great dive bar in burlington. cheap beer and shots with excellent late night food. must visit highly recommend read more

Ruben James - New American Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

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Great place to watch a game! We came here to watch the Pats vs Texans game and even though we had perfect seats, and a great atmosphere, the food was just okay. One of the locals that we met gave us this recommendation. It was the perfect place to watch football. With the crowds screaming, and cheering, it was the best time. But, the food...not so much! We ordered the Mozz Cheese wedges that were not good at all. Crispy on the outside but barely any cheese on the inside. We also ordered chicken fingers with garlic parmesan which were not bad. I personally enjoyed the batter more than the chicken which was dry even with the ranch dressing. Service was great! Since we were right on top of the bar we had front row seats to the best game, decent beer but I just wish the food was better. If you are looking for just a place to watch sports, this is your place! They did have a full menu so maybe trying different food items might be better than what we ordered! Cheers~ read more

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I remembered stopping by Ruben James the last time we were in Burlington, so we decided to check it out again while in town recently. We first tried to visit during NFL Sunday to try to catch the Lions game, but it was super packed with all kinds of sports fans. Unfortunately we couldn't find a seat so we had to leave, but it seemed like it would be a fun and lively atmosphere for watching sports. We returned later that evening for some food and got a spot at the bar. The bartender was super friendly and kind. We got an order of the wings, which were crispy and perfectly sauced. The menu is huge and has lots of great bar food favorites like burgers, nachos, fried things, etc. Loved our second time visiting Ruben James and would come here often if we lived in the area. read more

Is being an asshole to locals a part of the job training for the bartenders? Or is that just rogue behavior? Spent thousands at this place over the last two decades. Including 2-3 monster deliveries every month for a while now. Not sure staff understands how businesses works. read more

We loved it here. Our waitress, Isabel, was super fun and extremely helpful. Everything we ate and drank was appropriately dive-y while also being delicious. I REALLY appreciated all the vegetarian options!!! Usually they are nonexistent in sports bars. read more

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Brought me back to my college dive bar days lol. During my stay in Burlington I asked the hotel staff where I could watch the Sunday football game and they recommended Ruben James. It doesn't look like much from the outside or the inside for that matter. Tables are beat up and chairs are all wobbly. They have no frills bit what they do have is cheap drinks and bar food. They are multiple televisions all around the bar. They have a jute box and a pool table but I didn't see anyone using either they three times I went. The prices are cheap. 3 dollar fireball shots and 3 dollar domestic beers when they run their game day promotions. On Thursday they have karaoke so you will not be able to hear the game. Thursday is also the start of the college night so after about 9 they card at the door and it gets crowded. If you like five bars give them a try. read more

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Friendly bartenders lots of TVs with games and nice selection of beers makes this a great place to watch games French fries crispy and pretzels to accompany a great brew read more

Ruben James - Great place to catch a game - New American Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

Drinks are cheap and the green tea shot isn't that bad. The mango frozen margarita is also pretty nice. Ambience is sticky, not sure how else to put it. Pretty decent college sports bar type of vibe. Didn't expect to go to RJs but it's nice because it's right off of church st and not on it... given all that's been going on... read more

Important context: I moved to New England a few years ago after living in the Midwest my whole life, so this may well be just as much a poor review of every other brewpub in New England as it is a positive review of this one. But I cannot stress this enough: I write this having thought about this bar for three full days, because prior to it I hadn't had a burger this good in three YEARS. Came here while on a short trip from Massachusetts with admittedly low expectations. After all, this is New England, where every town with a college in it has one (1) bar claiming to be a cheap, low-brow purveyor of beer and pub fare. Then, you go in to said bar, it's actually one of those millennial fancy burger joints in disguise, and they're charging you $37.99 for a dry lean beef patty, unusual ketchup or none at all, and a watered down shot of whiskey. It's been done. I'm sick and tired of places that clean their deep fryers. But I go into Ruben James, the tables are sticky, and pickleback shots are three bucks just like god intended. My boyfriend heads to the restroom and returns warning me that the men's room is positively jacked up. I start to think there might be hope yet. Beer on tap was good, normal, diacetyl-free. Beer from can was cold and fresh. No notes there. I order a "Drunken Burger" (beer cheese sauce, onions, bacon), boyfriend orders a mushroom-and-swiss deal on a black bean patty. Both burgers are gone in minutes. Mine's great. The patty is swimming in beer cheese and grease, but the bun is not, which is an important balance to strike for structural integrity in any sandwich. The veggie burger? Allegedly as good as one can expect a veggie burger to be. They were about 16 dollars apiece, which SOUNDS pricey, because it is, and the economy is in shambles. Much to their credit, though, drinks were much more reasonable, and it was only a dollar to tack on remarkable battered fries. It's a pretty good value. TLDR: Good food at a good value at a joyfully greasy establishment, and also I miss Wisconsin. Maybe, in theory, they should do something about the tables and floors and restroom, but that's not my business. read more

If you like excellent service, sports bars that have awesome trivia and karaoke and nightly cheap eats and drink offerings, look no further. Reuben James, aka RJs is a no frills bar and pub that serves delicious pub grub with some of the cheapest prices in the state and definitely in Burlington. It's very good fast food. People rave about their wings, too. It's also very tasty. Last night, when so many other establishments were packed, we grabbed a table quickly at RJs pre-concert at the Flynn. Each night offers specials. Last night, along with a lot of $9 sandwich deals, they had a 2 ¼ pounder cheeseburger deluxe (lettuce, tomato, onion) basket with chips for a mere )9, $1 extra for fries. We split this extremely affordable meal and it came out fast-within 15 minutes. The burgers were perfectly grilled and seared and the buns were toasted. The fries were hot and crispy. What more could you ask for? Karaoke started while we were there and I kid you not, I thought it was a radio-the woman emcee singing Jolene was so good! Behind the bar is a ginormous sports screen and there's pool tables in the back. It's nice to sometimes have a low key meal where you don't need to be dressed up and can save some money. Be sure to generously tip the servers; they do an excellent job and at these prices, tipping at 30% or more is a no brainer. read more

Ruben James - Not my best photo, but 2 1/4 lb cheeseburger deluxe basket with fries for $10 on Thursdays. - New American Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

Chronic takeout orderer here. So you won't be getting my opinion on the ambience or service at what seems to be a typical college/sports/trivia/sorta dive bar. I am here mostly to express my eternal gratitude that they offer a level of spicy hot wings that can truly make you uncomfortable. I am frankly tired of ordering the hottest level of spice at some places and getting nothing hotter than Tobasco. Their El Espectro sauce makes me sweat every time and I've even had to pause eating for a bit to recover...which is exactly what I want in a super hot hot wing sauce. They also have plenty of other options, so don't worry, you'll find your ketchup heat level sauce just fine. As far as the wing meat quality, they're pretty good. Also around a 3.5-4/5. I've had various food combinations, with fries (decent but a little thick on the batter), grilled cheese (pretty good) and stuff. All fairly good hometown sports bar fare. I had the mac and cheese tonight and it was...oddly not very flavorful. What's up with mac and cheese not being flavorful? Hopefully it was a blip and next time I order it'll be better. read more

Portions are great and food is good, staff friendly, helpful and able to communicate effectively and efficiently between tasks

I like that they had porter on tap because it's my fave, and not many places are this enlightened! Secondly, offering me popcorn, which they did on my first visit and I'll keep coming back (never saw it again only remnants). I am not too impressed with the food offerings which remind me of stuff you feed a kid for lunch or when you want bribe them regarding dinner. The pricing is average to high and they compensate by giving you far too much food, but the quality thereof is mediocre at bear. Locally sourced, or grass fed are not ideas that come into play better. If downtown was not so torn up I'd come for the beer alone. If the popcorn was offered consistently I'd come everyday despite the kerflugle of parking and trying to get to the place. read more

Great bar food. I tried the Turkey Club Sandwich and it was good. I enjoyed the live music and the place has a great atmosphere. read more

Ruben James - Turkey Club Sandwich - New American Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

We were in this area for the weekend and had trouble finding a place that could accommodate both gluten free and a nut allergy. So glad we kept trying and found this place. All three of us immensely enjoyed our take out. My husband had the buffalo chicken wrap, my child the burger but mine was the best of all. A grilled cheese with vegetables and a side salad that was so good I could eat it again write now. This place looks like a hole in the wall bar from the outside but don't be put off by that, give it a try! read more

Ruben James - a sandwich and a pickle in a basket - New American Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

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Terrible bartender and awful service. I used to come here all the time but Mr blue stripe is not nice or welcoming

We stumbled upon this place on a trip to VT a few years ago. Great beer, food, and people. We liked it enough that we went back the next day! read more

0 stars. The bearded cook here is insanely rude. He intentionally burnt my burger because I asked for it well done. Not just a little dry (that's somewhat expected). BURNT. Black. Straight up charcoal. When asked for a replacement he refused and claimed that's just what a well done burger looks like. If they aren't capable of cooking a well-done burger without burning it, they should just not cook burgers. Bartender agreed with me and was very nice and apologetic. The pretzel sticks came out 20 minutes after we ordered them and only after I reminded them. They had been microwaved and were wet on the bottom. read more

Was visiting Burlington for my friends bachelor party and walked around church st. To find which place would catch our eyes for the best happy hour; this is where we chose! With advertisements out front for .75c wings, $4 smashburger and $2 jello shots we landed on reubens! Jello shots were good with a fair amount of alcohol for the price, only thing different would be more flavor choices than only cherry. The wings were great between the variety of flavors we were able to sample between 7 people. I went with the maple cayenne and their hottest on the menu with ghost peppers! Smash burger was great for the price and overall everyone enjoyed their meal and experience. Service was good and on top of all order consistency. read more

Didn't have a time to take a great photo. Well cooked, good size fresh wings. Thank you for taking orders until 9:30pm on a Wednesday night. Didn't have a time to take a great photo. Well cooked, good size fresh wings. Thank you for taking orders until 9:30pm on a Wednesday night. read more

Ruben James - WANGZZZZZ - New American Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

I would give them zero stars if I could they are giving false information about vaccine requirements I get that a business can do as they wish but at least do not lie about it There is no city ordinance ! At least not yet On top of that the waitress bartender was extremely rude about it read more

If I was in college, this place would be high on my list. In fact when I was in college, this place was high on my list. The staff was great, service was quick and friendly. The burgers were great. This is a college bar, I am not in college, enough said. read more

Great sports bar in Burlington VT Female server was phenomenal. She ran the show. She should be a manager. Had 10 tables during bruins playoff game and was on top of every single one not even having to write down a single order. read more

Rounded up to five stars for a comfortable dive bar with awesome specials and nice bar staff! New to town and I think we have found our watering hole! They have drinks and a full menu with awesome specials seemingly every night. We are here during the summer and can imagine this place getting packed when school is in session. The burgers were ok, but their fries were so good (beer battered and crispy) - there were also free hot wings (with any four dollar purchase) at 9:30 - 11 on Thursdays. Wings were small, but delicious. They have other flavors for 49 cent wings too. We were a bit shocked at our bar tab (super low!) at the end of the night -- two of us (lightweights) ate and drank somehow for under 20$. It's a sports bar with a larger projection screen and a few tvs scattered about. Late night specials are perfect for the nights that keep us at work so we are excited! read more

Ruben James - Half price burgers on Thursdays! - New American Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

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It's Covid season... So the atmosphere probably wasn't as good as it is in its heyday. We still had a good time. The chicken wings are crispy and juicy, the chophouse burger was perfect. This was a nice recommendation from an coworker! I also love how you can pick your protein for their burgers and sandwiches! Great idea! read more

Ruben James - Chophouse burger! - New American Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

Had a really fantastic burger here with horseradish. Great feeling small place. I meant to go back to try their ruben. They currently open at 4:00 but I wish they did lunch. Good bar selection and great staff! Super casual, relaxing and fun. read more

Came here on new years eve because the place we were going to go to had a set menu. The food was great! The beers were good, and the service was good too. Mozz sticks are lots of food with the chicken tender baskets and the burgers are a good size too. Bomb fires. read more

Ruben James - New American Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

Tuesday night trivia was a lot of fun. Staff was great. I ordered the chicken Caesar wrap and it was so good. The tortilla had just the perfect grilled crunch to it. Fries were best dipped in the ranch dressing. read more

Ruben James a.k.a. RJ's is a sports-bar that turns night-club in it's later hours. I can't speak to it's late night performance, but the sports-bar side is certainly my element. This has been my go-to game day destination since 2009. Jay the owner is super friendly and really cares about his business and pleasing his customers. The staff is pretty chill and has a good amount of patience to deal with a bunch of rambunctious sports fans (myself included). They have on many occasions, gone out of their way to make us happy. Here a few reasons why RJ's should be your game day choice: No 1: If you are a Green Bay Packers fan there is usually a good sized group of us there, so please join us! Also, a more than generous display of Bills fandom can be caught here on any given Sunday. No 2: Drink specials. While they don't boast the best draught list in town, it fits the day of drinking bill and that paired with, build your own bloodies and mimosas (Sundays) is the perfect recipe for game day. The prices are always good and they usually have an entire list for the game day cocktail drinkers. No 3: TONS of tv's. Normally not my thing, but when it comes to catching my game and keeping tabs on my fantasy team, it quickly becomes my thing. They have plenty of tv's and usually have nearly every game on. The only caveat here is that sometimes locating a seat by the tv with your game on can be a challenge; in other words, get there early. No. 4: Wings! I love the dry rub, but they have an array of choices and you can mix it up. The burgers are also good and they do a decent brunch, check it out. Having good food options during game time is a MUST for me. No 5: The staff. Friendly, attentive and efficient. They keep the beers coming and manage to do so with a smile. They juggle the ever-so-complicated split checks and get you out when you need out. Props to these ladies, always working so hard and doing a fab job. That's the game day gist. If you are looking for a place to catch a game this is BY FAR the best place in town. Forget Buffalo Wild Wings and go local. Jay is a great guy and he deserves your business! GO PACK GOOOOOOO! read more

Ruben James - All dressed up - New American Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

Okay, now this place is low key pretty nice. The bartender Ashley is was really nice and helpful. The food is pretty(finger foods). This place is great for hangouts and chill mode. Sometimes they have different bands that come play as well. Friday's after 5pm is 49cents wings. I suggest you order 6 or more wings so you can get the special. But anything after 9pm is really packed crowd to converse & have fun. I can definitely visit this place when coming to Burlington. read more

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This dive bar has surprisingly good wings...but that's it lol. It smells, the music is too loud and good luck getting a drink when it's busy. read more

Ruben James - New American Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

Wonderful local bar! Great atmosphere, good music and good food. Good luck finding a parking spot since this is a college town and none of the establishments have their own parking lots. Meters are free after 6:00pm. On Wednesdays here they have specials like any other bar, but they have $0.49 wings! They must be ordered in increments of 6. They were VERY good. My first time I got 24 and tried Spicy Thai, Honey BBQ, Spicy Garlic along with Kitchen Sink. I WILL be back here to try the rest of their flavors. read more

Ruben James - Blue cheese comes with at no extra charge! - New American Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

Service is painfully slow, although the place is 3/4 empty. Post script: The burgers were really good. Worth the long wait! Fresh cut fries would really up the score! read more

Really relaxed place to go with some decent drink specials and a lot of bad-for-you bar food, which can unfortunately can be prepared just as badly. I've had very well-done burgers (all with bacon of course, I don't think there's a burger on the menu without it) posing as medium, completely incorrect orders and ice cold food recently..But i remember the garlicky fries were hot and killer garlic... but my date did keep her distance the rest of the night. I don't need to get into any more details than that, but keep your expectations low, smile, watch some sports TV and you'll be fine! read more

Stinks of Cigarette smoke Crowded. Loud Uncomfortable $30 for two hamburgers. Total disappointment read more

It's all about the wings boys! Need those kicking Cajun kickers and the kitchen sink hot wingsss

Writing this review because George H is fake. Just wrote the same review with the name Timothy hatgen on google review. Also needs to go back to grammar school read more

For a Vermont restaurant, we were disappointed that everything seemed to come straight from a factory then frozen for them to later cook for customers. Nothing seemed like they made it from. Scratch, only cooked and assembled on the premises. Food will be edible. We got a burger, fried chicken sandwich and fish and chips. But not authentic read more

We went for Tuesday 75 cent wings. They were okay, tried the garlic parm and Memphis rub. Rub was lacking in flavor, parm option was too saucy. Hubby's burger came burnt, no flavor. read more

RJs has been my spot from when i was younger and in college. the nights i've had at this place will forever be a fond memory for me. A place where I came home for school breaks to meet back up with childhood friends to reconnect and celebrate. I recently moved back home for a few months (covid-work-from-home-situation) with my partner and we continued to come back to RJs for drinks, football and basketball games, and to just have a good time. RJs is by far the best bar in BTV. the service is impeccable (love u miya, jackie, and zach ) the food is also REALLY delish as well. RJs will always be a home away from home for me and hopefully a home Away from home for you. love y'all!!! read more