Day-by-day eating plans for Burlington. weekend classics, family routes, vegan plans, on-a-budget editions.

Day-by-day plans

Burlington weekend: Pine Street breweries and Church Street classics ★ 4.7

First-time visitor, two days2 days

A weekend built around the brewery spine of Pine Street, the Church Street dining centre, and the Vermont cheese and maple plates that anchor the local food story.

  1. Day 1: Saturday: bakery morning, Pine Street brewery hop, fine-dining dinner

    Morning
    Open at August First Bakery on South Champlain at 07:30 for the famous maple biscuit with sausage gravy and a Vermonter sandwich, plus a Brio Coffeeworks single-origin filter from the Pine Street roastery. Walk south to the Saturday Burlington Farmers Market at 345 Pine Street (May-October only) for prepared-food stalls and the Vermont cheese spread.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at American Flatbread Burlington Hearth on Saint Paul Street, a Punctuated Equilibrium IPA in hand. Then a Pine Street brewery walk: Queen City Brewery (German lagers, 703 Pine), Zero Gravity (716 Pine, Madonna Helles) and Foam Brewers (112 Lake, lake-view sunset deck).
    Evening
    Dinner at Hen of the Wood, 55 Cherry Street, 20:30. Mushroom toast with poached egg, the Vermont cheese flight, whatever the night's pork special is. Nightcap at The Whiskey Room inside the Ri Ra building, 123 Church.

  2. Day 2: Sunday: waterfront brunch, French bistro lunch, mezze dinner

    Morning
    Brunch at The Skinny Pancake on Lake Street, 09:30. Choco Monkey or the Johnny Crepe with Vermont maple-BBQ pulled pork; walk the Lake Champlain bike path afterwards. Coffee at Onyx Tonics on College Street.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Leunig's Bistro on Church Street, 13:00. French onion soup gratinee and moules frites on the sidewalk patio; walk Church Street and Battery Park afterwards. The Burlington Edible History Tour runs Thursdays and Saturdays from behind the ECHO Center if you can plan it into a Saturday visit.
    Evening
    Dinner at Honey Road on Church Street, 18:00. Harissa chicken wings, whipped feta with hot honey, lamb shoulder for the table. Nightcap at Sotto Enoteca on Saint Paul Street for an Italian by-the-glass pour.

Burlington plus Stowe and Waterbury day trip ★ 4.7

Beer fan, two days2 days

Day one in Burlington proper for the Church Street rooms and Pine Street brewery spine; day two heads east to Stowe and Waterbury for The Alchemist, Ben and Jerry's, and von Trapp.

  1. Day 1: Saturday: Burlington downtown

    Morning
    Breakfast at Handy's Lunch (74 Maple) for the Big Daddy plate and a $4 Michigan hot dog. Walk North Winooski Avenue to Scout & Co. for an Old North End espresso and a daily pastry.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Misery Loves Co. across the river at 46 Main Street, Winooski, for the house-cured pastrami sandwich and a natural-wine pour. Drive back across and start the brewery hop at Brio Coffeeworks on Pine for afternoon coffee, then Queen City and Zero Gravity.
    Evening
    Dinner at Frankie's at 169 Cherry Street, 19:00 (Jordan Ware and Cindi Kozak, Hen of the Wood alums) for the daily-changing farm-to-table menu. Nightcap at Drink across from City Hall Park.

  2. Day 2: Sunday: Stowe and Waterbury day trip

    Morning
    Drive I-89 to Waterbury (35 min). 10:00 at the Ben & Jerry's Factory Tour (book tickets two weeks ahead, last tour 17:00). Cider donuts at Cold Hollow Cider Mill afterwards.
    Afternoon
    Continue on VT-100 to Stowe (15 min). The Alchemist Brewery at 100 Cottage Club Road for the Heady Topper four-pack and a tasting; then Stowe Cider on Town Farm Lane for a barrel-aged release and BBQ.
    Evening
    Dinner at von Trapp Bierhall on Luce Hill Road, 19:00, for Bohemian Pilsner and Austrian-inspired plates. Drive back to Burlington.

Burlington on a budget: two days under $35 a meal ★ 4.4

Budget traveller, two days2 days

Diner breakfasts, hot-dog-bus lunches, vegan-buffet dinners and late slices. Two full days of Burlington eating with no meal over $35 a head.

  1. Day 1: Day one: diner, hot dog bus, brewery, slice

    Morning
    Breakfast at Handy's Lunch on Maple Street, $8 Big Daddy plate. Coffee at Speeder & Earl's on Pine.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Beansie's Bus in Battery Park: Michigan hot dog and fries combo for under $10 with a Lake Champlain view. Walk to Vermont Pub and Brewery on College Street for an afternoon Burly Irish Ale.
    Evening
    Dinner at Zabby & Elf's Stone Soup on College Street, pay-by-weight vegetarian buffet for under $15. Late slice at Mr. Mike's Pizza on Main Street; open till 02:30 Fri-Sat.

  2. Day 2: Day two: bakery, Vietnamese, brewery, beer-and-pizza in Shelburne

    Morning
    August First Bakery for the maple biscuit and a Vermonter sandwich, $14 to feed two.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Pho Hong on North Winooski Avenue; a bowl of pho tai with rare beef is the best $15 meal in Burlington. BYO beer.
    Evening
    Drive 15 minutes south to Shelburne. Pizza at Folino's at 6305 Shelburne Road, BYO Fiddlehead Mastermind IPA from the brewery in the same building. Pizza plus a four-pack for under $30 a head.
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