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Hen of the Wood - Burlington Reviews
We had an excellent meal, great cocktails and a sumptuous
We had an excellent meal, great cocktails and a sumptuous dessert. The reasons I only gave three stars are: despite making our 8 pm (Wednesday night this was all I could get) reservation weeks in advance we had to wait 20 minutes. They offered a seat at the bar after about ten minutes but that is not what I wanted for our special occasion dinner. Second, they included a 20% tip on the bill . This was not explained on the menu so we didn't realize it was there and left another 20% tip ON that post top amount. Someone should have pointed this out to us. So a nice place but not great treatment for a luxury meal.
HEN OF THE WOOD.
Drove into a tornado one day and back out through a flood--winding back road detours--the next day. We were content and happy to have had a memorable night at this Burlington restaurant, which didn't have our reservation in the book....but they made it right. We sat at the chef's bar and ordered small plates to share. It was pouring rain outside, so hard it was jumping up off the pavement. Oh, and Orange rosé.
Recently went to the Waterbury location and had some really
Recently went to the Waterbury location and had some really bad service and mediocre food. This was disappointing because we have been to the Burlington location as well which was incredible. We sat at the kitchen bar, took at least 15 minutes to even get water. The place was busy but not packed. Multiple times it was acknowledged that our service was slow (with apologies) but nothing was ever done about it. I had to flag down our waitress for anything we wanted. This was throughout the entire meal. We had the sea bass which I thought was just OK (our perception of the food may have been tainted by the bad service). At this price point you can't really have such bad service. Considering they acknowledged the waiting I assume we would at least get a comped dessert, but nothing. Too many good places around Stowe and Waterbury for me to return here.
Wow! Hen of the Wood is nothing short of a Michelin star
Wow! Hen of the Wood is nothing short of a Michelin star restaurant. Exceptional service, outstanding food - even at gunpoint, I cannot point out one thing that was wrong last night. We were here for our date night and ordered Hakurei turnips, garganelli pasta, and bass, and everything was perfectly cooked with the right flavors intact. Loved the beer and the wine, and the dessert was a perfect, perfect finish. Also, to mention the curation of the menu - you can order anything off the menu and it will be a healthy option. It's hard to find these kinds of restaurants around. I am so glad we got to eat here before we left Vermont.
Hen of the Wood should not be missed if you love excellent
Hen of the Wood should not be missed if you love excellent food, terrific ambiance, and attention to service. It was our anniversary and we made a reservation on a Friday night at 8pm. I also had several email exchanges where I wanted to surprise my wife with a dessert reminiscent of our wedding dessert (chocolate, raspberry, lemon). They did not disappoint We arrive 15 minutes early and were sat on a comfortable bench. The bartender noticed us and asked if we wanted anything to drink. We declined but he let us know he was available and would keep an eye on us, despite it being a busy evening. At 8:02 we were seated with unnecessary apologies. Our waitress was attentive and friendly. We had an amazing Harrison cheese appetizer with delicious bread, homemade chips, and strawberry jam. We also had a scallop appetizer and a snap pea appetizer which had interesting flavors - all worthwhile. For the main course, my wife had well-prepared sea bass and I had rabbit leg. Every bite was scrumptious. Then, of course, we had a dessert that was clearly made special (different from what we discussed) but just as delicious with a nice car prepared for my wife If you are looking for inexpensive, this is not the place. Hen of the Wood is pricey but worth it. The restaurant is beautiful with dark wood, a pretty bar, and an upbeat vibe. The service is excellent and attentive. The food is delicious
Went here for my anniversary and it was incredible! I would
Went here for my anniversary and it was incredible! I would 100% recommend! The rolls where one of the best things ever! The waiter who helped us was so sweet! It was a very romantic experience and had an amazing ambiance.
This was one of the best meals I have had in my life! The
This was one of the best meals I have had in my life! The server was great in explaining and making recommendations for us as out of towners. Everything was paced perfectly from starter small plates to our shared steak entree. Then came the dessert... we got one to share and one to take. The maple mousse was so delicious we fought over the last bites. The chocolate cake we took for later but they let us eat the ice cream there and change it to the Cherry Chocolate Almond. All made in house and better than any ice cream made in the area... yes including that famous one. This is a must eat when in Burlington! Just do yourself a favor and go here!
Beautiful restaurant with a maxing food and service! I
Beautiful restaurant with a maxing food and service! I really liked their oyster hour!
Fancy is hard.
Every time I walk into a place with low, romantic lighting and a lot of wood panels I am instantly on guard. I sort of know what I'm in for - snack-sized entrees, indecipherable ingredients and cocktails that are more or less just negroni with extra steps. Because this is Vermont, let's add to that list cheeses that are roughly the same price per ounce as solid gold. The place is very nice and definitely a great venue for a fancy cocktail and a snack. But it's honestly just too much for too little. Cheeses are $10 a pop which would even make a Boston place's eyes water. The dishes are artfully designed but pretty much all pizzazz and no substance. Or too much substance, some of the dishes seemed like an experiment in how many sauces is too many sauces. The other confusing thing to me is that there was an absolute boatload of fish on the menu. For a place that's all "sustainably sourced" - it seems like if the food has to travel across the country to you, it doesn't matter whether the fish was massaged before it hit my plate, it's not really on brand. Service was kind of...eh. It seemed like they were absolutely slammed, and as a result we waited too long and were largely ignored after our order was taken. Fancy is hard - if you set up the kind of artifice this place has, you need to deliver. And, honestly, they didn't.
Love love love.
There is zero bad to say here. Ambiance is great. Rustic warm. Exactly what you'd like in Burlington. Food is amazing. Smaller menu but everything is good. Amazing bar and bartenders. If you're local go!!!!!
Overpriced and they served us something uneatable.
We tried Hen of the Wood for the first time on my Birthday yesterday. We had already decided to get an app and the $100 Ribeye for two. The restaurant has a nice atmosphere, and it is popular so it is a bit loud. They keep the lighting very dim. We ordered the Stuffed Calamari small plate as an app, and the presentation made it look like a large green slug on a plate. The calamari was a bit rubbery, but the stuffing was literally uneatable. It was very bitter with no real flavor. We just said that we didn't care for it and they took it away. We just wanted the taste out of our mouths. The table next to us had the same reaction to it when they ordered it. When ordering, the $100 Ribeye for Two was now billed as a $110 Family Style Ribeye. Which was fine, prices change, but when it came out we were in shock. It was ten slices of Ribeye on a small plate, with some grilled greens, a mushroom, and a single piece of cauliflower. They claim it is 16oz but it couldn't have been more than 12oz, if that. One slice was 80% fat. The steak was cooked correctly and tasted good, but the portion, for the price, is not based in reality. It was barely a dinner for one for $110. We split the cauliflower piece between us. No starch or anything else on the plate. Granted, we left hungry due to the uneatable app and what turned out to be us splitting a dinner for one. They charge $8 for 4 dinner rolls, which we did not order, so we ate again when we got home since we had no other food. The bill was $150 for two drinks and the small steak, but at least they comped the app. We will never go there again.
Fine dining.
Fine dining! Food was really good, nice selection of wines, desserts were tasty! Friendly staff, very attentive and professional.
Amazing!!!loved the food and service so much Highly
Amazing!!!loved the food and service so much Highly recommend. Best food in Burlington
Food was great but the only thing I was dissatisfied was
Food was great but the only thing I was dissatisfied was the mid service based on the price of the menu. The vibe of the restaurant was quite nice, but again the service should have matched with the price I was paying for this restaurant. Not to mention, I am just tired of the tipping culture as it is no longer about the service, but instead a required inconvenience fee that must be paid.
Chef’s Table
In the off-season, we walked in midweek w/out reservations but snagged seats at the chef’s table. It was so worth it! A scrumptious dining experience w/out the pretensions was had. Order the oysters and add the “clear-your-sinuses” habanero vinegar served in a clever medicine dropper. By the six oyster, I had figured out just the correct amount to drop. Oh, the oysters were great also. You must try VT native cheese, any option will work. Wow! The blue cheese was so satisfyingly. And, the rolls w/ an accompaniment of honey butter was mouth watering. Fantastic service. Delicious grub. And, the vibe…I could go on and on. Happy dining!
My wife and I go up to Vermont 4 or 5 times a year and
My wife and I go up to Vermont 4 or 5 times a year and we've been trying to get into this restaurant for years but its always booked. I was able to grab a reservation 6 weeks ago for this Sunday night and noted it was my wife's birthday. When we arrived, the hostess asked if it was her birthday and we said yes, then they promptly sat us next to a large support beam that was wrapped with paneling at a tiny table for 2. So when I sat down I was facing my wife and I could see behind her, the chef's preparing the meals in the wood fired ovens. So the 40% of my view for the night was of this beam. It was so dark in the place none of the menu's we received were readable without a cell phone light. And it was so loud in there that my wife and I had to text each other from across the table from one another. We noticed around us 3 other couples sitting comfortably at nice open view tables for four. So much for the birthday notation. Our server was really nice, but was more concerned with his larger parties and often left us unattended to for long periods of time. When we received our appetizer, we had to literally stand up and flag our waiter down to ask him for silverware so we could eat it. Also, we ordered 2 beers and after 10-15 minutes the waiter came over and told us the Pilsner (my wife ordered) which was the only non bitter beer on the menu was no longer available. So she ordered a drink with Vodka in it instead, but they didn't have Tito's or Kettle One so we took "whatever" brand Vodka. It didn't matter because when we got the drinks 20 minutes after we ordered them, hers tasted like red water. My wife got the hanger steak and I got the Swordfish and they were cooked perfectly and tasted amazing. The problem again is that it is so dark in there you can't see what else came on the plate. Were they potatoes? Were they onions or turnips or sunchokes? who knows??? Not the waiter because he didn't stop bye for quite a bit. The bottom line is, the food was excellent once we got it, but the service was slow and ambiance is hit or miss based on where you get seated. For $170 I expected more. I am really kind of disappointed and most likely won't make the effort to go back here. Also take note, the parking garage immediately next to the restaurant is free on Sunday until midnight.
It ain't Waterbury.
.. This newer location was underwhelming. The food tasted a bit bland and didn't provide the Bravado of taste that my sister and I were looking for. Although the duck was succulent, the lighting was super low, and I could have used a less crowded and quieter experience the day before Christmas Eve.
This restaurant came highly recommended and it didn't
This restaurant came highly recommended and it didn't disappoint. Nice ambience, friendly service, and a very fresh and innovative menu. Delicious.
Really lazy and poor quality food.
Thought this was supposed to be a nice place but I'd never recommend it, even to people I don't like.
If you do a lot of research before you go to Burlington,
If you do a lot of research before you go to Burlington, you will find countless lists that name this as THE spot to eat in the city. Given the high expectations, I have to say I was pretty disappointed. - FOOD was good but nothing was overly great, especially for the high price tag. I found the menu a tad bit small -- was hard to find something that called out to me which typically is never an issue. If you're looking to try some of the local VT cheeses tho, they do have a great selection. Overall I think you can probably do better with one of the many cheaper options in town serving up delicious food. -VIBE was cozy and elegant without feeling stuffy. Liked the open kitchen. Think they probably squeezed in a few too many tables as it got quite loud during peak dinner hours. - Service was a bit slow , especially for the level of restaurant. Waiters were all friendly though and very helpful.
Incredible food, thoughtful menu, excellent cocktails.
Ambiance is a lovely blend of New England cozy with elegant, modern woodwork.
Always delicious, the best cocktails, amazing food, great
Always delicious, the best cocktails, amazing food, great ambience. Don't worry about reservations - sitting at the bar is the best anyway.
Spent a long weekend in Burlington and had to check out
Spent a long weekend in Burlington and had to check out this place! Nomz: Started with the roasted carrots, were served on the cooler side, flavorful when eaten together with the ricotta and apple. Then came the Harbison, it's on the small plates but it was pretty filling. Really enjoyed dipping the bread into the jam and then the melted cheese, so yummy. Finished by sharing the hanger steak and a side of cabbage. I thought the steak was good and went well with the beets. The cabbage was recommended to us, but found it underwhelming, lacking flavor. In terms of being full, we could have done without the cabbage side. Drinks: Had cocktails and they were very well made. Service: It took about 10-15min to get someone to stop by our table and ask about water which was shocking to me, I almost got up to talk to the hostess and ask for water. Ambiance: The location is interesting, the entrance is next to a parking garage entrance but once you enter it has a cozy feel. Nope or Dope: Nope, maybe our expectations were too high but this place left us wanting more, for the hype and the price point. They were also out of two small dishes which was a bummer.
Easily my favorite restaurant in Vermont.
Here's the thing...get the vegetarian dish. As a die-hard carnivore I thought I would never say this, but the veg dish is always shockingly good. Don't get me wrong, the hanger steak is to die for, as is everything else, but the vegetarian option always blows me away. Enjoy!
A Popular Foody Place with a Pricey Limited Menu!
We came here with family expecting an unusually good dining experience and walked away slightly disappointed. We found the menu selections to be somewhat limited and way over priced.The best appetizer was the dozen oysters on the half shell, while the duck confit was the most popular main dish. Service was sub par.
Two for Two, and I'll be back.
I does't get much better. Dinner experience of the year. The menu, the food, the service, the atmosphere. Hen of the wood fires on all cylinders. This is fine dining. The portions are fair. I encourage an appetizer, an entree, and dessert and you will not go home hungry, nor disappointed. Take your time, don't be in a hurry. Taste the food. Relax. The prices are fair for all the qualities that make fine dining, what fine dining should be. It's a long drive, I'll be back.
Pickle me Elmo
Oh No!!! There are only a couple restaurants that have reliably provided a nice couple’s night out in the Burlington area. All are overpriced for what you get relative to major cities, but there is a scarcity factor in Vermont to consider so it is what it is. Very concerned after a dinner here in mid-October that Hen may no longer be a reliable go-to. We’ve long been in the know that small plates>>large plates ordering is the way to go at this restaurant (fish large plate is usually solid, but meat preparation is often mediocre, oversalting makes pasta choices a hit or miss. However, the small plate menu appears to have converted to nearly eliminate protein (they used to reliably offer hen of the wood mushroom toast, a pate/terrine, fried oysters, maybe a quail or rabbit dish) and much of what remained was either squash (so much squash on the menu!!) or heavily pickled/sour veggie dishes. The pricing didn’t do mostly unappealing choices any favors. Almost $20 for a pickled cauliflower dish crossed a line and, while I’d gladly fork over $100 for a delicious ribeye entree for 2, you sadly aren’t going to get a delicious ribeye here. Nearly everything we ordered was dressed with too much vinegar, even as the menu didn’t always make this clear. The cocktails are terrific, the ambiance is cozy, the waitstaff is what you’re going to get from a Burlington-area waitstaff, but the price point is too high for this type of inconsistency and uneven food/menu. One highlight — a side dish of broccolini was $8 (less than half the cost of a ‘small plate’) yet it was not vinegared, offered in a similar portion, and delicious! Not sure if the overhaul of the small plate menu reflects inflation, change in chef or what, but that was the consistent appeal of coming here and I’ll be wary of returning anytime soon until it reverts.
Definitely not worth the money!
We ordered the $100 steak and it was so tough we could barely get a fork into it. You had to saw the thing with a knife to cut a piece off! The table next to us ordered the same thing and we saw them sawing away to get pieces and chewing and chewing on each piece. We had three dinners in Burlington at top ranked restaurants and none of them would stay in business for long if they were in our hometown of San Francisco! I am not being snooty but my experience on a two-week-long trip in Vermont and New Hampshire has shown that the restaurants that get a five-star rating in this area would barely make it to three stars in New York City, San Francisco, Boston or other dining meccas. We spent $200 on a dinner at Hen of the woods and it wouldn't rate $50 in any of those towns.
Great overall dining experience!
What a cool experience. We were able to do the private table in the kitchen, had the best service and the food was amazing. I would highly recommend! You need to make a reservation to get into the restaurant. I think they start taking reservations 60 days out so plan ahead.
Hen of the not Good
It was our anniversary which the hostess knew. It got us a tiny table between a support beam and a family with 2 children. It was very dark. On offer was a cranberry rubarb bread for $35 dollars! I had difficulty choosing something I wanted to eat. My husband did as well. I selected the only fish dish, halibut and my husband chose the hanger steak. Our dinners were good but not as advertised. His ‘squash’ was an unexpected puree. Overall, it was a disappointment. I would not return or recommend.
Good meal
It might have been expensive, but you knew that going in. Dishes are small but very flavorful for the most part. Cocktails were excellent. Cheese dish, rolls and heirloom salad were great. Fluke crudo with cantaloupe was underwhelming. The Halibut could have been excellent, however it was under seasoned and needed more or the sweet corn puree despite being perfectly cooked. Service was good and well paced. A few missteps keep this from being a 5 star restaurant.
get some cheese and wine, skip the entrees. Cozy vibe!
Gosh. I was disappointed in the food, but the vibe was lovely. Service was excellent even though the meal was a total wash. Good drinks, nice rolls, awesome vanilla pound cake. Super dry fish and ho-hum sides. If I return I'd get cheese and cocktails. Period.
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