Adult Dinner Tour #2 – East Burke
| 09.30.18
Updated June, 2022
East Burke has become a hub for outdoor enthusiast. The introduction of Kingdom Trails has brought mountain bikers from all over the country to East Burke, making this old ski town a four season destination.
Even through the winter, bikers, sight seers, back road travelers, and skiiers find their way naturally to East Burke. Once snow flies, this area of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom becomes a snow lovers dream. Skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, and numerous outdoor events keep this town busy through those long months of white.
To accommodate those enthusiasts whose hunger has been sharpened by the fresh air, local restaurants have popped up close together – making East Burke the perfect place for an adult dinner tour no matter the season (What is an ‘adult dinner’?)
Take the East Burke Dinner Tour
Click on the links to view our full reviews of each restaurant and their food.
On entering the town of East Burke, the unsuspecting eye will miss the most exciting details of the town. The main road passes a few businesses and the town buildings, the “center” of town looks like a general store and a cross roads, and then you’re headed back into the country. But that is not the case at all!
That cluster of businesses and the road that splits off the main drag, right next to the general store, are the key. Take this road and the first right (not into a private driveway) is a drive leading to a large parking lot. On each side of that lot is a restaurant. To your right, directly behind the general store, is the Burke Publick House. On the back end of the parking lot is Mike’s Tiki Bar (summer only). Across the street, you’ll find The Orange Rind with their wonderful back yard bar, open through the winter!
We start our dinner tour at the Burke Publick House. This East Burke restaurant has a beautiful set up. The main floor is dominated by a large bar area forming a long rectangle in the middle of the room. On each of the long sides, smaller tables line the outside walls. This sets the tone for the menu – filled with traditional pub inspired options cooked to modern fine dining standards.
The full bar offers some fantastic cocktail specials – we recommend the dilly martini, your choice of gin or vodka served dirty but instead of olives and olive juice, this martin is served with a dilly bean and pickle juice. It is fantastic!
To start your tour we recommend you try the man candy, pork belly cooked in a sweet chili sauce until the sauce begins to caramelize and the pork belly is crispy.
Other crowd favorites are the poutine or the nachos. These dishes are massive – covering the plates they are served on. But these are filling dishes so be sure to share with the table or you may not have room for much else.
A few other good choices include the spinach artichoke dip served with toasted bread, the Scotch egg served with house made assorted pickles, or a delicious garden salad made with fresh (often local) produce.
If you decide to end your tour here, we recommend the pub meatloaf – a hearty, upscaled version of a traditional pub classic; or the Pub burger made from locally sourced grass fed beef and piled with veggies and house made pickles, with the option for more add-ons.
During warmer months the outside dining area is wonderful with its own bar area, corn hole and Bache. During the winter, or if you want to escape the noise of the pub crowd, the upstairs dining areas are wonderful. Unique lofts provide two extra dining spaces that are set over the main bar in such a way that the noise is really cut down, and they are incredibly quaint and comfortable.
Next stop is acrossed the street at The Orange Rind. While this location is small, they have turned their back yard into year round dining space. The outdoor bar is enclosed in the winter and heated to provide plenty of space for diners. Snowmobilers can pull right up in the back yard making it a popular stop throughout snow season.
Summer brings the perfect weather for enjoying the space to the maximum. The outdoor dining area encludes seating under the covered porch, or intimate backyard style seating situated around fire pits with TVs for watching sports, racing, and events.
The full bar has a fun cocktail list. And their summer menu encludes a number of smaller dishes to complete your dining tour.
Or, if you’re looking for an entree, they have large bugers, an amazing quesadilla, or grain bowls for a lighter, yet filling meal.
Another fun attraction at The Orange Rind restaurant in East Burke, is the smoothie bar. Delicious, fruity, fresh made smoothies are available year round.
I recomend their Bavarian Pretzle – a bigger than your face pretzel served warm with course salft and a wonderful dipping sauce.
On our Adult dinner tours we typically stick with small plates and appetizers so we can try a variety of foods without getting too full.
We typically finish our summer tours by heading back across the street at Mike’s Tiki Bar (since we have to head back that way for the car). A large outdoor space with plenty of seating options, yard games, and (typically) two food trucks, make this the perfect spot to grab a last drink and top off your bellie if you’re still hungry.
If you’re looking to add a few more stops to your dining tour check out the General Store. During regular business hours they offer many wonderful Vermont products and deli options. Or take a short drive up the road to Cae Lotti where you can enjoy great coffee with baked goods, or something from their breakfast and lunch menu. Or, head up to the Burke Mountain Resort where you’ll find The View Pub, open year round, as well as the Tamarak Grill, a favorite winter restaurant.
If you try our East Burke Dinner Tour, we’d love to hear about it. Post photos to our Facebook page, or message us about it.
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