Village Restaurant — Restaurant in Hardwick

My girlfriend and I spent a week in Hardwick in late October to escape the heat and city atmosphere of Miami, Florida. We didn’t know Hardwick before, but holy cow am I glad we ended up here. Our Airbnb host recommended the Village restaurant to us, telling us it had the best burgers in the state. We were skeptical, but I’m not one to let this go untested... let me tell ya: we ended up eating here 5 times in 6 days. The food was so good. You know how people always say “nothing comes close to my grandma’s cooking!” - unless your grandma is standing in the kitchen of the Village Restaurant in Hardwick, VT you are mistaken. We tried a bunch of items from the menu and everything was delicious. It feels like it could be cooked at home, it’s not fancy I’m that sense, but it’s executed to perfection. And what more do you want? The Vermont Burger from the special burger menu has a special place in my heart. Staff is incredibly friendly and accommodating (so is everyone in Hardwick by the way - this town is a true gem) and I have not a single thing to criticize.

We would have gone here 6 times in 6 days, but the first time we tried to go, someone had driven into the restaurant and it stayed closed...

We were driving through Hardwick and stayed that night at the Inn by the River. The owner suggested The Village Restaurant to us for breakfast. The wait time to be seated was around 15 mins, given the rush of the Christmas week. The breakfast options were numerous and the prices were pretty affordable. However, the wait time for food was too long. I don't think I have had to wait for more than an hour to be served anywhere else. The food was really good, the view from the restaurant was picturesque and the owner was really active throughout. I could see her earnestness in everything, but I wish we were informed of the long waiting time for food beforehand. As it is, we were starving by the time the food arrived and we finished it in mere 10 mins! So, didn't get a chance to click the food. Trust me, this place really DOES serve very tasty food. I will go back to the place in a heartbeat, but this time, I will probably finish a pack of oreos before going, because, I know now, how much rush this place gets during the peak breakfast and...

Nice, plain, homey, comfort food on the menu, which had many, many choices (almost too many!). Our food took quite a while to arrive, and was satisfactory to eat, though nothing to rave about.

The wait staffer was busy and half-running to and from customers throughout our visit. She wasn't very knowledgeable about my soy-allergy options, and seemed too rushed to be able to take the time to help. I opted for a salad to make things easy. Her assistant helper appeared a few times in a very grubby outfit, that looked out of place in the dining area.

No real complaints really, just not very high standard. Fine for a simple, straightforward lunch or breakfast meal. The entrance step from the mudroom is NOT handicap accessible, and very difficult to negotiate from inside the restaurant. The restaurant has its own parking lot alongside the river, which...