Ryan's Restaurant

For a first visit in Winston Salem, Ryan’s Restaurant is best understood through its basics: American steakhouse and seafood cuisine, a $$$ price point, smart-casual dress, and evening hours. If the goal is a dinner where prime rib, live Maine lobster, ribeye, jumbo lump crab cakes, and oysters Rockefeller all fit the brief, it earns consideration.

The clearest trust signal is the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2026. That does not mean the meal should be treated as experimental or tasting-menu driven. It is better read through the confirmed basics: American steakhouse and seafood cooking, a higher price point, and signature dishes anchored by steakhouse and seafood classics.

Book this for a classic protein-led dinner, not a tasting-menu arc

The useful way to think about the menu is architecture, not novelty. Ryan’s Restaurant is framed around American steakhouse and seafood dining, so the meal is most clearly represented by oysters Rockefeller or jumbo lump crab cakes, then prime rib, ribeye, or live Maine lobster as the center of the table. That is the advantage here for a first-timer: the confirmed signature dishes make the restaurant easy to understand before you plan.

That also means the restaurant is less clearly suited to diners chasing surprise, heavy chef narration, or a multi-course tasting-menu cadence. The safer expectation is a dinner built around classic steakhouse-and-seafood choices. For a planned evening meal, the appeal is the familiar premium format rather than a highly conceptual one.

The room suits occasions that call for a planned dinner

The details support treating Ryan’s Restaurant as a planned evening meal: it is $$$, dinner-only based on the listed hours, and smart casual in dress code. In Winston Salem, that makes it a practical option when the night calls for a steakhouse-and-seafood dinner rather than a quick casual stop.

Hours are also important for planning. Ryan’s Restaurant is open Monday through Thursday from 5–8:30 PM, Friday from 5–9:30 PM, Saturday from 4:30–9:30 PM, and closed Sunday. Plan around dinner service.

How to decide if it fits your night

Choose Ryan’s Restaurant if the night calls for a higher-budget dinner and a menu where steakhouse and seafood staples are the point. Skip it if your group wants something lower-priced, faster, or more casual. The confirmed price level is $$$, so it makes the most sense when the occasion benefits from a more deliberate dinner plan.

For broader trip planning, Pearl’s Winston Salem restaurants guide is the better place to compare across dining styles, while the Winston Salem hotels guide, Winston Salem bars guide, Winston Salem wineries guide, and Winston Salem experiences guide help round out the rest of the evening. For this specific meal, the verdict is simple: choose Ryan’s Restaurant when the occasion benefits from a classic American steakhouse-and-seafood format with confirmed Wine Spectator Award of Excellence recognition; choose something lighter when price, speed, or spontaneity matters more.