I didn't do any research when I chose this terrific establishment! I went to the bar and was immediately greeted by the bartender, McKenna! I started off with a side Caesar salad and Brussel sprouts! WOW! The Caesar dressing was very creamy and delicious! The Brussel sprouts were OUTSTANDING! I could probably eat 5 orders! For my entree, I got the Bailey Melt which is essentially a patty melt with cheddar cheese (I added bacon). It was cooked perfectly, it was juicy, and the fries were great! I got a side of Buffalo sauce and I loved it! The restaurant is small but very quaint! I loved the bar! McKenna was amazing! Very attentive, personable, and very friendly! Overall, I had an incredible experience at Halvorson's! I definitely recommend this place! read more

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I was in town for business, and this was one of the lunch spots. We were seated outside, so I don't know what it looks like inside. The hostess quickly put together 3 tables together for our party. The service was a little on the slow side. I decided on a breakfast sandwich for lunch. It wasn't the prettiest dish, but omg, it was SO tasty. I am so glad that I decided on the breakfast sandwich. Overall, it was a good experience. Just wished that the service was a little faster. read more

Halvorson's Upstreet Cafe - Breakfast sandwich - American Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

Stopped here for lunch and had the best clam chowder nachos and brussels sprouts we've ever had on the planet! The service was amazing. Sweetest greeter/waitress ever. read more

All the servers were talking with each other in the back and we had to go to the host stand to ask for anything extra after our food came. We saw our server for probably a total of 2 mins the whole time we were seated. The food came out in a timely manner. It was a REALLY slow roll type of energy in the restaurant. Slow music, quiet. You may want to eat outside, it was oddly warm inside. The chili was cold room temperature when it came to the table. The fried chicken salad was ok and can be shared with two people. Same with the chili. Big portions. The poutine was ok, the fries were not the greatest. A very mid experience. read more

I really wanted to give this more stars. We were there on a Friday night at 7pm and asked to eat outside. The host seemed confused about their duties and how to use the tablet and took a long time to get us seated at the empty table. We sat for about 15 mins before a server finally asked if we were being helped. When we said no she apologized and took our order. I ordered the salmon which is supposed to come with broccoli and coconut rice. Our server said they were out of rice entirely and suggested mashed. My husband ordered a "broccoli Caesar salad" and added chicken. Again; fried is the only option. We now wait for over 40 mins. We asked our server; who was the only thing this place had going for them to get it to go and to bring the check. She apologized again saying the "kitchen was having an off night." We paid, went to the Airbnb and found my salmon now came with Brussels sprouts (the second best thing this place has going for them). The salad was more like a Caesar with a side of cooked broccoli which wasn't even cut up. Not at all how it reads on the menu. Just an ok meal at what we found to be just an ok place. read more

Halvorson's Upstreet Cafe - Salmon with substitutes - American Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

Here for a very specific beer that they only have here on draft. With pleasant weather, we had an outside table on Church Street. While we talked and drank, we watched the people going by. We were here for two hours and drank two beers each. Two absolutely awesome beers, one from Vermont's 14th Star Brewing Co. and one from local Zero Gravity Craft Brewery. Service was warm and friendly. The young lady didn't mind that we'd already had dinner and took up her table with just a couple of drinks. It's a neat spot on a warm summer evening and I look forward to returning! [Review 18513 overall - 112 in Vermont - 2035 of 2022.] read more

Halvorson's Upstreet Cafe - Beer at Halvorson's Upstreet Cafe - American Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

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My husband and I went to eat lunch here - the staff were very friendly and welcoming. Since it is so beautiful out, there is outdoor and indoor sitting, we opted for indoor seating. The restaurant was extremely clean and the bar had an amazing option of high end liquor. We ordered the nachos, chicken ranch flatbread and a grilled chicken sandwich. The nachos were soo good, highly recommended. I had the chicken ranch flatbread and although it was good, the bacon was super salty so I picked them off, no big deal. My husband had the grilled chicken sandwich and he enjoyed it. read more

Halvorson's Upstreet Cafe - Chicken bacon ranch flatbread and grilled chicken sandwich. - American Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

Celiac and GF people- this place is delicious! Most of their menu is GF, including their fried chicken sandwich! Staff were very friendly and knowledgeable about allergens. read more

Went on a Saturday night with 7 people for a birthday dinner. The food was good and the service was excellent. The restaurant went out of their way to make sure my son had a nice birthday dinner. read more

Popped into Halverson's for lunch one summer day. Getting a table was a bit confusing, as it seemed like the host station was under and over manned simultaneously. After a wee bit we did get a table inside and settled in for our meal. Our server was good, kept us fed and watered appropriately. We ordered the grilled maple cornbread. It was good. I had a delightful bowl of clam chowder and the salmon plate, and they were very good and fresh. Hubs had the rueben I think and he liked it very much. Overall, a good experience and I'd return for lunch anytime. read more

Had a Lovely Lunch at Halvorson's today. We stumbled upon it walking through town and noticed that we wouldn't need to wait an hour to eat here! It was about 15 minutes on the wait and we got seated outside as we were offered a choice. The staff was kind and service was prompt. The food was very good. We had 2 different types of turkey sandwiches and both were great. We also ordered a side salad, pickled beets and mushrooms and those were fantastic. Everything was great and no complaints to be found here. Enjoy! read more

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I loved this restaruant. The food was just fanstastic .. The waitresses were attentive -- I had a Reuben which came with fantastic french fries.. It is really a step above anywhere I ever went for brunch. I come from NYC and to me this matches or surpasses any of the "fancy" places there is read more

Nice service and hearty good food. We had their maple manhattan which was superb. We loved the chili and they had a chocolate kahlua cake that was great too. read more

Haven't been to Halvorson's in awhile. Dropped in. Just before brunch menu ended and lunch menu was happening on a busy Saturday with my family. We got a nice table inside by the window. My husband got the beef breakfast tacos with great cuts of meat and my daughter got the French toast which was an abundant stack with plenty of maple syrup. I enjoyed the fried chicken sandwich with a great dressing of lettuce, tomato, onion and guacamole. We loved sharing the basket of hand cut fries. Staff was attentive and we had a great time there. The ambiance is cozy and great place to stop in and lots of wonderful spaces to sit inside and on Church Street. read more

Halvorson's Upstreet Cafe - Fried chicken sandwich and fries - American Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

It's a cute bar with local beers and good food. My husband loved the manhattan and the maple Brussels sprouts were delicious! read more

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Getting served was very slow because of the lack of personal. Exceptionally slow service was due to this, and our poor server was in critical server mode ... Having a hungry three year old, and waiting for her pizza was pretty uncomfortable with the very long wait for the food to come out...There's only some much coloring, and putting stickers on Grandad, and your uncle before poor little one starts to lose patience. Salads, and sandwiches served at other tables looked good. The VT Pepperoni flat bread was pretty good, but the margarita flatbread was terrible, freezer pizza would have been better served. read more

We had the best experience !!! We had such an awesome waitress, Lucy. She was so kind, and always checked on us !! Definitely going again:)

I'm surprised at the relatively low collective rating, truth be told. We were seated quickly (and asked where we wanted to sit) at the beginning of the dinner rush, received perfectly good food -- and big enough portions to take half of it home -- and were served quickly and courteously. It's a little on the pricey side, but with a location on the tourist trap pedestrian mall in the center of the biggest city in the state, it's to be expected ... and it isn't as if they don't post the prices outside, so no one's being sandbagged here. We would certainly go back, and given we'll be here for a few more days are likely to do so. read more

We had a nice lunch here on a hot summer day. The staff was very accommodating when we wanted to move outside and they even set up an umbrella for us. Our server was very friendly but could have been a little more attentive with water refills (considering how hot it was) and she forgot a drink. Our food was pretty good but the portions seem to be on the smaller side. My favorite was the fish tacos but I wish they were bigger. They were so delicious! The chicken bacon ranch flatbread was pretty good too but the flatbread was more like a crispy tortilla as it was super thin. Overall we had a good experience and I would come back. read more

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Great food. Cozy atmosphere. Made reservations for 8 people. They allowed us to squeeze in a 9th. Appetizers were great. Something for everyone. Lots of people in our group ordered the Chicken and Waffles. Mac N cheese and the steak dinner were the other orders. Everything came out perfectly timed. Will definitely be back. Alex was our server. Did a great job with our group. Our son and 5 of his college buddies. A loud crowd and we were handled perfectly. read more

This is the perfect little quaint cafe on Church st. We found this cafe after searching for somewhere that might be quick but had variety. They have quite a bit of outdoor seating and some indoor seating along with a full bar. They had specials for beers but we aren't much for beer so ordered a few cocktails. The cocktails were phenomenal! They were nice and strong. My friend ordered the Calamari as his "meal" and I ordered the BLT. Both items came out and were extremely fresh. They gave us decent portions and everything looked fantastic. I would say this is a great spot to grab lunch or drinks. The waitstaff is friendly and I am looking forward to going back. Who doesn't want to sit out and enjoy Church st on a nice day :) read more

Halvorson's Upstreet Cafe - American Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

Glad as I am that Halvorson's has returned value-adds to their menu (like no extra charge sides to selected menu items), my elevated rating is based on the gracious efforts of our server Delaney: she accepted my request for all drumsticks on my wings order, then shared my delight in the fulfillment of that request. All such staffers should be so solicitous and efficient! read more

The falafel and maple brussel sprouts are amazing. Definitely the best falafel I've had in a while, and that is saying something. read more

Halvorson's Upstreet Cafe - Falafel - American Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

Who know Burlington was such a busy spot! We were unsuccessful getting tables at 2 other places so we finally stumbled upon Halvorson's and gave it a go. We had a baby/stroller with us so we requested an outdoor table and were disappointed when they said they were all take (despite at least 4 tables being open). We were able to snag a small table near the window. Service was good, I got an aperol spritz which was pretty strong. We tried the pineapple app with coconut (it was just ok, pineapple was very sour, not sure if that was intentional?). I got the fish tacos as my main, also just very average. Fish was good, but the soft shell was almost inedible. Looks like a good place to grab a beer but recommend getting food elsewhere. read more

I ordered a Cobb salad with no onions, blue cheese or bacon And they brought me a salad with onions, blue cheese and bacon. I sent it back and it was served to me with onions, a second time, with no cheddar cheese, instead of blue cheese. I ordered unseasoned fries and they served me SALTY fries! read more

Just finished having lunch, wow! We both had bowls of clam chowder that was chocked full of clams, the best I've had. We also ordered the fried asparagus with maple sauce, unusual and delicious. Our eyes were much bigger than our stomachs as we got and order of nachos as well that we took with us. Very friendly waitress. We come to Vermont from California yearly and always spend a day in Burlington and this will be our go to restaurant in the future. read more

Cute little spot in downtown area. We were visiting before we had to head back on the road home. We got seated almost immediately for a late lunch. Have a full bar and pretty decent menu options for everyone. I got the reuben sandwich with fries. The bread was nice and crispy and the meat was perfect. My only quam is that they put too much dressing on it, by the time I picked up my second half the bread was very, very soggy. Made it difficult to hold and no one likes eating soggy bread. So I ate most of the sandwich before I resorted to just eating the meat straight with no bread. That was a bit of a downer, but I did still enjoy it. Would maybe order something else next time around, but it was good for a quick stop before we headed home. read more

Halvorson's Upstreet Cafe - American Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

We were walking through downtown Burlington looking for a place to grab brunch. We were checking out the menu in the window when a server--Joe came out to say hi and ask if we had any questions about the menu. After checking out a couple other places we decided to give Halvorson's a try, mostly because of how friendly and attentive Joe had been when he saw us walking by. I ordered the Tim's wrap (brunch menu) and my mom ordered the cranberry chicken salad. We were both blown away by our meals! The portions were big, and everything tasted so fresh. Joe was extremely attentive and gave us a few awesome recommendations on places to check out during our stay in Burlington. Definitely recommend this place and would love to come back my next trip to Burlington! read more

Halvorson's Upstreet Cafe - Tim's Wrap - American Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

We were having our Anniversary Dinner here with a group of 17 people. We called a few days ahead and reserved the outside patio in the back. It was beautiful. For a group our size they asked that we submit our orders ahead of the via email and we did. When we got there for our reservation at 7 pm, the food was ready and on the table by 7:15 pm. Amazing! Everyone loved their food. We even added on more appetizers and entrees without issue and they came out quickly. The staff was really attentive. We brought a cake and called ahead to verify that's allowed. They didn't even change us a fee for having the cake there (which they usually do at other restaurants, in my experience), but we made sure to tip extra generously as it meant the staff brought out a lot more plates and utensils for us. Great venue for large groups. Couldn't have been happier. read more

Everything about this place is fabulous! The staff was kind caring and friendly. The food was excellent. Location was perfect. 10 stars and more. read more

The decor is great. Classic, simple; and the ambience facilitates casual conversation. (It's not too loud.) I wasn't wild about the service. I don't expect the Fast Food experience in a place like this, but as a tourist I also don't expect to spend over an hour at lunch. I also expect my food to come before the people who were seated after me. I also expect my server to not forget part of my order (my soup, which ended up coming after my meal instead of as my appetizer). Speaking of soup, avoid the New England Clam Chowder unless you like tap water with a few clams and some celery thrown in! Seriously--this is the most watered-down Clam Chowder I've ever had. Also: I ordered the grilled chicken sandwich in part because I did NOT see tomato listed as an ingredient. It came with tomato on it. Either serve the food exactly as described on your menu, or update your menu. It's not hard. read more

Halvorson's Upstreet Cafe - Bar - American Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

The Turkey Rueben was completely dry and flavorless. There was possibly some cabbage type of ingredient and I could not identify any dressing. The bread was just plain stale. The last two times I've eaten here it's been the worst tasting food I've ever had. When you order, that's all you get. There are no sides included so we ordered a side of French fries. The fries came out much later than the food even though we ordered them at the same time. The salads the others ordered were also very small for the price. The service was slow. The server was easily confused. read more

I don't want to tell you how to live your life, but if you want to be living the best life...do the following- App: lemon garlic brussel sprouts Entree: short rib Mac or Cobb salad for a ~lighter~ option Dessert: Peanut Butter White Russian But only if you want to be living your best life. read more

First time to Burlington and I chose this place to sit and eat. Had to wait for a table so I sat at the Bar. It took almost an hour to get a cheeseburger - sitting at at a bar. The place less than half full. Food was good but not worth waiting an hour for. Bar tender was nice and staff was nice. Told "short staffed' - But I wish I was told it would be a long wait to eat. Pass on this place if in a hurry. read more

Absolutely LOVE this place! If you're in Burlington don't miss going to Halvorson's. Wait staff & bartenders are exceptionally friendly and give incredible service. Food & drink menu offers a wide variety of great choices. Fun, yet relaxing atmosphere. read more

Had a wonderful lunch at Halvorson's today. Not only was our food delicious, but our server was full of smiles and very good! The whole team was attentive and kind. Highly recommend! Our table split the calamari and I had the mushroom lentil burger with fries, I am not a vegetarian but this was so delish! I have never had a bad meal here but it was refreshing to come back after a couple of years due to the pandemic and feel like it still had the same charm. Thank you all read more

This place has some of the best clam chowder I've ever had. I've gone here twice just to have it.

We have eaten here twice on different trips to Burlington. Both times food was good but not spectacular, service good with friendly staff. Tables and chairs could be a little cleaner. It's a good place to go for a quick bite and a drink. Don't need reservations. read more

Have been excited to try this place for a while and decided to dine here in a slow Tuesday night. First, I stood at the host stand for several minutes before being agnowledged. Once I was sat, things did not get any better. Service was SLOW! Drinks took forever, food was super salty and the server didn't come over once to check on us. Safe to say that this was a once and never again experience. Do not waste your money. You will have a better burger and service at five guys down the street. Being in the service industry myself, I think they need to re- evaluate their staff. Maybe have the host who was watching tennis the whole time lend a hand to some clearly struggling servers. read more

If you are lucky enough to find yourself in Burlington in early June for the Jazz Fest, definitely check out Halvorson's Upstreet Cafe and snag a table on their patio. The Jazz Fest stage is only about 50 feet from the patio,so you can enjoy great food and drink while chilling out to some great jazz vibes. We were super lucky to enjoy dinner here on a warm evening, the city centre alive with people and music. Our hosts in Burlington come to this joint fairly regularly, so they knew to call ahead for a table on the patio, otherwise it is a bit of a wait if you show up unannounced. The patio itself is a bit cramped, but worth it for the great atmosphere. Situated in the main pedestrian mall in downtown Burlington, it is great for people watching! The varied and interesting menu at Halvorson's (I'd call it New American, rather that Traditional American) tempted me on a number of fronts, however, I chose the teriyaki chicken sandwich, mainly because I never order teriyaki anything and the combination with the pineapple sounded intriguing. My second choice was the broiled salmon with lemon caper butter, but that was first in the batting order for my wife, so I was happy to sample from her plate lol I was very happy with the chicken sandwich! The chicken was charbroiled, the teriyaki sauce was ample and the pineapple fresh - the perfect combination of smoky, zesty, savoury and sweet. Handcut French Fries were a good addition (and they had malt vinegar, woohoo!). My wife thoroughly enjoyed her salmon, the fish was flaky and rich, complemented nicely by sharp and tangy lemon caper sauce. In-season asparagus and hearty wild rice were the perfect companions. The only thing that kept it a 4 star review was the service - nice enough, but distracted, forgetful and just not paying nearly enough attention to us (or any table on the patio for that matter). Apparently they have an inner courtyard which is quite lovely, perhaps the service is better in there. If you can stand poor service, go for the good food and music! read more

Halvorson's Upstreet Cafe - Salmon filet with lemon caper sauce. - American Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

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