8 Best Places for BIG Food in Vermont
Vermont might be the seventh smallest state in the nation, but when it comes to food, the Green Mountain State has some big ideas. Having been visited by Food Network and the Travel Channel, this is one small state that has attracted a lot of food attention. So, from pancakes the size of your head to eight-pound sandwiches and Hungry Man skillets, slap on those comfortable pants as we take a bite out of the 8 best places for big food in Vermont.
Our House Bistro, Winooski, VT
The Hungry Man Challenge starts with a 24-inch skillet stuffed with two bacon-filled waffles and Dutch pancakes. However, it does not stop there, as you will also have to plow through four eggs cooked to order, sausage, corned beef sweet potato hash, Canadian bacon, and home fries. The prize is a free meal and a tee.
Handy’s Lunch, Burlington, VT
Handy’s has been feeding Vermont since 1945, and their Texas chili dogs with homemade meat sauce is all but famous locally. However, last year, Casey Web, of the Travel Channel’s “Man v. Food” show came to town to face off with a different menu item: a mean-looking sandwich that goes by the name of Chuck Norris. This five-meat, seven-egg behemoth is served on five slabs of French toast and finishing it means a place on the wall of fame.
Papa Pete’s, Bennington, VT
Home to the giant pancake challenge, Papa Pete’s ginormous pancakes are so large that they come out on a pizza tin and need to be cut with a pizza wheel. The challenge is stuffing down an entire stack of these 14-inchers (three pancakes) in under a half hour to get your name posted to the hall of fame and bragging rights.
Big Fatty’s BBQ, White River Junction, VT
Big Fatty’s has long been known as a barbecue destination in Vermont. But how much do you love barbecue? Do you love it enough to take the Big Fatty’s Challenge? If you can finish a two-pound pork BBQ sandwich and a pound of fries in under an hour, a free Fatty’s t-shirt and enshrinement on the wall of fame can be yours.
Pittsfield Original General Store, Pittsfield, VT
This quaint general store offers wine, select groceries, fruit smoothies, and penny candies, but it also hides a darker side. The “Green Mountain Feast” is a morning breakfast from hell, and it contains six pancakes, six eggs, two slices of French toast, six bacon strips, two toasts, and two orders of home fries. If you can beat it in less than 30 minutes the breakfast is on the house.
Rozzi's Lakeshore Tavern, Colchester, VT
Rozzi’s is a self-proclaimed burger lover’s paradise, but ground beef is the last thing you’ll be thinking about for a while if you try to tackle their Dozer Challenge. We are talking about two one-pound Angus beef patties, four slices of cheese, eight slices of bacon, four slices, lettuce, tomato, and onion served on a cornbread roll with a large order of fries.
Ramunto's Brick Oven Pizza, Williston, VT
It doesn’t get much more authentic Italian than Ramunto’s, so if you are in the mood for some flaky, toothy dough, spicy sauce, veg, and cheese, why not take the Cal-Mungo Challange today? If you can finish this five-pound beast of calzone in under 45 minutes, the trifecta of wall fame, a free meal, and a free tee can be yours.
Ben and Jerry’s, Waterbury, VT
Now, you can’t do a food challenge in Vermont without talking about the Vermontster, a 20-scoop sundae that includes flavors of your choosing, four whole bananas, fresh-baked cookies, brownies, and sprinkles. The prize, however, is only the deep and lasting satisfaction that you just downed 20 scoops of some of the purist, richest ice cream on the planet… and brain freeze.