Church & Main

It’s been 3 years since the last time I went to Church & Main. It still feels like 3-​stars to me. Sometimes have changed, but not enough to make me want to go back for dinner, when there are so many other restaurants to choose from in the downtown area.
What does deserve 5-​stars is the service we received. We needed a table outside, because we had our dog with us. They quickly brought a water dish for our dog. During the appetizer, a sudden large rain storm passed through. One of the staff came out with the canopy rod, and start redirecting the rain off the canopy by pushing pull under the areas where the rain was pooling. It was clear that if we didn’t have our dog, they would have asked us to go inside, so they could close the canopy, especially since we were the only diners outside at the time. Kudos!!!
The meal, unfortunately, wasn’t as impactful. The Caesar salad was standard, and the romaine was probably pre-​plated and kept in the refrigerator, as the bowl was refrigerator cold. Not a big deal, but the cold bowl distracts from the meal. They offered a seasonal vermont corn chowder. I like the use of the local ingredient, but the portion was extremely small, even for an appetizer.
The Steak Frites, at $ 32, wasn’t very satisfying. One change would have made the difference, trimming the fat off the steak. I understand that the fat during cooking adds to the flavor, but this was just a little over the top. The fried onions were had the right crunch, and there was an interesting ranch seasoning. Not really sure if I like the ranch seasoning.

If you are in Burlington Church and Main is a must stop! We were far to busy having an amazing time to stop and take pics. The staff was the best! Our server Steph made some awesome suggestions and our bartenders Bryce and Mike made some of the best signature drinks ever (i.e. The apple rye drinks)
We shared several small plates and some entrees. House made gnocchi, amazing cheddar cheese soup and the pork belly, wow! Everything is seasonal and sourced locally.
The owner Ned took a moment to say hello and made sure we were enjoying our selves.
Burlington was fun but Church and Main made it special. Can’t wait to go back.

I came here with my sisters after dinner for a few cocktails. The atmosphere was very warm and location is great – we had a seat against the window that looked out on to church st. The bartenders (true drink specialists) were unique, creative and friendly. We fell in love with the Mrs. Robinson cocktail – it tasted exactly like iced chai tea! If you’re looking for a low key start or end to your night. go here!

The mall was busy and most of the restaurants in the area had long wait lists. We thought we would give it a go and we were happy we did. We are a family of four and they altered the menu to suit our children. When three friends joined us the staff managed to move the tables around to accommodate. The food was very nice indeed and so too was the service.

This is the only place besides Ben & Jerry’s that we visited twice on our short weekend in Burlington. Granted, based on the reviews of the food, we only came here for post-​dinner cocktails. I’m pregnant, so I requested a mocktail, and both nights I received different but equally delicious mocktail options. They were creative, fun, and served in cocktail glasses so I felt like I was drinking with everyone else. I was very appreciative of this detail as not many places care enough to put that much effort into mocktails for us pregnant ladies.
My husband tried one of their signature cocktails, which he also really enjoyed, and then had a standard vodka/​tonic which he said was one of the best he’s ever had because it was made with care. The best part of our experience at Church & Main was simply watching the bartenders do their thing. I don’t even know if I’d call them bartenders. Maybe mixologists? They were outstanding in their skills, and something they did that I rarely see is that they took a straw’s full of each cocktail from the mixer to taste it and make sure it was good. This focus on quality is absolutely what puts Church & Main above the rest in terms of bar skills.
I’d HIGHLY recommend anyone in the Burlington area stop by here for a cocktail, and sit inside at the bar to watch the bartenders put on their «show»!!

I love going to church & main. The cocktails and drafts are always on fleek, the staff is professional, and we never seem to have a problem getting seated despite the central location. Although there are nights when it’s packed, this can be a good place to check for a table if everything else seems full. The food isn’t crazy creative, yet never disappoints. Nice bathrooms too.

While visiting Burlington with a party of 8, our hotel restaurant lost power and we were stuck dining at Church and Main. Based on the reviews on Unilocal and Opentable we were really not looking forward to going but went with high hopes.
The waitresses there don’t use trays which I find very odd– our waitress had to run back and forth three times to the bar to collect our drinks– which took a long time as we were in the very back of the restaurant and she checked in with other guests along the way. It was very irritating to never have drinks or food simultaneously as the rest of the table.
The food for the price is beyond me. I live in Manhattan and am used to paying 30 $ a plate for meals, but not for the amount of food they put on our plate at C&M. $ 10 for two cherry tomatoes and 3 bite sized mozzarella balls was mind boggling.
It was insanely hot in the restaurant and we were offered fans, cups of ice and to turn down the lights since the AC seemed to not be working, we complied and agreed, then they forgot to bring us any of offered items.
after a very slow and sweaty 2 hours of service we were ready to leave before they even cleared our table. The icing on the cake was when the waitress stood over our table shaking the bill and said «Who wants it?» Made things very awkward when your in a group of 8.
The manager seems totally clueless and definitely reflects on the even dafter service staff. We would definitely not return to Church and Main. There are so many other options along Church street that deserve your patronage much more than these fools.

If it wasn’t for the terrible hostess and her awful attitude and looks… have you ever heard the term hairy eye ball? We might have enjoyed our evening… server was nice… food was adequate. 1 star.

This is one of my favorite restaurants downtown. It is a bit pricey– I was a little disappointed to see that I was charged $ 10 to add two scallops on my salad today– but the food is definitely on par with the price, and I still feel that five stars is appropriate. The calamari is my favorite thing on the menu. The drinks are especially delicious. Definitely my restaurant of choice for special occasions!

Came with my teenage daughter for dinner and we were happy with the experience.
It was quiet when we arrived and we were seated quickly.
Our server was Derek and he was pleasant, gave us the specials which we both tried.
Mine a filet and hers a marscapone filled ravioli with huge chunks of lobster and a great creamy sauce. Yes… She was in heaven.
Filet was great, a little more medium rare than the medium I ordered but it was still very good and I don’t like sending food back… Ever.
The ambiance is great, location is great too. The only thing I feel that was lacking was a sense of «attention to detail».
It’s almost like you feel like you are dining in someone’s home but weren’t invited. Kind of strange. Maybe it was just the particular time or night we were there but there is definitely a little disconnect between guest and staff.
Our server was good and didn’t hover but could use skills on what to say.
Instead of «are you ready for another glass of wine??» It could go more like
«would you be interested in another glass of wine?» Details…
When entrees are $ 30 + and wine is $ 10 a glass it is the details that make the difference. The food here is pretty darn great. The service ultimately makes or break the experience.
I will come back in the near future and see what’s new !

The good: On one hand the cocktail I had was fantastic, and meal I had was one of my favorite of all time. Literally. It was absolutely delicious.
The bad: On the other hand my husband didn’t like his dinner. For $ 35 his fish and the sides were bland and boring, and a huge let down. Plus the service was polite but inattentive (we had to flag our waitress down twice: once for another drink and once for the bill). And another bad thing was that the music was playing *SO LOUD* in the dining room we couldn’t even have a conversation. It was really unplesant actually.
Summary: what was missing here was (1) a feeling of being welcomed and comfortable, and (2) only one of us liked our meal. My husband and I have been out to eat several times since this evening and every time he asks me where I want to go I remember that amazing pasta I had at Church & Main and I want it again so bad, but then I end up picking somewhere else because our visit wasn’t good enough for the price.

The cocktail list is the best one in Burlington. The downsides is that the drinks are pricy and small yet I always come back.
Favs: the goddess, the geisha, and Beet gimlet!

Three stars for service.
We walk in there is no hostess/​host. The bartenders don’t say hello as we walk into the door which is bizarre given the positioning of the bar as you walk in. After lack of attention, we decide to sit at the bar, no food menus were offered so I had to ask for them. Turns out it’s restaurant week – something they told to one of their regulars but failed to mention to us. Just saying. The service could have been better and as a bartender, don’t ask me how to make a drink that’s not on the menu. We were looking forward to the cocktails, but for the most part were ‘ok.‘
With that said, my food was phenomenal. I tried the steak frites and the pork belly. Bravo to the chef.

Everything I’ve ordered here is so yum! And I have a gift certificate just burning a hole in my wallet waiting for my next visit to Burlington!

Church and Main is a classic Burlington Vermont spot for an afternoon cocktail or a tasty weeknight dinner. My only criticism is that I’m not a fan of the layout — it can get very chaotic on Friday & Saturday.
The bartenders are LOVINGLY perfectionist when it comes to the mixed recipes. I’ve had a spicy drink that made me perspire in December followed by the best mojito ever. I want to say they’re above average, but I don’t want to call them the best in town either. Definitely «Yay! I’m a fan.»
Favorite menu items include the Roasted Root Salad (Yams, turnips and beets, and arugula dressed with a honey dijon dressing topped with pomegranate seeds) followed by the Steak Frites (Prime NY strip topped with a blue cheese compound butter, grilled asparagus, puffed potatoes and sweet onion curls).
Drinks are at your own risk/​delight. I’ve never been disappointed, then again you know I’m a big-​ol lush.
Go! And you can make it your first stop if you want to make your way up Church Street on a classy bar-​crawl! Or just nest for a while and watch the police work their magic on the college crowd.

Those bearded bartenders hath rustled my jimmies in a way they hath not been rustled in many a fort night. Even when feeling indecisive about the exact drink I am feeling, all four bartenders on the staff are excellent at finding out the general flavors you’re looking for and coming up with a drink that matches that profile. The entire staff: bartenders, waitstaff, and everyone else are extremely welcoming and friendly. The food is always delicious, I particularly enjoy the charcuterie board and the Spanish Influence dishes as starters when I dine there. Overall dining/​drinking here is a great positive experience time after time.

Cold winter night. My wife and I have a babysitter. It’s my company Christmas party. We’re a bit bored at the party. We leave early. Driving home and we think, «we have a sitter, let’s take advantage of it!» So, we end up at Church and Main. We sit at the bar and order a martini. But, we wanted something off menu, we wanted a chocolate, espresso martini. The bartender said he could do it. Did he ever! It was the best we ever had. My wife and I talked and sipped our martini to make it a great night. The ambience was romantic. We were comfortable and left with a smile on our face.
So, a couple weeks later, during our annual night out to celebrate our first date (different story and yes — the baby sitter came back!), we booked a night at Church and Main. We had excellent, top notch service. And the food was beautifully presented and melt in your mouth good.
So, for us, this is a favorite spot for me and my wife. The atmosphere is small and quaint, yet there is still room for a bigger party (I’d call ahead though). The meals are A+. Several wines to choose from along with «wine on tap». For dessert, if you are a chocolate fan, you gotta go with Chocolate Bliss.

In short, my overall experience was good, the food was good, the service was good, but, for the price, Church and Main didn’t quite deliver.
Food — 3.5 stars
Cheese plate — not worth the price by any stretch. a small quarter-​sized amount of goat cheese, a small wedge of blue cheese, and then a heaping portion of Cabot cheddar straight from your local grocery coupled with a spoonful of raspberry compote. I love cheese, but save your $
Portsmouth scallops — excellent except for peppercorn overload. The entire plate was covered in cracked pepper including a whole peppercorn. Even a die-​hard pepper lover would have difficulty with this dish. Also, one of the 4 scallops was about ¾ raw. If you can’t cut a scallop with the side of a fork, it’s a problem.
Hunter’s stew — extremely hearty especially for a cold day. It is a little spicy which was fine with me, but there’s no indication based on ingredients/​description to expect that.
Service — 3 stars
Service was odd. Our waitress was friendly and described the specials and brought us our drinks very quickly. We ordered the aforementioned cheese plate and then the hostess turned into a server who brought it to our table with a brief description of the cheeses. After that, our waitress mostly disappeared. While this was preferred to a helicopter waiter, it was difficult to get drinks refreshed and the like.
Ambiance — 3 stars
I enjoyed the ambiance, but the seating was odd. We were seated at one of a line of tables that run down the middle of the restaurant. As such, the only path for the staff were on the two sides of our table, making it quite congested. Also, the noise level was pretty high to the point that we could have been sitting at the same table as the couple next to us.
In the end, it was a decent choice for a special occasion dinner. If you’ve exhausted Burlington’s other similar options and want to try something new, I’d give it a go if you can spare the $

I came in for a drink a few weeks ago, I was visiting some friends who were in town. I ordered an Old Fashioned, and was rather shocked that an Old Fashioned with Blantons rang up at $ 21, this isn’t Manhattan… but anyway, I ordered another beer and left. A week later checking my back account I had realized that I was charged $ 450.+ for that transaction. With haste I called my bank and disputed the transaction then went down to the restaurant to inform them and find out what happend.
I met with the GM Daniel, who said that one of the bartenders accidentally plugged in the wrong tip, he said he was sorry and that was that. I was offered absolutely nothing for my trouble, this was not just $ 50, this was a huge chunk of cash. He never took my contact info or even bothered to follow up with me, my bank is still working out this dispute and I still don’t have my money. Beware, it seems they have no idea what they are doing.

This was one of the three restaurants we chose for our little adventure to Burlington. We chose Church and Main because of the reviews. While it was a good choice, the place was a ghost town on a Thursday evening. There didn’t appear to be any locals visiting the restaurant… that should have been a warning.
The outside tables were virtually empty, and the dark interior was not overly inviting. We ordered cocktails.
As a bar appetizer, we had the Sunken Meadow Oysters. They had a good flavor (we liked the fresh horseradish served on the side), but they have only one choice for oysters. The wait staff was not sure what oysters were available, looked it up on the computer to find that it was not loaded. Somebody finally asked the kitchen. We had three people to wait on us at the bar… you would have thought somebody would have known what oysters were on the menu.
We moved to the main restaurant because we really did NOT like the bartender. He seemed a little stuck on himself and boasted that he «doesn’t like making the drinks on the cocktail menu» and makes up his own. He was the downside of the staff.
There were no chef specials so everything was from the printed menu. We were seated at our table and our waitress (who failed to introduce herself) promptly asked if we were ready to order. Instead, we asked for a new cocktail and a little time to look over the menu.
For an appetizer we tried the Point Judith Calamari. The calamari itself was tasty, however the sweet and sour sauce (house made sweet-​chili ginger sauce) at the bottom was a lot like General Tso’s chicken sauce. It had a good flavor, but there was so much that the calamari was drowning in it. We really thought it should have been served on the side instead.
The Steak Frites was definitely not a «Prime rib eye»…more like a NY strip. Something was substituted and charged as a Prime rib eye. The sides were all pretty good. The temperature was correct and the seasoning was good, but it wasn’t fatty like rib eye normally is. We felt cheated. The Portsmouth Scallops were great and had a very flavorful Polenta.
It’s not a bad place, but nothing we would recommend to our friends. Sadly, we were discussing our dining experience here and were told by many locals that there «are much better places to eat» and were given some really good recommendations.