On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 45% based on 20 reviews, with an average rating of 5.5/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "Despite an astonishing collection of talent across the board, "Heartburn"s aimless plot inspires mild indigestion instead of romantic ardor." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 49 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B-" on an A+ to F scale.