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Great Food, Great Location and a Vermont Heritage to Boot: Check out Archie’s Grill

Tuesday January 3, 2012

By Cookie Steponaitis

    Quickly, say out loud three statements you know to be true about Vermonters! Go ahead, we’ll wait. If you were like many Vermonters those first thoughts might include Vermonters like to eat out. Vermonters enjoy friendly people and great service. Vermonters love a unique setting with a great story. Check! All of the above are present at a unique spot on the way to Burlington called Archie’s Grill.

    Archie’s Grill is located at 4109 Shelburne Road and prides itself on providing a fresh approach to fast food while insuring you are made welcome by the faces, smiles and wonderful aromas that you enjoy when you walk in the door. Displayed prominently on the walls are several images of the famed Vermont artist Norman Rockwell’s iconic depictions of Vermont residents and a small paragraph on the menu lets you in on a secret. Not only does the restaurant have a great story, it has a link to Rockwell, his art and strong Vermont traditions of restaurant and food services dating back over forty years.
The restaurant is owned by the Hess family and named for Dick Hess’s father Archie who, “…worked extremely hard to provide for his family and inspired his son to do the same.” Hess is no stranger to hard work or great food and worked as a bellhop in his first job at Mount Snow years ago, bartended for nine years, was a chef for ten years and was in sales as well. ” I have been in the food and beverage business for the last forty years in some form or fashion,” he shared.

    While Dick Hess never met Norman Rockwell, he is respectful of the family link and shared that his Uncle Carl is the model for the man in the Freedom of Speech work, his mother’s dad Bernie Cullinan modeled for The Inventor and his father Archie for April Fools. Hess, who has lived in Vermont his whole life and grew up around the Arlington area, knew that Norman Rockwell lived in West Arlington for about twenty years during in the 1940’s and that many town residents were in his paintings and works.

    The atmosphere in Archie’s Grill is not only friendly and linked to Vermont’s heritage, but the food there is fresh and prepared to suit all ages and styles. The menu offers both beef and vegetarian dishes and Hess shares that going to work is a pleasure for him because, “I love cooking for friends and family and when I set this place up I did it so I could see everyone and say hello and let the customers see what we do.  I only hire people that like to cook food properly no matter what it is.  I feel a well done burger can still be juicy and taste great.  I use local when I can. My hamburg comes form LaPlate beef here in Shelburne and my Turkey comes form Misty Knoll in New Haven.”

 Winter hours are Sunday thru Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., so stop on by or check out the daily specials on www.archiesgrill.com. Takeout is available or give them a call at 802-985 -4912. On your way north, or just because it would be fun, stop by and see what is new in the way of Pulled Pork, Teriyaki Melt, or “The Archie” itself. It is just up the road a piece and well worth the visit.  Dick Hess and the staff stand ready to welcome you in person or hear from you on Facebook.              

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