Location: Hardwick
Top Restaurants in Hardwick
Top 10 restaurants in Hardwick, United States
Hardwick is a town in Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. The population was 3,010 at the 2010 census. It contains the incorporated village of Hardwick and the unincorporated villages of East Hardwick and Mackville. The town is a commercial center for the region's farming population.
Things to do in Hardwick
1. Village Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4 based on 48 reviews
Reviewed By FJDriver - Essex, Vermont
This place went under a major renovation a year or so back, and this was our first visit since the overhaul. They have created a great dining space that compliments their good food. A definite spot for breakfast or lunch whenever you'r traveling Route 15. We'll make it a point to come back. Food is homemade, portions are generous, and it's all good. Each day offers some unique specials worth trying. Stop here and enjoy home cooking.
2. Perrenial Pleasures Tea Garden Cafe
Overall Ratings
5 based on 9 reviews
Reviewed By PrinceConsort - New York City, New York
Set in a beautiful garden, this place is part of a large nursery with many different kinds of plants. The restaurant serves you a cream tea...tiny cucumber sandwiches on incredibly thin bread, scones with jam and whipped cream, tea (iced or hot), and cookies...plus desert if you want it. It doesn't sound like much, but a full cream tea is more than enough for one person...two can share. A lovely meal in a lovely setting. Service is slow if they are busy...slicing the bread for those cucumber sandwiches takes a while...but just sit back and enjoy looking around at the flowers. Quite unexpected to find this place in East Hardwick, but their catalog says that the nursery has been around since 1980! Reservations are recommended.
3. Positive Pie
Overall Ratings
4 based on 99 reviews
POSITIVE COMMITMENT Harvesting Italian flavors and infusing them with a Vermont sensibility, our pledge is to take our food seriously. We are fully committed to making from-scratch, eclectic and delicious plates while always hand-tossing our pizzas. Our benchmark beer, wine & spirit menus are carefully crafted to compliment our food. We practice friendly, honest and knowledgable service and are devoted to providing you snapshots of our heritage - all at a great value.
Reviewed By swedishivy2013 - Montpelier, Vermont
We stopped here for supper tonight after a concert about 10 minutes north of Hardwick. Seated and given menus immediately, but when no one had taken our order after about 15 minutes (although wait staff were wandering around and chatting w some customers) I went to ask how long the wait was likely to be so we could decide whether to stay. The manager (?) checked w a wait staff who told her he had four more tables to take care of before he could take our order (!) She offered to seat us at the bar, saying our food would come faster that way. We did move to the bar, because we were ravenously hungry -- this was *horrible* (I don't think it would have been horrible for someone who wanted to be at a bar! But two tv's were blaring, there was alcohol everywhere -- obviously, since it was the bar -- and the huge and noisy guy on the next stool was sort of sliding over onto my lap, at which point my husband and I changed seats...) After another 15 minutes or so -- still no food although at least we had ordered -- the manager came over to ask if everything was ok (!) which obviously it wasn't. At that point she re-seated us at the table where we had started, and a few minutes later (approximately one hour after we'd arrived) we got our food.
The food -- a grilled chicken sandwich and a moonshadow pizza -- was *excellent*, and my husband's Switchback ale was excellent. Although the manager apologized about eight times for the delay, she did not comp our bill -- in fact, the waitperson took our card and the bill without our having an opportunity to look at the bill, saying that would reduce the wait, but I think we may have been slightly *over*charged, from what I remember of the prices of the individual items.
Here is what I'm pretty sure was going on: Many of the patrons at the restaurant had been at the same concert -- which was very well-advertised and very well-attended. I assume the restaurant -- the logical place for people to stop for supper, since the other good restaurant in town wasn't open for supper -- hadn't expected anything like this much business on a Sunday night, and wasn't adequately staffed to cope w the volume of customers. I think there would have been better ways to handle the situation at the get-go -- take orders rather than stand around talking w customers who'd already been served, tell people who were waiting for service that there would be an unusually long wait (and bring them snacks or free dessert or drink or comp the bill) -- basically behave professionally and with respect for your customers. Don't assume that people would be comfortable at the bar if they're not already there -- they may be alcoholics, they may be Mormons, they may hate TV, they may actually want to talk w the person they're w, they may *really really really* not want the huge guy sitting next to them sliding over into their space (the latter should be a no-brainer in the present climate!)
The customer service improved immensely once they figured out there was really a problem (or maybe once they figured out how to solve the problem) -- but it looks from other reviews like we are not the first diners to have a similar experience there, so I am taking the time to write a review.
We are huge fans of Positive Pie in Plainfield and Montpelier, and have never had such a peculiar experience either place. I doubt that we'll go back, just bc it was such a weird experience, despite the manager's and wait staff's sincere efforts to fix the problem. But we may, since it's really the only game in town right now and the food is very good.
4. Connie's Kitchen
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 16 reviews
Reviewed By beckaj01 - Birmingham, Alabama
Our lunch sandwiches were made with fresh homemade bread & it was delicious. This is s cozy little ( only 8 table ) cafe located inside a converted old home. The giant chalk board menu showed a variety of items for breakfast & lunch. There was a glass front case full of Sweet Treats. All of them looking delicious & homemade.
Orders are taken at the counter & the food is delivered to the table.
The staff was friendly.
5. Hardwick House of Pizza
Overall Ratings
4 based on 15 reviews
Reviewed By ZannVermont - Vermont
This is a pizza palace--and it's not pretending to be anything else. They make a nice sauce, have all the classic toppings, and deliver it up nice and hot. They also make a very nice burger, and tasty sandwiches--grinders in local parlance--as well as poutines for those whose cholesterol count is not already high enough. They do offer salads with chicken on top if you like. The salads are pedestrian affairs of iceberg lettuce and not too inspiring. But hey, you're really here for the pizza and calzones aren't you? And those are very good. They also have a soft ice cream "creemee" annex open from spring through fall--sweet!
6. Caja Madera
Overall Ratings
5 based on 4 reviews
Reviewed By Travelcrow - Woodstock, Vermont
Headed for a salvage yard in Hardwick, VT and stopped in a town 25 miles south to get directions. Mentioned also looking for BBQ along the road and the guy said he didn't know of BBQ up that way but that there was a great taco stand not far from the salvage yard. Lo and behold, after picking up my car part, I came across the Caja Madera food truck not far from the intersection of Rts 14 and 15 in Hardwick. Interesting food truck, sided with rustic knotty rough cut slab boards. Slight drizzle coming down yet an elderly lady was standing out in the rain waiting for her order. I asked if she had eaten there before and she smiled, nodded her head and said it was real good! That was good enough for me and true to what she said, my order of two tacos, black beans and rice was really good. I tried the chrizo taco and the steak taco. I was offered hot sauce and sour cream if I wanted on them. Yes, I took it. Tacos were loaded with meat, lettuce, salsa, etc. Everything was prepared as I waited, out in the rain, like the lady. Well worth the wait! Very pleasant young lady doing the cooking and serving. From their facebook page it appears that they also have a more modern food truck that goes to festivals and other events throughout the region.
7. Mountain View Snack Bar
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3 reviews
Reviewed By Sean S - Shaftsbury, VT
We were traveling back home after picking up a new puppy and decided to stop. Pleasant surprise. Overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices but settled on some old favorites, burger, fries, onion rings, the usual. They were great. Nice outside seating area and dog friendly. Will definitely stop by again when in the area.
8. Havana 802
Overall Ratings
4 based on 5 reviews
Authentic traditional Cuban Cuisine
Reviewed By swedishivy2013 - Montpelier, Vermont
There has been a quirky connection for many years between the tiny state of Vermont and the the island nation of Cuba: piano tuners from Vermont have gone to the island to tune Cuba's pianos, dairy farmers have sent cows, church members have visited back and forth, a rural community women's chorus from Vermont has made several visits to sing there, opening eyes on both sides to the similarities and differences in our lives. Now Hardwick, Vermont, a Northeast Kingdom town known for its leadership in the local food movement, has a Cuban restaurant, Havana 802. I have eaten there twice so far, and both times the food has been delicious and the atmosphere lively and welcoming. I've spent enough time in Cuba to say confidently that the food here is the real thing, not to mention that portions are abundant and affordable. I've had the chicken ropa vieja, a variety of plantain dishes, fried yucca (shared!), and shrimp with garlic sauce. My husband had the vegetarian ropa vieja (ropa vieja -- literally, "old clothes" -- is traditionally shredded beef prepared in tomato sauce -- this vegetarian version is made with portabella mushrooms and seitan.) Each meal comes with a side order of flavorful rice and beans and fried plantain. We shared an order of homemade rice pudding, as they had run out of flan. They serve beer, wine and an eclectic variety of soft drinks. Havana 802 -- like the place it's named for -- is a great place to take time to taste your life and not to have to be in a hurry. This is a great time of year to visit Hardwick and see the foliage -- winter will be a great time to visit Hardwick and go cross-country skiing -- in fact, any time of year is a great time to visit Hardwick and enjoy the rural beauty of the Northeast Kingdom and its mountains, lakes, villages and farms. When you do visit Hardwick -- or if you're lucky enough to live nearby -- stop in for a delicious meal at Havana 802.
9. Village Restaurant
Overall Ratings
5 based on 1 reviews
Reviewed By japan2007 - Japan
Popped in here when we couldn't get in the Positive Pie and were not disappointed. We enjoyed fantastic homemade food, we ate Shepard's Pie and Pork Chop with Mac and cheese. They don't serve alcohol but allow you to bring your own. Excellent meal enjoyed by my wife and I.
10. New Wok N House
Overall Ratings
1 based on 2 reviews
Reviewed By ZannVermont - Vermont
First, you have to realize that the photo above is NOT from the actual restaurant. Not sure who would have submitted it, but TA should probably remove it. That said, the actual place is not bad looking, a typical Vermont wood framed building with nice interior, lovely handcrafted bar, and pressed tin ceilings. Sadly, that is the end of what you can enjoy here. The food is pretty awful. Most sauces all taste the same. Things appear to be MSG "enhanced". And, to really top things off, one of my family got ptomaine tummy here. We'd say, "Avoid!"
