We love good food in our family! While we don’t get out as often as we’d like. But when we do, we make sure it’s worth it. These days, we stick close to home for date nights sans kiddos. But even within a short drive, we’re lucky to have plenty of amazing options to choose from! And if we’re up for a little extra drive, there are even more hidden gems waiting just beyond our usual radius.
The places on this list are truly our favorites. Whether you’re craving something local or looking to try a new spot, we’re confident these recommendations won’t disappoint.
You’ll find our list divided by location—Charlotte spots first, of course!—and within each category, the places are listed in no particular order (except for our beloved hometown). 😉
Got a favorite spot we didn’t mention? We’d love to hear about it! Let us know your go-to places, so we can keep the good food vibes going!
- 📆 advanced reservations required
- 👨👩👦 family friendly
- 🐾 pooch friendly (outdoor space, leash required)
- 💃 date night
- 🌳 outdoor seating
Breakfast and Lunch
The Old Brick Store (Ferry Road, Charlotte). Right across the street, you’ll find this iconic general store that’s a local favorite for breakfast pastries, hearty lunch sandwiches, and sweet treats. It’s definitely kid-friendly, making it a great spot for the whole family. While it’s usually closed on Tuesdays, there are a few seats available inside for dining, plus a charming bench on the porch if you’d prefer to enjoy your meal al fresco.👨👩👦🌳
Red Onion (Charlotte Crossings, Route 7, Charlotte). Great spot for the whole family. Our favorite is the Red Onion sandwich. Not a fan of onions? They also make sandwiches without their namesake ingredient. Each order takes 20-30 minutes to make. They don’t always answer the phone so it’s best to place your order in person. They mean business when they’re working so you might not get much of a greeting. We have found them to be the most friendly when we’ve had our leashed puppy in tow. They also serve amazing cookies (if you like coconut, don’t miss the aloha cookie!), muffins, and other pastries. Be careful early morning—breakfast treats might not be out until after 8:30. If you’re lucky, homemade loaves of bread or rolls will be available to take home. All food is take out, but they have a few tables outside. 👨👩👦🐾🌳
Red Wagon (Hinesburg). This magical nursery now offers the most incredible and unique baked goods in a dreamy setting. Sometimes they bring a yummy taco food truck in for lunches. Bring your young children and they’ll have a blast playing in their sandbox! 👨👩👦🌳
Rustic Roots (Falls Road, Shelburne). A real treat if you’re looking for sit-down breakfast. I think they’re open Wednesday through Sunday, but check before you go. I don’t think they accept reservations and you might have to wait a bit, but it’s worth the wait! 👨👩👦🌳
LeMarche Cafe (Shelburne Road/Route 7, Shelburne). This is a lovely spot for breakfast or lunch with truly amazing food! We love the croissants, the fries, the soups, and the French Jambon. Outdoor seating, too! Kid friendly and sit outside on a nice day with your pooch! 👨👩👦🐾🌳
August First (Burlington). Amazing bakery with yummy lunch. Try our favorite open-faced avocado toast. 👨👩👦🌳
On our bucket list….
- Vergennes Laundry (Vergennes).
Lunch Only
Morgan Brook Farm Kitchen (Shelburne Road/Route 7, Shelburne). This farm truck is located on the Gardener’s Supply property. Yummy burgers and a very pleasant atmosphere to sit on picnic tables amongst the nursery plants and flowers. Open just during the warm months (I think!). 👨👩👦🐾🌳
Garden of Eatin’ Cafe (Williston). Located in the beautiful and huge Gardener’s Supply (yes! same business as the one in Shelburne but different location!), this is our 7-year-old daughter’s favorite lunch spot for lunch. She loves the frittata while I love the 1/2 the chicken salad wrap (ask to get it toasted!) and soup (they always have a few to choose from). Find a table by the small indoor water feature where your little ones can watch the fish. It’s the most pleasant place for lunch—with or without children! Open all year. 👨👩👦
Poppy (Burlington). This hole in the wall has the most amazing and inventive sandwiches. No standard menu, every day is a surprise. You won’t be sorry you tried it! 👨👩👦
Lunch and Dinner
Namaste (Shelburne Road/Route 7, Shelburne). Very casual atmosphere with outstanding food from Nepal and beyond. My favorite is the chicken biryani. It took us ages to try it despite rave reviews from friends. We’re just sorry we took so long to try it. It’s a new family favorite! We have not needed reservations. 👨👩👦
Archies (Shelburne Road/Route 7, Shelburne). Burgers, homemade chips, etc. Fun, busy atmosphere for kids. Great outdoor seating. And it’s next door to The Scoop (see deserts below). It’s just a fun place to go. Warning: food can take a really long time. You order at the counter then find a table. Archies does NOT work as a last-minute dinner option with hungry kids. The last few times we’ve tried to order food upon arrival, the food wait was 45-60 minutes. The outdoor space is really fun in the summer with kids and the food is good. Plan ahead and you can order your food online to be ready when you arrive. 👨👩👦🐾🌳
Bliss Bee (Shelburne Road/Route 7, South Burlington). More fast-food type atmosphere, but great burgers, fried chicken sandwiches, fries, and grain bowls. We like the food here better than Archie’s, but we don’t love the atmosphere and it’s a bit farther than Archie’s. 👨👩👦🌳
Canteen Creemee Company (Waitsfield) Looking for a little road trip an hour away, this is it. In the beautiful small, very Vermont town of Waitsfield (home to Sugarbush!), this road-side stand (in a random shopping plaza) is outrageously good. The fried chicken sandwiches are worth the drive. And don’t get me started on the creemees. See deserts below. 👨👩👦🐾🌳
Cocktails
We’re not big drinkers but here are a few spots that we are happy to recommend. Shelburne Farms Inn might be our favorite pre-dinner adventure. And while we only list two, there are tons of micro brews in the area. Check out this list for some good ones.
Frost Beer Works (Hinesburg). Micro brews are a big deal here in Vermont. Frost is close by and worth the visit.
Fiddlehead Brewing Company (Shelburne Road/Route 7, South Burlington). I’m not a big beer fan, but people love this beer. You can also eat Folino’s pizza while you’re there!
Fig (Shelburne Road/Route 7, South Burlington). They have wonderful cocktails and small appetizers! Highly recommend! They share space with Mirror Mirror.
Shelburne Farms Inn (Harbor Road, Shelburne). This is one of the most incredible locations for cocktails at sunset. Just tell the gatekeeper at the Shelburne Farms entrance that you’re there for cocktails at the Inn and they’ll tell you where to park. Make your way toward Lake Champlain and you’ll likely find the Inn, or plug the Shelburne Farms Inn into your GPS—it’s a bit of a drive through the property. The walk from the parking area to the Inn is a lovely stroll up a grassy hill. Once you have your cocktail in hand from the bar, head outside to enjoy the sunset on Adirondack chairs or a spot on a stone wall. It’s the most magical experience! We’ve lived here for six years and have rarely heard about it, despite living so close. But now that we know about it, it’s one of our favorite things to do. Open from 4:30-9:30 during the warm seasons (it’s closing October 22, 2024 for the season!), it appears children can enjoy romping around the yard. No reservations required for cocktails but it appears dinner requires very advanced reservations. We haven’t had dinner there yet so you won’t find it in this list. But we will someday! 👨👩👦🌳
On Our Bucket List …
- Shelburne Vineyard (Shelburne). 🌞🍁🐾
Dinner
Stone’s Throw Pizza (Ferry Road, Charlotte). Literally a stone’s throw from our house, we just love their pizzas! Our favorite is the Hunter. All take out, but be sure to get a yummy salad and check out their extensive wine selection. 👨👩👦
Backyard Bistro (Route 7, Charlotte). Good food with outdoor space and definitely kid friendly. We recommend the smash burger, fish tacos, or bolognese (they use local beef from Charlotte’s own Fat Cow Farm)! It’s often busy so there might be a wait if you don’t make reservations in advance, although the bar is often available for parties of two or three. And don’t let the parking lot deceive you. There always seems to be more vehicles than patrons, so be sure to stop in to see if there’s last-minute seating! 📆 👨👩👦🌳💃
Folino’s (Route 7, Shelburne). Outstanding brick-oven pizza. It’s different than the more traditionally cooked pizza at Stone’s Throw, but it’s equally so tasty. Lots of seating indoor and out. And a great outdoor space for kids to play! Owned and operated by a Charlotte family, they have a few locations in the Burlington area. But this was their first location. It’s BYOB but it’s in the same building as Fiddlehead Brewers so you can get a really good beer with your dinner!👨👩👦🌳
Electra’s Restaurant (Route 7, Shelburne). Fine dining in the heart of Shelburne, Electra’s is perfect for date nights. Reservations required, but we lucked out once at the bar area which has some cozy seating, for sure. 📆💃
Starry Night Cafe (Route 7, Ferrisburgh). This is a special date-night location. They serve amazing food in a “Vermont chic sophisticated” (if that’s even a thing) atmosphere. It’s a perfect date night! Ask for waitstaff Leslie. She is one of my most favorite people as she is our incredible cleaner for this apartment! Tell her where you’re staying! She’ll be thrilled to meet you! Also try the Lemon Ginger cocktail; it’s so delicious and served with a candied piece of ginger. 📆 💃🌳
Black Sheep Bistro (Vergennes). This is our new favorite place for a date or celebratory family dinner. The atmosphere is exactly what we love—charming, warm, and cozy. And the food is phenomenal. My favorite is the halibut! 👨👩👦💃📆
Tourterelle (New Haven). About 20 minutes away, on Route 7 just past Vergennes, you’ll find a stately old Victorian with a modern vibe and excellent food. 💃📆
Hatchet (Richmond). Only 30 minutes away, we spend a lot of time in Richmond when we ski in the winter. One of our favorite restaurants is Hatchet. It’s a good mix of Asian and American fare. You will be sure to find something you love. 👨👩👦💃
The Big Spruce (Richmond). One of the best places ever for tacos! The fish tacos and the crispy chicken tacos are our family’s favorite. But I don’t think you can go wrong with any choice! 👨👩👦🌳
Hen of the Wood (Burlington). It’s been over a year, but we’ve been here a few times and it never disappoints. Upscale, excellent food with great atmosphere. 💃📆
Splash at the Boathouse (Burlington). Right on the lake, this is a very fun outdoor atmosphere with decent tourist food. You’ll feel like you’re on vacation at the ocean rather than the lake! 👨👩👦🌳
American Flatbread (Middlebury). Located in the marble district in a gorgeous old building made of—you guessed it—marble, their pizzas are baked in a primitive wood-fired earthen oven that you can watch from the dining space. Not to be confused with the Flatbread Company, most of the American Flatbread locations are in Vermont (at least we always get confused). Amazing pizzas using whole food ingredients, they’re all delicious. They also have yummy salads and deserts! 👨👩👦
Prohibition Pig (Waterbury). This outstanding food is well worth the drive (about 40 minutes). It somehow strikes the perfect balance of kid friendly and casual romantic. We’ve always stopped on our way to or from skiing at odd hours, but you might want to make reservations for normal dinner time. 👨👩👦💃📆
On our bucket list….
- Shelburne Farms Inn (Harbor Road, Shelburne)
- Essex Inn (take the ferry over for a quick trip to New York!)
- The Tillerman (Bristol)
- Original Skiff (Burlington)
- Honey Road (Burlington). Owned by a Charlotte family!
- Waterworks (Winooski)
- Onion City Chicken and Oyster (Winooski)
Treats
Besides the treats available at the Red Onion and LeMarche listed above, here are some other places just for treats. They’re all good for kids.
And if you haven’t had creemees, they are unique to Vermont. It’s basically soft serve but with a higher butter fat so much more delicious. You’ll find “creemees” are sold every where. But be careful—some places like gas stations call their regular soft-serve ice cream creemees and they just aren’t. You can usually tell the real thing from fake—local places usually sell authentic creemees and the taste is so much better. Meanwhile, I still love hard ice cream, but our children usually prefer cremes.
The Scoop (Shelburne Road/Route 7, Shelburne). Next to Archie’s, this is one of the best ice cream shops. And we have some good ice cream shops around! Our favorite is the maple heath bar and avalanche flavors. They sell yummy creemees as well. 👨👩👦🌳
Cookie Love (Route 7, Ferrisburgh). Amazing cookies, of course. Super fun atmosphere. Our kids love the chocolate/vanilla creemee twist. I would say it has a small selection of hard ice cream but the atmosphere is worth going. Ice cream is only available seasonally, but open for cookies all year long. 👨👩👦🌳
lu•lu (Vergennes). Out of this world ice cream. Super interesting flavors such as roasted strawberry. They have some off the wall flavors that not everyone will like and there’s a small selection of choices each day, but there’s always at least one flavor that will appeal to kids. Located in the adorable small city of Vergennes, this adorable shop is well worth the trip. 👨👩👦
Shy Guy Gelato (Burlington). I have not been to their new location (where they’ve been for a while), but their gelato is top notch. 👨👩👦
Lake Champlain Chocolates (Pine Street Flagship Store & Café). Owned by a Charlotte family, these chocolates are decadent! 👨👩👦
Canteen Creemee Company (Waitsfield). This is a road trip that’s well worth it. On this list for both lunch/dinner AND treats, its’ the perfect trifecta. Their creemees are literally the best. I don’t love creemees, but I LOVE their creemees. The chocolate is just decadent (t’s a very dark brown in color which just demonstrates how rich it really is) and they serve twists like blueberry and honey lemon. Just outrageous. I have a hard time deciding. Our kids complained bitterly when I dragged them there the first mother’s day that we lived here (some roads still closed from winter didn’t help); they changed their tune as soon as they bit into their food and thanked me profusely for dragging them there. Ever since, there are no complaints about the hour drive when we go! 👨👩👦🌳
(Image credit Backyard Bistro.)
