Best Steakhouses in Burlington
Burlington, Vermont — updated August 21, 2026
Burlington's steak options are few but specific: a wood-fired grill on Williston Road, a Prime-beef room on Church Street, and one chef-driven kitchen worth knowing about if the steakhouses are full.
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Burlington is a small city with a short list of genuine steakhouses, so the choice comes down to two rooms with very different personalities: one built around a wood-fired grill in South Burlington, the other a Prime-beef dining room at the top of Church Street. Both open for dinner only, and both close earlier than visitors expect. Below, the places ordered by how directly they answer the question, plus one non-steakhouse alternative that we have flagged as such.
1. Guild Tavern
The most literal answer to the question: the menu is built on classic steakhouse entrees and wood-fired mixed grills, with seafood and vegetarian dishes alongside. At 4.4 from 828 reviews, it is the best-tested steak rating in the area, which matters more than a higher score from a smaller sample. It sits on Williston Road in South Burlington rather than downtown, so plan on driving. Dinner service starts at 4:30 and runs to 9:00 most nights, with Friday going to 9:30, meaning a 9pm walk-in is a gamble. Sunday brings a $22 burger and beer deal if you want the grill without the steakhouse bill.
2. E B Strong's
The downtown option, at 10 Church St, and the one trading squarely on USDA Prime beef and fresh seafood. Its 4.4 rating comes from 353 reviews, a smaller base than Guild Tavern's but consistent at the same level. The schedule is the thing to note: Tuesday through Saturday, 5:00 to 9:00 PM, closed Monday, so weekend-heavy demand lands on a short week. The restaurant asks that same-day reservation requests after 3pm be made by phone rather than online, which is worth remembering if you decide on steak in the afternoon.
3. Hen of the Wood - Burlington
Not a steakhouse, and we are listing it as an alternative rather than a substitute. It earns the place on evidence: 4.7 from more than 1,300 reviews, the strongest combination of rating and volume of any restaurant here, in a Cherry Street room that handles serious dinners as well as anything in the city. The menu changes daily, so the specific cut or dish you read about may not be there. Dining runs 5 to 10pm every day, with the bar open from 4 to 11pm, which makes it the practical fallback when the steakhouses have stopped seating. There is a second location in Waterbury on a different schedule.
What we left off
An earlier version of this list included the Best Western Plus Windjammer Inn & Conference Center on Williston Road. It is a hotel, part of a national chain, and its dining is a breakfast and brunch buffet operation, none of which fits a steakhouse guide. We also considered May Day, on N Winooski Ave in the Old North End, which rates 4.9 from 229 reviews and opens seven nights a week with walk-in space. It is a seasonal menu and natural wine restaurant, not a steak house, so it is a strong Burlington recommendation for a different list.