The Blue Donkey

Burgers were overpriced and underwhelming. If you favor a seriously char grilled burger this might be for you. Especially bummed by the goo filled onion rings. We were looking forward to a good lunch here as other reviews were intriguing but we are chalking it up to our least enjoyable meal during our week in Stowe.

This is one of those places I don’t want to tell you about. I don’t want to tell you about it because its SO effin good. The Blue Donkey is small but oh sweet jesus their burgers. We have been going there for quite awhile but after last weeks trip I decided it was time to write this. They cook the burgers perfectly, no hockey pucks. There is a selection of beer, cider, and even wine if wanted. These guys have the burger system down pat. While I like their bbq I’ve had better, but their burgers… go for the burgers.

Amazing burger, cute little place!

That really was a kick ass burger! A bit pricey but worth the money. Super friendly staff and great service too! We ordered The Mack burger it was enough for two people!

One of families favorite meals in Stowe! Brisket and carolina sauce was awesome. Not too smokey mellow and nice. Burgers were great also. Dont miss the carolina sauce though. My only complaint is the freezing cold dining area that the doors wont stay closed. Get a handyman, fix the doors and keep up the good work!

sorry, zombie staff and one piece of dead lettuce? When first opened several years ago it was really good… where did that of?

The burgers were fantastic as was the selection of local beers! We sat outside with our dog after hiking Mt. Mansfield. I’m so glad we stopped and had a burger here!

Both mine and my wife’s hamburger buns were partially burned. Same with the bacon. Saw the cook post my order up for delivery and after several minutes watching it get cold I retrieved it myself. Unimpressed with the food or service.

The food is overpriced. We went in for breakfast and ordered french canadian wrap and hash brown. The wrap was small and didn’t feel like enough for its price, 8 $. The 2 $ hash brown was just a lump of potatoes that was burnt and charred on the outside and no seasoning inside. Horrible. Given one star for nice environment.

Nutty insane crazy good burgers. And I mean that. Do not pass up the chance to dine here. Chill vibe and did I tell you the burgers are good? Follow the crowds because they aren’t wrong.

This was our first visit and the setting and the delicious smells from the grill enticed us to stop for lunch on Friday 9-​11-​2015. Counter help was friendly and there are really interesting burger combinations. We ordered a Carolina BBQ burger and a bacon bleu cheese burger, one with their hand cut fries and the other with onion rings. The smoked BBQ pork on top of my burger was absolutely delicious, however the actual burger had almost no taste at all. My husband’s burger was cooked perfectly, medium rare. The cheese that came on it tasted like the bleu cheese was missing and it was actually a sauce and not the cheese he was expecting. The sauce was just too much and too messy. His burger was pretty much tasteless as well when we tasted that without the sauce and bacon.
The fries were scrumptious but there were way too many really little pieces that had been overcooked. The onion rings were just so-​so despite looking like they would be delicious.
The outdoor seating was great and it is a fun setting. Perhaps we hit it on an off day because the other reviews sound much better than our experience here.

Fat kids paradise! Great messy burger… I did the rodeo without the sauces… yum! Awesome handcut fries with legit salt chunks. Lots of flies but delicious none the less!

Charred – and I mean blackened – buns, overcooked burgers, blah fries and $$$. The sweet potato fries were good though.

This was my first visit to the Blue Donkey and I would definitely go back. The Carolina Burger, with its sweet BBQ sauce, tender pulled pork and crunchy slaw, was very good. While not quite cooked to the requested medium rare, it was not far off. The fresh cut fries were very good and to «top» the meal off with a Heady Topper was a nice treat for RI’lander who has never really seen it available. The rest of my family enjoyed there choices as well except for my wife and daughter who felt their meals (Patty Melt and a Bacon Burger) were just ok.
The one larger complaint were the flies in the open air dining area. They were annoying as heck and far too numerous to just pass off as part of the charm when eating somewhat outside.
All in all, I really enjoyed it!

Heady topper beer slam dunk ⁵⁄₅
Food ³⁄₅
We came here purely to try to obtain the seemingly impossible — Heady Topper beer from Alchemist Brewery after visiting several places in the area and being unsuccessful. My husband was overjoyed! And impressed that he also got a free sticker!
We ordered a brisket sandwich with fries. The food was average and we left a lot of it, the meat was quite fatty and dry but the sauce helped.
The outdoor area was nice, with a play area for children. Lots of parking spaces are available as well.

The Blue Donkey was an oasis of smoked meats after descending the muddy Long Trail from Mansfield’s peak. My Reuben-​like smoked turkey sandwich was generous and served hot off the grill. The accompanying sweet potato fries were a bit mushy and uniformly shaped — they didn’t seem «homemade.»
My daughter enjoyed a Heddy Topper with her burger, which was smothered in mushrooms and other delicious toppings. The bill for two of us, including two sandwiches and fries, an ice tea, and the Heddy was $ 38, not a cheap eat. I think the fries were $ 5.
The vibe is really casual, the Blue Donkey is a good place for muddy hikers to sit without condemnation. We’d had our fill of the heat so we sat in the dark and cool interior. It would be enjoyable to sit outside under one of the umbrellas with a cold drink and bbq on a different day.
The guy who took orders was not fast, unlike the hustlers working in the kitchen and delivering meals. Maybe he was in training, but it seemed more like a personality idiosyncrasy. With eight people in line, I was surprised he wasn’t trying to move people along more efficiently. After we’d ordered our food was delivered in about ten minutes.

Very good smoked meats and burgers.
The burgers are really worth 4 stars but the great atmosphere, the alternative music and parking along with the smoked meats and BBQ sauces raise it to five stars!
Compared to Burger Barn, the tables at the Blue Donkey are much cleaner, and the seating and parking are better as well! However, we still like the burgers from Burger Barn better than those at Blue Donkey.
We had the southwest, the wop-​er, pulled pork and smoked brisket along with sweet potato fries and regular fries.
Yummy!
Also, Hard Cider in draft!
Definitely worth a stop!

Best burger joint in stowe, can’t go wrong.

Blue Donkey is a restaurant that specializes in burgers. When you walk into the establishment, you pay first at the counter and place your order. Then you can go sit wherever you like in the restaurant. They have a couple tvs inside so you can watch some sort of sporting event while you eat. I decided to order the Rodeo Burger which was a burger with swiss cheese, cheddar cheese, bacon, bbq sauce, and ranch. I opted out for the ranch sauce though. All the burgers come with regular fries but they do have sweet potato fries as well for an additional charge. They are priced at a little over $ 10 so a little expensive for a burger and fries.
After I ordered, I went to go sit near a tv to watch a NCAA conference championship final game. My food came out pretty quick within 10 minutes of me ordering it. The burger tasted decent but nothing out of the ordinary. The cheddar cheese seemed like it was a cheap cheese square that you can get at the store. The rest of the burger seemed fine. The fries were good and freshly cut with just enough salt. Overall, the food was average with the price being a little high for the quality of the food.

Best burgers in town hands down! Whenever I’m in Stowe I make sure to stop in and grab a bacon burger with a side of curly fries. The food is always great and fair priced. The staff is super friendly and helpful, right on mountain Rd a perfect stop if your heading in or out of town. With their wide selection of burgers or sides everyone will find something for them.

Absolut fantastische Burger!!! Auf dem Weg zurück nach Burlington nach einer Green Mountains Tour inkl der Covered Bridges, Maple Syrup Farm und Ben&Jerry’s Fabrik hungerte es uns gewaltig. Was futtert man als Tourist am Straßenrand, natürlich nen Burger. Gesagt getan. Erster Eindruck, na ja, wenigstens nen großen Parkplatz gibt’s. Erwartet haben wir eigentlich ein Restaurant, ist aber eher ein Bistro mit Selbstbedienung. Auf die Frage nach der Burger-​Empfehlung, würde uns von der netten Bedienung zum Rodeo geraten, nicht günstig mit $ 14, aber was soll’s, nun waren wir schon da. Zwei großzügige Räume mit ausreichend Sitzplätzen luden zum verweilen ein. 10−15min später kam auch schon unsere Bestellung. Schon das Aussehen der Körbe und der Duft der diesen entstieg, ließ das Wasser im Munde zusammen laufen. Und der Geschmack erst, wohl einer meiner besten Burger jemals! Das zwar aus dem Mund eines Deutschen, aber aus dem Mund eines Berliners, der weiß wo es gute Burger im großen B gibt. Der Pattie war zwar leider nicht ganz medium rate wie bestellt, dennoch, eine absolute Sensation! Rauchiger Grill-​Geschmack, zwei verschiedene echte Cheddar, krosser Bacon, leckere BBQ Sauce… herrlich! Allein dieser Burgerjoint ist Grund genug für einen erneuten Besuch Vermonts. 1 setzen…