There’s more to dinner in Burlington than deciding where to eat on Church Street. Head over to North Winooski Avenue, and you can build an entire restaurant list within a short stretch of the Old North End of diverse cuisines to enjoy. You’ll find places for a dinner you’ve planned a week ahead, along with options for the evening when you realize you’re hungry and have absolutely nothing appealing in your refrigerator.
For this guide, I’m focusing on Burlington’s Old North End, rather than the New North End farther up North Avenue. Gold Local favorite: Gold, La Di Da Pizza, May Day Local favorite: May Day and Taco Gordo Local favorite: Taco Gordo all sit along North Winooski Avenue, making this a particularly useful pocket of the city to know when dinner plans come up.
These restaurants offer different experiences, so I wouldn’t approach the list as a ranking. I’d start with how much time you have and what sounds good to eat. Here’s how I’d narrow it down.
Gold: Settle In for an Italian-Inspired Dinner
Gold is a small, family-owned restaurant serving globally influenced Italian food at 294 North Winooski Avenue. With roughly 30 seats, it’s an intimate place, and the restaurant is candid about how quickly the dining room can fill. This is one I’d reserve ahead, particularly for a weekend or a group dinner.
What catches my attention is the balance between a dinner-out setting and specials that make a regular weeknight visit appealing. Gold currently advertises Tuesday pasta night with $12 pasta and $8 wines. Wednesday through Saturday, its early-evening oyster special runs from 4:30 to 6 p.m., with oysters listed at $1 each. Confirm the offers before planning around them, since restaurant specials can change.
Personally, I like having an actual reason to go out on a Tuesday. A standing pasta night makes the decision easier, and an early oyster stop could just as easily become the beginning of a longer dinner.
Gold’s menu changes, so check the latest version before getting attached to a particular dish. The restaurant also asks diners with vegan or gluten-free needs to speak with the staff about accommodations. Its listed hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 4:30 to 10 p.m.
La Di Da Pizza: Go for a Slice or Share a Whole Pie
La Di Da Pizza brings New York-style pizza to the corner of North Winooski Avenue and Archibald Street. It’s a woman-owned slice shop where you can order an individual slice or a full 20-inch pie, with dine-in and takeout available. The pizza is made for folding, with a well-done bake and some char. If you prefer a lighter bake, the shop asks you to mention it when ordering.
Having grown up in New Jersey, I pay attention when someone says New York-style pizza. There’s a particular appeal to a large slice that you can fold and eat without turning dinner into a production. It’s also useful when everyone is hungry at a different level: one person can grab a slice while the rest of the group commits to a whole pie.
The menu extends to garlic knots and salads, with housemade desserts for anyone leaving room. Beer and wine are available, too, so eating in can still feel like a proper dinner out.
Find La Di Da at 294 North Winooski Avenue, Suite 112C, with its main entrance on Archibald Street. It’s walk-in only and closed Tuesdays. A wheelchair-accessible entrance is available from the parking lot; call the shop if that building entrance is locked.
May Day: Make an Evening of a Seasonal Dinner
May Day describes itself as a neighborhood restaurant, with seasonally inspired food and a drinks program centered on natural wines and craft cocktails. Located at 258 North Winooski Avenue, it serves dinner seven nights a week, with some tables available for reservations and space held for walk-ins.
This is the restaurant I’d consider when the point of the evening is dinner itself. I’d leave time to look through the menu, order something to start and resist rushing straight to an entrée. A seasonal menu gives you a reason to return, particularly if you enjoy seeing how a kitchen works with different ingredients throughout the year.
Recent menu listings have included tempura mushrooms with tentsuyu, cucumber and lime, alongside butternut squash risotto with Bayley Hazen cheese. Steak frites and pork schnitzel have also appeared, giving diners options beyond a meal built entirely from small plates. Those listings put entrées around $30 to $45, before drinks, tax and tip, though dishes and prices change.
There’s also a considerably less expensive reason to keep Sunday in mind: May Day advertises a $10 Sunday-night patty melt. Its listed dinner hours are 5 to 10 p.m. daily. I’d reserve for a specific occasion, while remembering that walk-ins are part of the restaurant’s approach.
Taco Gordo: Keep Dinner Casual
Taco Gordo, at 208 North Winooski Avenue, is the option I’d put forward when the conversation turns to tacos and margaritas. Its sample menu includes chicken tinga and slow-cooked pork carnitas, with tacos served on corn tortillas topped with onion and cilantro. Al pastor is another option, and the menu specifically warns that it sells out nightly. If that’s what you’re after, I’d go earlier.
I like a dinner that lets you order a little, then decide if you want more. Tacos make that easy, especially when sharing chips while everyone works out what they want. For a more substantial order, Taco Gordo also offers burritos, including the Gordo Supreme with cheese and crema.
The drinks deserve a look beyond the margaritas. Its sample menu lists housemade, dairy-free horchata made with cashew milk, as well as hibiscus agua fresca. There are bean options on the food menu, too; ask about ingredients and preparation if you have dietary restrictions.
Taco Gordo offers indoor and outdoor seating, plus takeout. Its website lists Tuesday through Saturday hours of 5 to 10 p.m. and directs diners to its ordering page for current dishes and specials.
Planning Dinner in the Old North End
These four restaurants are close enough that you don’t need to choose between different parts of Burlington. Decide on the meal first, then check hours and reservations before leaving. For Gold or May Day, I’d allow time to settle in; La Di Da or Taco makes a quicker dinner easier – or perfect for takoeut.
If you’re driving, leave a little time to find legal parking and read the posted restrictions. All four have free street parking.
My advice? Save this stretch of North Winooski Avenue for the next time someone asks where to go for dinner. You’ll have a useful answer before the group chat gets to its twentieth suggestion.
The places in this guide, on the map
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Directions to Gold (opens in a new tab)
Restaurant · Burlington, VT
Don't this their Tuesday pasta nights and $1 oyster days. There's also a parking lot right next door for easy access without…
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Directions to La Di Da Pizza (opens in a new tab)
Restaurant · Burlington, VT
Hands down the biggest, best, and most diverse flavors of pizza in the Burlington area. The shop itself doesn't have a super…
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Directions to May Day (opens in a new tab)
Restaurant · Burlington, VT
Don't sleep on their cocktail list. Highly recommend sharing a few appetizers and entrees to get to try multiple things on their…
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Directions to Taco Gordo (opens in a new tab)
Restaurant · Burlington, VT
Open late, wallet-friendly tacos and frozen cocktails? Reason enough for me to visit the Old North End for a bite to eat…
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