Got around to trying the (not as) new (at this point) Zaytoona restaurant in South Burlington…read more Don't let the hidden shopping plaza location fool you, Zaytoona is a real gem. Everything we had was delicious and even the picky eaters (grandpa/kids) found something they like. The owners/chefs at Zaytoona come from Jordan and Yemen I believe and the cuisine is an eclectic and unique mix of middle eastern food with some of the classics like kebabs, shawarma, falafel, lentil soup, and Kafta. My kids actually loved the lentil soup, but our fav. pre-main was the Muhammara although I wish they had given more pita bread to match the amount of sauce that comes with it. We tried the fatoush and rocca salads and while both were good, we preferred the latter. For mains we shared the mixed lamb and beef shawarma, lamb shish kabab (we had wanted to try the special slow cooked lamb shank but they were all out and the waiter said the shish kebab was just as good), and the fries. Everything was tasty and fairly priced. For deserts we shared the saffron cake, mango coconut like pudding, and my fav, the kunafa. The latter reminded me of a very crispy, perfect blend of salt and sweet mozzarella stick and was so so good. The pomegranate lemonade helped wash it down and I liked the tangy sourness of it. Our kids enjoyed the special mango drink. Service was prompt here and staff were friendly. The ambiance was great here and seating area is more upscale than I expected. Glad that this place exists in the Burlington area and I would love to come back.

This lovely place is tucked away behind the blue mall. The decor is pleasant and the seating ample…read morewith plenty of room and armless chairs for larger folks. The staff are friendly and welcoming. He was happy to explain anything on the menu. I had arayes (sp?) and my spouse had chicken shawarma. I also splurged a bit on pomegranate lemonade which was super refreshing on a hot day. Bathroom was very clean and accessible. The food was superb. Please go here. It's wonderful.

Unlike many "ethnic" restaurants, Kismet definitely qualifies as "fine dining" due to the attention…read moreto detail in the food, the comfortable, elegant surroundings, and impeccable service. Everybody I interacted with - greeter, waiter, food runners, etc. - were friendly, neat, and professional, which along with the great food made a memorable dining experience. I had no trouble making a 6:00 Saturday reservation earlier that day but it did fill up while I was there so it was probably needed. Though there were some seats that remained open at the bar, so walk-ins might be accommodated there. It was a nice bar, with a very pretty stained glass table lamp on the counter and a very cool-looking bartender adding flair to the otherwise conservatively-attired staff. The menu is extensive and very Turkish. Even the wine list: every wine that I checked was Turkish. I know nothing about Turkish wine but the one I did try (many available by the glass) was enjoyable. I tried a cocktail too; a Turkish Cosmo, made with a Turkish pomegranate syrup. This was good too, tangy and not too sweet. For beers they offer ones from Turkey, Vermont, Mexico, and Connecticut. I was happy not to see any major American brands offered. I don't usually comment on prices, but they seemed slightly on the low side here, for everything: drinks, appetizers, entrees, and desserts. I am not complaining! I started with the Cold Meze Platter appetizer, recommended for 2. (Too much for 1 so I took some home.) Hummus, Baba Ganoush, Turkish Salsa, Hadari, and Stuffed Grape Leaves. Everything was very good, and the fresh-baked still-warm hadari bread it was served with was perfect with it. The Baba Ganoush was exceptional, chunky in texture and smoky in flavor. From the very extensive entree section I chose the Surf and Turf: skewers of swordfish and lamb, the latter cooked to order (it came out a perfect medium-rare as requested). The skewers, which also had green pepper and onions, was served with rice, bulghur, grilled tomato, a lemon wedge, and a salad of cabbage and pickled onions. Both the swordfish and lamb were marinated and had lots of flavor. The sides were good too. The portion size was generous and I didn't quite finish it, taking the rest of it home along with some of the appetizer. After finishing my entree and my wine, and taking in the ambience of this relaxing, blue-walled space, it was time for dessert. Among the 8 choices (a refreshingly large number) were 3 kinds of baklava. I went with the Fistikli Çikolata (chocolate, pistachio, and hazelnut) If, like me your experience with baklava has mostly been the junk found on the counter of numerous pizza houses (stale, dry, and overly sweet) this is nothing like that and will change your opinion. The three pieces made a fairly large portion but it was so good there was no question of leaving any behind. This was also offered with Turkish ice cream but I didn't get it that way. Many more things to try here. I hope to return soon.

Dips were delicious and even got an extra pita for them, chicken skewers were so juicy. Even the…read morestuffed grape leaves were just so good and everything felt homemade and a slightly different take from typical. Service was so warm too, would definitely come again!

This was my second time ordering from Kismayo Kitchen, and it was just as amazing as the first --…read moreif not better! We ordered dinner takeout this time, and everything from the service to the flavors was truly top-notch. We ordered from The Classic Somali Dish menu. I had the Somali Rice with Goat Meat, which was incredibly flavorful. The rice was perfectly seasoned and aromatic, and the goat was tender, well-cooked, and beautifully spiced. My wife had the Coconut Chicken Stew with Rice, and she couldn't stop talking about how delicious and comforting it was -- the coconut sauce added a rich, creamy touch that paired so well with the perfectly cooked chicken and rice. We also shared two beef samosas, which were crispy, savory, and packed with flavorful filling. They were the perfect appetizer to start our meal. The service was friendly, prompt, and welcoming, just like the first time we visited. Even though we ordered takeout, the staff made us feel valued and took great care to package everything carefully to keep it fresh and warm. The ambiance of Kismayo Kitchen is always warm and inviting. Even though we didn't dine in this time, you can still feel the vibrant, welcoming atmosphere when you walk up to place your order. Kismayo Kitchen continues to impress with its authentic flavors, generous portions, and wonderful service. It's quickly becoming one of our favorite go-to spots for Somali cuisine.

Shit food, shit restaurant, definitely would never order again, wish I'd never ordered. Truly awfulread more

The food in the restaurant is not bad, but the restaurant itself is extremely hot and not very many…read moreplaces to sit, prices are good though.

Basic no frills place in Burlington for kabobs. It has falafel and many vegetarian options. Ahli…read moreBaba's is a no frills place, just somewhere to get cheap food. For sure that's true in here. They don't even have any seats. A good option at lunch or later. It's open late at night. The place is pretty cheap looking inside, and there's only these tables without any chairs, so if you eat in here you'll be standing. Another good reason to get it to go. The menu has typical Middle Eastern stuff. A lot of pitas to get. It's $9 to get the Falafel Pita. A pretty typical looking one. Pretty big though. Comes with the usual toppings on it. There's cucumbers, tahini, and tomatoes. A few other choices for vegetarians are on the menu. These include the Pakora Pita and Samosas. Among the other menu choices is the Breakfast Burrito. These are served all day, so get these any time. Certainly it looks pretty sketchy in here. It's not bad food though. There's plenty of choices for vegans and vegetarians.

We snagged a reservation for Saturday evening the day before for 5 pm for our anniversary. The…read moredecor is trendy and the atmosphere and ambiance are lively. We had Mara for our server and you could tell she truly loves everything about the food there. For cocktails we ordered Mint and Honey, and Homa. The Mint and Honey had gin, lemon juice, honey, and labne. I never thought milk and lemon juice would mix, but it worked surprisingly well. The cocktails were definitely original but not something I would order seconds of. For mezze, we ordered half the menu. The lamb sausage crackers are kind of like ground lamb between two thin pitas that are then toasted. The local credited came with cucumber, radishes, and cherry tomatos. The muhammara was the star of the show, the punchy red people puree with curry, divine. The baba ganoush was also excellent but not much eggplant taste if you like that. The kale salad was lightly dressed with a creamy dressing, with crispy and very crunchy quinoa that ser it apart. The sugar snap peas were perfectly cooked. Seared halloumi was a crowd pleaser and must be ordered. The potato latkes were the surprising dark horse, crunch flavorful, but the jalapeño lahbne was amazing with it. The octopus had great flavors added and was very tender. There was a slightly fishy taste to it though. The lamejun is like pizza, on which the burrata was amazing. They brought a candle - lit baklava for dessert, a very sweet ending to our dinner. Love this food!

This is fusion African-Middle Eastern-Mediterranean small plates (tapas) fare at regular entree…read moreprices. It's an inventive menu, I'll give you that. However, the price to taste to quantity ratio is off. The hummus was by far the most succulent best dish of the 6 we ordered. I would definitely return for that. The smoked wings were ok, the lamb buns were ok. The ambiance and service are superb. Their cocktail menu is quite interesting. We did not realize that this is a "come impress" someone kind of place. First date, first job, anniversary, etc.

Favorite diner throughout my 4 years in college. My favorite Sunday breakfast, it never misses. The…read morewaitresses are also so nice.

My friend had the pancakes and started to not feel good from the butter and just the pancakes…read morethemselves. Then I had a bite of my french toast and thought it tasted weird, thought it was just me so I had her try it and she admit immediately ran to the bathroom and threw up. I then came out to the car and immediately threw up.

an excellent place for lunch, as well as to sit and work for a while!!…read more my mom and i split a sandwich with marinated eggplant and sun dried tomato + romesco mayo, which was divine. we also split the zucchini caprese salad, which was really really nice as well. ended with an espresso and the tiramisu, which was heavenly. a delightfully indulgent lunch, and everyone who works here is super super nice and friendly. i left to go to a work meeting and my mom posted up for a couple of hours with her laptop with no issues. i might become a regular here!

An Exquisite Culinary Experience…read more Rogue Rabbit in Burlington is nothing short of exquisite. I rate places by their category, and this one earns my highest marks in the three most important categories: food, drinks, and overall experience very fun casual atmosphere. The pizza was a masterpiece. Thick, insanely fresh dough was complemented by a decadently sweet-savory tomato sauce and topped with a perfect combination of savory sausage, sweet onion, and ricotta. Simply scrumptious. The drink menu is tight but brilliantly creative. I started with the Good Catastrophe (Brandy, Italicus, Lemon, Turbines, Orange Bitters)--exquisite. I followed it with the mind-blowing Via Con Dio (Rye, Ramazotti, Honey, Strawberry and espresso). Topping all this off was the wait staff and Mary, a wizard/artist at drink mixing. The staff and the patrons made this, along with the food and drink, one of the best holistic dining experiences I've had in years. Astounding and exquisite.

I had lunch today at this restaurant, I set aside all expectations as I just wanted to try it out…read moreand see what the overall taste and experience would be like. I ordered an appetizer of garlic bread with fresh tomato and pesto drizzled on it. The flavor was fantastic. The presentation also fantastic and the appetizer price was right in the ballpark for what was served. I would give this appetizer five stars. I ordered the chicken Alfredo as my main course and substituted the pasta for tortellini's. This was a four dollar upgrade but again I felt it was worth it. The dish comes with the pasta and a grilled chicken that is sliced laterally and presents very well. The sauce that the pasta was in also incorporated some broccoli. I will say that for some a salty dish is a welcome change compared to most restaurants, but this was extremely salty. I would prefer a low salt option so that I could salt according to my own taste preference. In this case, it was so salty that I could not finish and brought this to the attention of the waitress. She was extremely pleasant, extremely understanding and apologetic. Without question, she ordered me a second dish of pasta as I had already eaten most of the chicken and comped my meal. I never asked for this, but it was offered immediately, and I was truly appreciative of the gesture. The second serving of pasta with the Alfredo sauce was also a bit salty but not quite as salty as the first. I did not finish this and I didn't really feel like taking it home like I normally would. I would certainly recommend the restaurant consider the amount of salt they cook with so that their guest can increase the amount rather than have no other choice, but to return it to the kitchen. This one incident is why I did not rate this five stars. As a follow up to lunch, I ordered the tiramisu as well as a latte with a shot of espresso and maple syrup for sweetening. Both of these I would classify as a five star experience. The tiramisu was one of the best I've had in a very long time and thoroughly enjoyed the presentation as well as the individual ingredients of the dessert. The latte was hot, smooth, and instead of having an overpowering flavor of espresso was nicely combined with the maple syrup, sweetness. Overall, the experience was great and I will be back and will try the Alfredo at some point after I've gone through a few more items. Overall, I would give this another chance and encourage others to try it themselves. There is a shortage of good Italian restaurants in the area and this is a welcome addition.

I rarely leave negative reviews, but am doing it in hopes of sounding a wake up call to a new…read morerestaurant in Williston that has been and could be a great place to eat. I work nearby and have had many a meatball sub at Spaghet. The first several were surprisingly good for a VT Italian restaurant (sorry, but I'm from NJ where we know Italian!). Then out of nowhere, a real bomb. Meatballs that you could have bounced on the floor, soggy bread, seemed like it had been sitting around for hours instead of ordered 20 min prior. Since I not only patronize Spaghet but have enthusiastically recommended it to many patrons of a nearby establishment, I did call and let the assistant manager know. He apologized and offered to reimburse me for the sandwich. He never did but when I went back today, he swore he had and didn't offer to really do it. I would have been willing to overlook it but then tonight I had another inedible, sub-par sandwich. This time the meatballs were undercooked and flavorless, the bread mushy. Again, in 20 minutes? So, I won't be going back anytime soon nor will I be recommending it to others. But I hope the owners/managers see this and correct course because it's a great little spot!