Bluebird Barbecue is an american barbecue restaurant in Old North End, Burlington.
Editorially verified May 31, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Signature dishes: Smoked brisket, BBQ ramen, Smoked wings
Must order: The brisket by the pound, smoked wings and a side of cornbread.
Tip: Closed Mon-Wed; open Thu-Sun from 16:30 onwards. The brisket runs out by 19:30 on a busy Saturday; arrive at open.
Address: 317 Riverside Ave, Burlington, VT 05401
Family-owned Vietnamese counter on North Winooski Avenue; the Burlington pho benchmark. BYOB. Closed Sun-Mon; queues hard at lunch and dinner.
Signature: Pho tai, Banh mi, Vermicelli bowls
Order: Pho tai with meatballs; banh mi for take-away.
Tip: Closed Sun-Mon and cash-or-card both accepted; BYOB and the lunch rush after 12:30 clears fast.
Old North End neighborhood bar with house-baked bread, in-house charcuterie and a natural-wine list. Small plates and deli-inspired sandwiches.
Signature: Daily sandwich, Charcuterie, Wine flight
Order: Daily sandwich plus a charcuterie plate to share.
Tip: Open Sun-Thu 17:00-21:00, Fri-Sat 17:00-22:00; the bar walk-up holds the same menu as the dining room. Resy holds reservations 2 weeks out.
Aaron Josinsky and Laura Wade's market-cum-restaurant in Winooski. Lunches, grab-and-go, natural wine and cocktails; daytime only and closes at 19:00.
Signature: Pastrami sandwich, Market plates, Wine flights
Order: The pastrami sandwich and a glass of natural orange wine.
Tip: Daytime only; closes at 19:00. Cold-case market alongside the kitchen.
Family-style classical Chinese with Sichuan touches; the Bank Street fixture since the 1990s. Mock eel and dan dan noodles are the long-running signatures.
Signature: Mock eel, Dan dan noodles, Salt-and-pepper shrimp
Order: Mock eel, dan dan noodles and a sizzling clay pot.
Tip: Lazy Susan tables; order family-style with a three-plate minimum plus rice. Reservations recommended on weekends.
The corner French bistro on Church Street. The sidewalk patio is the canonical downtown lunch seat; the weekend brunch is a Burlington Sunday institution.
Signature: Onion soup, Quiche du jour, Mussels
Order: French onion soup, the daily quiche and a glass of Cotes du Rhone.
Tip: Lunch starts at 11:30; brunch weekend mornings. The patio is the best people-watching seat on Church.
Family-owned Vietnamese counter on North Winooski Avenue; the Burlington pho benchmark. BYOB. Closed Sun-Mon; queues hard at lunch and dinner.
Signature: Pho tai, Banh mi, Vermicelli bowls
Order: Pho tai with meatballs; banh mi for take-away.
Tip: Closed Sun-Mon and cash-or-card both accepted; BYOB and the lunch rush after 12:30 clears fast.
Old North End neighborhood bar with house-baked bread, in-house charcuterie and a natural-wine list. Small plates and deli-inspired sandwiches.
Signature: Daily sandwich, Charcuterie, Wine flight
Order: Daily sandwich plus a charcuterie plate to share.
Tip: Open Sun-Thu 17:00-21:00, Fri-Sat 17:00-22:00; the bar walk-up holds the same menu as the dining room. Resy holds reservations 2 weeks out.
Bohemian downtown bar-restaurant with a tranquil solarium and an outdoor patio. Open since 1982; the cocktails-and-eclectic-plates Burlington institution.
Signature: Cocktails, Eclectic plates, Brunch hash
Order: Whatever the cocktail of the month is plus the daily blackboard plate.
Tip: The solarium is the off-Church gem; weekend brunch runs from 11:30 with the eggs Benedict the canonical order.
