Grab a Quick Lunch in Burlington, Vermont

Lunch break never lasts quite as long as you'd like it to. As a result, many people put up with fast food, day after day. There's no reason to settle for poorly prepared food in Burlington, just because you're in a hurry. Try one of these places, you'll be able to get in and out quickly, and enjoy a handmade, quality meal.

1) Vermont Pub and Brewery, 144 College Street
http://www.vermontbrewery.com/
(802) 865-0500

Most of us aren't permitted to enjoy a beer over lunch, but that's no reason to skip out on the pub. Sitting at the bar is the fastest way to get fed over lunch, and the bartenders won't mind if you're not drinking. The menu is broad, but if you're in a rush, I suggest you stick to the soups and sandwiches. Burgers are relatively quick, too. Unless you have some time, avoid the traditional pub-food selections like toad-in-the-hole, as they sometimes take a few minutes.

2) Moe's Southwest Grill, 1150 Williston Road
http://www.moes.com/
(802) 660-4900

Moe's is a chain, sure, but a good one! The Burlington location tends to have a pretty long line at lunch time, but it moves along quickly. The speedy staff will build your taco or monster burrito for you as you move along, much like your average chain sandwich shop. Try the Homewrecker - my favorite menu item. The salsa bar is excellent, and the cheese sauce is well worth the extra hour on the stairmaster.

3) Klinger's Bread Kiosk, Corner of Church and College
http://www.klingersbread.com/

The Klinger's Kiosk is centrally located and serves up sandwiches on fresh bread and soup seven days a week. I find Klinger's to be reminiscent of the small corner bakeries that I frequented in Prague - they have ready-made sandwiches for you if you need to eat and run, but they're so vastly superior to those you'd find in any convenience store cooler as to be incomparable. The bread is flavorful, the veggies fresh, and they're made all day long, so you'd be hard-pressed to end up with a soggy sandwich. Being a kiosk, you'll be eating outside - there's ample seating up and down Church Street. Highly recommended for nice days.

4) City Market, 82 South Winooski Ave
http://www.citymarket.coop/
(802) 863-3659

City Market appears to be a grocery store, but they have a huge deli and salad bar in the back. Head on back and treat yourself to a mouthwatering selection of local and organic salads, sandwiches, entrees, and sushi. The staff pays pretty good attention to the line, keeping everything well-stocked. There's a rotating selection of soup and chili, and the sushi is actually pretty tasty, which is saying something for prepackaged sushi. My favorite part of lunch at City Market is that the folks who work there seem genuinely glad to be helping you out. That makes for a relaxing lunch-break, to be sure.

Just because you live life on the run doesn't mean you need to commit yourself to a life of Quarter Pounders and brown salads. Try out one (or all) of these establishments for a relatively quick lunch without sacrificing quality! Bon appetit!