Bluebird Barbecue
| Address: | 317 Riverside Ave, Burlington, VT 05401, USA |
| Phone: | +1 802-448-3070 |
| Site: | bluebirdbbq.com |
| Rating: | 4.3 |
| Working: | 4:30–9:30PM 4:30–9:30PM 4:30–9:30PM 4:30–9:30PM 4:30–10PM 4:30–10PM 12–9:30PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 5
WE
Wesley Sanders
My wife and I are originally from the south, so weve been pretty skeptical about the bbq offerings in VT. Bluebird was a welcome surprise; all of the meats are quite good, the sides are varied and flavorful, and the ambience is great. Food The meats are the centerpiece here. The first time we visited we got the dinner for two. This came with four sides, and an order of brisket, ribs, and pulled pork. I would definitely recommend making this a dinner for four, as the portions are huge. We were a bit disappointed that they didnt have spare ribs but the babyback ribs were still quite good. The meat was tender and came off the bone just right. The pulled pork wasnt super flavorful, but the homemade sauces really made it work. The NC style was a little TOO NC style for me (intense cider-vinegar), but the other two favors were great. The brisket was the star here though; each piece I had was super tender and had that little bit of pink from the smoke. The sides were also very enjoyable. In the two times weve been my wife and I have tried the pickles, greens, cornbread, mac and cheese, and baked beans. The cornbread is a bit dry, but the rest of the sides really hit their marks. Personally the baked beans and pickles stuck out for me; the beans have bits of pork that add an extra punch, and the pickles had some kind of pepper or chile that gave it a lingering bit of spiciness. Ambience The feel of this place is great. The location is right next to the Winooski river so both times Ive been I made sure to sit on the outdoor patio. It definitely has a relaxing feel and the waitstaff (some of whom Ive definitely seen over at Bluebird Tavern too) are very friendly. If youre looking for spare ribs you wont find them here, but otherwise this is some of the best bbq you can find in VT.
D.
D. Vital
Today, my daughter and I stopped by Bluebird BBQ for lunch, and before I get into the review let me state that our waitress (Molly) was amazing. The food, or our wings to start, were very tasty. However, there was a bit of issue with our food, meaning my daughters food was given away by a "supervisor" to another customer, and the way it was handled was appalling. He never acknowledged his mistake to us, and I sat there the entire time watching the guy at the bar eating the burger that was supposed to be for my daughter, and NOT ONCE did the supervisor who caused the mistake walk a few feet to tell us what happened, even though I could see it with my own eyes. I refused to eat my sandwich given that my daughter still didnt have her food, and the guy at bar now had TWO burgers, the mistake and his actual order, AND I hear him remark to the supervisor that the burger is really good, and the supervisor replies" Hes glad hes enjoying it", but didnt once walk over to acknowledge us WAITING and Im watching THIS ENTIRE exchange. We were not acknowledged until I sent my food back because my daughters still hadnt arrived and I wasnt going to watch this guy eat two burgers while we wait nearly an hour, when everyone else who arrived around the time we did had eaten and left, or were finishing their meals. We were offered a $25 gift certificate which was a little too late. Awful experience. Its a shame because the food is really good.
LI
linh nguyen
Im not sure why anyone would give this place anything less than 5 stars. The food is great and is the best BBQ in Northern Vermont. Im sure there are way better places in the South for better tasting and cheaper bbq but a BBQ places is rare in these woods. There is really only this place and Big Fattys. I would never go back to Big Fattys, the service sucks (college student who doesnt care and got high before they came into work). Food at Big Fattys tasted like leftovers that they microwaved.... not worth your money. Bluebird service is perfect, one of the best restaurant experience ever and Im talking from lots of experience since I eat out for most of my meals. Price is a little expensive but worth every penny. I highly recommend ordering a side of burned ends, it has the most smoke flavor. EVERYTHING I ever had there has been better than I thought it would be. Normally places like this have good meats with ok sides but the sides here are worth going alone. I have been ordering take out once a week for the past 3 months and will keep going until I get sick of eating great food... lol. The only thing I do have to complain about is that the portions varies when I order take out. Sometimes I get huge portions and other times I get normal size. I think it depends on who is working at the time. I would love to get huge portions everytime, makes for get leftovers at work the next day.
PE
Peter Boiney
Great experience overall. It started in the parking lot, greeted by the smell of the smokehouse. Thats appetizer enough. Alex, our server, was perfect; shes attentive, but doesnt hover. Shes pleasant and friendly in a "for real" way. Starts things off on the right foot. The food was super, and the portions are quite large, which justifies what I initially thought were high prices. They might be but, oh, my! You must have the brisket, and then decide if its too pricey. I was happy with it, to say the least. The double burger was all my son could deal with, and my wife made a solid meal out of just four side orders. She actually had to bring one of them home. Theres no worry about leaving there feeling under fed, and the food was as good as it was plentiful. We all were impressed wth the variety and quality of the sauces, as well. The house-made ketchup is excellent. Some have mentioned slow, inattentive service, even at off peak times, but I have no complaints there either. It wasnt busy yet, and we were seated directly, attended to promptly, and each staff member we dealt with was friendly and knowledgeable. I very much look forward to going there again, and would encourage anyone to give Bluebird a try.
A
A Private User
I dont usually write reviews, but feel like I need to share my experience. First of all, the website said they would have a separate kids menu. When we got there we asked for this separate menu and they told me they didnt have one. There was NO way I was going to pay $25 for a 6 year old who wont eat Rabbit Terrine. Then another waitress came by and told me we could order an egg or a waffle. But that the kids couldnt combine anything - ridiculous. We got past that. They brought out the pastries which were mini muffins and a mini scone. Dry and terrible. I asked for some butter. The waiter I asked, came back and told me "I am sorry, we arent serving butter today"!!! I couldnt believe what I was hearing!! I asked him what about for the waffles and french toast that were on the menu. He said Sorry, we arent serving that today". About 15 min later he came by with a pat of butter and told me he was able to pull some strings for me. My dry muffin was already gone by this point. The waffle was ice cold and lacked flavor. They forgot to put in a order. Bottom line... they should NEVER open for a Mothers Day Brunch again. They cant handle it nor do they know HOW to handle it!
