While you and your husband are walking up Bank Street in Burlington, the snow is falling sideways, turning both of you into Green Mountain Yetis. You’re cold and getting increasingly wet, but you carry on, knowing the place you’re heading to will be warm and inviting. Even with the weather, you tell your husband, the place will be filled with locals like you who think a snowy night in a cozy restaurant is about as good as winter gets.

As you enter The Farmhouse Tap & Grill, you recognize a few folks from around town. You brush yourselves off and are seated after a few minutes. In front of you, there’s another couple, and to your right, four friends. The place is jovial, as it always is, and you feel delighted to be part of a crowd enjoying the storm. While you wait for your server, your husband tells you something you didn’t know. Before it was this restaurant, it was an old, vacant McDonald’s.

Owner Jed Davis confirms this. “We boldly turned it into a farm-to-table gastropub featuring burgers as well, but a different kind. Real beef and real food, locally sourced.”

If you had been here in the restaurant’s early days, back in 2010, you’d notice very little change in today’s menu. Sure, Head Chef Kyle Westcott, like the other chefs before him, has put his stamp on the menu, but Jed notes, “people come in knowing what they’re going to order,” so changing up the menu may not sit well with guests.

Another thing that has remained the same during all these years is Farmhouse Tap & Grill’s emphasis on local ingredients. And although the term farm-to-table has been bandied about in Vermont forever, according to Jed, “we were one of the first high-volume restaurants that was purchasing that way, which was admittedly challenging early on.” Despite the difficulties, Jed and team knew the importance and the value it brought and continues to bring.

“We have great producers,” Jed says, “so it’s phenomenal product. Some of the cheeses that are produced in the state are on par with anything you’re going to find globally. The meats are consistently high quality, and the fresh produce is better than something that’s been trucked across the country. And then it certainly helps to keep some of the dollars here in the state as well.”

The majority of diners here tonight are locals. Surprisingly for a college town, students aren’t dining here unless their parents are in town. And those who are from away are here to experience what Vermonters are fortunate enough to have regular access to.

When it’s time to order, Cheddar Ale Soup, a perennial bestseller, is a good way to subdue any chill you may have from the walk. After that, you can choose from many options to combat the cold. You want a burger, and you have your choice of meat. For beef, LaPlatte River Angus Farm (Shelburne). For turkey, Stonewood Farm (Orwell). For pork, Vermont Heritage Grazer’s (Bridport), which is served with Pitchfork Farm (Burlington) sauerkraut. All these burgers come with hand-cut fries or a salad. You want to be good, so you ask for a half order of each. Your server is happy to comply.

Your husband opts for the burger special, which changes every month and includes a benefit to others in the Burlington area. One dollar from each special burger sale goes to a local nonprofit. Like the burgers, the recipient is different each month. Nonprofits in 2025 included the Burlington YMCA. Kids Fest, Outright VT, Migrant Justice, and the Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi Food Pantry, among others.

If you aren’t or your husband isn’t a meat eater or either want a meat-free meal, you’d still be able to dine well. Fish and vegetarian-friendly pasta dishes round out the entrées, making The Farmhouse Tap & Grill a restaurant for all.

Of course, we need to tap in to the “tap” part of the restaurant’s name. “With world-class beer being produced here in the state,” Jed says, “it allows us to offer a real Vermont experience for what’s in the glass,” a perfect complement to what’s on the plate. Jed says, though, that only about 50 percent of the beers they serve are brewed in Vermont, yet they account for 80 percent of sales. And of those beer sales, Jed says that Edward on draft, an IPA from Hill Farmstead (Greensboro Bend), is the best-selling beer by far.

By the end of your meal, the snow has slowed down a bit. It’s a good time to go and begin dreaming of the next storm and your return to the warm environs of The Farmhouse Tap & Grill. Or perhaps, the next time, you’ll be interested in a different experience with the same quality and similar vibe. The Farmhouse Hospitality Group has you covered. Guild Tavern, a cozy joint in South Burlington, featuring meals prepared in a wood-fired grill, is another restaurant Jed thinks would be a great place to spend some time on a winter night.

If you’re looking for international fare, again The Farmhouse Hospitality Group is here for you. El Cortijo Taqueria serves farm-to-taco Mexican in a compact converted diner, and Pascolo Ristorante is an intimate Italian restaurant featuring pasta fatto a mano (made by hand), Vermont meats, and seafoods. Both are in Burlington, as easy to get to as The Farmhouse Tap & Grill.

And for those a bit farther south, don’t fret. The Farmhouse Tap & Grill is now open in Williston, making winter nights there just as magical.

farmhousetg.com

COCKTAIL AND APPETIZER

Cheddar Ale Soup

Von Trapp Pilsner

ENTRÉE

Adams Farm Chicken Dinner—with roasted winter root veggies, braised kale, and rich pan sauce

DESSERT

Champlain Orchards Apple Pie à la Mode