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Mon-Thu. 10:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
If you're looking for greasy fast food, forget about Burger King and McDonald's (which are basically right next door) --- come to Al's instead.
As the name implies, the fries are what to come for. These are among the best you can find. Spash on some salt and vinegar and you're in business. The smallest size is plenty for one person, but it's more fun to come with friends and share the big one.
This place is quite inexpensive, but that doesn't mean you should eat here all the time. This isn't exactly health food.
Also, I don't eat seafood very often in Vermont (Maine will spoil you like that), but the cup of clam strips is under $3, perfectly serviceable and a nice alternative to a burger.
My vacation was pretty swell until we cruised into Al's. And then it became superb.
While they may do poorly when it comes to proper plurals (FRYS, what's that? Or shall I say FRIES?), their mastery of said potato done fried more than makes up for it.
I had the corndog. Maybe it came off the SYSCO truck and dunked itself into the fry pan. No matter. It was one delicious breaded meat popsicle.
Hubs had the burger. It was satisfyingly lean and tasty. A slider if you will.
As a family, we try to challenge ourselves to eating for $40 a day. It sounds absurd, but it's fun to see the budget materialize. At a place like Al's, we could have a field day. And we did.
Also -- The booths were taped up, but the tables were pretty dang clean. Condiments and straws were ample, so extra points for that department.
Ice cream window outside was a briliant idea. Playground 'round back was genius, as well.
So my (likely very hung over) friend called and informed me that this is where he wanted to go for lunch before taking me to the airport. I am always up for new culinary experiences so I fully embraced the grease fest that I was about to engage in. My friend ordered an impressive amount of food considering his slender physique. I ordered a cheese burger and the mac and cheese. He told me that the mac and cheese, while potentially good, wasn't greasy/fried and so therefore was clearly not an Al's specialty. I enjoyed it just the same. The burger was actually awesome. I loved the bun because it was toasted and also a bit buttery. This was a wonderful lunch despite the appearance of the place. It won't win any health food awards but at the same time it blows McD's and BK away.
I just wish my friend had allowed me to play tic-tac-toe on the playground outside. That would have really completed the experience!
Burgers, fries, gravy, grease, cheap, delicious!
Still loving Al's for over 20 years!
BEST. FRIES. EVER.
At first I balked at the idea of spraying vinegar on french fries, but when I tried it, I became an instant devotee. I don't know if anything else on their menu is any good, because I only ever get the fries. Healthy, I know, but so worth it.
CLASSIC VERMONT.... ALS FRENCH FRIES
How could I talk bad about AL's. I wouldn't. This is a local favorite. Has been for years. Good creemees and fast food.
What you would expect for a .91 cent burger
Classic grease!!!!
Very quick and inexpensive. Good burgers, good cheesesteak, and good frys. Cash only but has ATM on site.
This restaurant serves my all time favorite french frys. Very consistently excellent fries, fresh cut, soaked and fried to perfection with the perfect amount of skin; simple and delicious.
This place is definitely worth a visit for any french fry fan within a couple hundred miles.
Bonus, you can avoid the line by only purchasing the best thing on the menu, customers wanting to buy fries only can go straight to the cashier!
I feel that the quality has been declining along with the size of burgers.
I can get a much better and bigger burger off the dollar menu at any fast food store so why bother?
If they want to differentiate themselves they need to improve the quality of the beef, switch to canola or peanut oil, and offer more toppings. We're in VT, it's 2009, and they're still not offering Cheddar cheese, only that processed junk? Seriously. I can get a better quality burger, for less, just up the road.
All I can say is yum! They have fantastic food, but the lines can be very long....
Lunchtime at Al's French Frys = Full parking lot. Lines. Crowds. No available tables. Weird algebra for toppings. [If you add lettuce and tomato it comes on the side in a ziplock bag!] But other than the teeny tiny size of their sandwiches this greasy joint doesn't disappoint. All the quirkiness of a Chicago burger and dog dive except with tasty but soggyish Canadian style fries and cheapest possible buns for the burgers. What can you do? It's still an experience worth having.
The bf claims this is the place to go for burgers and fries, but I was underwhelmed. I didn't like the style of fries but it's cool they have vinegar bottles as a condiment. Burgers are normal. I didn't like how I had to order various items (e.g. tomato, lettuce, cheese) separately from the burger (and that brings the cost up too). However, overall it is still cheap. The cremees are good.
Overall, it's OK and I'll come again for a quick snack if I'm hungry and pass by it.
Unfortunately I had to spend Thanksgiving in the frozen hell that is Vermont. We were starved when we landed in Burlington and couldn't decide where to eat.. we came to this place first.
You get what you pay for! The grilled cheese sandwich seemed like a bargain at .91 .. until I saw that it was the size of my thumb. My fiance's burger was tinier than the kiddie meal ones at mcd's. The fries? nothing special. Definitely make sure to dobule up on your sandwiches here. I can't imagine any adult eating that grilled cheese and feeling full!
Good stuff between a bun! . . . that is the best way I can sum up the cheeseburgers here. But make sure that you get the double, because the patties are small. The fries are nice and crisp and fresh -- at least during the lunch time crowd when they are busy frying them up like mad.
The ambiance (if you really want to refer to it as such), is a slightly dated -- I know that they are trying to convey a 50's style -- but somehow it just seems like it needs to be updated or freshened up. But it is still a cute place with good food.
And remember, it is all self -serve here, so don't look for any waiters -- and you pay before you get your order, so make sure you order what you want as you walk-in.
Al's has delicious french fries, which you can order by the Pint or by the Quart (though we always joke that when we go there we will ask them to fill the trunk of the car full of fries and drive off). If you're so inclined (and I am) you can dip your fries in white vinegar instead of ketchup.
When I come here I only get fries and don't bother with their sandwiches etc, which tend to be pretty mediocre (I'm told the Philly Cheese Steak is one of the better options though I haven't tried it). The place is decorated like a '50s diner and there's a window off to the side where you can get cremees (soft serve ice cream), regular ice cream or banana splits.
Random Fact: Last time we ate here, in August 2007, as we were about to drive off we looked over at the truck parked next to us and saw an elderly couple in the car. At first it looked like everything was normal - the woman was eating a soft serve cone and the man was eating a banana split. On closer inspection we noticed that the man wasn't actually eating his banana split, he was just holding onto it while a black and white cat was licking whipped cream from the banana split dish.
What was going on in this car?
Since the banana and ice cream was still intact, we ruled out the possibility that the cat was just eating the man's leftovers. since the man definitely saw what the cat was doing and both human occupants seemed so nonchalant we ruled out the fact that the cat was being bad and was eating the banana split against the owner's wishes. We were left with the dubious but awesome conclusion that the couple had a weekly ritual of taking their cat for a ride in the truck, stopping by Al's, and buying it a banana split (I can't say for sure but the lady's soft serve cone seemed more like an afterthought).
Still, this explanation raises more questions than it answers. Even though it is well established that cats love whipped cream, they are not known for liking bananas, so a banana split seems like an very odd choice to buy for one's cat. Also, taking your pet out for a ride in a truck seems more like something for a dog owner, rather than a cat owner. This is probably one of those mysteries I will just never get to the bottom of.
A local fast food northern VT institution. Famous for their frys and cheap burgers. A must stop if passing through. Menu is huge but I recommend to stay with the basics.
You wont go away hungry or feeling robbed.
So many people say that you will find the love of your life at college. I don't know about that, but I found Al's and for the time being, it was just as fulfilling.
Al's is quick, cheap, fatty, salty and delicious. I never really deviated from the burgers, dogs and fries. I even tried my friend's method of soaking the fries in vinegar. Verdict? Not too bad. Where else can you go with three friends and have a dinner bill under $15?
The atmosphere, sure, it's very fast food-esque. But what do you expect? This is not a fine dining experience. (Note: bill total above.) It has a 50's feel and everyone from college kids, to T-ball leaguers, to families clamoring for some grease.
You have to try it, at least once.
when in vermont, do as the vermont-ians do...
i came, i saw, i ate... burgers and fries. it was good.
that is all.
Al's is like a glorified little league snack stand....and on some days it feels like the whole little league is there. It's quick, it's greasy, it's cheap and if you catch it at the right time, you'll get a table.
The best part is the ice cream in the summer time. I love going and sitting on the trunk of my car and eating ice cream and people watching.
The typo in the name bothers me...always has...but it's a landmark in this town. English major be damned.
I'm a spoiled city brat nowadays, but a couple of years ago I would have told you that Al's French Fries is the best place to go for a cheap thrill.
It's still the best place in Burlington to go for a cheap, perhaps innebriated bite, but not the best all around.
My main beef is that all I can eat there is grilled cheese (vegetarianism yay!) and all they do is put a piece of cheese on a hamburger bun.
I know I shouldn't expect a lot for two bucks. But come on--some bread, please?!
However, Al's does have the most AMAZING french fries in the universe. And some great soft serve yogurt during the summer!
I'm pretty sure my friends have told me Al's has good burgers and chicken, so you carnivorous types should go buck! Have fun!
In the top three fries on the planet. Dick's in Seattle being their main competition.
Every time i'm in VT, I make it out to get me some AL's. With Nectars using what on my last few visits tasted like freeze dried shaped potato whip fries, AL's is defnitively #1 in VT.
Though Nectar's still has the best gravy.
Great fries and burgers.
I happened upon Al's by local recommendation. The fries were great as well as my Philly Cheesesteak. The staff is mostly young kids, but they are professional and friendly.
I'm still full. I ate 2 burgers, a corndog, a pint, and a large creamee.
The quality was poor, the service was poor and the restaurant was dirty. I think a chain would have been better and I really dislike chains.
Best French Fries in the World!!
They are greasalicious! Go for the Quart because once you start -you WILL WANT MORE!! Love the retro feel and the friendly staff. Stick with the frys and you won't go wrong. Would've been 5 stars but they have other stuff on the menu too... the burgers and hotdogs are ok. fried chicken is a big portion. Can you believe they have clam strips?!? yikes!
Al's is a great place for a quick burger and fries. It's not overly expensive, or anything fantastic by any means but it's decent enough to have a meal at. The burgers are not large, so be sure and order up doubles! Also be sure and order fries! Geez, that's why it's called "Al's French Fries"! If it's summer time you can save room for a soft serve ice cream available outside.
i'd move to burlington solely for these fries.
It's REALLY cheap! A burge for just $1.21? Such a deal. The big order of fries can feed several people. Steer clear of the mozzarella sticks. Never tried anything but burgers and fries here, so I can't speak for the rest of the sandwiches. Service is FAST.
i really didnt like Al's, the fries were sogy and the burgers werent that good. I'd rather go to Burger King then go back here. But then again I'm not a local so maybe it's just one of those local things.
Really great, inexpensive burgers & frys. It's a Burlington landmark. They have hydraulic ketchup dispensers, which are really neat.
The BF took me to this Burlington landmark prior to heading to a UVM hockey game. I am not much of greasy burger joint gal so I wasn't too psyched about having dinner here but we needed some place quick to eat. Their menu is large, sort of difficult to navigate and tough to get a handle on all that they offer. I went with the grilled chicken sandwich in an attempt to keep my grease intake to less than that of the BF. (Someone had to drive.) Any way the BF of course happily scoffed down two cheeseburgers followed by many fries and onion rings. I only marginally enjoyed my rubbery chicken breast sandwich. It did have lettuce and tomato and I was able to get honey mustard sauce to add some flavor. I wasn't at all impressed by their catsup dispensers. The one I used was so slow to dispense I thought it was busted. All in all, the service was quick, our order was correct, and I think if you generally like this type of food you won't be disappointed.
Burlington, VT
Category: Colleges & Universities
Burlington, VT
Category: Pizza
Burlington, VT
Category: Restaurants
Burlington, VT
Category: Restaurants
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