The Porch

The Porch is a popular southern style restaurant located in midtown Sacramento. It’s close to the Saturday Farmer’s Market, so it’s a popular place for folks to go in and enjoy a nice brunch. The exterior of the porch is styled after something you might find in the southern states, and the restaurant has a welcoming atmosphere and charming staff.

I’ve been to The Porch for both their brunch and their dinner service, but my most recent visit was for the brunch. As expected, the restaurant was quite full with patrons waiting to be seated outside. Thankfully, we had a reservation so the wait wasn’t too long - but there was still a minor wait time for the table.

Once we were seated we were greeted by a very friendly waiter. All the staff were very friendly and helpful. I appreciated this as a restaurant with a southern specialty should have that signature southern charm. I’m glad to report that they do. The menu is quite large and the waiter was patient and answered all the questions we had regarding the dishes on there.

As it was closer to lunch than breakfast, I decided to go for a burger rather than the breakfast items. For those I could just pick them off my friends’ plates.

The Porch Burger is their signature burger and it comes with angus beef on a grilled brioche bun, sriracha aioli, pickled onion, avocado, bacon, melted pepper jack cheese, shredded lettuce, and sliced tomatoes. It’s a solid burger, but I don’t think it really compares to the best burgers in town. At $18 on my visit, it probably should have been better.

And that’s the rub when it comes to the porch. The food sounds great read off the menu, but when it comes in front of you at the table, it just lacks a bit os something.

Another example of this are their beignets. I’d expect beignets to be more pastry than cookie. Rather than having a light and fluffy texture, the beignets here are more dense and doughy. The taste was alright and there was an enormous dusting of powdered sugar, but the overall preparation didn’t hit the mark. Of all the items we had, the beignets should have been the star item, but they certainly fell short.

The biscuits, pancakes, and even the bloody mary style drink I had was just a bit short of expectation - again - especially for the price of these items.

So despite having a great atmosphere and service, the food at The Porch is what I ended up wanting more from.

Website: www.theporchrestaurantandbar.com

Address: 1815 K St, Sacramento, Ca 95811