Large Portions and Unique Pub Fare at Burke Publick House
| 12.08.21
Why You Should Go There: Unique Menu Items, Plenty of Seating, Hearty Food, Great Cocktails and Beer Selection
Some Things To Know: The Downstairs Bar Area Gets Loud, The Outdoor Space Is Poorly Lit After Dusk, Prices Are on The Higher Side
The Burke Publick House Restaurant in East Burke, VT is one of our highly recommended locations in the NEK. From the menu to the bar to the atmosphere, this NEK restaurant offers an experience you’ll soon want to repeat.
We’ve been dining at this establishment for years, but after keeping quiet and close to home during the first year of Covid we couldn’t wait to dine with them again.
Over the fall we were finally able to get back to East Burke a few times to make that happen, and we were not disappointed.
The Menu at Burke Publick House
We were delighted to see that a few of our favorites were still on their updated menu.
The Scotch Egg, Man Candy, and the Burgers are all still on the menu, as are a number of newer additions.
We really can’t ever pass up the Scotch Egg when we dine at Burke Publick House. A soft boiled egg encased in sausage and deep fried in such a way as to keep the yolk runny is complimented by sharp cheese and pickled vegetables. This dish is a food lovers perfect appetizer, and never disappoints.
Man Candy offers fried pork belly chunks dressed in a chili sauce and served on a bed of greens. This is another item we just can’t help but order.
After two apps choosing entrees is always a tall order. Sometimes we just stick to the app menu.
Early in the fall we did just that, trying a few of the newer menu items. We ordered their tuna, the spinach artichoke dip, and the potsitckers – I should mention that we were also dining with friends, or else I don’t think we could have tried all of these goodies.
The potstickers were a first for us. This is not something I typically order, but I was happy we tried them. Stuffed with pork, and fried, these steaming hot dumplings were delicious when dipped in the Korean BBQ sauce. A little spicier than I like, the flavor was still really good and paired well with the tuna we ordered.
We also tried the stuffed mushrooms that were on the menu towards late summer/early fall. These large caps were filled with a sausage based stuffing and topped with a savory drizle and plenty of cheese. YUM!
The tuna app included fresh, sushi grade ahi tuna with pickled vegetables. This was served with wasabi and ginger. Now fresh ahi tuna is one of my favorites so I have to try it everywhere. This presentation was quite nice. The dressing added a little heat to the light tuna flavor. Overall this dish is perfect for an app, and is really nice on a warmer day in the summer or fall. My husband thought it could have used more heat – so note that adding a little more wasabi dressing may be needed to get your desired spice level.
On this visit we dined outside as the weather was still warm and they had live music. We were a little surprised at how dark the back yard was. With so many tables the only light came from a string of party lights closer to the building. I am not sure if their larger lighting fixture had blown a bulb but it would have been too dark to see your food had we dined any later.
Later in the season we returned to the Burke Publick House with a different group of friends. We were out to enjoy the unseasonably wonderful temperatures we had in October. This time we dined inside because it was already dusk when we arrived.
The indoor dining is situated uniquely. Downstairs is mostly taken up by a large island bar with seating on both sides. Along the two longer walls of the building are pub tables. Because of this arrangement this downstairs space can get loud, which is great when you’re getting drinks with friends and just hanging out, but if you are looking for quieter dining, I suggest asking to be seated upstairs.
The upstairs sections are really just two cantilevered lofts. The space is more intimate and a lot quieter, especially the loft that sits over the kitchen vs. the one over the bar space.
On this occasion we ordered a few apps for the table, but wanted to focus on entrée items.
My husband ordered the Chicken Sammy and I tried the fish and chips. Our friends ordered the local pork chops, one from the menu and the other on special. They also tried the wings.
The chicken Sammy is a large portion of chicken breast, that my husband ordered fried. Topped with horseradish petal sauce, lettuce, tomato, onion, and garlic pickles this sandwich packs more flavor than many other similar options. I was really impressed with how the pickles came through without overpowering the fresh taste of the veggies. The chicken was crispy, and the horseradish added just enough of its distinctive flavor for a layered flavor effect. This was the winning dish of the evening.
I ordered the spinach and artichoke dip and a salad as I was looking for something lighter. The dip is creamy, warm and flavorful. This is a great dish if you’re just coming in from the slopes and are looking to warm up.
I do enjoy their salads as they are filled with fresh greens and include fresh grated carrots, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion. This is toped with parmesan cheese and a house made buttermilk ranch dressing. The smaller size is a wonderful dinner salad (and makes me feel better about the pile of fries that I get with many of the other menu options ).
The Local Pork Chop dish on the menu is a hearty meal. It came with a bone out, center cut chop seared and finished with a garlic and sage pan sauce. This was served with mashed potatoes and some veggies. For the price of $17, I was impressed with the portion and quality, as well as the flavor. The meat wasn’t over cooked and was still moist.
On special that night was a maple pork chop option. This we were a little surprised by when it got to the table. Besides the sauce ingredients, it was essentially the same dish as what was on the menu, but for significantly more money. We didn’t feel that this dish was nearly as tasty or as successful as what was already on the menu. While it was prepared well and the sauce had a wonderful maple flavor, it was more one dimensional in flavor.
The Burke Publick House restaurant in East Burke, Vt is really a wonderful dining experience. Hearty food, a fun atmosphere, and an overall approachable menu makes this one of those places you just want to gather at with friends.
Located right at the head of the Burke Bike Trail Network and next to Mike’s Tiki bar make it a fabulous summer destination. But, come winter you’ll find it just as busy and just as delicious as the staff and chef’s prepare for skiers, winter bikers, and even snowmobilers.
East Burke has become a very busy, year round playground, and the Burke Publick House has positioned themselves as the perfect local establishment to serve all those that come to play.
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Burke Publick House on NEK Eats