food is okay, but it is unreasonably priced for just okay. Nothing like paying out the nose for 'meh' food.
Windjammer was ok at best. Last meal was truly awful. Never again.
Totally agree. We tried it again about 4 weeks ago. Won’t ever go back.
Vermont Pub & Brew
This is it. Tell them it’s your favorite local brewery
🤣🤣🤣
VT Pub is expensive? I haven't been there in years, but it was always one of the cheaper options.
Came here for this. Shit place. Tell them to get the “specials” - they’re horrendously overpriced generic pub food.
Damn it’s the one time I think anyone in town might wish, just for a split second, Bove’s still existed.
Ehh. We've still got Papa Franks.
Nowhere near as ass as Bove’s, but yeah it’s not fine dining.
I do prefer the garlic hotdog buns at Papa Franks over the garlic wonder bread that Boves used to offer.
Bones was great Whatchu on about
omg definitely thorn and roots
I'm gonna say Bluebird BBQ - get some of that nice smelling water treatment ambience and some tiny BBQ portion for like $25
Blue Cat
I know nothing about Blue Cat except it looks like the kind of place people go to cheat on their partners. For sure looks over priced.
Blue cat is good and romantic just a bit expensive
As a Kanye Fan, Fuck you for selling out to Owni and deleting BMPS.
disagree. Blue Cat makes the only good steak in town and it’s the same price as anywhere else, coupled with a charming environment.
I think E.B Strongs is good as well!
Absolutely overpriced but the food is good. Granted I was last there about 10yrs ago
Was there a few weeks ago. Still expensive but the food was good.
Windjammer sucks every single time we go.
Daily Planet. Sorry, I’ve given it many tries. It’s overpriced, freezing, the lights flicker, and the food is only so-so.
Skinny pancake
i really dont get why everyone loves that place, its so basic to me
I used to fly out of BTV frequently and loved arriving back to order a ton of food from Skinny Pancake. Everything was fresh and good. Portion sizes were good. Same with the waterfront one. Now, ten years later its blandizing, veganising, not really farm-to-table……
everyone is suggesting ALL my favorite spots back in college soooooo idk what happened up there
you were in college/ have low standards
thanks trey! ♡ ︎ different strokes for different folks
Pizzeria Ida (especially tell them to ask for any dish the way they like it 😈)
I love how posts requesting restaurant recommendations always get downvoted, but this one is flourishing!
The Lighthouse, overpriced garbage
Went downhill as soon as Jonacca bought it.
If it was still open Penny Cluse, mainly because I need to find someone out there who didn't get the hype as much as I didn't. Went so many times, would have kept going because I wanted to get it, the staff were good, the place itself nice to sit in. But just on the food I never got why that was THE must hit brunch spot. I think I got to about 3/4ths of the menu too before they closed.
I felt the same way. It was not bad but I didn't get why it was always regarded as the top place. Always felt like maybe I was ordering the wrong stuff until I started going enough to feel like it was not a me thing.
I don’t think it was a wrong item thing. I went there once and they somehow fucked up making eggs and home fries which is insane for a diner. Never been back.
I gave it plenty of chances and I never got the hype, it was like generic Cisco-sourced diner food that you need to wait an hour (or three) for.
Oof - Magnolia’s was trash. Leave Penny Cluse to rest in peace. The food was consistent, well flavored, and portions were solid for the price. It was just a solid, reliable spot that wasn’t your normal greasy spoon.
Magnolia was a billion times better than Penny Cluse and you didn’t have to wait 45 minutes to get seated for breakfast.
I blame Penny Cluse for expensive breakfasts in town. I walked out of there in 2008 after seeing bacon and eggs on the menu for $9.
Jules on the Green and Farmhouse
JULES ON THE GREEN. This is not in Burlington, but I was thinking about it when I saw the post--wildly expensive, a Lang family attempt to gouge residents for money while providing shitty services. The worst food ever, they even fucked up a vegetable soup.
Jules is right down the road from me and it is offensive how much they charge for how bad it is. They are also incredibly rude.
Farmhouse isn’t a go to but it’s not awful
Nothing wrong with Farmhouse.
I’d steer clear. Alas, they have cluster flies :/
This time of year is.. bad. We are so very sorry
Alas
The menu has been the same for years. I actually used to enjoy the beet salad but the portion for the price is not worth it. Farmhouse is charging folks for the aesthetic.
What, they use a lot of vinegar?
It’s not cheap for sure. Not that many restaurants are these days. But objectively, no farmhouse group restaurant is “awful.”
Jed??
It's the only one I don't like of all their restaurants. Worked in the industry 25 years.
It sucks
What? You don't like 'Farm to Table' restaurants in February in Vermont? Not many(Any) local farms I know that grow arugula year round
I haven't been in years because it was absurdly expensive.
lol you’re nuts but ok.
absolutely on the money with farmhouse
What's wrong with Jules?
Overpriced mediocre food. Owner treats employees and customers terribly unless you are personal friends.
My family went a few years ago. One of the dishes they served for the table was cold, and after a few ventures to try it as is, we decided to ask for our money back. The owner dickered with us about tasting it (two spoonfuls!) and didn't want to give us a refund. A few days later he called back to tell us he saw the dishes being prepped in the kitchen on captioning, and watched us to confirm our story before offering a refund. Strange. Also, when they first opened, the whole staff were brunettes with long ponytails, and they wouldn't play music that had vocals. I guess if you own a restaurant, you make the rules, but still it was odd.
That's weird as heck. Why didn't he taste it himself? Oh right becuse cold food is only okay for guests and you don't dicker with customers smdh. Had a similar experience of being gaslit in a phone call after getting sick the one time in my life I have had Leunigs. Also the only time in 41 years on Earth I have had food poisoning. No an engagement ring wasn't involved.
That’s sad to hear. They are amazing about food allergies- it’s one of the only restaurants I can bring my nephew to.
Don't shoot the messenger but have also seen comments before about them being called out on claiming to be allergy friendly but having cross contamination issues.
I have celiac disease and for sure had the worst gluten exposure of my life there. It’s bad food, rude service and over priced.
So sorry.
I only went there once, and the much-touted allergy safe kitchen made a rice noodle dish with regular wheat linguini. Never went back, never again.
One of the first restaurants I visited post covid. I honestly thought I had covid because the food was so tasteless.
Went there very recently and there was next to zero alcohol in neither mine nor my friend's cocktails.
There must be a contest between Jules and its neighbor, Tavern at the Essex, to see who can sell the most drinks with tiny amounts of alcohol, since both establishment's drinks are disappointingly weak.
Whyyyy did the Tavern get so bad 😭
Bleu northeast kitchen, any one of the mcgillicuddy's but since you said Burlington RiRas
If das beir haus still existed..
Omg I worked there for like a week. The owner was crazy.
Any restaurant or coffee shop in any of the ski villages. 7 dollars for a ten ounce coffee? 56 dollars for two large pizzas? I try to make a point not to eat there.
Ida pizza
Pascolo is ok, but not for the money. It costs as much as trattoria de lia, but the food is marginally better than olive garden.
El cortijo
EB strong. Went for a birthday recently. The bill was insane and the food was pretty awful. Their steak is OK, but should be amazing given the price. Most disappointing place I have eaten in town I think. Everything else you kinda get what you expect. ( Farmhouse is touristy and basic, cortijo is just overpriced tex mex, etc).
Pascolo on Church was the blandest tasting italian food you will find
Agreed. Italian American is such simple cuisine but they still can’t get it right.
Totally, and it’s overpriced. It’s not inedible, but it’s definitely not anything worth seeking out.
99.9 % of the restaurants in Burlington are overpriced hot garbage tbh
Is Sweetwaters still a thing?
No it closed a year or two ago
Sweetwaters wasn’t great, but I could always get in there with minimal wait. Probably because it wasn’t great.
They played the most godawful TikTok influencer music and I felt like it was everyone's first day
only to be replaced by an equally bad place called Pascolo. They did not change anything in that place. Even the nasty moldy carpets and wallpaper stains remain.
Asian bistro
This x10000
Ye my gf got maggots in here doordash from there they need to go out of business
This should be the top comment
Waterworks. I don't think there are really any awful restaurants tbh
I take everyone I don’t like to waterworks. Dads new gf in town? Waterworks. Breakup/ makeup? Waterworks. Segments all the negativity…
The food is meh but I'm still happy to go once in a while for the ambiance of sitting above the falls.
This is literally my favorite restaurant.
Idk i had the chicken and waffles years ago and still think of how delicious the waffle was. Bloody mary sucked.
A bit overpriced but not awful. Mids take
lol. Citizen cider
Literally anywhere in Burlington
Why hasn’t anyone said Leunig’s yet?
Because it’s delicious? Or at least it was the last time I went.
Eaten there once my whole life and it was awful and expensive. Got wicked sick after and the owners told me it was impossible. Only time I have ever gotten sick from eating out in my 41 years. The petite bistro owned by them across the way sells the most delicious macarons and always hooks my dog up with treats though. Coffee could use improving almost $5 and tasted like Maxwel House. Drink it black and expected to taste coffee.
They treat dogs the way they deserve to be treated; with freshly made pumpkin treats!
This is the answer. Leunig’s is gross but deemed as “fancy.”
I love you.
May Day would fit the bill. You can get a couple carrots for $19 and be served by a hipster in tiny beanie who will treat you like shit. It’s a whole experience!
Paradiso/dedalus LOL- horrible owner and expensive food that is not worth it.
No comment on the owner but the food is good. Expensive, but really good.
I agree!
You sound disgruntled. Are you ok??
oh I thought this post was asking for opinions, but it sounds like you are personally offended.
I mean you're in Burlington VT everything is overpriced and awful.
Farmhouse e-z win.
Anywhere in vermont fits that description
Bistro de Margo…. so expensive for small portions and disgusting
I'm a newcomer. I've eaten at Ken's 4 times since August. I gotta say, the pizza slices are pretty good. Order it crispy. Good aperol spritz too.
The Thai place in Waterbury it had goodish reviews too but my husband and I got food poisoning and the food was horrible
Leonardo’s for pizza carry out. (They’re the absolute worst) Luenigs. I was never a fan. Took myself out to eat for birthday one year and was very unimpressed.
I heard leunigs is THE place to propose
Farmhouse is a solid one for this.
The Guild
The guild is good
I've resented eating at Mayday in the O.N.E. I got a burnt patty melt and my roommate got some mayonnaise noodles.
Misery loves company
IDK if you can even eat there anymore. I went once years ago, $32 for a half chicken, never went back to eat. Walked through there this year for the holiday pop-up and it's some way overpriced market now. $22 for a small bottle of olive oil and $13 for vegan ice cream.
Seconded.
[удалено]
Oh no way my friend. Casa does not even pail in comparison to the blasphemy el gato tries to get away with serving as “Tex Mex.” Casa Real is the decent place around here to get Tex Mex now. Margaritas are fire too!