Navigating high dining costs
With a 9 percent meals and rooms tax and fine-dining entrées routinely topping 25 to 45 dollars in resort towns, finding a real, filling meal under ten dollars takes insider knowledge.
Four strategies work: target country store delis for overstuffed sandwiches made with local meats; visit historic diners for high-calorie egg, toast and pancake combinations; hit university hubs like Burlington and Middlebury for cheap slice joints; and use co-op hot bars for pay-by-the-pound organic soups and bowls.
Burlington’s essential cheap plates
Six meals that locals actually eat.
The Rise 'N' Shiner at Kountry Kart Deli, 155 Main Street — 6.50 to 8.50. A late-night and early-morning staple for over 30 years: hash browns, a fried egg, American cheese and your choice of bacon, sausage or ham on a bulky roll. Dense, high-protein and it holds you past lunch.
Pho or spring rolls at Pho Hong, 325 North Winooski Ave — 7.50 to 9.50. Some of the most authentic, reasonably priced Vietnamese food in New England: a small bowl of beef pho, or two fresh summer rolls with shrimp, pork, vermicelli and herbs.
A bagel at Myers' Bagels — 4.50 to 8.00. Montreal-style bagels, hand-rolled, boiled in honey water and wood-fired. Get a warm sesame loaded with house maple-walnut or scallion cream cheese.
Two giant slices — 6 to 9 dollars. Mr. Mike’s on Commercial Street does massive lunch-slice deals built for student budgets; Leonardo’s and Pizzeria Verità also serve by the slice.
The short stack at Henry’s Diner, 155 Bank Street — 7.50 to 9.50. Operating since 1925: two giant buttermilk pancakes with local Grade A maple syrup.
Soup and a sourdough roll at City Market Co-op — 4.50 to 6.50. A 16-ounce container of scratch-made soup from the self-serve hot bar — African peanut, Vermont cheddar ale, chicken noodle — with a fresh roll.
Statewide standbys
Six more that work anywhere in Vermont.
A country store deli sandwich — 7.99 to 9.99 at the Warren Store, F.H. Gillingham, the Jericho General Store and dozens more. Order roast turkey, ham or roast beef with Vermont cheddar, lettuce, tomato and honey mustard on thick-cut local sourdough.
A savoury crepe at the Skinny Pancake — 8.50 to 9.99 in Burlington, Montpelier and Waterbury. The Cheesy LuLu folds local cheddar into a hot buckwheat crepe; the Veggie Monster is the vegetable version.
The double cheeseburger at Al’s French Frys, 1251 Williston Road — 4.50 to 7.50. A historic 1950s drive-in: a double cheeseburger at about 4.25 plus a small cup of their double-cooked, sliced-on-site fries at about 2.95 comes to roughly 7.20 before tax.
Tamales — 4 to 8 dollars in Burlington and Winooski. Two hand-rolled corn masa tamales stuffed with braised pork carnitas or roasted poblano and cheese, topped with salsa verde.
Empanadas — 7 to 9 dollars at regional farmers' markets and Latin bakeries. Flaky corn or wheat shells filled with spiced beef, potatoes, olives and melted cheese, with chimichurri.
A maple creemee — 5 to 6.50 at roadside stands statewide. Technically dessert, but a large creemee packed with high-butterfat cream and sugar will power a three-hour afternoon hike.
The summary matrix
The six most reliable under-ten meals.
Kountry Kart Deli, Burlington — breakfast sandwich, 6.50 to 8.50; iconic, filling and fast.
Pho Hong, Burlington — pho and spring rolls, 7.50 to 9.50; huge portions and authentic flavour.
Myers' Bagels, South Burlington — wood-fired bagel, 4.50 to 7.50; Montreal-style and honey-boiled.
Al’s French Frys, South Burlington — burger and fries, 6.50 to 8.50; classic 1950s drive-in pricing.
City Market hot bar, Burlington — soup and bread, 4.50 to 6.50; organic, hot and extremely cheap.
Henry’s Diner, Burlington — pancake stack, 7.50 to 9.50; a genuine 1925 diner room.
Good to know
Can you eat cheaply in Vermont?+
Yes, with local knowledge. Country store deli counters, historic diners, co-op hot bars and Burlington’s slice joints and pho shops all deliver real meals under ten dollars, even with the 9 percent meals tax.
What is the best cheap meal in Burlington?+
The Rise 'N' Shiner at Kountry Kart Deli — hash browns, fried egg, cheese and a meat on a bulky roll, 6.50 to 8.50. Pho Hong in the Old North End and the City Market hot bar are the other standbys.
Where can I get Montreal-style bagels in Vermont?+
Myers' Bagels in South Burlington, hand-rolled, boiled in honey water and baked in a wood-fired oven. A warm bagel with house maple-walnut or scallion cream cheese runs 4.50 to 8.00.
What is a country store deli?+
The deli counter at the back of nearly any rural Vermont general store — the Warren Store, F.H. Gillingham, the Jericho General Store. Overstuffed turkey, ham or veggie sandwiches with Vermont cheddar on local bread for 7.99 to 9.99.
Is Al’s French Frys worth it?+
For value, absolutely. The historic 1950s drive-in on Williston Road in South Burlington serves a double cheeseburger for about 4.25 and a cup of double-cooked, sliced-on-site fries for about 2.95 — a full meal around 7.20.