If a no-frills Vietnamese spot in a former bus station on Burlington’s outskirts is packed no matter the time of day or night, you know it’ll be good. If you have any doubts, just ask locals: Vermonters casting ballots in the Seven Daysies awards—Burlington’s take on Best of Boston—have voted Pho Hong the state’s best Vietnamese restaurant five years in a row.

Burlingtonians of all stripes head to this inexpensive and quick spot in the North End to quell their Southeast Asian comfort food cravings. An extensive menu permits experimentation with less familiar dishes—like Mi Xao Don, a stir fry served in a nest of crunchy noodles, or Bánh Xèo, a pork-and-shrimp-stuffed Vietnamese crepe. But we come back for the staples: Pho with all the fixins, one of the cold Bún Xào bowls, and a sweet Avocado Milkshake to take on the road.