Bluebird Barbecue

Absolutely a treasure in Burlington. Our food was delicious, we got the platter for two with three meats and four sides plus we got mini cornbread muffins. All came swiftly and was delectable as were the Painkillers we got for drinks. The brisket and all the meats were tender and juicy, the sides were yummy. The service was friendly and fast. Great experience.

Amazing food and even more amazing service from Jason at the bar. Jason was super kind and helped us create the best BBQ plate for my take away order! Their cocktails are also really great and they have hillstead farm on tap

That was our best bite in Burlington. Surprisingly amazing bbq for a northern state 😳 Brisket was so tender and flavourful, the fat would melt on the tongue 👅 The pulled pork was very tasty and properly seasoned. The ribs were great also! Wife said it was the best brisket she had! I been to franklin and texas so i couldn’t confirm but i would say the best brisket in the North hands down! Kale instead of collard greens?!?? Dont shame it until you try it! It was our favourite side! Im surprised to say this; but go to Vermont for Q! They know what they doing here

Mac and Cheese, Garlic Mash, Brisket, Pulled Pork and Ribs are great! Beans were undercooked and slaw was a bit too sour/tangy.

My friends and I had a phenomenal time here. We had the cornbread and fries as an appetizer. We got the family reunion as our entree. Everything tasted great. All the meats were well seasoned and paired well with the available sauces. Nothing was dry, I think all the meats were very well cooked. My favorite sides were the Mac & Cheese and the smashed potatoes. If you’re going in a large group, I’d recommend the family reunion. Our waitress, Alice, was great to us! Alice made the whole experience top tier.

Amazing food and even more amazing service. Our server Beth was super kind and helped us create the best BBQ for 2! Their cocktails are also really great :)

Absolutely fabulous place. Food was exceptional as well as the service and overall vibe. Mushroom and seitan was super tasty and an awesome vegetarian option. My husband got the chicken and burnt ends and raved about it. 10/10 would recommend!!

Kudos Bluebird! Gluten free wings and ribs for the WIN! Our grandson has many allergies and dining out can be very challenging. Having these delicious finger foods was fun for the whole family to enjoy. The service was exceptional and such a cozy atmosphere! Looking forward to our next visit!

I was surprised to discover that I've never gushed about this place before. Bluebird is SO GOOD. We're vegetarians, but we still like to eat barbecue. Normally we have to stick to side dishes, while asking lots of annoying questions like "Are the beans cooked in bacon fat?" Bluebird has us covered. And they have lots of good veg protein: their seitan is absolutely delicious. Plus their cocktails are great. Plus their mac and cheese is a huge hit with my 5-year-old and my 3-year-old. We come back at least once every time we're in Burlington, and we intend to do so as long as Bluebird sticks around--which we hope it does for a very long time.

Thursday 12/26/24 arrived and was seated at 5:30 pm. The restaurant was nearly empty and no wait. Waitress came to us, took our order. Five minutes later, we were served our order. No kidding. I ordered Pork Spare Ribs with Mac/cheese and Golden Toast for side - $32; Plus Root beer on tap. My guest ordered the Beef Brisket for $26 and Cold Brew Ice Tea which was $4 extra. I don't know how they could cook a half rack of ribs in less than 5 minutes. The meal was cool and tasted terrible. The pork did not easily come off the rib so it was probably preordered by someone else and they warmed it. The toast was covered with butter and cold, as was the Mac and cheese which was filled in a small fruit cup but also cold and tasted terrible. The meal my guests ordered cold as well and terrible taste. The root beer was not root beer. Guess what? It tasted terrible and had an unusual flavor added. It tasted like some sour additive. Waitress came by and I told her about the root beer and the cold meal. She said she'd take the root beer off but made no comment about the cold food. Overall, meal was terrible. EXPENSIVE too. We paid $76.05 but that's because the restaurant automatically adds a 10% tip. You are expected to pay that tip whether service was good or not or the meal was good or not. There was no meal credit to us. I did not eat everything because it didn't taste good. I added an additional tip but I can't fault the waitress for the poor quality of food. We left at 6:00 PM. The 10% added before you pay is what they call "one team". Who else is involved in that one team because we only saw two people. We went to Texas Roadhiuse a few days later for a half rack of ribs and that took longer than 5 minutes to cook and much better taste. No, I do not recommend this restaurant to anyone.

I wanted to come here since it was on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives so I made a reservation and had my VT friends join me. We got there at the start of dinner so it wasn't that busy. For this Floridian, the location was amazing. We definitely decided to sit outside in the back over looking the Winooski River. It was a little chilly but the view was worth it. We started off with the Nitty Gritty Cornbread with Maple Butter. These were very light and lightly sweet. I ordered a Ginger-Lime Soda which also has maple in it. Very refreshing. The 4 of us decided to split 2 orders of the Barbecue for 2 so that we got all the meats (Pulled Pork, Smoked Chicken, Pork Spare Ribs, Smoked Turkey, Beef Brisket, even the vegan "meat" Smoked Mushroom + Seitan) and all the sides (Applesauce, Braised Greens, Baked Beans, Mac + Cheese, Smashed Potatoes, 'Fat Tire' Toast, Cole Slaw, an extra broccoli salad) with pickles. My favorite meat? Honestly I liked them all, even the mushroom and seitan. The sides? The applesauce REALLY stood out for me. Using the famous Runamok maple syrup made all the difference. The mac + cheese was a bit strange to me because of the cheese sauce but only because I've never had it that way before, maybe some salt or pepper or more cheese? But no, it really didn't need it. The cornbread crumbles on top also made me really like it. On my way out, I picked up a Bluebird Barbeque t-shirt to take back home and wear it proudly. I'm glad I got to eat here.

Excellent barbecue joint in Burlington. A meat lover's paradise. We ordered a couple takeout "reunion" platters for 9 of us. It was a huge amount of food. Everyone had plenty of leftovers. Gets busy so call in your order early before they run out of meat.

Stopped by for dinner while in Burlington -- not a big city so limited options...and this place came up as a good option. Overall very pleasant. To be clear this is not a mecca for Que like North Carolina, KC or Texas (oh Texas how I live your bbq!), but this is a solid option for sure. We ordered the three meat sampler with ribs, chicken and brisket. We went with sides of beans, slaw, mac and broccoli. The meat was good...again I can't compare this to the alters of bbq in some places...but it was tasty. The chicken was moist and juicy and the brisket was good...i do prefer fall of the bone ribs which these were not. The broccoli was the star of the sides. And the house pickles were exceptional...my wife hates pickles but downed there! And their Alabama Gold sauce is also money. Reasonably priced place with super friendly staff...a good stop if you find yourself in Burlington.

Great location and food! The wait staff was friendly even though the food took some time -- but the food reminds me of BBQ in TX, authentic flavors and fairly big portions. The back screened-in huge porch overlooks the Winooski river thru the trees and is a great option. Their drinks and some sides are unique, delicious creations as well. Best in Vermont in my humble opinion.

We ordered the meal for two and added an additional meat. The meal was outstanding. We had burnt ends, ribs, pulled, pork, and brisket. Our sides were mixed greens, beans, apple sauce, and mac & cheese. Brittany was excellent. If you go, we hope you enjoy as much as we did. Brittney it was a pleasure meeting you.

If I could rate this place 0 stars I would. We didn't even get to eat here. My family of 8 was so excited to try this place out since we are visiting. When we arrived (on a Friday night at 6:30), we were told they wouldn't be able to serve us. So we walked out and found another restaurant to eat at. Other restaurant was amazing. We will not be trying to eat here again.

BBQ was delicious. We got the dinner for 2. 3 meats and 4 sides. The smoked turkey and brisket were very good. Ribs were good. Smashed potatoes, toast, Mac and cheese were all delicious. Baked beans I did not care for. Margarita was also quite tasty! Good service. Lots of seating. Shirts, glasses and mugs for sale.

I picked Bluebird because it was a DDD restaurant and it was still pretty darned good. I chose the half chicken which turned out to be very flavorful and quite moist. Skin on and needing none of their table sauce but I did use some for a bit more oomph. Cole slaw was a bit wet with some larger pieces of cabbage. The collard greens were tasty and tart. I enjoyed the little pile of pickles. Delicious. Service was warm and friendly. I sat inside where it was air conditioned and it was quite comfortable. [Review 18501 overall - round number 100 in Vermont - 2023 of 2022.]

A truly perfect dining experience from the very start. The restaurant is charming and I love the look of it, both inside and out. The host was friendly and we were seated immediately, the waitress was also very pleasant and extremely knowledgeable. The food was on another level, everything we ate was really good. The Turkey was the best I have ever had and the Mac and Cheese was amazing. The sauce options are also delicious.

Service is spectacular. The food so delicious that my eyes was bigger than my stomach.

We wanted to carry out but they weren't accepting to-go orders when we called. We changed our plans and decided to dine in. I'm glad we did! The dry wings are amazing and the barbecue was great. The sides were not quite what we were looking for. The back porch was a great place to eat and visit.

Out of the blue, my mother mentioned this place. I don't know if she saw it on tv or what, but the next day I was on the phone with her and I hear it Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives with this place on. So I gotta go. I ordered to-go. I'd been jonesing for some burnt ends. I don't know why all bbq places just don't have them, but they don't. I was happy to see it available here. Added some Mac and cheese, Brussels sprouts, and an apple hand pie. My first bite of the mac and cheese blew me away. I'm usually meh on mac n cheese in general, but this was phenomenal. I don't know what they put in this but I want it all day everyday. I only got it because I feel like if you get bbq, you gotta get Mac and cheese and IM SO GLAD I DID. The burnt ends were also *chef's kiss*. I expected them to be a bit crispier, but I'm not mad about it because these were otherworldly tender and seasoned beautifully. Mad love for the Brussels too because I love them in general and these were also top notch. The only thing I was a bit meh on was the hand pie, but not enough to let it effect my eating experience. It just wasn't sweet enough for me. In review, will return, food was phenomenal. Lived up to hype. Note: I woke up post a Night Shift, and drove an hour for this. And I wasn't disappointed.

Always delicious BBQ. Wonderful customer service. Have only ordered for catering (a great way to make more friends at work!), but looking forward to going in on my own time. Looks like a really cool spot!

We were in town on Easter night. It was a tricky day to be looking for a place to eat. Lucky for us, Bluebird was open! Let's first talk about the service-- We were greeted by the most lovely and excited host. He got us to our table right away. Our waitress was kind, had in depth knowledge of the menu and was the perfect balance of checking in and then letting us enjoy. The food-- We got the barbecue for 2. It was A LOT of food for a reasonable price $45 for 3 meets of your choice (chicken, turkey, brisket, ribs, and pulled pork). We went with the brisket, ribs and pulled pork. You also get 4 sides. We had Mac and cheese, coleslaw, mashed potatoes and toast. Pro tip: if you get pulled pork get the toast and coleslaw and make your own sandwiches. It was so good. Especially because they have all the sauces you would want to put on the meats. All in all, it was a very good meal. The decor-- Low key modern feel. I wish we were there in the summer so we could enjoy the view of the river and the front patio more. We will be back when we are in town next.

My wife's first time in New England, she wanted to check this place out. We had a tremendous experience. I got the brisket hoagie which was so delicious. My wife is vegan and got the seitan which was better than most tofu in my opinion. We both had margaritas. But the highlight for me was the brisket poutine. The fries were incredibly light and crispy, the cheese curds were barely melting from the heat of the brisket and gravy, which surprisingly tasted delicious together. The Alabama White sauce added a bit of tanginess to perfect it. The service was good. Their team was attentive and very efficient. Our food came out warm and our drinks fast. Expensive (we paid over $100 after tip) but a good dinner with a great view of the river and fine atmosphere.

Every so often you have a meal that is SO good it makes you want to cry. This is one of those meals. The ribs are butter, the brisket perfection, the chicken juicy and smokey. Run, don't walk. Also, very cute decor and vibe in general.

The food was mediocre. The baby back ribs were so charred we couldn't eat them, although, they did replace them. Smashed potatoes were terrible. The food was like warm. The French fries were the best. The food is not worth the expense.

I ordered two of the Family Reunion meals for a party of 13. Plenty of food plus leftovers. One of our family members is allergic to honey but it's not as heavily used as I would think so our cousin could have everything except the ribs! Food was tasty, well packed for transport and staff was super friendly.

So happy I stopped at this place. The bbq was delicious smoked turkey was the star of the show. The place was clean good service . Def a must try if in the area! Mac and cheese was soo good. Actually every side was better than the last I couldn't choose.

Great bbq! I enjoyed the Pitmaster Ramen with Burnt Ends, Barbecue for Two (Brisket, Pulled Pork and Spare Ribs with Cole Slaw, Classic Mac and Cheese, Fat Tire Toast and Maple Baked Beans) and a Vermont Apple Hand Pie. Everything was good except for the baked beans which I hated. Will definitely have to return the next time I'm visiting Burlington.

I guess it's alright for a northern barbecue joint. I thought it was lacking quite a bit. It wasn't terrible but it wasn't what I was hoping for. Excellent service, the food was good. The pricing was fair

Absolutely delicious! Got takeout for a night in with friends and couldn't have been happier. Our friends couldn't believe such great bbq was in VT!

Just ordered take out. Beyond disappointed. Ordered the brisket and received three small pieces for $29 dollars. The chicken was super dry. We've had decent meals from here before. Super frustrating. Wish I spent my money elsewhere.

2 orders of brisket... both were completely dried out and hard to chew. Not worthy to be served. Very disappointing.

The ambiance was pretty chill, and the server was very responsive. I ordered the spare ribs with macaroni and cheese and baked beans. I also ordered the double smoked burnt ends. The food was well-seasoned and incredibly delicious. The burnt ends were very tender and juicy, and the ribs had the perfect texture and flavor. For my beverage, I had a pineapple soda. For dessert, I enjoyed the Vermont apple hand pie, which had a fantabulous taste. All in all, a decent barbecue spot at a reasonable price.

Sat at bar. Fantastic food and very personal staff. Brisket was very good and so were the sides. Nice selection of sauces, all tasted unique and could tell they were homemade.

Just wrapped up my dinner at the BlueBird Barbecue (6/20/24). The food was sub par but with the price taken into consideration would give it a 3/10. If you own a smoker I'd highly recommend making your own barbecue, anyone with a brain and a YouTube tutorial is capable of making much better food. All the meat came out a little warmer than room temperature and was extremely dry. I found my self chewing far longer than I should be when eating the brisket. Overall, I don't think this place lives up to the praise that everyone gives it. Will likely not be returning here again.

I wasn't too impressed with this place for bbq. I moved here from Texas and everyone knows Texas is known for their bbq. Well, this place kind of disappointed me due to the way it's set up. Just my opinion. Could be better.

Food and service was great Love the porch/outside seating Beef Brisket was awesome ambiance awesome

I was under the impression SOA would be playing while I ate, this was not true. I have not been this disappointed since Plymouth state Italian house

We've had this multiple times, and it was always great! Funny thing... we've never actually gone here. We have used their catering (pick up) service for graduation parties. The food was fantastic!

Horrible management and lacks service etiquette. The food is a sorry excuse for BBQ. They cannot accommodate seating and do not have manners. They should simply shut down.

Really excellent bbq. Would have to come back to see if I can give a full five stars. Unfortunately I love ramen and had to try theirs. Honestly it was better than our local sushi/Japanese restaurants' sorry ramen, which is a low bar, but pretty impressive to me for a barbecue place. The broth was just a bit too much for my stomach, almost like a hot and sour soup because of the bbq flavor. I ordered the burnt ends to go with it, and they came in such large pieces they were impossible to eat in the soup- I had to take them out to a separate plate to cut apart. Would've loved to try it with their brisket. I think they may be better off without the ramen on the menu but I'm really glad they had something unusual and would like to see if they can improve it. We ordered a jungle party to drink, which tasted really strongly of lime for a pineapple drink. It needed a few stirs. The poutine was immense and satisfying to get some good VT poutine. The pulled pork on top overpowered it for me, but I'm still looking forward to leftovers. The chicken sandwich was five stars. The sauces were each unique and excellent. We did not order our own bbq spread but the bits of meat we tried from our family's portion were really good. They were hit or miss on some of the sides, like the veggies. The fries were a hit, though.

Let's remember this is Vermont not Texas or NC.., so context matters. Best part of the meal were the Turkey , beans and Brussel sprouts. Beer selection was good with plenty to choose from. Service was pleasant. Sauces are too mild and there isn't much for hot sauces which is unfortunate. With a bit more attention to detail this is a five star place. Enjoy!

Been reviewing BBQ joints in New England for over 3 years now and have over 150 BBQ spots I've visited. And I can say with pretty good certainty that I've hit up all the BBQ joints that Definitely will give true BBQ lovers a fantastic meal. I'm fairly confident now that Blue Bird was the last place on my list of NEED TO GO BBQ Spots in New England and I'm so glad I finally did. Atmosphere alone makes this place probably the greatest BBQ spot to check out in New England. The food is amazing, the patio overlooks the river, plenty of options, full bar. The biggest complaint is they only open for dinner 4:30-8:30 Wed-Sat. In Fact we went up for Valentines day in 2021 only to find that they were only doing pre-orders and they were sold out days ago. Not sure if it's a "we're too busy thing" or a "we don't want to be that busy" thing. And Covid made them practically close shop forever. But finally I made it and good lord I ordered everything ... Came with sweet pickles ... win Brisket: Cut very precisely, very dark bark but not that thick of a bark, a little cubey which is a little off putting but still looked great. Fat layer was in between the meat, usually I find it right under the bark. Oh My God this was good brisket. Just a teeny bit tough, Bark tasted like it was only the spices that gave it the smokey flavor, no black pepper flavor that I noticed. Moistness was practically perfect, not slimy, not mushy, not greasy wet, just like a nice broth. Fat didn't melt at all though. I would say the thing that makes this brisket stand out is the texture of the meat. Flavor is great but the texture is really hard to master. Ribs: Came pre cut but in 2s. Sauced but not much, decent meat amount, smoke ring was okay. First bites left me saying "hmm?" the meat tasted charred. Sauce was mapley and it was excellent. That char was really killing it for me. But the tenderness was great, pork meat was smokey, not falling off the bone so cooked well Chicken: Very good smoked chicken, juicy and smokey all trapped under the skin loaded with a great salty smoky almost lemony rub. Flavor of the chicken had almost a buttery sensation to it. Perfect smoked chicken. Mac and Cheese: Looked goopy with some bread crumbs and I hoped it wouldn't be. Turned out to be cheese goop but tastes way better than other goop I usually get. Mini macaroni, bread crumbs were even good. Not bad Beans: Looked soupy at first, gravy stuck to them though, very red, smelt a chili powder but something sweet too. Had a good garlicky sensation to the smell too. Beans tasted like a sweet and savory mix. I'll try to explain it as almost a fruity, but tiny kick to it, texture is perfect, and all I want to know is how the hell they made this bean sauce. Amazing beans Cole Slaw: Good thing it wasn't a completely white hue to it, good mix of colors. Seasonings looked good, no pool of mayo sauce, tasted good but not too traditional, I like the vinegar style. This tasted like mayo with seasoning in it. Roasted Veggies: Like eating a salad that was on fire. No, they were great. Roasted bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, good stuff Mini Cornbread Muffins: Didn't really look into see if I could just get one so I got the whole dozen of them. Corn meal overload flavor. Flakeyness and Crumbleness made it almost impossible for me. BUT they brought out the maple butter and all was well in the kingdom once more. Apple Hand Pie: Kinda looked like a deep fried taco in cinnamon and maple syrup. This apple hand pie is how you make babies. Insanely good. Banana Jar: Im sure it comes in a mason jar when ordering at dining. Banana pudding is the greatest thing on earth and this recipe is damn near close to the 2nd best I've ever had. This was gritty and smooth at the same time. Crust at the bottom was almost like a ginger snap graham cracker crust. Delicious Smores Jar: Marshmallows were toasted on top, a little too crispy for my taste but many other people love that stuff. Pudding was good but didn't really taste like a homemade batch. Could have been, I don't know. Sauces: White sauce (Alabama) looked like a south western ranch. Tasted more like a south western ranch too. Carolina one was the most liquidy and a lot more sourness to it, just didn't taste the sweetness. One of their sauces was a little chunkier than the others, tasted more like a sweet teriyaki bbq sauce. Not the best I've ever had but definitely up there. Great Food, Great BBQ, Great Place.

Has two parking lots, so parking should not be an issue. Staff is very friendly. Bathrooms are clean and individual unisex style. Seating was quick upon entrance. Food came out really fast. The turkey was really delicious and moist. Pulled pork was kind of dry. Brisket was good but I've had a lot better, one piece was just fat. Coleslaw had no flavor, couldn't eat it. Mac and cheese was really dry and seemed like it had just sat. Grilled vegetables were good. Smashed potatoes were really good. I'd honestly recommend just getting the turkey and smashed potatoes. Also the portion size is pretty small for the price. Overall mediocre barbecue food with a nice atmosphere and view. Outdoor seating is cute, indoor seating is simple and they have Riverview seating which is indoor/outdoor and cute.

Abie our server made wonderful dinner recommendations and was exceptionally helpful and kind. Thanks for a great dinner experience!

I stopped by with my family last weekend and we all had a really great meal and experience. The food is delicious and you can try that for yourself but what I really want to mention is how CLEAN this place is. I have been to many bbq joints where everything is just....... sticky. Bluebird is immaculate. I really noticed how all their sauce bottles are so incredibly clean, and the tray they sit on is pristine. You can really see that they clean those bottles in between customers. The bathrooms are also spotless.

Stopped by tonight for our anniversary dinner at another DDD location. I had the Smoky Seitan + Mushrooms sandwich and my wife had their Chopped Salad with a side of the Smoky Seitan! We both enjoyed their Maple Lemonade. Everything was great and a "Meat" restaurant has done a fine job offering Vegan options! Their answer to the COVID issue was to build a beautiful outdoor dining area for your enjoyment - a job very well done! I can't wait to go back to try their "Meat" options on the menu...

The waitress we had, Lauren (serving on the porch) is a truly exceptional staff. She was able to give recommendations, explain the tastes and sauces as well as bringing everything quickly, and checked in the right amount. We were very disappointed that they aren't doing the ramen on this seasonal menu. We sat on the porch while it was raining and we stayed dry!

A once a year order when visiting family for the last five years. A fairly large order to make up for the holiday absence. This year will be the last. I travel the US for work and I make it a point to seek out the DDD establishments. BBQ joints are no exception regardless of TV fame. I've been to quite a few places that ended up on the DDD line up and its interesting to see what happens after Guy's anointing. Either the quality and value stay in tact or it diminishes. In fact, a lot of places go out of business. I believe for Bluebird, it has diminished. The 15hour brisket must mean that its sliced and dried for 15hours. Anyone with a Traeger and a select grade of brisket can out perform their flats. $29.50 for a half rack of ribs is outrageous even in this economy/recession. The wings came out as expected but at $2.25 per wing, it's hardly worth it. The sides were average. I added two orders of the burnt ends that didn't make it in the bag or the bill. I guess you must be a club card holder to obtain them. Either the bill was taxed at 12% before the service fee of 10%! Yes, a 10% service fee! Or at 9% then later adding the 10% service fee. Either way, you lose totaling an extra $35.59 of no food! This place will survive because it's in Burlington VT with no competition. Anywhere else it would fail regardless of Flavor Town's approval.

I'm from the South, so we take our BBQ pretty seriously. I was looking to see what kind of BBQ joints there were available for dinner one night, and saw Bluebird was highly reviewed. I must say, I was very impressed with the food and will definitely be back on my next trip to Burlington.

Went here and had an AMAZING time and GREAT BBQ! I've eaten BBQ in Texas, Memphis, St. Louis, etc, but this place is better than any I've ate at. Atmosphere and service was took notch. Servings were huge! If you're within 8 hours of this place it's worth the drive for sure!!

Jax was the best server I ever had and the food is so good there 10/10 would come back

Came by on a Saturday evening. Had a short wait but they got us a table pretty quick. The food was quite good, reasonable portions (smaller than I was expecting but not too small). I got the smoked turkey, and tried some of the chicken sandwich (the turkey was better, but both were good). The mac & cheese was also quite good, and I'm not normally a mac & cheese fan.

Loved the food and everyone was so nice! Great sauce and I loved the mini corn bread!

Delicious everything is great I've actually eaten takeout here for years and finally this year I actually dined in. The restaurant was fantastic it lived up to how great it would be. I was so glad. I can't wait to return