Penny Cluse is gone, but you can find sit-down breakfast at these Burlington spots
It sure feels weird that for the first time since 1997 there’s no place called the Penny Cluse Café doling out delicious breakfasts and warm camaraderie on Cherry Street.
The beloved morning spot closed at the end of last year after nearly a quarter-century in business, leaving Burlington breakfast buffs bereft. Where else can a person possibly go for a sit-down breakfast in Burlington? How can someone get pancakes or a plate of fried eggs now that the gold standard for breakfast in town is no more?
There are, of course, plenty of places to get a sit-down breakfast in Vermont’s largest city. These are just some of the locations that go beyond coffee and pastries and serve up the hearty helpings of sustenance you crave. They may or may not live up to your Penny Cluse-inspired lofty expectations, but if you’re in Burlington and you’re craving that first meal of the day, keep these eateries in mind. (Most serve lunch , and some do dinner as well, for you late-risers out there.)
Bleu Northeast Kitchen
This restaurant is on Cherry Street, too, but on the far western side of the street from where Penny Cluse had been. Bleu, located in the Courtyard Burlington Harbor Hotel, features a breakfast menu that includes two eggs any style, buttermilk pancakes, a classic eggs Benedict and an egg sandwich.
Bleu Northeast Kitchen, 25 Cherry St. (802) 864-8600, www.bleuvt.com
The Café HOT
This Main Street entity moved into the space previously occupied by another now-departed and beloved breakfast purveyor – Mirabelles Bakery, which moved to South Burlington. The Café HOT did boffo takeout-only business when it opened in 2021 and now welcomes customers to sit and nosh on ginormous breakfast sandwiches and guzzle bespoke espresso concoctions.
The Café HOT, 198 Main St. (802) 881-9899, www.thecafehot.com
Café Saint Paul
Part of the recent renewal of the stretch of St. Paul Street south of Main Street, Café Saint Paul can go all hipster with avocado toast, but also has a menu including a breakfast burrito and a variety of breakfast sandwiches. The Vermonter adds apples and maple syrup to the egg, cheese and bacon or sausage standard.
Café Saint Paul, 196 St. Paul St. (802) 239-1774, www.cafesaintpaulvt.com
The Friendly Toast
The New England chain with a location on St. Paul Street calls what it offers all-day brunch rather than breakfast, but the gist is the same. The Friendly Toast tempts a.m. visitors with chicken and waffles, two eggs with breakfast meat and toast, a hash quiche, a breakfast sandwich on French toasted doughnuts and huevos rancheros.
The Friendly Toast, 86 St. Paul St. (802) 495-5491, www.thefriendlytoast.com/burlington-vt
Handy’s Lunch
Don’t let the name fool ya – Handy’s Lunch is at least as renowned for its breakfast offerings as for the midday repast in its name. A homey South End spot since the year World War II ended, Handy’s has a sizable breakfast menu that includes something truly sizable in and of itself: The Chuck Norris, a French toast, egg and mounds o’ meat beast of a sandwich made TV famous on “Man v. Food.”
Handy’s Lunch, 74 Maple St. (802) 864-5963, https://handyslunch.wordpress.com/
Henry’s Diner
Another Burlington eatery that’s been around forever – since 1925, technically – the classic Bank Street spot is renowned for its buttermilk pancakes and offers a variety of eggs Benedict dishes. In the past several years, Henry’s joined Penny Cluse as the downtown Burlington breakfast sites most likely to have prospective diners waiting in line for tables.
Henry’s Diner, 155 Bank St. (802) 862-9010, www.henrysdinervt.com
Juniper Bar & Restaurant
The menu for the restaurant inside Hotel Vermont covers the greatest hits of breakfast. Juniper makes classics like two-egg plates and buttermilk pancakes and also dispenses more-surprising items such as mushroom tartine and breakfast nachos.
Juniper Bar & Restaurant, 41 Cherry St. (855) 650-0080, https://hotelvt.com/eat-drink/juniper/
The Skinny Pancake
Crepes rule at this Vermont mini-chain. The menu at the Burlington waterfront location features intriguingly-named items including the Breakfast Monster (egg, cheddar cheese, spinach, caramelized onions, roasted squash and basil sunflower-seed pesto in a crepe) and Noah’s Ark (two eggs any style, two pieces of bacon or sausage, two cinnamon-sugared crepes and a side of Vermont maple syrup).
The Skinny Pancake, 60 Lake St. (802) 540-0188, https://skinnypancake.com/locations/burlington/
The Spot
The surf is always up in this, ahem, spot that takes a beachside approach to its food and vibe. The Spot’s breakfast menu taps into that theme with its Morning Surfari three-egg omelet as well as The Tsunami, which is made of scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese and home fries in a wrap topped with salsa, sour cream and guacamole.
The Spot, 210 Shelburne Road. (802) 540-1778, www.thespotvt.com
Contact Brent Hallenbeck at bhallenbeck@freepressmedia.com. Follow Brent on Twitter at www.twitter.com/BrentHallenbeck.
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: With Penny Cluse gone, sit down to breakfast at these Burlington spots
