Porter's Tavern

Pass

by beachlover25 at Citysearch

A big disappointment.... read good reviews online so decided to try. 10oz beers for 3 bucks is not a good deal...tempura green beans were delish. Fish tacos were a ridiculous inposter..tiny slivers of cod (or some kind of fish that pretended to be cod) were mixed with other flavorless items..big disappointment and no taste whatsoever. Shrimp and grits was ok..shrimp cooked well but too many red peppers that overpowered the flavor of the dish. Would not go back and do not recommend. Don't waste your money, There are plenty of good restaurants in Raleigh...this is only mediocre.

WHAT A GEM!!!!

by RBirch81 at Citysearch

First off let me say that this is a fantastic restaurant and I never would of expected such from Hillsborough st. My boyfriend and I went with a large group last night and sat in there extended private dinning room, we were greeted by a nice hostess and a great server. I LOVED the drink list and beers on draft there, what a great diverse selection, I fell in love with their season beer. The server pointed me in the way of the pork chop and said it had been a favorite of his for years, let me say....what a pork chop. My boyfriend had the hanger steak and it was great as well. The server was really nice and very informative about the menu, when we asked for all separate checks, he said no problem and came back with all of them in minutes. Sadly to say that this doesn't happen at most places I go. I highly recommend this place, I'll definitely be back. TRY THE PORK CHOP!!!!!

• Pros: Food, Drinks, Staff
• Cons: Parking

Caring staff

by LinThompson at Citysearch

Staff went out of their way to make us comfortable even though we had brought a two year old who was very hard to control. Very gracious people. Food was very acceptable and enjoyed the atmosphere. Enjoyed Porter's very much,

A wonderful evening out

by Margbfrance at Citysearch

My boyfriend and I are tourists in this great city and randomly ended up at Porter's Tavern. What we encountered was great atmosphere coupled with fresh home-made food. We sat in the smoking section and were served by the bartender who was very professional. We had a great night and recommend Porter's Tavern to any through travelers or locals looking for unique food.

What we had AND what we thought

App:

Tavern chips traditional style

So good, and not a soggy chip in the bunch!

Entree:

NC flounder:

brown butter sauce is hauntingly good

NC shrimp and grits:

shrimp in every bite, very filling

Dessert:

espresso double shot:

surprisingly well poured

Vanilla creme brulee:

a layer of vanilla... yes fresh vanilla

Overall: FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!

• Pros: Service, menu, price (parking not a problem
• Cons: not that I can think of :)

Over-rated, online menu out-dated, food was so-so

by euncapher at Citysearch

We had a girl's night out here with the gals from work. We were seated promptly, since it was a Thursday night AND we had reservations. Our waiter was very friendly and upbeat. I'm on a diet, so I checked out the menu on their website before going so that I had an idea of what to get calorie wise. I was really looking forward to the Ahi Tuna and the Swordfish Salad!

When I got the menu at the restaurant, neither of these items were on their menu. I asked the waiter about both and he said the website hasn't been updated in a while and they no longer had either of these featured items. Blah! I was really looking forward to either Ahi Tuna or a Swordfish Salad. So instead, I opted for the Salad with Salmon. I cook better salmon at home. For $13, that was a darned pricy salad! I didn't like the salmon at all! I also got a to-go meal for the man at home, since it was girl's night out and all. I ordered the salmon with mashed potatoes and green beans. It was $17. They sure don't give you much food for $17!

The other ladies I went with from work didn't sound very impressed with their items. I tried a bite of the shrimp and grits. They were average. Certainly not worth the hefty price for them. I also tried the Crem Brule, which was excellent!! That was their saving grace!

Their beers were a little overpriced. The bartender recommended the Brooklyn Brown to me since they didn't have Yuengling. I was a fan.

It's a really cool restaurant with awesome decor, so if you are just going out for a night of drinking and not dinner, Porters is a very trendy place to hang out! As far as food goes, save your money, the price is high for the average food.

• Pros: Very trendy and hip, great service, great desserts!
• Cons: Food is average, prices are too high