Six Spots for Late-Night Food in Burlington and Winooski 

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• Ian Dartley
• The bar at Taco Gordo

Since the assault on restaurants that was 2020, we've gotten one reader question over and over again: "Where can I get a late-night bite in Burlington?"

If we're being real, the Queen City has never been a hotbed for 2 a.m. eats. But as nightlife has resumed post-pandemic, the wee-hours food scene has been slowest to return. Bars may be bumping, but even Kountry Kart Deli — which once served hash brown-stuffed Shiners for a whopping 19 and a half hours per day — now closes at 7 p.m. The Café HOT.'s late-night chicken-fried egg sliders were short-lived, but Nectar's will soon bring back Main Street's OG takeout window, gravy fries and all. (Read more in Side Dishes.)

I have fond memories (well, foggy ones) of standing in line at KKD or nearby Ahli Baba's Kabob Shop as a college student. I'd fight the forces of whiskey-ginger in an attempt to pull myself together enough to order, then stuff my face with falafel (my order at both spots, for some reason) before hailing a pedal cab home.

How times have changed. I'm now in my mid-thirties, the mom of an energetic 1-year-old. On the rare occasion I'm out late after a show, you might find me slurping oysters at Hen of the Wood's bar. But even that takes a serious pep talk — and at least one espresso martini.

Since I'm more likely to be up for the day at 5 a.m. than going to bed at 3, I enlisted our hungry team of summer interns to head out around Burlington and Winooski and do what young people do best: stay up all night. Their assignment? Find a place to sit down — or get a cookie — and eat after 10 p.m., no pizza allowed. (Post-bar slices have been a constant; we were looking to explore what else is out there.)

Here are six places serving up late-night eats, from glizzies to tostones, as experienced by college kids with the energy to match the scene.

— Jordan Barry

Taco Gordo: Midnight at the Oasis

208 N. Winooski Ave., Burlington, 540-0770

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• Ian Dartley
• The patio at Taco Gordo

Barhoppers worn down after long nights on the town will find sanctuary — and food for fuel — at Burlington's Taco Gordo. As my friends and I approached the unassuming building at the corner of North Winooski Avenue and North Union Street on a recent weekend night, booming music and string lights shining above a spacious patio called to us like a beacon.

The Old North End street-taco joint is an oasis — not just for those craving a half-drunken midnight eat, but also for anyone needing a welcoming escape from the downtown bar bustle. With a DJ on the beat, bartenders shaking up cocktails and popping bottles, and a line cook whipping on an apron and firing up the griddle, Taco Gordo comes alive after much of the neighborhood has gone to bed.

Available Friday and Saturday from 10:30 p.m. to 2 a.m., the late-night options are limited — and surprisingly devoid of tacos. On the night we visited, our choices were between a Reuben ($15) and a mushroom pastrami sandwich ($12). A sucker for corned beef, I went for the former. And how could I resist a side of fries ($5)?

The lone cook toasted the buns, cooked the beef and covered the cheese with a pot lid to ensure maximum melty goodness. Moments later, the bartender slid the baskets over to me. The fries? Crispy. The sandwich? Savory, with a side of pickle chips for crunch.

While the sandwich's entrails would fall out and its bread would inevitably sog, the tenderness of the corned beef and the sweetness of the pickles simply could not be denied. The food radiated with flavor as Pitbull's "Hotel Room Service" pulsated through the wood countertops.

As I chowed down, my friends looking on in jealousy, the cook threw his apron back on to whip up a few more sandwiches. Maybe other bar-goers saw my camera flash illuminating the food and felt envy, or maybe they just needed something delicious and filling in their liquor- and music-induced stupors. Regardless, Taco Gordo keeps the party going into the early morning.

— Ian Dartley

BKK in the Alley: Hidden Gem

36 Thorsen Way, Burlington, 489-5333

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• Luke Awtry
• BKK in the Alley

On weekend nights, the alley between popular Church Street bars Red Square and Ake's Place is awash in revelrous noise: live music from an outdoor stage, the increasingly buoyant chatter of bar-goers. But a few steps farther down Thorsen Way, BKK in the Alley offers a reprieve from the cacophony. The restaurant's speakeasy ambience encourages a relaxed vibe for late-night eats — and "bucket cocktails," half off on Thursday nights.

The Thai spot, which takes its name from the largest of Bangkok's two international airports, offers the best of both worlds: a lively bar and creative, shareable dishes conceived by married co-owners Bobby Chompupong and Jenny Sangkhanond.

On a recent visit with a friend, we opted for a table at the long booth spanning the far wall of the restaurant, which afforded a great view of the night-owl scene. Brightly colored drawings, neon signs, and a chalkboard tallying customers' preference for "sweet or spicy" popped against black walls, giving us something to look at while waiting on our late-night snack.

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• Leah Krason
• Siam tofu at BKK in the Alley

Not that we had to wait long — our crispy, crunchy Siam tofu ($13) and flaky scallion fondue ($11) made it to the table quickly. The meal was punctuated by conversation, though we barely had more to say than "Wow" and "This is delicious" as we bounced between the tofu in spicy sauce and pancakes dunked in green curry.

We weren't the only ones enjoying the food that evening; customers from the bar to the booths happily noshed on tapas. Hungrier diners can choose from large plates, also served late — perhaps the khao soi ($25), a northern Thai staple of slow-cooked chicken topped with crispy noodles and onions; or the Crying Tiger fried rice with grilled sirloin and cured duck's egg ($28).

The kitchen is currently open until 10:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday; it closes an hour earlier on weeknights. As college students return, BKK will serve an even later crowd, keeping the kitchen going until 11:30 p.m. on weekends, beginning this month. It's certainly worth the short detour off Church Street.

— Leah Krason

Daily Planet: Top Dogs

15 Center St., 862-9647

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• Leah Krason
• Kim Dogs, Parmesan truffle fries, and mac and cheese at Daily Planet

A short walk off Church Street, Daily Planet is perfectly situated for barhoppers looking for a quick sit-down. Along with fried chicken sandwiches ($12) and a local take on a New York City classic, the bodega chopped cheese ($12), chef-owner Neil Solis' late-night menu features an array of "glizzies" — Washington, D.C., slang for hot dogs — of both the meat and vegan varieties. They're topped with everything from bacon and French fries to jalapeños and pickled corn. The menu is available in the bar from 10 p.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday.

I arrived with a few friends near closing time on a Friday, but the place was far from empty. Twentysomethings encircled shiny steel tables and lined up on stools at the retro-style bar. It took us a moment to notice the "Seat yourself" sign, but we soon found a spot and got to chatting in the lounge's neon glow.

We quickly got to our midnight snacks, too, as three paper boats arrived with our picks: an order of two tofu Kim Dogs topped with kimchi and pickled-beet mustard ($10); "crispy cheddar crumb"-topped mac and cheese ($12); and a side of Parmesan truffle fries ($12).

"I would devour this if I were drunk," my friend Audrey noted with a forkful of saucy pasta on its way to her mouth.

Indeed, I could have polished off the delightfully crisped and flavor-packed "not dog" Joey Chestnut-style on a different kind of night. And the satisfyingly crunchy truffle fries. Still, I was content to share. It only took a few minutes to find a good system: We rotated the three dishes around the table until only crumbs remained.

— Leah Krason

Santiago's Cuban Cuisine: Havana Blast

3 Main St., Burlington, 540-2444

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• Niina Sablan
• Santiago's empanadas and tostones

Nobody wants a noise complaint. But if there is one, it's usually a sign that the party was good. Such was the case for Burlington's only Cuban restaurant, Santiago's, when its dining room transformed into an after-hours dance floor in the spring, ruffling some neighbors' feathers.

Late-night parties are now on pause in favor of a quieter scene. When I recently visited with friends around 10:30 p.m., the bartender welcomed us and pointed out the dishes the kitchen was still serving. Bad Bunny played in the background, infusing the bar with energy, but not so loud as to drown out conversation.

"Downtown continues to be a place where predominantly young people go out and party," said co-owner Luis Calderin, who has been a local DJ since the 1990s. What he and chef Oscar Arencibia offer instead is a refined ambience, an escape for an older crowd down by the waterfront.

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• Luke Awtry
• The bar at Santiago's

"We like to think we're in the vacation business," Calderin said, referring to the space's tropical-chic vibe, complete with palm fronds and a gold-tiled ceiling.

As for the food, it's light enough to fill your belly "but not make you feel like you just had a family dinner," Calderin said. He and Arencibia hope their traditional offerings will fix what they saw as "a huge lack of our type of Spanish food in [Burlington], outside of American takes on Mexican food."

Just after 11, the bartender informed us the restaurant was closing early. "Sometimes it's popping, and we keep it going," he said.

But by then we'd been sated by crispy tostones ($7) with mojo and salsa rosada, plated on a 1950s-replica Havana newspaper lining, and golden empanadas ($5 each) with hearty picadillo filling. Calling the classic Latin dishes "bar snacks" would be a gross understatement — both were delicious and delivered on Arencibia and Calderin's vision for a vibrant bite off Church Street's beaten path.

— Nina Sablan

Mule Bar: Mellow Mule

38 Main St., Winooski, 399-2020

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• Ian Dartley
• Mule Bar

Some may assume downtown Winooski goes dark after the sun sets. But that's just when the scene at Mule Bar comes to life. On the corner of West Center and Main streets, the destination for craft cocktails and gastropub eats often has a line out the door, even on Monday nights.

Pro tip: You order and pay at the bar — something my friend and I were unaware of as we sat ourselves outside on the pastel-blue benches and patiently waited. Eventually, a friendly server approached and directed us inside.

The menu offers well-executed takes on standard pub fare, from smash burgers to corn dogs to loaded tater tots. After ordering, our food arrived quickly – a fried chicken sandwich ($14.95), hand-cut fries ($7.95) and a Caesar salad ($8.95). The chicken was well seasoned and perfectly crunchy, if a bit thin. The housemade "Chef-Fil-A" sauce was a tangy complement, even if it did taste like a standard chicken sauce. Herbed fries made for a salty, crunchy side.

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• Ian Dartley
• Fried chicken sandwich with fries at Mule Bar

The Caesar salad was familiar, no risks taken there. But the dressing was a big step above store-bought, and the croutons were the ideal mix of crunchy and soft — just hard enough for a crackling bite, but not so much that you can't get them on the fork.

Mule Bar is open from Sunday to Thursday until 11 p.m. and on Friday and Saturday until midnight. The kitchen serves up bar snacks until 11 p.m. all week. The clientele is mostly people in their late twenties to early thirties, so don't expect an all-night, DJ-led rave. But that's OK. The bar offers a different sort of late-night experience. Locals chatting with the bartenders, sports fans watching baseball on the TV and a few clusters of younger folks dancing to the music make the pub a sort of "choose-your-own adventure" for grown-ups.

"While it can be on the mellow side, this summer our late nights have been lively and vibrant," co-owner Troy Levy said. "Even our bartenders have loved working late."

With flavorful food, upbeat music and a warm atmosphere, Mule Bar is a comfortable spot for a solo meal and drink or an impromptu outing with friends.

— Ian Dartley

Insomnia Cookies: Sugar High

84 Church St., 633-0493

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• Luke Awtry
• Insomnia Cookies

"U up?" reads the neon blue sign in the front window of Insomnia Cookies' new Church Street Marketplace location. At a quarter past midnight on a Friday, my friends and I were just one of the groups still up and looking to cap the night with something sweet from the national chain's first Vermont bakery.

Inside, teenagers waited in line to order at the counter while a couple of middle-aged guys chatted in the window. Outside, stereotypical going-out fits — jorts and black tops — marked passing crowds as college students.

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• Nina Sablan
• Insomnia Cookies on Church St. in Burlington

I didn't understand the hype surrounding the chain at first, despite attending college in the Philadelphia area, where Insomnia's founder started delivering cookies and ice cream out of his University of Pennsylvania dorm. Twenty years later, Burlington's is just one of hundreds of storefronts across the country that serve freshly baked cookies until 3 a.m. daily.

We ordered double chocolate mint ($2.95) and deluxe chocolate peanut butter cup ($4.95) cookies to share. Warm off the tray, they were soft with melty mint and peanut butter chips, respectively, and gooey centers. The peanut butter cup cookie stood out, with a sweet, nutty flavor. Double chocolate mint was almost as good, though it was more minty than chocolaty — almost like an Andes chocolate mint in cookie form.

Now I get why Insomnia Cookies is beloved by anyone awake past midnight. Best enjoyed under the flickering glow of streetlights and stars, its cookies make for shiny fingers and full stomachs — the perfect cure for sleepless nights.

— Nina Sablan