Henry's Diner — Restaurant in Burlington

Henry’s – A Cute Dinner Vibe, But Not for Me

The vibe at Henry’s is definitely a throwback — it feels like stepping back in time in the best way. Everything about the decor and atmosphere is well-preserved and nostalgic. It gives off that perfect classic diner energy.

Note on Water Bottles: You’re not allowed to bring in water bottles, which felt like a random rule — luckily, mine was empty, so I was allowed to bring it in.

The Food: I was initially excited to try their biscuits and gravy, especially since they offer turkey sausage, which is a rare treat for me as I don’t eat pork. Unfortunately, I was disappointed to find out the gravy is pre-made with pork sausage already mixed in. That honestly ruined the moment for me — I finally thought I could order a proper breakfast with protein I could eat. It felt like a missed opportunity and left me in a sour mood.

The rest of the menu was pretty basic. Nothing too exciting or unique. Just a lot of egg dishes and a few sweet breakfast options. Since I don’t really enjoy breakfast food in general (and didn’t choose to come here myself), I wasn’t expecting to be blown away — and I wasn’t. The prices were decent, but the portion sizes felt small.

Would I go back? No. There wasn’t anything on the menu I’d want to try again. I get the appeal, but it’s just not for me. The service was fine — our waitress wasn’t especially friendly, but also not rude. Just... average.

What I Tried: Waffle – 7/10 The waffle was good! I liked how the chocolate chips were on top. It was really gooey inside — almost too much, felt slightly undercooked — but overall, a solid, sweet option.

Skillet – 7.3/10 A simple meal with tomato, onion, mushroom, green pepper . The veggies could’ve been cooked more evenly and chopped in similar sizes (some were huge, others tiny). The cheese wasn’t melted and just sat on top. It was something I could easily make at home — and honestly, I’ve made better versions myself. The biscuit on the side was very good but too crumbly for my taste. Loved the whipped butter.

Breakfast Sandwich – 7.5/10 Made with a turkey patty, Vermont cheese, and egg. It was a little bland. I wish it came with some greenery or even a slice of tomato, and some kind of sauce — even just mayo — would’ve helped. The patty had a strong rosemary taste, which may not be for everyone. But the English muffin was great.

Bacon and Eggs – 7.7/10 The turkey bacon tasted very close to real bacon, which I appreciated. Home fries were average — nothing special. I don’t eat eggs, so I can’t comment on that. But the toast was amazing — a 10/10 — perfectly buttered and toasted.

Final Thoughts: I understand the appeal of Henry’s for people who love classic diner breakfasts and nostalgic vibes. But as someone who doesn't enjoy traditional breakfast food and avoids pork, there just wasn’t much here for me if small dinner vibes is what you want then this is the...

You don't have to travel far for a good diner meal.

The inimitable Henry’s Diner has been a Burlington staple since the late 1960’s. Currently the restaurant is closed for renovations and updating. The plan is to have everything up and running before the students return in mid- August. That is a good thing as nothing last forever and periodic deep cleaning and upgrading to current specs works in everyone’s best interest. Owned by the consortium that includes the Apollo Diner in Milton, Athena Diner in St. Albans and Athens Diner in Colchester, Henry’s is a well run operation and the current overhaul attest to the owners commitment to do things right. On two visits just before the remodeling a duo of breakfast staples were sampled. On the first visit the standard breakfast that serves as a benchmark for all others was ordered. A bacon, onion and cheddar omelet, white toast double extra butter and home fries with grilled onions were ordered. The server took my order like she had been doing this all of her life. All of the wait staff were young, women that seemed to have experience beyond their young years. From my seat at the counter in front of the kitchen window it was easy to see the professional execution of their duties and that of cooks as well. The omelet was served the plate was overflowing with breakfast goodness. On first bite you could tell this was going to be a good meal. Building on melted cheese on the floor on the omelet, next three full slices of crisp bacon and then a layer of golden onions before the entire package was folded over. Henry’s serves up extra thick slices of what tasted like homemade bread that was toasted to a medium and buttered as requested. A mound of home fries completed the plate and filled whatever free space was left on the large platter. Boy was it good. On a second visit what has become a house special the corned beef hash skillet was ordered. As described in other reviews a tremendous amount of food is served in this dish. I’m a plate licker from way back and Henry’s Diner beat me as I couldn’t finish it. A layer of home fries, homemade corned beef hash, two eggs over medium and the double extra well buttered toast did me in. The only caveat to be aware of is that on weekends Henry’s is very popular. It’s not unusual for a line of college aged patrons, recovering from the previous night’s bacchanal to be stretched out to about 20 or so deep. Other than that Henry’s gets high ratings for serving up fairly priced, good quality food that will stick to your ribs. Who knows it might make you forget about all that Goldschlager and Patron that you drank the night before. Located at 155 Bank Street just off the Market Place, Henry’s is just the diner you’re looking for. ...

My family chose this restaurant on vacation without reading the reviews. The management was way ruder than our waitress, who was the only one that was actually helpful. We brought my grandma who walks with a cane, she can’t stand for too long, and when she told the host she couldn’t stand anymore, they told her she had to wait for our whole party to arrive. While they were trying to find parking, they were physically blocking my grandma from sitting down while we waited, which is horrible behavior. My sister and I had both brought drinks in with us, which we had just bought, and we were commanded to leave them up front. We did so and on our way out we notice that our drinks had been moved, which bothers me because we drink out of the cups mouthpiece, and I have no way of knowing how they handled them. We had seven meals, all of which were ordered and submitted correctly. Our waitress kindly repeated our orders to ensure they would get our meals correct, and every single thing she read back was correct, yet somehow two meals were messed up? It was clearly not her fault, and since we had already had issues with the employees not allowing my grandma to sit it really seemed like they were rubbing salt in the wound. I asked for a side of feta cheese, which was forgotten, and when I pointed it out to our waitress the manager invited himself up to our table and started telling me that the meal didn’t come with cheese on it, even though I had clearly asked for a SIDE of cheese, which they then brought me. My order and my moms were both incorrect, they forgot someone’s drink and they brought the food out at completely separate times. One person was done eating by the time another actually got their plate. The manager kept peaking around the corner and STARING at our table, which was disturbing and so so weird. The restaurant was cramped and greasy, and the bathroom looked disgusting. We overpaid for the quality of food, but then again messing up two orders is $33 worth of food in the garbage. I’m sure when I submit this review they’ll remember exactly who I was, because the manager knew how sloppy their service was, how many times they messed up our food and how many times the manager and cook(?) decided it was appropriate to stare at us. This place is horrible and they don’t stand a chance of making it another 100 years if current conditions continue. Don’t waste your money, there’s dozens of options on the...