Smith & Wollensky - Burlington — Restaurant in Burlington

Dear S&W Burlington Management

I wanted to share some candid feedback regarding our recent lunch experience on Friday. While we thoroughly enjoyed the quality of the food, the service provided by our waiter, Aaron, fell significantly short of what we expected—especially at an establishment of your caliber.

When our group of ten chose not to order alcohol (due to religious reason) and explained that none of us drink, Aaron’s response was noticeably dismissive. He made an unnecessary sound of disapproval, which felt both rude and unprofessional. His demeanor throughout much of the meal was more in line with what one might expect at a casual chain restaurant, not a fine dining establishment.

At one point, when we asked to order coffee, he refused to take individual orders and instead instructed us to raise our hands so he could count how many wanted coffee. This felt inappropriate and demeaning—something none of us have experienced before in any restaurant setting.

When it came time for dessert, Aaron simply dropped the cutlery in the center of the table, leaving guests to distribute sort it out themselves without any effort to distribute it himself, These actions gave the impression that serving us was an inconvenience rather than a duty as out server. These moments conveyed a lack of basic service etiquette and attentiveness.

More disappointingly, some of our steaks arrived severely undercooked—blood red in the center. When we pointed this out, Aaron casually acknowledged, “Yeah, that is raw,” but made no effort to remedy the issue or offer an alternative. At a fine dining establishment, this level of disregard for food quality and guest satisfaction is surprising.

Interestingly, his tone and attentiveness noticeably improved only after we began ordering our mains—Wagyu filets priced at $98 each. While we appreciated the improvement, it was disappointing that it took a high-value order to elicit basic courtesy.

We spent over $1,400 as a group, and we expected to be treated with the same level of attentiveness and professionalism from start to finish—regardless of our drink orders or stage of the meal. Unfortunately, Aaron’s condescending attitude and lackluster service were a blemish on what should have been a celebratory occasion.

Ultimately, I still left a $300 tip—though he did not deserve it—because I felt perhaps he needed it more than we did.

I strongly urge that he be retrained in proper service etiquette, especially in understanding that every guest deserves respect and attentiveness, regardless of what they order. Basic manners—such as not making guests pass plates or distribute their own cutlery—are essential in any hospitality setting, and certainly in a restaurant of your standing.

Thank you for taking this feedback seriously. We hope to return in the future and enjoy the level of service that matches the quality of your cuisine.

Sincerely, Paying customer with...

My wife and I ate at this Smith & Wollensky's a week ago. It was a Saturday night and they were fairly busy. It's a very nice location with a pleasant atmosphere for fine dining, celebratory dinners or parties. Noise level was not bad despite being busy. The service started off great, but fell apart as soon as we ordered our meal. A busboy refilled our water glasses once and that was about it. We wanted to refill our drinks as well, but nobody returned to our table to do so. At one point someone slid by the table and grabbed our empty glasses, so we thought maybe they were refilling them. Nope, they just took them away. When our waiter finally returned we were tempted to skip dessert as we were concerned how long it would take to get that and then our bill, but we had our minds set on one and ordered anyway. As expecte afterwards, it took an unacceptable amount of time to get our bill. I appreciate not being pushed out, but when you have your dishes pushed asised and your credit card on the table....well thats a pretty clear signal you are ready to go. The food wasn't bad, but NOT up to the prices charged. I have no issue with the prices if the food is worth it. I'm kind of a steak connoisseur and have dined at some of the finest Steakhouses in the USA, like Abe & Louis in Boston, Bobby Van's in New York, Dickie Brennan's in New Orleans and Berns in Tampa, just to name a few. While the food was not terrible, it was not up to par with ANY of those i just mentioned, but the prices were. My wife got the Gorgonzola Crusted Filet which was a bit undercooked and outside the strong cheese, lacked flavor. I got the Cajun Marinated Dry Aged Bone In Ribeye which was cooked properly but believe it or not also laced flavor. Hard to believe, but true. Serves me right for breaking my rule of not putting anything on my Dry Aged Bone in Ribeyes (no marinades or rubs or toppers). Neither steak lived up to the price point like others have elsewhere. We also had the Truffle Mac & Cheese which was good and the Fried Onions, which were the best part of the meal (though very salty), tied with the Coconut Creme cake we had for dessert. Not sure if this was just an off night, but frankly I was disappointed to have chosen this spot to celebrate my Birthday. It was average food and unattentive service provided in an upscale, attractive and comfortable dining area. And yes, I get it. It's the holidays and it was a busy weekend night. But when you are charging these prices, you need to be on point night after night if you want to be considered a truly...

Visited for dinner 12/14/2023 for my company's holiday get together. We wanted to check out the new restaurant in town. None of us plan to go back. For the money there are better food and experiences out there. Usually high end restaurants do extremely well with being mindful and accommodating allergies and did sensitivities, not this Smith & Wollensky. Suggestion to Management: take the time to mark your menu for what is gluten free or can be made the way, and have gluten free dinner rolls so that certain guests aren't excluded from the welcoming first experience of the bread service. This can set the tone for the rest of the evening. I ordered two old fashioneds, the first one was far two sweet, the second one was the polar opposite, very confusing and not balanced flavors for what can be an excellent drink. The waitress was nice and offered to have the bartender fix the second one.

The iceberg salad had brown pieces in the iceberg lettuce. The kitchen should have put that piece in the trash/compost and not on my plate.

The plate for the seared tuna entre was pipping hot, for no reason as the seared tuna in had no temperature heat on it. What was the purpose of serving it like that, and I burned my fingers when I tried to move my plate to make space for the other orders. Poor decision and possible future liability.

The roasted vegetables, tuna tartar, coconut cake and creme brule were the few items that put smiles on our faces, but not memorable enough to warrant a purposeful trip back to this place.

When we entered a nicely decorated restaurant, ourditted tastefully for the holiday season, but the scent at the entrance was a bit foul... like someone passed gas. The restaurant was loud and the bathrooms poorly done. Is there a reason why the drains in the floor have plastic in it, why do you expect the guest to open a basket after washing their hands to dispose of the paper towel? Management needs to take time to consider the little things that enhance the experience. That's what high-end restaurants do that set them apart and give the experience that you look forward to having...