Penny Cluse Cafe Review

Comfort foods, totally go there. I had the chicken stew and biscuits. Oh my! Perfect.

Cozy atmosphere, good service, creative menu. Didn t love the dishes we got (corned beef hash had lots of onions and too big chunks of beef for my preference) but the gingerbread pancake was great and neighbors got the fruit plate which also looked awesome.

Good basic meals with some creative flair on elements. Cornbread French toast was great and service prompt and food quick to serve. Will go again.

Love going to penny cluse on Sundays! It gets pretty crowded but it's worth it! The food is delicious, the staff is nice, cosy place

This place is a home-run every time... Just wish the wait was shorter (or they let you put your name on the list over the phone)

Fabulous food and service. Good menu of creative dishes that work well. The $1 upgrade for a fruit plate was worth it - melons, kiwi, grapefruit, blueberries, etc. Clean and bright.

The food was good and the staff were very friendly, my only complaint is that there isn't enough meat with the dishes (hence 4 stars and not 5). As you can see from the pic you only really get one sausage with your dish, and although it tasted good it left me hungry for more.

Long wait - worth the experience. Cute, unique interior. Food was good, not amazing. Try a smoothie.

Amazing vibes here, great food (the veggie reuben is one of the best sandwiches on the planet) and great service. Only off note is that due to low ceilings, every high pitched noise like children's voices and clanking dishes seems twice as loud as usual and so the noise level there is always pretty intense. A seemingly obvious and quick fix would be to put some fabric on the walls or ceiling which might absorb some of it... This might seem a minor point but the at times shrill nose level could make it a somewhat uncomfortable experience. Older folks especially have complained about it too. Otherwise, great food!

Well worth the long breakfast line. Yummy comfort food.

Always a delicious meal! Good ambiance and prefect brunch place

Came as top rated and exceeded expectations. Breakfast waa top notch. The garlicky kale hash was awesome. Great service.

BEST place in Burlington for REAL home made food! Never have had a bad meal here, the "spuds" are STELLAR! But try everything, you won't be disappointed! Waitstaff is friendly, professional and always welcoming! Prices are modest: NOT cheap, NOT expensive. Quality is right up there, even the jams are homemade, so don't complain! Also it's well worth the wait to get in, as I notice other reviewers have commented on the long lines and the noise. There's a small upstairs dining area, it's NOT as noisy up there and more private. Both breakfast and lunch fare are superb! Thanks Penny Cluse!

I got the "across the pond." The eggs were perfect, the tomato was perfect, everything was swimming in yummy beans and the sausage was an absolute delight.

Worth the long wait. The service was friendly and quick. I had the chili lime chicken special, it was cooked perfectly. The meal was full of flavour. Would definitely return and recommend. The menu had something for everyone.

We were not, for example, offered more bread when we finished up the tasty rolls.

All of it is delicious! I would suggest getting there early because the wait ca be ridiculous

My favorite brunch place, check out there sister location right next store.

This is my favorite breakfast place in Vermont, the service is amazing and so is the food. You just need to know the menu and get the best deal for you. They do have a lot of choices so it can be hard, but I would recommend the peanut ginger tofu scram, I know "tofu" but let me tell you it's absolutely amazing. 10/10

Amazing local food prepared well. No line during off peak hours on a Monday afternoon. Courteous staff and quick service make this cozy location a gem for locals and tourists alike. The breakfast burrito was a standout.

Delicious food which is worth the wait. Attentive and efficient staff. As a self-proclaimed coffee snob, I was glad I had my coffee prior.

Efficient service and fabulous food. Great for lunch or breakfast any day

Very cozy atmosphere with a great selection of food.

Yum! Awesome breakfast in downtown Burlington close to other area shops.

OMG... best smoked salmon since humanity walked on 2 legs... off the freaking chart....

Fast, good prices and delicious! Pear snack (special), biscuits with herb gravy, banana bread, turkey sandwich and cucumber salad! No complaints lovely view of downtown Burlington.

Best breakfast, brunch, & lunch. Get your name on the list & go walk around Church Street. Penny Cluse is ALWAYS worth the wait.

Update: Added 1 star. One of the very best restaurants of it's kind in the country.

Went with high expectations. Heard good things but the place fell short. Parking is difficult and requires payment. Menu items were typical but with nice unique flair yet when looking for breakfast staple food, it didn't deliver. Very nice wait staff and pleasant service.

I love this place Because is the best lunch and also I work there

Sometimes there's a wait, but it is worth it. Great food and friendly service.

Instantly fell in love and wanted to come back again and again. The biscuits and herb gravy was the best I've had anywhere. I'm not vegetarian and I honestly prefer it to most sausage gravy.

Just go...you won't regret it. And start with a bucket of spuds to make everyone at your table smile. SO glad I saw all the good ratings and stopped in for brunch on my visit to Burlington. Definately will be going back again when in the area!

Great Mexican dishes. Hash was OK, not very much meat. Coffee was very diner standard. Waitress friendly, food arrived hot and quick. We will be back.

Service was great, coffee good and bottomless, and the corned beef hash was the best ive ever had. Be ye warned however, it be a heap o food! Highly recommend.

Service was good but I would not go back for the food. Hardly any pork in my dish and that which was there was luke warm. The coconut mango coffee cake didn't taste much of anything like coconut, mango not coffee!

Simply the best breakfast in Burlington. This time I got out of my polenta and eggs rut (oh, but that is so good) and tried the corned beef hash. It was amazing. No gluten free bread here, but good corn tortillas available as a substitute.

Food was great wait was long staff were ok hostess was rude dry and unprofessional. If she was replaced this place would be great

Great food and service. Must have if you are in Burlington!

Good, but a little greasy. Atmosphere is OK, a little loud and can be crowded during peak breakfast hours. We had breakfast here - bucket of spuds was good, and the bacon egg and cheese was also good, but again, greasy. Friendly waitstaff.

Friendly, fast service. Lively without being crazy crowded. (We got there early. I'm thinking you should get there early.) The food was tasty, the coffee was good, we were in and out in an hour without feeling rushed at all. Two enthusiastic thumbs up!

Delicious. Great service. Fun atmosphere. The freshest ingredients.... Enjoy!

Awesome breakfast food especially he bucket o spuds

Excellent service, excellent food. You really can't go wrong here. Might be a bit of a wait, but if you actually stuck around you'll often jump the line of people that have wandered off. Try anything on the menu, the gravy, the Hispanic inspired, anything and everything is delicious.

Great place to go for weekend brunch! Definitely call ahead though! But staff and food were amazing!

Exceptionally long wait to be seated for breakfast, 45+ minutes. Menu has a variety of choices and the food wasn't bad, it was just too trendy for my taste. Others rave about their "cluse sauce", I found it to be rather bland and uninspiring. Waitstaff are courteous and pleasant.

The gingerbread pancakes are amazing! The atmosphere is great too. Bright and lively.

Kale and eggs was the most delicious breakfast I've eaten in a while!

Close to $18 for two scrambled eggs, two pieces of bacon, couple homefries and piece of white bread. It was good, but not worth the price. Do they think this is Newbury street in Boston or something? The pricing is ridiculous especially during these hard times...Should have just made it myself...

On our first morning staying in Burlington, I did a bit of research to find just the right breakfast place. I wanted a mimosa, he wanted a heady topper, and we both wanted low key, delicious and healthful food. What we got at Penny Cluse was everything I would want cooked at home but better. Fresh crispy sourdough, perfectly cooked everything, and an overall spectacular breakfast, eaten out on the sidewalk at a small private table. Thank you!

Good food, reasonable prices, friendly and good staff

A unique space with delicious and very vegan friendly food.

Cute place with friendly waitstaff. My breakfast was awesome!

Lunch was very tasty, and pleasantly understated and simple.

Love the atmosphere but it can get very busy here. Expect to wait at least half an hour. Eclectic menu, but the Gingerbread pancakes and home fries are the things that dreams are made of.

Great place to go for breakfast. My husband and I stopped here while in Burlington. We were seated right away and given coffee, and our waitress kept refilling our cups quickly without us ever having to ask. All of the food was very tasty. My favorite thing was probably the bucket of spuds. Will definitely be back.

Long wait, slow service, ordered a side, got a different one.

Amazing food. The vegan selection isn't extensive but it's enough, you can easily build your own plates, and the wait staff are friendly and informed.

The wait time is usually a lot shorter than they claim.

Food was excellent, but the wait times for a table on weekends are up to an hour or more. If you want to eat here, clearly you have to arrive first thing in the morning, or be prepared to kill some time before you eat.

Great ecclectic breakfast and lunch Cafe, inexpensive and quick.

Great food, great staff, great decor. TOO MANY PEOPLE so the wait is forever!

My favorite breakfast place in the universe. The Penny Cluse itself is my favorite dish. It may take forever to get seated, but it's extremely worth it. Doesn't have a lot of frills; doesn't need a lot of frills. Name a good breakfast place with frills. The place you just described to yourself is basically Applebees. Penny Cluse is not Applebees. Arrive to this locale with an open mind and a hungry belly and you will leave a happy human

Great food! Take your classic diner and add organic ingredients with more healthy options and you get Penny Cluse.

Also, a lot of southern who have reviewed this restaurant were appalled at the gravy because it does not contain sausage. First, when you are traveling to other states, they may interpret dishes differently. Vermont leans heavily on healthy food. Second, the gravy tastes delicious! It s an herb based gravy with scallions on top (not like another reviewer who called them onions LOL).

Overall - a great brunch but get there early! Long waif

Awesome! Probably the best home fries I have ever experienced.

I've gone there twice, and both times I've absolutely loved eating there. They have amazing food, a great layout and great service. I recommend anyone to go there ASAP!

Delicious food and great flavors! Get the hash browns. You will not leave hungry. The line and wait can get pretty long if you go on a busy time for Sunday brunch, but totally worth it! The staff is incredibly friendly and welcoming. Lots of locals and regulars!

Great breakfast! Vermont made food items, and real maple syrup at no extra charge. Staff super friendly and attentive.

Always a pleasure stopping by when I'm visiting family. Friendly and attentive staff, amazing food, totally worth the wait.

You have to try this place. It s a Burlington legend. My kids, now young professionals, have to eat here whenever they come home. The food is exceptional and the service is great. It s a very popular spot on weekends.