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Farmhouse Tap & Grill, The
160 Bank St., Burlington 802-859-0888 | map & directions | website | add your comment
  • 67 comment(s)
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  • $13 to $18 (Average Price Per Entrée)
Vermont Fresh Network Member
Cuisine
British/Gastropub
American, Contemporary
Settings
Bar
Lounge
Restaurant
Region
Burlington
Schedule
Open 7 Days
Meals
Lunch
Dinner
Late Night Food
Alcohol
Beer & Wine
Amenities
Banquet Room
Bar Seating
Gluten-Free Options
Good for Groups
Kid Friendly
Outdoor Seating
Table Service
Take-Out
Vegan-Friendly
Veggie-Friendly
Web Menu
Wi-Fi
Fun & Games
Darts
Other Games
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7 Nights says...
This award-winning gastropub comes with a pedigree. Look for local burgers, homemade charcuterie, farm-style comfort food, and innovative specials. Rare and prized beers from Vermont and beyond are offered at the bar, in the downstairs parlor, and in the seasonal beer garden.
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    A few kinks to work out, but has potential.
    Reviewed by SickNic on June 16, 2010
    I stopped in tonight with my girlfriend. I'm a NECI student and get pretty excited about local ingredients and sustainability. I'm a big fan of Bluebird Tavern, and the Farmhouse sounded right up my alley. First off, the hors d'oeuvres tower was delicious. I LOVED the roasted garlic bluecheese toasts. It was a small piece of bread with a honey spread to mellow out the taste of the blue cheese. It was amazing. My girlfriend, a vegetarian had to settle for the Mac & Cheese (the porto burger had walnuts, which she is alergic to). This dish had a good portion size, but it came out a little under seasoned and runny. It tasted like they reduced cream and added cheese, as opposed to making a béchamel cheese sauce. We both agreed it was missing something. It also didn't come with anything on the side like a salad. They had some items you could get for cheap like a salad, but for $13, you'd at least expect some greens. I ordered the grass fed burger and it was very tasty. A common misconception among foodies is that grass fed beef is supposed to taste better. In fact, since the cow isn't force fed corn, they aren't as fatty and therefore have leaner meat. This takes away from the flavor a bit, and means the burger can seem drier than corn fed beef. I felt that the burger was what I'd come to expect. The fries were good, and I appreciated the tarragon and garlic aiolis they served along with it. The server was knowledgeable. You can tell the chef made sure to let each server try the dishes so they could explain them to the customers. She even asked about the walnut allergy, which is definitely a good thing because the menu didn't list walnuts as an ingredient. The main issues we had with the farmhouse was that it did seem very loud in there. The server disappeared right after we finished our meals and we didn't see her again for 15 minutes. She was talking with a table of patrons she must have known. I believe this place will work out these kinks and I'll have to try it again in a few months.
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    Meatloaf with a side of broke.
    Reviewed by Shippy on June 15, 2010
    I had meatloaf and it was pretty good. It came with mashed potatoes, they weren't half bad. But $17 for small servings of meatloaf and mashed potatoes, with no salad, bread or anything else to nosh on during the 35 minute wait for our meals? Meatloaf and burgers are in the same category: easy to make them decent, hard to make them mind-blowing. But at $12 for a burger and $17 for a little hunk of meatloaf they better be mind-blowing every single time. It's just too tempting to skip the gastropub hubbub and hit VPB for a cheap, good burger and a decent beer. Hey, at least all the food comes vertically stacked--a sure sign of culinary seriousness. I think the Farmhouse has potential, if they don't let their pretensions get in the way of serving decent food and beer at a reasonable price.
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    Very disappointed
    Reviewed by JTronos on June 15, 2010
    Small portions, inflated prices, a noisy atmosphere, some oddball beers you don’t really want, all served up with a generous helping of attitude at the Farmhouse Tap & Grille in Burlington. I’ve been there three times now, first out of curiosity about Burlington’s newest establishment, and twice more as the reluctant companion of others similarly inspired. I probably won’t make it back for a fourth visit. At first glance the menu looks interesting, but upon ordering – and after a long wait – you’ll find the portions to be small, uninspired, and poorly presented – hardly commensurate with the price. The beer selection also appears impressive until you try to find something you’d actually like to drink. Normal beers like Sam Adams, Heineken, or, Heaven forbid, a PBR are sorely lacking. But perhaps the most disappointing part of the Farmhouse experience is the inattentive, snooty, and at times outright disrespectful staff. Indeed, one is hardly made to feel welcome at the Farmhouse, where employees seem to behave as though they’re doing you a favor by allowing you to spend your money there. Having worked in the service industry myself, I understand and respect the hard work involved in running a busy restaurant/bar. Unfortunately, they don’t. The service is slow, impersonal, and impolite, and the “attitude” that pervades the Farmhouse only detracts from an already mediocre dining experience. I thought this place had potential but in the end its little more than a few self important burger-flippers and beer-slingers trying to pull a fast one on Burlington’s dining scene. From now on, if you want a good burger and a beer, stick with the Daily Planet, Sweetwaters, or Halvorson’s, and leave the Farmhouse in the barnyard where it belongs.
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    Curious to see this place evolve
    Reviewed by dani on June 9, 2010
    I went here on the opening night of Jazz Fest, party of 5, only a 20 minute wait which was shorter than expected. The beer selection is wonderful, and it is the main reason I will return. It's like Burlington's answer to the Three Penny Taproom (although the 3 Penny still has an edge in their draft selection). I had the portabella burger, which was good but the burger fell apart quickly. It appears to be chunks of portabella with a few white beans thrown in and encased in a melted cheese (?) casing similar to sausage casing...anyway, next time I will go for the soy burger. My fiance ordered the mac n'cheese, and while it was good it was a small serving for a $13 DINNER entree that comes with nothing else (not even a side of dressed greens). I know, I know...local ingredients and all is great...but it was pretty pitiful. Adding a side at least would help. My fiance left still hungry. I'll come back again for the beer and I'm curious to see how the menu expands and evolves. Our waiter was very knowledgeable and friendly.
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    Everything Is Great But the Noise
    Reviewed by vtgem on June 9, 2010
    Made our first venture to the Farmhouse last night. It was nearly 6PM and the place was starting to fill up, but we were seated immediately and promptly greeted by our server. I really like the vibe of the staff - energetic, positive and cool under pressure. The beer list is extensive and the food menu has recently expanded to have entrees and salads as well as burgers. We ordered an hors d'oeuvres tower and burgers. Everything was delicious - the burger wasn't a monstrous size as at some chain places, and the Grafton cheddar, garlicky mushrooms and Smoke & Cure bacon are nice additions. The burgers are served with a condiment board that includes house made mustard and tarragon and garlic aiolis. My complaint with the restaurant was the acoustics and absolutely insane noise level. Some of this isn't their fault; they don't seem to have a kids menu,yet there were little kids everywhere. It's great that people take their kids out to eat but it was too much. As the restaurant fills with people, it becomes impossible to carry on a conversation with your dining companions. After awhile, it becomes a negative distraction to hear all of the surrounding chatter and it detracted from the overall positive experience. Perhaps when the beer garden opens this weekend, things will settle down inside. Other than that, I have found a new favorite.
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    Excited to go back and try more!
    Reviewed by nlav6616 on June 7, 2010
    My husband and I decided to give this place a try on a Saturday night during Jazz fest, so the wait was looong. But we knew what we were getting into, so we didn't mind the wait. There was live music at the time and the garage doors were open so even though we were sitting inside on a gorgeous night, it felt like we were out. Beer selection is HUGE. They even have Chimay on tap which is always impressive. We ordered the appetizer tower with blue cheese on garlic crisps, beef tartare, and pate toasts. All were good, but tartare was great. We also split a cheese plate and a smoked sausage. Large potions of cheese, but you also get a lot of rind, so i think it averages out. Apple butter and walnuts on the plate really enhanced the cheese. Smoked sausage was also very good. We also got a side of the mini corn cakes. And when they ask you, you don't need butter! These cakes are rich enough, but delicious. We topped off the night with a Vanilla IPA milkshake. Better than you would think. Our waiter was also very attentive, knowledgeable, and pleasant. Kept our water glasses filled and table clean which is always a plus. Can't wait to go back and try more! Their burgers looked amazing, as did their meatloaf.
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