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Sneakers Bistro & Cafe

4.5 star rating
based on 23 reviews

Category: Breakfast & Brunch  [Edit]

36 Main St
Winooski, VT 05404
(802) 655-9081
Price Range:
$$
Accepts Credit Cards:
Yes
Parking:
Street
Attire:
Casual
Good for Groups:
No
Good for Kids:
Yes
Takes Reservations:
No
Delivery:
No
Waiter Service:
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible:
No
Outdoor Seating:
Yes
Good for:
Breakfast
Alcohol:
Full Bar

23 reviews for Sneakers Bistro & Cafe

Review Highlights   

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"I dream about the kaluha french toast and the cinnamon rolls." (in 5 reviews)
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"Totally worth the wait outside, even on a cold day." (in 5 reviews)
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"Decent coffee and real maple syrup on the tables round out a pretty perfect…" (in 4 reviews)
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Sort by: Yelp Sort | Date | Rating | Elites'
Photo of Tom M.

 

7

17

Tom M.

New York, NY

4 star rating
10/18/2009

Drive by here any morning no matter what the weather and there is a crowd and a line.  The last time I went the owner of the restaurant next to Sneakers was open with NO ONE IN IT, and 15 people waiting for Sneakers.  It's an institution in Winooski and an amazing place.  

Brunch is always on the money with reasonable prices.  Definitely get the french toast or pancakes for those looking for some food before skiing or snowboarding.  I love that they have vegetarian sausage and other options.  I have been many times and still trying to pick my favorite.  

If you are a local or a tourist in Burlington, drive through Winooski and go to Sneakers, you won't be disappointed and sound like a local when you tell people where you ate.

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Photo of Cara D.

 

8

118

Cara D.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
9/20/2009

I want to give this place 4.5 stars.

I had some amazing pancakes here- I am on the search for the best pancakes EVER and these may be in the top three.  Blueberry and banana thick delicious pancakes.  Yes.

My sister ordered the California Eggs Benedict.  She loved it. Its vegetarian and that's what she like.  They even have avo here- I feel like that is very rare on the East Coast.  

I would def come back here for some delicious pancakes and I think that everyone should just have one bite to experience them.

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Photo of Brian C.

 

0

61

Brian C.

Clifton, NJ

4 star rating
12/2/2009

Really great breakfast. I had the kahlua french toast, fruit, home fries, and bacon. I like my bacon a little floppier but i will let it slide. The french toast was amazing. I am new to the coffee thing, but i didnt really like the iced coffee. Everything else was really great. The waiting situation is a little peculiar because you have to wait in a different resteraunt, but there is a big courtyard just outside as well. The booth was a little tight for 5 adults, but we still managed to fit all the plates and enjoy. This is my friends favorite place and for good reason.

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Photo of David S.

Elite '09

5

85

David S.

Long Island City, NY

4 star rating
10/14/2009

Excellent breakfast!  While i was in town i needed a good breakfast before my plane ride home, a friend took me here ensuring that this was THE place to have breakfast in the area.  He was totally right.  The staff is very friendly.  The menu is interesting and creative.  They had a few items that were Mexican type breakfast dishes, such as a breakfast burrito and a type of huevos rancheros.  They also have the standards, but usually a bit more fun, such as the pumpkin waffles.  I ordered a combination of eggs, peppers, onions, and chorizo over a flat fried tortilla.  Excellent dish.  Lots of flavor, everything was perfectly cooked to.  Good coffee also.  Highly recommended for breakfast.

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Photo of C m.

 

2

38

C m.

Burlington, VT

3 star rating
4/10/2009

Earthy breakfast
Funky-folksy-50ish atmospheres

Just wish it was a little cleaner and the lines for Sunday breakfast are really long.

love the giant sneakers hanging over the entrance.

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Photo of laura b.

 

0

3

laura b.

Boston, MA

5 star rating
8/4/2009

GREAT BREAKFAST. worth the wait. the waitstaff were friendly, beyond helpful ( to us poor tourists in search of....)... food was great.
Don't miss!

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Photo of David B.

Elite '09

14

122

David B.

Brooklyn, NY

4 star rating
8/28/2008

While I hate the crowd, consisting of college brats and used up parents and their offspring, the food is pretty damn good and the staff is nice.

Personally, while vehemently non-vegetarian, I really dig the California Benedict.

Word of warning: If you're a Bloody Mary purist, make sure you tell them so. While their mix is fairly decent, they load it with a mess of crap. Lemon, carrot, celery, etc. Be warned.

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Photo of L J.

 

15

90

L J.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
11/12/2008

This place has pretty good specials.  However, they're so fucking popular that you'll need to go on a weekday to test it out-- otherwise you're going to have to wait until a bunch of hungover hipsters get their chai and bounce.

if you do go on a weekend, you get to hang out at the neighboring Monkey House/Monkey Bar while they find you a table.  The Monkey Bar is the best place to see live music in Burlington-- and an equally chill place to hang out and play pool.

But this review is about Sneakers, so I'll wrap it up with this:
This place has great food, but it's a little over hyped.  If you find yourself in the area around breakfast, check it out-- but you're hungover and irritable you might not be up to the packed setting of locals, students, and post-college douchebags who "simply adore this place."

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Photo of Elena V.

 

20

15

Elena V.

Stevenson, CT

5 star rating
12/17/2008

This place is great, the wait is long but the food is well worth it.  The inside is really cute too, it's totally kitschy and cool.  They make great bloody mary's too.

AND they have individual jukeboxes at the booths!

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Photo of Satoru Y.

Elite '09

58

173

Satoru Y.

Honolulu, HI

5 star rating
4/16/2008

One of the best diners that I've been to.

I was visiting and a friend of mine played tour guide, and took me to this quaint establishment.  Little did I know that I would be introduced to the area with a shining example of a great New England breakfast.  Everything was so good that I didn't want to stop eating.  I felt like I could eat here everyday of my trip.  

I will always remember the Eggs Benedict that Sneakers serves up.  Deliciously perfect hollandaise, great canadian bacon, and a even greater touch with the artichoke hearts.  I couldn't get enough, so I had to sample the French Toast, which was fantastic...especially with the real Vermont maple syrup.  I also sampled my friend's Wrap which was also very flavorful.  

An unforgettable diner experience; thank you Sneakers.

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Photo of Quinn S.

Elite '09

336

424

Quinn S.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
12/2/2006

Great classic diner.  Sneakers is a Winooski institution.  

The menu never really changes, but that seems appropriate for a diner.  The wait is long, and the service is good but nothing to write home about, but the food!  

I have never had a bad or boring meal there.  From the Bird Special piled high with breakfast treats, to thick sandwiches, burger and salads, everything tastes wonderful, especially after a night on the town.  And they have liquor for those times when a big breakfast deserves a little "hair of the dog."

Decent coffee and real maple syrup on the tables round out a pretty perfect experience.  It draws a crowd that mixes the young and hip with the old and local, and there are working jukeboxes at the booths.  It's perfect on a cold Vermont morning.

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Photo of Jim W.

Elite '09

221

772

Jim W.

Chandler, AZ

4 star rating
8/23/2007 2 photos

In the category of Diners-no question 4 stars here.

My breakfast was fast, fresh and delicious.  I'll be visiting Sneakers for breakfast or lunch again.

Highly recommended.

I would have given an extra star for having Cholula-but that just doesn't seem worth a whole star.  I haven't seen Cholula in a restaurant since I left Colorado.

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Photo of Michael M.

 

75

74

Michael M.

Burlington, VT

5 star rating
2/11/2009

Ive been going to sneakers my whole life.  Well worth the wait.  I dream about the kaluha french toast and the cinnamon rolls.  Also damn good mimosas

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Photo of Jessica W.

 

7

11

Jessica W.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
3/12/2009

I've been around the country looking for breakfast places as good as this. Going to college down the street for 4 years and visiting periodically, this is my first stop. The wait is well worth it even especially if you're hungover. The home fries and sticky buns are to die for and if they ever offer the banana bread french toast as a special, GET IT!!! Then again, you can't really go wrong with anything on the menu....

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Photo of Chica B.

 

0

13

Chica B.

Burlington, VT

3 star rating
4/4/2009

Not as amazing as all the reviews I've read but maybe I just didn't order the right stuff.  I sat at the bar and I have to say, the seats are super uncomfortable!  I ordered eggs benedict.  I'd give them a C+ to a B- and the "english muffin" they were on was really big and dense and not yummy.  Also the ham was hard to cut and tough to chew.  This place likes to say it's all about eggs benedict... I didn't see it.  Sigh.

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Photo of Bryan S.

 

5

27

Bryan S.

Berwick, ME

5 star rating
12/3/2007

Drive by this place on ANY weekend morning and there's a line out the door. Being one not to like to wait, it took me many years to experience the food and in the end, it would always be worth the wait.

Great food, nice atmosphere and some of the best waffles I've ever tasted.

The wait never takes as long as you would think either... I still hate to wait, but some places, it just becomes necessary. This is one of them.

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Photo of quagmyer m.

 

0

19

quagmyer m.

Essex Junction, VT

3 star rating
8/23/2008

Sneakers is a great place to go for breakfast and lunch. The "Jump-Start" menu items always sound fantastic and usually are quite tasty. While the food is always great, the service is a bit hit-or-miss... or not so friendly. On weekends there's usually a line out the door, so be sure to stick your head in and ask to be put on the list! In the summer time they usually have some outdoor seating.

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Photo of Jack T.

 

0

12

Jack T.

Waitsfield, VT

5 star rating
1/12/2008

If you are bombed one night, wake up next to a chick you don't know and are still drunk the next morning, go to Sneaker's and drink one of their awesome breakfast drinks.  Then proceed to order whatever will feel alright in your stomach because anything you order will be excellent.  They have real maple syrup which is a plus but even better, which i read below and forgot about until i read it:  CHOLULA!! Best hot sauce and no one ever has it... especially round here.

The only bad part of this place is the wait.  Fear not though, you can go next door to the bar and get a warm alcoholic breakfast drink before you get your actual breakfast drink at Sneaker's.

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Photo of Greycella L.

 

20

148

Greycella L.

Brattleboro, VT

5 star rating
12/21/2006

Five stars for having a variety of takes on the classic eggs benedict and for getting the hollindaise sauce absolutely right. Totally worth the wait outside, even on a cold day. Best breakfast I've had in the area.

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Photo of Matthew A.

Elite '09

248

1064

Matthew A.

Salem, NH

5 star rating
3/30/2007

Not your typical diner, but the menu is spot on. Huge crowds here on the weekends so come early. Extra points for serving Real VT maple syrup. The bloody Mary's kick ass.

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Photo of Dave S.

 

0

9

Dave S.

Burlington, VT

5 star rating
1/31/2009

Two words: California Benedict!

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Photo of Etta M.

Elite '09

24

61

Etta M.

Cambridge, MA

5 star rating
1/27/2007

holy best french toast!!! sneakers is great - if you find yourself in burly make it a point to eat some breakfast here!

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Photo of Wendy K.

 

11

82

Wendy K.

Atlanta, GA

5 star rating
1/25/2008

worth the wait!

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