Pingala Cafe ★ 4.5
Crunch Wrap, juice and coffee for $14 by the Winooski River; plant-based meals under $15 from Burlington's vegan flagship in the Chace Mill since 2014.
Try: Crunch Wrap vegan plate
Folino's Pizza Shelburne is a wood-fired pizza budget eat in Shelburne, Burlington.
A pizza plus a Fiddlehead 4-pack from next door is the canonical Vermont-pizza-and-beer Friday for under $30 a head. BYOB across the hall from Fiddlehead.
Address: 6305 Shelburne Rd, Shelburne, VT 05482, Burlington
Crunch Wrap, juice and coffee for $14 by the Winooski River; plant-based meals under $15 from Burlington's vegan flagship in the Chace Mill since 2014.
Try: Crunch Wrap vegan plate
An $8 chili-dog-and-fries combo at Battery Park with a Lake Champlain view is cheaper than any sit-down room downtown. Seasonal April-September only;
Try: Michigan hot dog and fries combo
Pay-by-weight buffet of salads, casseroles and stews; vegan and vegetarian heavy. A $12 plate is a full lunch with soup of the day included in combos.
Try: Self-serve hot and cold buffet by weight
A bowl of pho tai is the best $15 meal in Burlington; BYO beer (the room is BYOB) and a full dinner runs under $20. Cash and card both; closed Sun and Mon.
Try: Pho tai with rare beef
Two slices and a Switchback for $12 is the canonical UVM late-night plate. Kitchen runs till 01:00 weekdays and 02:30 Fri-Sat; arcade and pool in the back.
Try: Two thin-crust slices and a craft pint
A $12 crepe with lake views from the Lake Street corner; weekend brunch is one of the better cheap meals on the waterfront. Local Vermont Fresh Network.
Try: Sweet or savoury crepe