Sticky Fingers Bakery is an award-winning from-scratch Vermont bakery at 210 Vermont Route 100, West Dover, VT 05356, established January 2010 by Johnson & Wales University graduate Dave Kelly and wife Heather, operating 15+ years with 4.6-star ratings across Google, TripAdvisor, and Yelp platforms. This Mount Snow area bakery in a charming A-frame building alongside a brook specializes in signature cinnamon rolls ($6.95) that earned "Best of Vermont" honors and Yankee Magazine recognition (2012), plus French-quality laminated pastries including butter croissants, chocolate croissants, and almond croissants praised for rivaling Paris bakeries. Open Thursday-Monday 7 AM-2 PM (closed Tuesday-Wednesday), Sticky Fingers serves blueberry muffins described as "60% blueberries," weekend sourdough bread, Thursday challah bread, hand-rolled danishes, carrot cake, tiramisu, red velvet wedding cakes (5.0/5.0 WeddingWire rating), and large peanut butter cookies alongside lavender iced tea and vanilla chai beverages. Prices range $6-20 with typical customers spending minimum $20, featuring Dave's Ritz Carlton Philadelphia training and 100% scratch-baking philosophy using fresh ingredients daily, though items often sell out before 2 PM closing. This Deerfield Valley bakery and West Dover dessert destination maintains a 4.6/5 rating across 240+ TripAdvisor reviews, ranking #5 of 27 Dover restaurants and #1 West Dover bakery with A+ BBB rating, offering picnic table seating by the creek, wheelchair accessibility, and free parking at this popular ski resort bakery and Southern Vermont tourist stop.
The Creemee Stand at 716 VT-100 in Wilmington is a legendary Vermont soft serve ice cream destination that has been serving creemees since 2002 (23+ years in business), earning the Food Network designation as "Best Dessert in Vermont" for their signature maple creemee. Founded by Cindy "Jess" and Jimmy Wiesner and now owned by Steve and Amy Adams, this seasonal roadside dessert stand maintains a 4.7/5 rating on Google and TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice status, ranking #1 for desserts in Wilmington. Their award-winning Vermont maple creemee is made with pure maple syrup produced locally in Wilmington—you can see the trees it came from while you enjoy it—and the soft serve custard uses high-milk-fat content that's deliberately not over-pumped with air for a denser, creamier texture. Menu prices range from $2-$7 for creemees, sundaes, milkshakes, and hard scoop ice cream from Wilcox Dairy (Vermont's oldest ice cream manufacturer), with popular items including the maple and black raspberry twist, toasted coconut dip cones, and the Vermonster Sundae with bacon. The stand is cash only with outdoor picnic seating, free parking, wheelchair accessibility, and free pup cups for dogs—located conveniently next to Joe's Lobster Stand for a classic surf-and-sweets Vermont Route 100 experience. Open seasonally Friday-Sunday 3-9 PM in fall, with extended summer hours typically May through October.
The Village Roost Cafe and Marketplace is a beloved New Zealand-inspired gathering place at 20 W Main St, Wilmington, VT, established in 2015 by Britny and Sam Jones after their building underwent a complete 14-month renovation following Tropical Storm Irene devastation. This Wilmington Vermont cafe and marketplace boasts a 4.5/5 Google rating across 333 reviews and ranks #7 of 24 Wilmington restaurants on TripAdvisor, operating over 10 years with hours Thursday-Saturday 8 AM-4 PM, Sunday-Tuesday 8 AM-3 PM (closed Wednesday). Known for exceptional organic breakfast sandwiches including "The Double Down" ($7-10) featuring egg, cheese, sausage, bacon, and crispy hash on fresh-baked bread, plus signature curry fries, maple lattes, and Vietnamese beef rolls, the cafe serves Pierce Brothers Coffee and emphasizes hormone-free meats, non-GMO ingredients, and local Vermont products. The spacious interior features a cozy back dining room with massive fireplace, comfortable sofas, and an attached marketplace selling Vermont-made maple syrup, wine, beer, gifts, and souvenirs, creating a perfect Mount Snow ski area breakfast spot and hiking trail cafe. Prices average $10-20 per meal with wheelchair accessibility, free WiFi, and outdoor deck seating available at this downtown Wilmington community hub and Vermont marketplace that prioritizes sustainable practices and locally-sourced produce.
Starfire Bakery & Roastery is an artisan European-inspired Vermont bakery at 129 VT-9 East, Wilmington, VT 05363, founded 2019 by Carolyn Weston and Andrew Allen, operating 6 years with perfect 5.0/5.0 ratings across TripAdvisor, Google (118 reviews), and Facebook, ranking #14 of 24 Wilmington restaurants. This small-batch Wilmington Vermont bakery merged with 1a Coffee Roasters in May 2025 at their flagship location, featuring on-site Diedrich coffee roasting, seating for 40 guests, and hours Thursday-Sunday 8 AM-4 PM serving Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Italian-inspired pastries and breads. Known for Persian Love Cake ($42, naturally gluten-free with rosewater, cardamom, pistachios, buckwheat flour), croissants compared favorably to Paris bakeries, Italian pasticciotto custard pastries ($24-25 per 6), kouign amann, artisan sourdough, and bear claws, Starfire emphasizes seasonal Vermont ingredients and global culinary influences in their from-scratch baking. Starting as a Massachusetts home bakery and farmers market operation before moving to Marlboro Vermont farm stand in 2020 and opening their first Wilmington storefront Memorial Day 2022, owners Carolyn and Andrew bring collective experience including extensive global travel inspiration to their scratch bakery and specialty coffee program. Menu pricing includes hand pies ($25-28 per 6), cakes 9-10" ($35-45), focaccia pizza ($40-80), cheesecakes ($35-45), flourless chocolate cake, orange olive oil cake, and savory quiche alongside direct-trade single-origin coffees, flat whites, lattes, cappuccinos, and house-made cold brew. This Route 9 bakery and Mount Snow area cafe offers wheelchair accessibility, ample parking, free WiFi, gluten-free options, online ordering (1 week advance notice), and pet-friendly atmosphere at their Southern Vermont artisan bakery destination.
Butter Mountain Bakery at 1 School St (Old School Enrichment Center) in Wilmington, VT 05363 is the kind of place where the sourdough sells out before you've even finished your first coffee. Female-owned and operated, this small-batch Vermont bakery was established in 2015 by Hannah Small, a 31-year-old Michelin-star-trained pastry chef with degrees from the University of Connecticut and Institute of Culinary Education. Ten years in and they've got a 99/100 health score plus a 100% Facebook recommendation rating, which says something. They operate on a weekly pre-order and online payment system with pickup-only (adapted during the pandemic in March 2020), posting menus each week on Instagram (@buttermountainbakery, 2,461 followers) and Facebook. Things sell out fast. The focus here is fresh local seasonal ingredients and scratch baking with, yes, generous butter usage. You'll find artisanal sourdough breads, fresh bagels, laminated croissants praised for both appearance and quality, cookies, custom celebration cakes, wedding cakes, and seasonal pies. They also supply wholesale to local Vermont farms, resorts, markets, and restaurants around the Mount Snow area. Hannah got featured in Vermont Business Magazine and even earned an endorsement from a Vermont Senator. She started at Wilmington farmers markets in 2015, then opened the brick-and-mortar bakery location late 2019 or early 2020. Community involvement matters here: donations to Jessica's Closet, the Mark Dooley Race, Mount Snow Ski & Snowboard School, and local food pantries (she once baked 150 mini pumpkin loaves for families in need). The bakery operates from the former Twin Valley High School community center, has wheelchair accessibility, and keeps pricing budget-friendly ($) on sourdough, bagels with cream cheese, cookies, pastries, and custom wedding dessert bars. Downtown Wilmington bakery and Southern Vermont artisan bread specialist right here.
Upper Standard Coffee Co at 5 Village Square in Stratton Mountain Village is an artisan coffee shop and espresso bar that opened for the 2023/24 winter season, making it the newest addition to Stratton's base village dining scene. Founded by two friends "with big ideas and a love for quality," this craft coffee destination serves meticulously sourced beans from around the world using artisanal roasting methods, with a dedication to sustainability—their tagline promises "the Highest Standard in your coffee experience." Beyond espresso drinks and fresh-brewed coffee, the menu features Belgian Liège waffles made on-site, savory waffle breakfast sandwiches, fresh-made pizzas, Vermont grilled cheese with organic tomato soup, and ice cream. The cafe is officially listed on Stratton.com as a casual dining option and featured in the resort's après-ski guide for their espresso martinis and gourmet Bloody Marys—perfect after skiing Southern Vermont's tallest peak with 99 trails and 670+ acres of terrain. An early Yelp reviewer praised the "great addition to Stratton village" with "good coffee and treats" and "lovely staff," noting the pleasant outdoor seating. Specific menu pricing is not publicly listed, though Stratton Village caters to affluent families from the NY/NJ/CT corridor with generally higher-end pricing; open daily 7am-5pm during winter season and weekends only in summer.
Mocha Joe's Cafe is Vermont's Original Specialty Coffee Roaster, established 1991 in downtown Brattleboro at 82 Main St by Pierre and Ellen Capy, recently sold in November 2023 to Kate Barry and Bruce Hunt after 32 years of pioneering third-wave specialty coffee in New England with their "coffee with a conscience" philosophy. This Brattleboro Vermont coffee shop and roastery operates 34 years with 4.3-4.6 star ratings across platforms, earning TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Award (top 10%) and ranking #9 of 59 Brattleboro restaurants, open Monday-Friday 7 AM-6 PM and Saturday-Sunday 8 AM-6 PM. Known for signature Vermont maple lattes made with authentic maple syrup, small-batch coffee roasted fresh Monday-Thursday on a vintage 1950s Probat roaster at their separate 35 Frost St facility, and 100% solar-powered operations, Mocha Joe's offers Fair Trade, Organic, and Rainforest Alliance certified single-origin beans from their Direct Trade programs in Cameroon (since 2009) and Guatemala. The underground cafe location features budget-friendly prices ($1-10 range), cozy local atmosphere, Chobani oat milk options, gluten-free baked goods including peanut brownies and scones, plus bubble tea and cold brew alongside traditional espresso drinks. Wholesaling to over 100 Northeast customers with barista training and equipment sales services, this dog-friendly Vermont coffee roaster and specialty cafe emphasizes social responsibility, sustainable economic partnerships, and artisan coffee at their heart-of-downtown Brattleboro location.
Duchess Coffee at 15 Putney Rd in downtown Brattleboro, VT is this Latina-owned, BIPOC-operated spot that somehow manages to be a third-wave coffee roastery, artisan espresso bar, and curated independent bookstore all at once. Customers call it a safe third space in Southern Vermont and that vibe is real. Ruth and Jeremy have owned it since at least 2021, running it as a self-care tiendita (little shop) with 4.6 stars on Google Reviews (115 reviews) and Restaurant Guru, 4.4 on Sirved, 17 positive Yelp reviews, and an impressive 99/100 health score. One travel nurse who visited coffee shops across the entire US said Duchess provided "some of the best coffee I have ever had... anywhere." That's not exaggeration either. They do small-batch, fresh-roasted coffee sourced exclusively from women-owned farms in Central and South America, elevating Indigenous and Latina coffee producers through super intentional, ethical sourcing that emphasizes social impact and sustainability. The specialty menu has signatures like the popular Iced Rose Latte, Maple Latte ($5), Chai Latte, Golden Sun Milk Latte, Flat White with oat milk, and artisanal hot chocolate. Their Rose Glaze Chai Donuts and Maple Reishi Glaze Chai Donuts are kind of famous, plus guava cream cheese pastries and various baked goods. Most items are budget-friendly, around $1-10 per person. Open daily 8 AM to 4 PM, the space is petite and cozy with beautiful décor, pink accents, live plants, natural light, and books curated by Antidote Books. There's limited indoor seating but outdoor seating too, wheelchair accessibility, WiFi, and delivery. People rave about the personable, knowledgeable staff, exceptional latte art, great tea selection, smooth espresso, and the quiet bookish ambience. It's become a beloved community gathering space that really embodies local business spirit in Brattleboro. They also sell freshly roasted beans from their partnering women coffee farmers online and in-store, plus organic products like rose powder. Instagram: 3,091 followers.
Willoughby's Depot Eatery at 374 Depot St in Manchester Center is a beloved Vermont bakery and breakfast spot in the Historic Depot District that has earned a stellar 4.9/5 Google rating with 96+ reviews since its founding in 2021, now operated by owner Courtney. Customers consistently call these "the best donuts in Vermont"—handmade fresh daily in-house (not mass-produced), with flavors ranging from classic cider cake and old-fashioned to filled varieties like maple cream, Boston cream, and seasonal specials like lavender lemon. Their signature item is The Willoughby breakfast sandwich: egg, cheddar cheese, and meat with a drizzle of maple syrup served on a donut shell—a sweet-savory combination reviewers describe as "everything you'd want in one bite." The menu is budget-friendly at under $10 for lunch, featuring creative egg sandwiches named The Pup, The Beverly, and The Shultz von Mutz (egg, ham, and Bavarian mustard on a pretzel roll), plus massive cinnamon buns "the size of a hubcap" and Vermont Coffee Company brews. This women-owned, dog-friendly establishment (note the dog on their logo) offers gluten-free donuts, muffins, and macaroons, plus wedding donut catering—one reviewer noted guests "absolutely loved" their wedding donuts at the Wilburton Inn. Open Tuesday-Saturday 6am-3pm and Sunday 6am-2pm (closed Monday).
Pangaea Cafe at 1 Prospect St in North Bennington (with the adjacent Pangaea Restaurant at 3 Prospect St) is a women-owned Vermont cafe and fine dining establishment founded in 2002 by Chef Bill Scully and his wife Maria, now operated by owners Nick Disorda and Lani DePonte-Disorda since 2018. The cafe maintains a 4.3/5 TripAdvisor rating (142 reviews) and 4.2/5 on OpenTable (143 reviews), serving Iron Coffee Co. espresso drinks alongside international fusion cuisine that the name "Pangaea" reflects—bringing world cuisines together onto one plate. Coffee prices at the cafe range from $1.75-$5.00 (drip coffee to lattes), while the restaurant features entrees from $21-$38 and house-made desserts including signature chocolate cake, crème brûlée, Kentucky Derby pie, and house-made gelato at $8-$14. Their #1 seller "for forever and ever" is the Bangkok Stir Fry ($24), and the cafe serves excellent breakfast items like egg sandwiches ($9), bagels and lox ($12), and the signature salted maple lattes. Reviewers praise the sophistication of a Boston menu set in the relaxed elegance of colonial Vermont with a cozy speakeasy-style atmosphere, beautiful outdoor patio dining, and a quiet bar without TVs—perfect for conversation. The cafe is open Tuesday-Saturday 8am-8pm and Sunday-Monday 8am-2pm with community events including Donut Sundays, Paint & Sip nights, and art shows.
