This spot is in my hometown and while it's not a place I rush to generally, let me tell you why it will always be on the rotation. Hushpuppies. The very best hushpuppies ever, and for me that's worth working in a lunch here every other month or so. Can you tell how much I love hushpuppies? You could say I'm a connoisseur. Hah. For real though. I generally opt for a truly southern veggie array but the friend chicken and fried flounder are good too. One particular day I ordered chicken and dumplings only to be caught off guard. More akin to German dumplings but they weren't awful. Service is generally good, not great. This spot has been open for a long time and is just a simple, local spot that thrives. Good enough for me. read more

Western Charcoal Steak House - Steakhouses Near Me - Burlington, North Carolina

This is a really old place, walking in is like walking back in time! The food is really good, and really affordable! Seems like a popular locals place for the older crowd. Will definitely be back! read more

Western Charcoal Steak House - Steakhouses Near Me - Burlington, North Carolina

See all

Great food and customer service they have this during the week at lunch. My spouse loved the steak it was tender read more

See all

Had not been there in many years. Once worked nearby and had meals there often. Ordered lunch - hamburger steak, baked sweet potatoes and fried squash. I was NOT disappointed. The burger was 'real' not frozen and an inch (or more) thick. Ate squash first--it was so good and crispy around the edges. I ate all of it before moving on. Then I added the steak sauce to my plate and dipped the steak burger in -- bite by bite. Had garlic bread. I got so full the sweet potato came home with me along with half the 'steak'! Added the steak bites to my scrambled eggs the next morning and had the baked potato for dinner with cinnamon sugar the restaurant sent home with me! I'll be back -- soon. May just get the baked sweet potato as an entree! The service was wonderful, as was all the staff I spoke with. read more

Poor service, sweet potato was hard, not cooked. Never received a refill and were the only customers in the dinning room.

We have had some issues before this past Saturday but this last time will be our last for a long time. We had to wait an hour to be seated (now there we 7 of us) but when we saw that others were getting their food before us after coming in after us. Well....by the time we were FINALLY getting our food they tell us they didn't have sweet potatoes. We got there ar 6:30 and got to leave at 9. When I spoke to someone she said I wasn't the only person complaining BUT the biggest problem was when she spoke to the owner and he looked as if he could care less. We had 4 teas out of the 7 people. He took off the tea price. Really all we wanted was maybe a small voucher for us to come back but no....he just looked at us then walked away for this lady to handle everything. We did go there pretty regular but now...no... read more

Had the beef tips, great food, super nice waitress. Very nice atmosphere, very homey.

The batter for fish, onion rings, and shrimp had zero seasoning. Onion rings came out lukewarm. The ribeye was decent considering the price. Was a very thin steak but it wasn't chewy. They may have poured an au jus on the steak to give it flavor. If you like tasteless cafeteria food then this place will be ok. Service was ok but waitress didn't even question about the food when she say my wife had barely eaten any of the fish and none of the onion rings. We won't be going back. read more

I know this is not my first review for Western Charcoal. But my husband went there for lunch last week. Both of us got the fried flounder, baked potato and slaw. I challenge any restaurant to beat what we had last week. It was not greasy at all. Perfectly cooked. I found 1 bone. Neither one of us could eat it all! Their slaw is delicious and they were very generous. Wonderful!!' read more

Made a reservation for a family gathering here and it was great! I had about 50+ family members show up with 2 waitresses and they made sure everything and everyone was good! Normally they open at 4pm on Saturday, but they were willing to open an hour early JUST FOR US! Now that's customer service. Everyone was able to order from there menu without any issues! Even with the number of family members that showed up, we were all able to eat, have dessert and play games and be done by 5:39pm! Thank you Johnny and staff for accommodating our needs! read more

They have always been great. That's why they have been in business so long. Ther KC special is awesome. You won't be diagnosed.

Will never eat here again...ordered a hamburger and fries...I did not check prior to leaving ...if I had I would have asked for a refund. Disgusting....won't happen again...and I certainly will tell my friends. read more

See all

The food is always good. Prices are excellent. Service is good and thoughtful. It seems they pay attention to their regular customers and treat them well! read more

Great steak. Waitress was nice and attentive. Prices were good too. The seven of us all enjoyed our meals.

This place is awful got a steak was tough and not done hadn't been in before covid it suck then and it still sucks got my last dollar

I live about 30 miles from this restaurant, but the food is so good and so affordable that I go over every other week or so for a decent steak. Informal, homey, attentive servers, surprisingly low prices. Wish we had a place like this in Durham. read more

This is an iconic place in Burlington. They are one of the last remaining "meat and 2 veggie" places around. My favorite is pictured - the lunch serving of flounder (2 large pieces), 2 veggie choices, and hush puppies. All of this for about 5 bucks. read more

Western Charcoal Steak House - Flounder, okra, fries, hush puppies. - Steakhouses Near Me - Burlington, North Carolina

Very old school Burlington restaurant. The food is good and you will not beat the price anywhere. Salad, hushpuppies, a huge piece of fried flounder and a plateful of shrimp and fried okra for $14.00. The sign is still neon. Very working class but the place is packed on Friday night. read more

Just horrid! Don't waste your time or your money unless you like eating crap food! We went there because the YP reviews were awesome with a professional web page, a big guess on who wrote those reviews. read more

Western Charcoal Steak House - a handwritten receipt - Steakhouses Near Me - Burlington, North Carolina

This review is based only on a single visit for lunch. We both ordered the 1/4 hamburger plate with slaw and French fries. Hamburger Bun: Fresh, substantial and tasty. Hamburger: Could have been a McDonalds burger, no real beef flavor. Weakest part of the meal. Came with fresh lettuce, tomato and onions on the side. Cold Slaw: Very good, slightly sweet. French Fries: Hot, tasty and not greasy. Only Pepsi products, we had water. Cost: $4.25 each, a bargain. Atmosphere: old booths, table and chairs. Very tired. read more

My first visit to Western Steak today and I'm glad I didn't read the reviews before visiting. This place is totally old school. Not just the patrons which are purple-hair throwbacks to 1970 but the decor, lighting, menu design, prices, portions, waitresses, etc. I highly recommend this spot for lunch. There are specials everyday that come with two sides and it is c-h-e-a-p! I had grilled pork tenderloin with turnip greens and three bean salad for $7. I ate with two others, we had three entrees and two beverages for $20. On top of the generous lunch portion we were giving a heaping basket of bread, toast and some amazing hushpuppies. The service was good and the food came out super fast. I must say I spotted the waitress refilling the A1 bottle with generic steak sauce in the back, but hey, that's part of the charm in this throwback restaurant. read more

Yuck and yuck. Filet steak was fatty and full of vessels, over cooked. Tiny sweet potato that tasted liked they cooked it 3 days ago. Steak had no flavor. When server asked if we wanted bacon on our salads, my husband said yes. She went to the table behind us and asked for the bacon bits and delivered a gallon pitcher of bacon bits to our table. So yuck! Sanitary rating 94%. Salad is dry iceberg with strong white onions, covered with about 1/2cup of flavorless shredded cheese. The ranch and hush puppies were great. read more

I don't recommend staying away from Western by any means. This place definitely caters to the older folks and there are plenty of people that eat here every night of the week. It's reasonably priced, the food is good, the staff is friendly. It's not fantastic by any means, but you get a good steak with sides... or pretty good fried seafood (enormous portions). I do have to take a crack at the ginormous containers of faux bacon bits on each table. We're talking 1/2 gallon of baco'bits!! This is a great place to take your older parents or grandparents. read more

I don't mind the restaurant doing what is expected of them to stay open but to treat life long customers with medical conditions that the cdc states should not wear a mask is ridiculous and going too far. It's unfortunate but I will never support this business again. read more

Really disappointed. I don't care if the decor is dated, it's all about the food, right? Well, that is dated, too. On the table sits a basket with sour cream containers that say "keep refrigerated ", and that nasty fake butter that doesn't even melt. I asked the server ( who was very nice) if I could have some real butter, she said the cooks had it to use at breakfast but they ( servers) can't have it. Huh? Our steaks were cooked properly but flavorless. I have never put A-1 on a filet before! Glad this place is so inexpensive, I feel less cheated, but we won't be returning. read more

My favorite restaurant back home. Every time I go back it's the same and that's what great! A little tip, it's a steakhouse but get the fried flounder. It is great and their tarter sauce is distinctively good. Nice Salad. Onion rings. Hey it's not a fancy place but the food is good. I cant wait to get back. It may be tomorrow! read more

Had breakfast. It was ok. Grits lacking in flavor as was the pancake. Park restaurant has them beat for taste. I'll try the lunch or supper next time. read more

This is such a sorry excuse for a restaurant. I'm not being mean, just being honest. I find it difficult to find one good thing about my two dining experiences there. My biggest mistake was giving them a second chance and going back for more. I recommend staying far away from this restaurant. read more

This place reminds me of k&w. They offer home cooked meal for a great price. Most of the meals that I've had have been good and fairly cheap. I love their country style steak and fried squash. I think they also offer breakfast specials. The service is very warm and friendly but I've always done takeout since I have a short lunch break. Overall give this place a try if you're craving home cooked meal. read more

Long time customer, years have not been kind, we used to eat here regularly. Decor hasn't been updated since Nixon was President, but part of the charm, as the food was good, hot and reasonably priced. Food quality and service have gone steadily downhill the last few years. Stopped in tonight for a quick dinner for the first time in a year, the slow slide has went over the cliff. Waiting to be seated, wife and I walk back to the booth, table is wet and so are the seats, but of course by the time we discovered that little factoid, the wife had just slid into the booth. Just a note to restaurant owners everywhere, no one ever leaves the comfort of their home to go pay for a meal and eat it in damp pants. To busboys (and girls) everywhere, please take note of the statement above. Bussing tables is the lowest rung skill on the restaurant ladder, if you cannot master that simple set of functions...the world of work may not be for you. We left to find good food and some dry pants. It's a shame what's become of this restaurant. read more

I have seen the bad reviews for this steakhouse, and I have to disagree. We stop here every month on our way through town and always have a great meal. If we had listen to the lousy reviews, we would have missed out on a great little family restaurant. read more

Had western steakhouse cater our party, excellent taste in food and quality. Visiting NC from Houston and I have to say that for our second baby shower we're catering from this place. OPA! read more

I've lived in Burlington for 10 years and always wanted to try this place out. Well unfortunately I can't say it was worth the wait.....and neither can my waitress. The decor is from the 60s/70's and the patrons and waitress were my age.......in 1960. When I asked my waitress what's good she literally tells me nothing! Then elaborates that there is a couple of things that she likes but there nothing special. Yes prices are good but that's it. read more

Food was okay. Nothing special but not terrible. The service however was a nightmare. Disrespectful and disorganised! Just a jumbled mess. If I wasn't a guest of someone meeting me there I would have said "forget it, I'll go somewhere else." read more

It kills me to say this, but I will. Johny's Western Steakhouse Sucks. My wife and I went here on our first date 9 years ago and it was fantastic. Great food and cheap. Every time I have gone back, it has been terrible. The portions are huge, but that's about it. The place is dingy, not dirty, but dingy, the food is average at best. I have ordered and gotten two of the worst steaks I have ever tried to eat at this place, they both tasted and had the consistency of liver. Maybe it was just a bad day both times, but I won't be back. read more

Great iconic restaurant in East Burlington. The staff is always friendly and the prices good. It is nothing over the top fancy, so don't expect anything like that when you show up. Just expect a good meal and a sense that you got your money's worth. read more

I love this place. As their name suggests, their steaks are incredible! Their homemade hush puppies were also so good that I placed an order to take home with me. I recommend this place to anyone who is looking for a warm family restaurant! read more

Sadly, the only thing I liked from my meals were the baked potatoes. Which were awesome. But I've tried several entrees, and their salads, and did not like anything. They use the cheapest items available to make their food and it shows. The older folks in my family seem to love this place, but I can't see why. read more

This place is indeed old fashioned country cooking, but everything was done very nicely and tasted terrific! Why so many bad reviews?! Our waitress seemed genuinely happy to serve us and was the perfect embodiment of stereotypical southern hospitality. read more

Food was okay. Nothing that makes me want to come back again. Service was good. Price matches the quality of the meal.