Dine Or Lounge in a Historic Burlington Home

Brunch options at Burlington’s Good Restaurant + Lounge include “bird and bread,” which features French toasted brioche, fried chicken, maple aioli, hot honey and candied orange. Photograph: Good Restaurant + Lounge.

In 2019, the historic Harper-Ekdale home in Burlington got a new life as a restaurant offering a contemporary American menu as well as a creative space to gather. Owners TJ Widbin, 34, and Melissa Cervantes, 29, rehabbed the structure and reimagined its possibilities, opening Good Restaurant + Lounge in the storied house.

“You never really feel as comfortable as you do when you’re welcomed into someone’s home,” Says Widbin, a Burlington native. Although the couple doesn’t live on-site, their personalized approach to hospitality infuses the space, which is also decorated with photography from Cervantes’ hometown of San Francisco. “You’re not coming just for a meal,” says Widbin. “We want you to have the full experience.”

Enjoy brunch or dinner in the restored dining rooms and deck of the 178-year-old stone house along the Mississippi River or beer and board games (and a ball pit!) in an upstairs lounge space designed for fun. The team behind the concept is committed to expanding options in the southeastern corner of the state. They also own Lost Bear Coffee and recently announced that Revel Bakery, also of Burlington, will bring pastries into the mix.

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