Porter’s Tavern

I’ve never thought to put blue cheese in mac & cheese, but the results are delicious. A little bit of a flavor trick that comes across as sweet. A bit odd, and most definitely filling. I had mac & cheese for two days with one serving. And the bartender with the hipster ‘stache won my lady’s heart.

Holla at u later, Porter’s.

Good place to grab a beer and a bite. Lots of interesting beers on tap and in the bottle. Reasonable prices. Excellent service — timely, yet non-​invasive. I had the hanger steak sandwich, which, from the description, promised to be very flavorful. The steak on the sandwich was prepared well, but the sandwich was quite bland. Most people at my table reported enjoying their meal.

Father’s Day brunch for four. Street parking, immediately seated (called ahead for reservations). Slightly sticky table, poached eggs benedict was overcooked and no parsely on top of two of three identical orders. Dry toast. Interesting scones to start meal with. Bloody mary orders start at noon. Friendly and fast wait staff.

Had a lovely dinner with the boyfriend while walking along Hillsborough Street in Raleigh. We sat outside on a nice summer night — love the fact that this place has a patio — we were on the street and outside, but not right on the sidewalk, so it still felt private.
We started out with the house sangria — a carafe for $ 12.50. Wasn’t anything to write home about, but I didn’t expect much in terms of a five-​glass carafe for $ 12.50. It was refreshing, however, and I’d order it again on a summer evening. We split an appetizer and each got entrees. The appetizer — spinach and artichoke tavern chips — was delicious. Enough food for way more than two people. The homemade chips were crispy and salty without being greasy. At first, it didn’t seem that there was a lot of cheese on them, but after we dug in, turned out there was more than enough! I got the crab and avocado quesadilla. It was just okay. The mango salsa on it was quite good, but something about the quesadilla was just too crabby for me. Maybe I thought I liked crab and really don’t? Or I just wasn’t in the mood? It didn’t matter very much because I’d already filled up on the tavern chips and couldn’t have eaten most of it if I’d tried.
Service was nice and prompt. And the whole meal, tip included came out to under $ 50, which I think is really reasonable considering we had drinks and an appetizer! Even with a main dish that I wasn’t too fond of, I’m eager to go back – it was the perfect place for a quiet date night around the State campus.

I love Porters for its warmth and consistency. Really good food done well. No gimmicks.
I like that the whole family can get what it wants – a burger for my twelve year old, and some of the best cooked fish in Raleigh for me. Tonight, I had Grouper wrapped in paper thin potato wafers on a bed of cale and pancetta. Really good. My daughter and I agreed that the side order of brussel sprouts we got was the best outside our house (one of my family specialties.
Their homemade pasta is always a treat as well. My other daughter had ravioli with smoked chicken, and it was perfectly cooked with a very tasty sauce.
My only issue is that the service is often just so-​so. The wait staff shows up, takes your order, and disappears until the food shows up. A little bit of staff training could go a long way.
Still, this is a family favorite, and is perfect when you want good food in a good atmosphere.

I love this place. It’s kind of hidden on hillsborough, you wouldn’t expect this place sitting there.
First off, weekend brunch is AWESOME. They have really unique and good dishes, and the price is reasonable.
Also came here to try dinner on restaurant week. The menu was awesome, and every option on it was awesome (we had a small group so shared everything pretty much).
This is a great place to come if you’re in the campus area, and if you’re not — I’d recommend making a night out here, you’ll be happy you did.
The bar is also pretty chill while you wait for tables/​etc…

2 Words: Great Date. My wife and I came in on a Saturday before heading to a movie. The ambiance was intimate, just what we were looking for on a Saturday night date. I had the Ribeye (medium). One a scale of 1 — 10 (10 being excellent) I give it a 9. For my side I had the blue cheese macaroni. I give it a 8.5. My wife had the shirmp tacos. She said, «They weren’t blow your mind good, but they were good.» She gave them 7.5. I didn’t get any pictures because I SWORE to leave my phone in the car on date night. We will definitely return.

I’ll have to agree with the more risqué Unilocalers on this restaurant, and say that Porter’s Tavern screams ‘safety’. The restaurant is filled with blazers and shawls, the priceless garments of the upper middle class. The menu is safe, never straying too far from typical American cuisine, never endangering their constituents with ‘ethnic’ or ‘spicy’ options.
I went here for dinner with a date, and got exactly what I was expecting. The cobb salad I ordered was fresh, topped with grilled steak. The interior was clean, dim (but not too dim), in an attempt to be intimate.
The date ended up going well, essentially because the girl I took agreed that this place was ‘meh.’ Probably going back here, unless I’m suddenly 50 and decide that its a safe venture to dine potential clients.

My husband and I enjoyed a delicious Sunday brunch at Porter’s a few weeks ago. We started out with some of their complimentary scones (yum) and a fresh fruit salad. I got the gigantic blueberry ricotta pancakes, which were tasty. Be forewarned, the portion is huge (I took ¾ of it home). For the size of the portion, they were pretty stingy with the syrup, even asking for an extra side of it didn’t help much. Anyway, still delicious and freshly prepared. I got a side of bacon, and when asked if I could get it crispy, was assured that everything is cooked to order & I would get my bacon as requested. and indeed, the bacon was crispy.
My husband tried the eggs benedict, and was not disappointed. It was a sourmet Southern spin on the dish, with pork loin and a biscuit, and a side of roasted apples. The bite I had was very good.
The service was outstanding, and very friendly. We ended up sitting outside and got to watch the world go by on Hillsborough street. A very nice way to spend a Sunday morning.
I’d definitely recommend this place for brunch, and look forward to trying them for other meals as well.

Killer place. Went here for a Sunday brunch and were shocked at both how nice this place is and how incredibly reasonable the prices are. Like, are you serious that only costs $ 9? We haven’t been for dinner yet, but it seems like a great spot for that as well. Great beer menu, really nice food, super cozy interior with good service, and a patio as well. I’m not sure I could ask much more for a Sunday brunch/​lunch. Now time to try it for dinner.
I’m starting to feel cheap with all my 5 star ratings for Raleigh locations so far, but I’ve yet to be even remotely disappointed. Well done Raleigh!

Finally made it here last night and was able to sit outside — which is a great spot to watch all the ‘happenings’ on Hillsborough. The inside is very nice too if you want a more intimate dinner — the tables outside are very close to each other so you hear others conversations but we were okay with that. This place really has a nice combination of casual bar feel yet slightly upscale and modern.
We started with a glass of white wine each (they have a short, but decent selection by the glass) and the pear brie tartlet. OMG that tartlet is amazing! For an entrée I chose the arugula salad with dried blueberries, gorgonzola, and toasted pecans with the addition of grilled salmon. The hubby got the grilled fish tacos which came with quite a large side salad. For dessert we shared strawberry shortcake made with bisquits… ahh — my favorite way! Everything was great!
We’ll definitely be back — if it were a weekend night we would’ve stopped next door at Fraziers for another glass of wine… perhaps next time!

I work at NCSU and Porters is right across the street so I come here quite often and I’m a fan! The hostesses usually have something to be desired (you almost have to coach them through the process of being seated), but the waitstaff is good & on the ball and I’ve been impressed about how they work as a team to keep tables clean & drinks refilled, etc.
The menu isn’t huge, but the food is good, seems fresh and there is something for everyone (sandwiches, fish tacos, salads, pasta, other entrees). I’m a vegetarian and they have several things to choose from and several entrees that are easily modified to be vegetarian. As for food recommendations — the Tavern Salad (light but flavorful), the Tavern Chips (really, really rich, but awesome), portobello sandwich (a good standard), macaroni and cheese, tempura green beans — all worth trying!
At lunch we are always in and out within an hour and the prices are great! I’m looking forward to coming back for dinner sometime when I can enjoy a drink with my meal!

We had mixed feelings about this place. We went for Sunday brunch, the last day of Triangle Restaurant Week and were seated right away :-)
Sadly, the TRW menu that they offer at lunch was not being served during brunch. :-(
Because we had four choices that week and wanted to experience TRW menus, that basically shot one of the choices in the foot because we can get their brunch menu anytime.
Mere observations — there were three of us and we were seated pretty much in the middle of the restaurant. No biggie — it started getting crowded about 20 minutes after we arrived. Thought it was the church crowd but after looking around, it was more of the college crowd. Again, no biggie. There was a crabby kid screeching and whining at the table behind me, but that wasn’t the restaurant’s fault.
The service was a bit slow, but we were given complimentary scones with apple butter. The scones were petite and round (scones are typically triangle wedges) but they were the best scones I’ve had outside of my own. The apple butter was really good, but no butter was served with either the scones or the biscuit we ordered ($ 2.50).
As my entrée, I had the Porter’s Benedict ($ 8.95) — fried pork loin, poached eggs, biscuit, cider hollandaise. I switched the roasted apples with the roasted potatoes for a side dish. The fried pork loin was awesome, and the poached eggs had the yolk cooked perfectly. The egg white however had about 20 seconds more cooking needed. The biscuit and cider hollandaise were fine. The roasted potatoes could have been great but were hard and undercooked. I’m glad I didn’t order the potatoes as a side and spend an extra $ 2.50 for that.
My two dinner mates both had the Omelet of the Day ($ 7.50). Can’t remember exactly what it had but I saw spinach, cherry tomatoes, ham and cheese. One of the ingredients was smoked — either the ham or the cheese — which was a bit too heavy for the dish. All three of us felt that way, and none of us are picky eaters. One diner left half of her Omelet.
For each smiley I could give, there was a frowny somewhere, so we stay mixed. There wasn’t anything I had that said «I have got to go back» — especially since there are so many restaurants in town.

Made an opentable reservation for a business lunch. Arrived a few minutes late and was rudely told our reservation was for 12. «Yes it is» I responded. She told me she had sat our table and it would be 15 – 20 minute wait.
No it won’t. We left and won’t be back.

A friend and I stopped in here for dinner recently and I was especially excited to try it out since I’d been to other restaurants owned by Urban Food, especially the fantastic Frazier’s next door. I entered and already appreciated the dim lighting, rich dark tile flooring, open classy looking bar area, and elegant tables strewn about the dining room. I will warn you that parking is a bit difficult since it’s smack dab in the middle of Hillsborough St. near NC State though.
For a Tuesday night it was quite busy so our waitress was a bit flustered, but still attentive and listened to us very well. I chose to start off with a glass of the Primaterra Pinot Grigio and was quite happy with my selection.
for my dinner, I chose Porter’s Fish Tacos. Grilled cod, avacado salsa, spicy mayo, and baja slaw. Mmm! I ordered it without the slaw and was quite pleased. The fish was cooked perfectly and the tacos had just the right amount of spice! My friend ordered the Chicken Gemelli pasta dish and between the sundried tomatoes, arugula, and sherry cream sauce it was quite the beautiful dish. She polished off that dish too!
Porter’s was pretty impressive so I’d definitely love to visit this one again. I recommend you check it out if you’re looking for an up-​scale tavern that will serve up some class while not breaking the bank.

Porter’s is one of those reliable spots that makes for a great business lunch or dinner. But I’ll be honest to say that I don’t get particularly excited to eat here outside of their tavern chips (yes they rock). They always do a nice job with basic menu favorites (burgers, Southern) for sandwiches and entrees, just don’t expect anything too creative. Décor inside is classic and muted, Porters would actually work ok for a dinner date too. And I have heard they put on a decent brunch though I haven’t been yet.
You really can’t go wrong with any of the Urban Food Group restaurants like Porters but if I had my druthers, I’d just hop next door and do small plates at Fraziers instead! Porter’s is pretty good, just not great…

So we’ve limited ourselves to 2 TRW places this time around and Porter’s made the cut. Owned by the Urban Food Group, the same guys who own Vivace, Coquette, and Frazier’s, I was expecting the food to live up to the menu. Unfortunately, it fell a little short.
We ordered both of the TRW appetizers, the trout, and both of the desserts. The first course of watermelon/​cucumber gazpacho and heirloom tomato salad were starkly different. The gazpacho was far too acidic, so after finishing off the cucumber and watermelon chunks, you were left with a very thin soda-​like soup. It was a nice attempt at a different gazpacho, but a tomato base would have helped tremendously. The heirloom tomato salad was simple, but very refreshing. Served properly, tomatoes weren’t freezing cold and the goat cheese on the warmer side, the only drawback was how the tomatoes were cut. To really feel the texture of the tomatoes, I usually prefer them to be cut in half-​wedges.
The 2^nd course of crab-​stuffed trout was overwhelming to say the least. At any other restaurant you would probably receive half the portion and still pay the same price. Nevertheless, it had a lot of my favorite components– fingerling potatoes, french beans, and corn. Finally on to the homemade desserts. The Neopolitan ice cream bar was decent, but again presentation was less than spectacular. Three small scoops of ice cream sandwiched by chocolate cake slices doesn’t really inspire much. Something smaller, but more composed would have hit it out of the park, although it did taste quite good. The blueberry sorbet was good and the candied orange zest a perfect complement, but again presentation kills. Having the sorbet served in a french onion soup bowl hid the sorbet in some dark corner (serve it in a plain old-​fashioned glass or in a small white bowl.
The fiancée ordered the cosmojito, which was more cosmo than mojito. She loved how refreshing and easy it was to drink.
3 and ½ stars for the nicely composed menu and while execution came a little short, I still applaud the attempt. I like the restaurant and the regular menu looked good as well. I’m sure we’ll be back. BTW, we like the restaurant group as a whole. Their lineup is well positioned and all of their restaurants seems to be a hit.

Brit and I stopped in here for a bite prior to me dropping her off at the airport.
Porter’s bar area has definitely evolved from where it was 4 years ago, and now focuses on local brews. It does have a featured brewery in addition to the local brews (that’s not from NC) and when we were there it was Ommegang from NY.
So we saddled ourselves with a couple Pints-​Brit with a Lonerider Pint and myself with a pint from Mother Earth. Since it’s winter we were taking in the darker beers offered by each local brewer.
We started off with the Thai Chicken Tavern Chips. Light, airy and puffy chips with a great crunch. The Thai chicken was plentiful and the peanut sauce added a sweet saltiness that made everything work well together. For those of you that ate at Macaroni Grill a dozen years ago, they offered a set of «Italian Nachos» called Bella Napoli, that I still crave, and these were pretty close only with a Thai flair rather than an Italian one.
I ordered the Porter’s fish tacos-​grilled mahi mahi with some avocado salsa. I’ve never been a fan of your standard fish taco, because you never know what the white fish filler is. The grilled mahi mahi was meaty, for lack of a better term. It wasn’t your flaky non-​existent white fish. This was a filling set of tacos and the flavors blended into a certainly tasty entrée.
Brit had the House Made Black Bean Burger, and you could definitely tell these were house made. no filler here. The thing with black bean burgers is they can fall apart as there’s no binder, unlike the bought in variety. These were tasty and while crumbly still held together rather well. Brit couldn’t finish all of hers, and as my secondary job is… I get to clean up the left overs.
Porter’s fits the role of an expedient dressy casual restaurant, and while I’d like to have had better service from the hostess, as well as better coverage from the bartender that covered our table-​the food and the quality surpassed our expectations.

Summer Beer Dinner $ 50, five courses paired with five local brews
A-​mazing!
5 chefs from the Urban Food Groups Restaurants randomly selected a beer and had to make their dish to pair with the local brew. No menu was displayed until the very night of the dinner.
They have ‘Fall Beer Dinners’ as well, so you haven’t missed out completely. The dishes were inventive and tasty! I had to dock one star for the organization of the event. We were told that food would be served promptly at 7p, but we waited until 7:30p+ for the first course to arrive.
Of the 5 courses, the panko crusted short rib was my least favorite. It was difficult to cut and seemed a bit dry to me. Otherwise, all of the courses tasted great and eluded to different flavors when paired with the beer.
I do like the establishment and staff. Everyone was well-​aware of what they were serving and any questions I had, they did not hesitate to ask the chef about.
I will try to be back before I leave… but days winding down… :(