Here is my review of Burlington's top 30 Restaurants as of the date 5-19-22. I've tried to stay away from most chain restaurants, although one or two may have slipped in there. Some of the written material is my own; however, a great portion will be borrowed from the restaurants' site content or even yelp reviews. If I am contacted with an issue, I will then site my sources. I would love to hear your input at Burlingtonmover@aol.com. I will also be making a comment section at the bottom of the page when I complete the content.
#1 Shokai Sushi:
Shokai opened it's doors in 2007 with the focus of introducing "westernized" sushi to people that feared it as simply raw fish. With mostly cooked entrees and the good ole "word of mouth" advertising, this business has become a success. I seem to become happier and happier with each bite. Leaving a restaurant with the apex of dining joy is my goal, and I get it here every time.
#2 Latavola Italian Eatery:
By JEFF ABELL jabell@thehawkeye.com
In downtown Burlington, hungry patrons don’t have far to travel to sample French and Italian culinary masterpieces.
In recent years, North Fourth Street has become home to two distinct restaurants — Bistro 322 and La Tavola Italian Eatery — that specialize in tantalizing cuisine and unique dining experiences.
Separated by two buildings, the restaurants are the start of what owners believe will be a restaurant renaissance in downtown Burlington.
“I would like to see this street turn into a restaurant district. I would like entrepreneurs to take a look at my business or others’ businesses and realize that the downtown has a lot to offer,” said Sean Foehring, owner of Bistro 322.
Carlo Falcone, co-owner of La Tavola, agreed, adding: “We’re not worried about competition. I’m more worried about the city removing snow and ice from the streets so our customers don’t fall. Only good things will happen to us if more restaurants open around us.”
La Tavola — which in Italian means “The Table” — opened in 2007 to rave reviews and large crowds.
Crowds continue to flock to the family establishment, which offers, among other taste-tempting concoctions, authentic veal parmigiana, linguine with clam sauce and calzones.
When it comes to authentic Italian cuisine, Burlington transplants Falcone and his wife Cheryl know their business.
Falcone’s love of cooking stems from a childhood in Sicily full of good food and fond memories. He honed his skills in the kitchen during a one-year stint in the Italian army at age 19.
In the late 1980s, he relocated to New Jersey where he and his brother owned three pizza restaurants.
After marrying in 1994, the couple received an offer from Cheryl’s sister, Cathy Gordon, to open up a restaurant at the building she owned at 316 N. Fourth St.
The rest is culinary history.
“We stay here because Burlington feels like home to us,” Falcone said. “We’re very happy with our business. Our customers are happy. We’re happy; what more can you ask for?”
At Bistro 322, Foehring surveyed his empty restaurant and smiled. Earlier, the place had been packed with customers taking advantage of his current lunch special.
It’s with a certp>ain sense of pride that Foehring says his heart belongs to Burlington. A native, Foehring made his name in the food and beverage business in the neon jungle of Las Vegas.
As time went on, Foehring, who also co-owned a restaurant in Oklahoma, was ready to return to his hometown.
The idea of opening a restaurant in Burlington wasn’t on his agenda. However, while working at The Drake, he stumbled upon a For Rent sign at the 322 N. Fourth St. building.
“It just clicked. I knew I was missing the dining atmosphere I found in Las Vegas. For me, French cooking is comfort food. It’s not so different than the comfort food I remember growing up in Burlington,” he said.
Since opening last year, Foehring has combined two loves, French cuisine and wine, into a thriving business.
He credits La Tavola, along with Martini’s Grille and Mister Moto’s Cafe, for providing successful business models.
Martini’s, situated on the northern-most corner of Fourth Street, has been offering an eclectic mix of food and cocktails since locating in RiverPark Place in 2004.
On the south end of Fourth Street, Mister Moto’s opened in 2006 serving up exotic coffee and bistro food to downtown visitors. The business reopened last year as Moto’s Public House.
“Those restaurants have proven that the downtown is a perfect place to locate. When people look at the downtown, we want them to see the potential,” Foehring said.
“What all of us would like to see is more restaurants on Fourth Street and elsewhere in the downtown. For me, the hope is to have a flourishing and growing downtown.”
#3 Martini's:
Martini's is simply the classiest place to eat in town. It is casual wear, however; if you're up for a tuxedo type of night on the town. This is the place to be. Unless you find yourself on top of the bridge, this is probably the best view of downtown Burlington and the river that you are going to get. And if partaking al fresco is your choice of gala, then the outdoor dining area should acquaint you quite well. I done went and used up all my smart words. So I am going to fish out something from Trip Advisor. Man do I love me a message board post with capital letters and punctuation.
My husband & I took our daughter out for a 'last meal' before going back to college. Service was great. We had Emily as our server and she was a delight. As for the food, we started with a couple appetizers - oysters on the half shell and Sumo sushi roll. The sushi was just okay, but the oysters delicious - large and chilled perfectly. As our entrees, we all got seafood dishes - tuna, shrimp and sea bass. My husband and daughter said theirs were excellent. I had the sea bass and it was amazing! I paired it with a spinach salad and dim sum green beans - and both were excellent. We ended up sharing a dessert - a chocolate mousse cake with ganache and whipped cream. The dessert was huge and delicious. The atmosphere at Martini's is really nice, and a booth by the windows give you a great view. We've been here quite a few times but I've never left a review. After last night my daughter told me I had to leave a review. It is a bit on the pricey side, but when you want to have a special meal, Martini's is a great place to go!
#4 Lambo's:
Well, there isn't much online about Lambo's, because it is part of the Spirit Hollow golf course. So I have to freelance the entire review. So to get it out of the way, it is the most impressive golf course for many miles in any direction. The catch for the restaurant is the driving range. There are 7 "suites". This is a first-class driving range experience. They cover most of the east wall of the facility for the enjoyment of the indoor patrons as they fire away into the distance from a second-story vantage point. These are fully serviced (they bring you food and drink), temperature controlled, and have games and leagues to add for excitement. If there is a game on that you would like to see, they have 47 big screens in da house. So in the building that Lambo's inhabits, is also the pro shop and several very interesting side rooms that seem like museum exhibits. There is like a library/study/smoking room from an era before all the star dust collected to make me. It has the feeling that maybe Theodore Roosevelt once rocked this stage. And another similar room from the same age that felt more like a hunter's hall for oil and railroad barons. Experiencing these two rooms is worth the visit alone. Oh ya, they have pretty swell food as well.
#5 Go Fish Sushi:
This is a very small place(maybe 6 tables?), which they seem to make work for them. The employees are dedicated to the experience, and the owners are present and filling in wherever needed. Incredibly priced, high-quality sushi. Their menu changed frequently as their goal is to get the freshest/highest quality product. I would have ranked them higher if Shokai wasn't already on the list. What? You don't believe me? Well here is what Kladi Poppins had to say "We drove over an hour to try their Sushi. We definitely were not disappointed. Sushi was amazing and we tried a few rolls we had never heard of before. Loved the unique rolls, atmosphere and our sushi came out fast as busy as they were with to go orders and in-house orders. Our waitress was very sweet and it was nice to see the owners so involved from cooking, to taking orders, to clearing tables. Highly recommend!
#1 Shokai Sushi:
Shokai opened it's doors in 2007 with the focus of introducing "westernized" sushi to people that feared it as simply raw fish. With mostly cooked entrees and the good ole word of mouth advertising, the quality of the food and service has driven this to the top of my list.
#1 Shokai Sushi:
Shokai opened it's doors in 2007 with the focus of introducing "westernized" sushi to people that feared it as simply raw fish. With mostly cooked entrees and the good ole word of mouth advertising, the quality of the food and service has driven this to the top of my list.
#1 Shokai Sushi:
Shokai opened it's doors in 2007 with the focus of introducing "westernized" sushi to people that feared it as simply raw fish. With mostly cooked entrees and the good ole word of mouth advertising, the quality of the food and service has driven this to the top of my list.
#1 Shokai Sushi:
Shokai opened it's doors in 2007 with the focus of introducing "westernized" sushi to people that feared it as simply raw fish. With mostly cooked entrees and the good ole word of mouth advertising, the quality of the food and service has driven this to the top of my list.
#1 Shokai Sushi:
Shokai opened it's doors in 2007 with the focus of introducing "westernized" sushi to people that feared it as simply raw fish. With mostly cooked entrees and the good ole word of mouth advertising, the quality of the food and service has driven this to the top of my list.
#1 Shokai Sushi:
Shokai opened it's doors in 2007 with the focus of introducing "westernized" sushi to people that feared it as simply raw fish. With mostly cooked entrees and the good ole word of mouth advertising, the quality of the food and service has driven this to the top of my list.
#1 Shokai Sushi:
Shokai opened it's doors in 2007 with the focus of introducing "westernized" sushi to people that feared it as simply raw fish. With mostly cooked entrees and the good ole word of mouth advertising, the quality of the food and service has driven this to the top of my list.
#1 Shokai Sushi:
Shokai opened it's doors in 2007 with the focus of introducing "westernized" sushi to people that feared it as simply raw fish. With mostly cooked entrees and the good ole word of mouth advertising, the quality of the food and service has driven this to the top of my list.
#1 Shokai Sushi:
Shokai opened it's doors in 2007 with the focus of introducing "westernized" sushi to people that feared it as simply raw fish. With mostly cooked entrees and the good ole word of mouth advertising, the quality of the food and service has driven this to the top of my list.
#1 Shokai Sushi:
Shokai opened it's doors in 2007 with the focus of introducing "westernized" sushi to people that feared it as simply raw fish. With mostly cooked entrees and the good ole word of mouth advertising, the quality of the food and service has driven this to the top of my list.
#1 Shokai Sushi:
Shokai opened it's doors in 2007 with the focus of introducing "westernized" sushi to people that feared it as simply raw fish. With mostly cooked entrees and the good ole word of mouth advertising, the quality of the food and service has driven this to the top of my list.
#1 Shokai Sushi:
Shokai opened it's doors in 2007 with the focus of introducing "westernized" sushi to people that feared it as simply raw fish. With mostly cooked entrees and the good ole word of mouth advertising, the quality of the food and service has driven this to the top of my list.
#1 Shokai Sushi:
Shokai opened it's doors in 2007 with the focus of introducing "westernized" sushi to people that feared it as simply raw fish. With mostly cooked entrees and the good ole word of mouth advertising, the quality of the food and service has driven this to the top of my list.
#1 Shokai Sushi:
Shokai opened it's doors in 2007 with the focus of introducing "westernized" sushi to people that feared it as simply raw fish. With mostly cooked entrees and the good ole word of mouth advertising, the quality of the food and service has driven this to the top of my list.
#1 Shokai Sushi:
Shokai opened it's doors in 2007 with the focus of introducing "westernized" sushi to people that feared it as simply raw fish. With mostly cooked entrees and the good ole word of mouth advertising, the quality of the food and service has driven this to the top of my list.
#1 Shokai Sushi:
Shokai opened it's doors in 2007 with the focus of introducing "westernized" sushi to people that feared it as simply raw fish. With mostly cooked entrees and the good ole word of mouth advertising, the quality of the food and service has driven this to the top of my list.
#1 Shokai Sushi:
Shokai opened it's doors in 2007 with the focus of introducing "westernized" sushi to people that feared it as simply raw fish. With mostly cooked entrees and the good ole word of mouth advertising, the quality of the food and service has driven this to the top of my list.
#1 Shokai Sushi:
Shokai opened it's doors in 2007 with the focus of introducing "westernized" sushi to people that feared it as simply raw fish. With mostly cooked entrees and the good ole word of mouth advertising, the quality of the food and service has driven this to the top of my list.
#1 Shokai Sushi:
Shokai opened it's doors in 2007 with the focus of introducing "westernized" sushi to people that feared it as simply raw fish. With mostly cooked entrees and the good ole word of mouth advertising, the quality of the food and service has driven this to the top of my list.
#1 Shokai Sushi:
Shokai opened it's doors in 2007 with the focus of introducing "westernized" sushi to people that feared it as simply raw fish. With mostly cooked entrees and the good ole word of mouth advertising, the quality of the food and service has driven this to the top of my list.
#1 Shokai Sushi:
Shokai opened it's doors in 2007 with the focus of introducing "westernized" sushi to people that feared it as simply raw fish. With mostly cooked entrees and the good ole word of mouth advertising, the quality of the food and service has driven this to the top of my list.
#1 Shokai Sushi:
Shokai opened it's doors in 2007 with the focus of introducing "westernized" sushi to people that feared it as simply raw fish. With mostly cooked entrees and the good ole word of mouth advertising, the quality of the food and service has driven this to the top of my list.
#1 Shokai Sushi:
Shokai opened it's doors in 2007 with the focus of introducing "westernized" sushi to people that feared it as simply raw fish. With mostly cooked entrees and the good ole word of mouth advertising, the quality of the food and service has driven this to the top of my list.
#1 Shokai Sushi:
Shokai opened it's doors in 2007 with the focus of introducing "westernized" sushi to people that feared it as simply raw fish. With mostly cooked entrees and the good ole word of mouth advertising, the quality of the food and service has driven this to the top of my list.
#1 Shokai Sushi:
Shokai opened it's doors in 2007 with the focus of introducing "westernized" sushi to people that feared it as simply raw fish. With mostly cooked entrees and the good ole word of mouth advertising, the quality of the food and service has driven this to the top of my list.
#1 Shokai Sushi:
Shokai opened it's doors in 2007 with the focus of introducing "westernized" sushi to people that feared it as simply raw fish. With mostly cooked entrees and the good ole word of mouth advertising, the quality of the food and service has driven this to the top of my list.
#1 Shokai Sushi:
Shokai opened it's doors in 2007 with the focus of introducing "westernized" sushi to people that feared it as simply raw fish. With mostly cooked entrees and the good ole word of mouth advertising, the quality of the food and service has driven this to the top of my list.
Resteraunt Reviews
Carlos O Kelly's 5-12-99
Gators 5-13-99
Hungry Bear 5-18-99
Applebees 5-29-99
Martini's 8-7-99
Perkins 10-29-99
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