Wonderful staff amazing bartenders shout out to Aaron shout out to Tarzan. And all the other staff, security and employees read more

Had to stop in with the group as they were a Yankees bar. For sure a local bar, but the bartender at the time was friendly to us visiting. Even the regulars that were there were great. Would recommend stopping by here for a good time. read more

ESOX is the best bar in Burlington solely based on the people that work there and the regular patrons that frequent. It's tight like a family but welcoming enough to adopt a strange new weirdo if you act right. I left my server book there with three hundred dollars in it a week ago and one of the beautiful staff members set it aside for me with a note. Good people, strong drinks, and an overwhelming sense of community. Will go to this bar until I die. read more

Esox - Heroism - Dive Bars Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

This place is great to catch a game, have some drinks with friends and get in a free game of pool. I thought I would throw barkeep Lurch off his game with q Maghariti order and he knocked it out of the park. Way to go Lurch!!! read more

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Yelp does not have a way to give less than 1 star, but that's what Esuxxx deserves. Dont play the jukebox. Or they will scorn you.

This is a very classic dive bar. If that's what you're into it's probably a nice hole in the wall. Here it's mostly sticky booth seats and too drunk teens sloshing drinks all over the place. Definitely not a bar I think of when I think about Burlington. read more

Fucking love this place. Love the bartenders. Really enjoyed Conversation with Tim. Very honest, attentive and all around made me feel like I was at my home dive bars. read more

Esox and T. Rugg's are my two favorite "dive" bars in the Burlington area. i'm not really sure what the definition for a dive bar is, but in my mind it must have something to do with the atmosphere being ultra relaxed, the place not being ultra clean and it having an older, been-around-awhile vibe. I don't really drink, but my friends say the alcohol portions at Esox are inexpensive and generous. I do love their video jukebox and playing pool there on Sunday afternoons. Especially in the winter. Winter can be pretty dismal in Vermont, especially if you don't like to ski down frigid ice slopes. It's the time of year when I watch a lot of movies and perfect my pool game. The bartenders at Esox are very friendly and accommodating. The crowd tends more toward hipster and young on the weekends and older and more seasoned during the days and weekdays. Oh, and I almost forgot, the ceilings and walls at Esox are covered with "graffiti" or things people have written their over the years. I believe Julia Roberts was their once and so there is something she left, as well. Can you find it? If you're looking for a very relaxed, salt-of-the-earth type of place, try Esox. It's one of the few "dive" bars (other than T-Rugg's where the regulars are respectful and won't try to hit on you. Or if they do, they're very nice about it. Good peeps. read more

Tim from Esox is a friendly, funny fucker! He took such good care of us in our party we had two birthdays and a soon to be bride and groom and he made everyone feel so special read more

Esox is the dive bar of Downtown Burlington. It's known for strong drinks, and a crowd that appreciated alcohol. They have plenty of seating, a pool table, pinball machine, and the best jukebox in town. If you want a crazy night, Esox is the place for you. The servers can be off putting as a new customer, but once you become a regular and they know you, it's one of the best places in town. read more

My favorite dive bar in Burlington. On a busy night (Friday/Saturday), it's a great place to hang with friends, rock the jukebox, and embark on some cheap beers or stiff drinks. Fun place to people watch because the crowd/clientele is usually always interesting. I give 4 stars only because 1) I dread going to the bathroom here and 2) I dread succumbing to Bob the bartender's wrath when settling up a credit card tab with only 1 drink on it. (This sometimes happens! Really. I swear.) Otherwise... rage Esox with wreckless abandon if the mood strikes you. It will never disappoint. (Well. Maybe it will. If dive bars aren't your thing.) read more

I used to be a big fan of this place but it eventually got overrun with hipsters. It can get really crowded on the weekends and the music can get incredibly loud. The bartenders are cool, but the drinks are pricier than you'd expect from the divey atmosphere of the place. Also the pitchers have a huge ice holder in the middle of them, which totally limits the amount of beer you get. If you show up on a weekday when it's just you and some other locals, it can be nice. read more

Already turned off from this place from one phone call. I called because next week some friends and I are going to be heading to Burlington for a bachelor party. All I did was ask if they would be getting the big boxing match next weekend between Pac Man and Mayweather. The man who answered laughed at me, and made me feel like an idiot for what i think is a very simple question. A simple no we are not would have been sufficient, but he went out of his way to make me feel like an idiot because I didn't know it cost more for a bar to order the fight (which I'm unsure if that's true). Either way, we aren't going there next weekend. That guy can go pound sand. read more

We had a great time here with Rachel. She was amazing and such a wonderful bartender but then Bob took over. He was so disrespectful and rude. I can't even imagine such a person in the service industry. I have worked in this industry for 15 years and have never encountered such a negative individual in my life. This is such a detriment to the company. But on the other side, Rachel was amazing and we would definitely come back for her! read more

I think the only reason people like eSox is because their friends are there. I've fallen for this dozens of times, but its really not for me. Everyone's been yelled at by the bartender at some point, for me it was because he didn't understand why I wasnt calling PBR "pibber". There is a constant flow of Dragonforce on the jukebox, admittedly amusing at first. The only good deal is the $4.75 PBR pitchers, which are often all taken and you have to resort to 2.75 flat PBR pints or hard booze. Why not just go to a dive bar with drink specials? read more

This is my favorite local dive. The music is great. The beer is cold, the drinks are cheap and well made. The bartenders are always friendly, and the people watching on the street outside can't be beat. FYI- It's a Yankees bar for anyone who has been looking for a good one in Burlington, you can catch the games here. read more

This was by far my worst bar experience. I drove 9hrs after my sisters graduation to check out Burlington and the culture as I've been thinking of moving there from Maine. Well not anymore! The mean bald lady bartender was rude to me from the moment I walked through the door. I asked for a beer list and she scoffed and told me to use my eyes as she gestured towards the taps. I explained that I wasn't from there and wasn't familiar with many of their beers. I asked her for a recommendation and she disdainfully asked me what I like. As she's pouring my beer some guys come over and start mocking me and my appearance (wearing phish shirt & tie dye skirt.) I calmly told them that I could hear them and that they were being rude. Before they have a chance to respond, the bartender starts yelling at me to leave them alone and that they weren't talking directly to me. She said she wouldn't serve me my beer if I said another word to the two guys. I simply said okay and waited for her to put down my beer. She must've been hoping I would argue with her because when I did not she continued to yell and say "nevermind, forget it just get the fuck out." So not only did she intentionally deter business for no reason she also made me feel discriminated in a town that is supposed to be welcoming to hippies. Never going back to this bar. read more

The bar is cool, plenty of seating, however when I was there I waited 10 minutes to get a drink. Finally when I was asked what I want he also asked if I had cash, which I didn't. Shoo'd me off and proceeded to walk to the other side of the bar where he took an order from someone else who had a card. Felt very disrespected, and under appreciated. Unless you are a regular or are trying to become one I do not recommend this bar read more

entertaining. pretty much a dive, but it's fun nonetheless. friday and saturdays are your best bet.

barebones, strong drinks. thats all i've got.

Prices on pitchers are amazing. One of the best places to start a night out with friends.

We wandered in late on a Sunday not knowing at all where we were or what was going on. We drank cheap beer, played free pool, and got a little too friendly with the locals. It was a night we will surely remember read more