Porter Cafe

Porter Café is an absolute gem. The atmosphere is always warm and inviting, and the service is even better, friendly, attentive, and consistent every time. The menu never disappoints; I’ve truly never had a bad meal here. Everything is fresh, flavorful, and thoughtfully prepared. And the Guinness? Absolutely on point, poured the right way and easily one of the best in the area. This is one of those spots that gets everything right. Highly recommend.

We sat outside, it felt like home, a backyard at home. No complaints at all about wind, dust, mosquitoes or flies. The place is clean and we got very good service. They don't have a big menu but it has a fair variety and diversity We had a great time.

Bottom line: If you are looking for a nice meal, go elsewhere! There are many other places nearby with better service and food. West on Centre across the street is an outstanding choice. If you just want a beer or mixed drinks, maybe Porter Cafe is for you. Overall rating: 2 stars (being generous) Food: 0 stars Service: 2/3 stars Ambiance: 2 stars

Dear friends brought us here, it is their favorite place. We were seated quickly, drinks arrived promptly despite there being a full house. I ordered fish and chips, and their fish was the best I have ever had! We would love the chance to go back.

My husband and I absolutely love this spot. When we bring our child, we prefer sitting outside where there’s a bit more space, but the inside is wonderfully cozy—perfect for a night out with just adults. The chicken parm is out of this world! Since it’s a smaller place, I highly recommend making a reservation if you can.

A very nice little neighborhood cafe. I loved the food and the environment. Had poke and watermelon cocktail and do recommend them both. Will visit again.

Simply excellent bar style food, and mixology perfection

The restaurant was quite warm, the ac didn't really cover it(it was a very hot day so can't blame them for that). The food was decent. I got the fish and chips, the chips were excellent, but the fish was a little bland. We also got the poke bowl which was refreshing, and the serving was generous, but again a little under-seasoned.

Terrific. Great vibe. Good food. Good drinks. Efficient nice service. Honestly the platonic ideal of an excellent joint for an unfussy enjoyable evening.

We came here to decompress a little after a sad occasion and it was exactly what the doctor ordered. Friendly service, good drinks, calorie packed sharing plates. The poutine and Mac and cheese were big hits with us, and you also can't fault the meatballs. Just try and fault them - you cannot.

I am very confused by all the hype about this place. The food is TERRIBLE! This is a dive bar pretending to be a nice restaurant. This is more of a place to drink than eat, so just know that going in. My boyfriend and I went to Porter Cafe for dinner last night and had high expectations given all the five star reviews. Unfortunately, we left very disappointed. We both ordered the chicken Parmesan which was burned and blackened to the point it tasted like char and was barely edible. I came close to sending it back and walking out of the restaurant, but we were so hungry after waiting 45 minutes for our food that we just ate, paid and left. If you screw up chicken parm, that's a bad sign. Anyone with limited cooking skills and a bit of care and attention could have made a better meal at home. Not only was our entree a disaster, they forgot to put our appetizer in, so we had to remind our waiter about that after our entrees came out. They also didn't have any non-alcoholic drinks aside from water and lemonade. They couldn't give me iced tea or even a virgin mojito because they don't make mojitos. Also, the atmosphere was very loud and claustrophobic given the small size of the restaurant and we could barely hear each other. The bar was packed and very noisy. Bottom line: If you are looking for a nice meal, go elsewhere! There are many other places nearby with better service and food. West on Centre across the street is an outstanding choice. If you just want a beer or mixed drinks, maybe Porter Cafe is for you. Overall rating: 2 stars (being generous) Food: 0 stars Service: 2/3 stars Ambiance: 2 stars

So chill and I love how late they're open. We got some gin drinks and they are so good!

A small beautiful gastropub in the heart of West Roxbury that you will not regret visiting! My grandma and I had dinner there last night and the food was excellent. They have a wide array of both small plate and main options for every kind of palate! We started with the simple mixed green salad with tarragon vinaigrette, roasted tomatoes & chèvre. It sounds pretty basic but it was totally delicious. I'm not sure what they did to those tomatoes but WOW the flavor was explosive. For dinner I had the sesame seared tuna steak with miso marinated tuna, soba noodle salad, edamame, and pickled ginger vinaigrette. It was fantastic. The flavors and textures were simply perfect. I highly recommend Porter Cafe!

Great neighbourhood stop. Great beer selection .A West Roxbury gem. $1 oyster nights, a cocktail selection and solid comfort food with an unpretentious international flair. Service is always great.

Great food and service ! Love the cocktail options. Lots to choose from including vegetarian options.

The Porter Cafe hit all of the marks last night! Cocktails and Sangria were excellent - we started with the meatballs and they were so so good. If you are a Caesar salad connoisseur like myself, I cannot recommend their salad with panko chicken more.... Dare I say one of the best I've ever had?! The burger and fries were also perfection. The Porter Cafe team were so welcoming and kind, interacting with them made us want to come back as soon as possible. The outdoor patio is also fabulous as well! Perfect place for an end of summer dinner. We will be back!

Porter is still killing it as always! It's a timeless spot with the ambience just right between neighborhood bar and classy dinner date spot. Staff are great, all food is consistently fantastic drinks included. Always a joy to be here

So good!!! A lot of flavor packed into a tiny space. Home style cooking with Boston flair. Recommend reservations or getting there early. The bonus of getting to the restaurant early is happy hour oysters. Everything on the menu is amazing. The staff is friendly and provides great service. Best fish and chips around and the pot roast is not to be missed.

The last time I went we were seated outside on a mild Nov. night. Service was the exact same as inside. The servers are always very pleasant and helpful. Just really love a small intimate restaurant and they do it well. Thanks Porters!

Cozy restaurant with a cozy vibe and cozier food. Friendly and warm service. We had the homemade chips, beet salad, burger, and bolognese. Also an aperol spritz and French 75. Everything hit home and would love to come back. Thanks to the kitchen & serving staff for a lovely evening! One minor downside is the restaurant is small, so if you're there on a cold night, the cold kind of billows through the front half of the restaurant as people come in and out. Bring a sweater and enjoy.

Love the Porter Cafe. Saturdays before 5 there's dollar oysters. The schnitzel is incredible. The burger is like a fancy Big Mac. The staff is great and the place is very cozy.

Porter Cafe is best described as a bowling alley style restaurant with an above average beer selection and well rounded menu. I used to frequent this establishment a few years prior to Covid but found it to be increasingly packed and hard to find a bar seat or table available that would allow for a quiet conversation. A good problem for the restaurant but frustrating nonetheless. They now take reservations so hopefully that is a problem of the past. I started with the night with the short rib tacos and I must say I was very impressed. The meat was flavorful and juicy and the tacos were not overwhelmed with toppings or condiments but instead served simply with a bit of pickled onion on the side and a little cilantro and lime wedge. I could eat these tacos all day long. I followed that with the special for the night Fettuccine Alfredo. While I wouldn't necessarily classify the pasta used as "fettuccine" it tasted good and came out so hot I could only describe my first bite as a mouthful of lava. I have enjoyed there bolognese and mussels in the past and I hope to return soon to see if they are still up to par. Overall, I would recommend Porter Cafe for small groups and those looking for delicious food at a reasonable price.

I love this place. It's a cozy restaurant and bar with amazing food and a warm atmosphere. In the summer you can sit outside. The service is also very good. I visit as often as I can.

This is a place to drink-- not really great for food. The food was overly salty. It's popular and packed with friends, families with kids, etc. The sound level is good to have conversations. The waitress does really want you outta there and will whisk away your plate as you are forking the food into your mouth. I would go here for the drinks.

Food and drinks were great! We sat outside and the atmosphere was awesome. The only downer is that the patio closed way before the restaurant did and we had to leave. Service wasn't outstanding but not horrible!

Andy and the rest of the crew are all great bartenders food is amazing and unique thou I always end up the schnitzel So good a lots of great food from a small kitchen Love Porter!!

Great place for locals to come together for a casual night out. The drinks were prepared so easily and were strong + tasteful. We had the chicken parm and burger - both were delicious and came out quickly. I will definitely be back as this might just become my next 'go to' spot. Stop by and see for yourself, just be weary that there might be a wait as this place is small and often busy...

The food is always amazing and they have a varied menu of items. Cozy atmosphere. great bar, beers, and cocktails

Great Juicy smashed burger! And I love their fries!! Stuffs are nice ! Kids friendly too!

My wife and I really enjoy the Porter café. It is a really lovely local restaurant with a nice variety of food, all of which is very good. Environment is very comfortable and relaxing, so it's nice to come at the end of the week for an enjoyable evening in the neighborhood.

Great food. Great music on weeknights. Great bartenders make the place a joy to spend some time.

We went tonight on a lark. It's small, but it has a nice ambience. Cocktail list was pretty good; I got a penicillin, which you can't get many places. Many Gastro pubs, have mussels appetizers, but my favorite is the Thai curry version, and Porter has that. It is quite good, although I wish the bread they served with it was grilled rather than being untoasted. my main course was their a Poké bowl. It was pretty good, certainly had sufficient tuna chunks in it. My wife got their roasted chicken special. She said it was very moist, and the gravy was very tasty. Service was excellent. And, it all came to about 80 bucks, which isn't bad for two people for dinner.

Found using Yelp after a sad occasion hunger took over and lucked out here - felt like a neighborhood watering hole - great burger and fries. Ibling got fettuccine alfredo and seemed very happy. now wish it was closer to home.

Food is consistently great. Portions are a bit large for entrees but great choices. Menu changes frequently. I keep missing their oysters

I went to this place today for a burger since I thought to myself, how can someone mess up a burger? Welp. Porter cafe did just that. My food was missing so much flavor. The fries were salty as fu*k. The bun was soggy from all the grease. If I could give this place zero stars I would. Wouldn't recommend this place. The waiters are also super rude. As I was leaving I watched a rat run across someone's foot. NEVER again. Save your self the stomach ache. I've been nauseous since I left this place

Porter Cafe is my happy place. Absolutely amazing vibe, the food is SPECTACULAR, everyone I bring here has enjoyed it and the man behind the bar always has a story to tell. The staff here are incredible and really make me want to come back every single time.

Best place to eat and drink in west Roxbury I've had everything on menu great tacos burger chicken parm

Food was ok service was very rushed even though the place was fairly empty. Server was taking plate's away while people in my party was still eating.

Ate outdoors on a brisk 45 degree nite recently since my friend was leery of being inside. We got the last table on the patio with the least effective heat lamp. But we had a fun time since people working were so nice and the place is well priced. They tweaked the painkiller cocktail (about $10) for me and did a good French 75. I got the large pork schnitzel with great mashed and a kind of funky slaw, a doggy bag was needed. Friend went with burger and fries and we both enjoyed the meals.

My first time here but probably my last. Food was decent. Service started off good but near the end of the meal the waiter removed my plate while others in the party were still eating. My husband just put down his fork and the bowl was whisked away. Also, when I was counting the money for the check, the water stood right by the table and asked us if we needed change or if we were we all set. I felt like he was rushing us out, which I would have understood if the restaurant was busy, but we were the only party seated inside. It was such a turnoff.

Beer selection and cocktails were fine. Food was also fine - fish tacos, chicken parm, poke bowl. Nothing to write home about, but certainly not bad. It's a small place so we were less than a foot from a table on both sides.

Fantastic setting and ambiance. Small bar with indoor and outdoor seating. I had the fish and chips and it was phenomenal. Fries were crispy and the fish was breaded and friend perfectly. Highly recommend getting their house chips which are homemade. Will definitely be going back!

I wish I took more pictures! I've been twice and every time the food has been pretty good. The have a nice seating arrangement around the building outside. They do have seating inside it's just pretty cozy. Always packed but never had to wait more than 15 minutes. Seems to be a true local favorite. I'm gluten free and although they do not have gluten free bread they are pretty knowledgeable in take extra careful in food preparation. I got the salmon the first time which was so good and I highly recommend. Second time around I went for the poke bowl - not my favorite but was worth the try.

Portions are big. Staff is masked. Buffalo cauliflower is good. They have a few vegetarian options, I got a risotto and was satisfied. Make a reservation. Overall, the food was not phenomenal but it's a chill spot for dinner on the weekend so I would come back.

Love the patio and the beer selection. Food was underwhelming. I got the teriyaki salmon dish - the bok choy was inedible and the sauce was lacking flavor. The beet salad was the same, flavors didn't really mesh, was something I could have thrown together in 5 mins. Definitely a spot where you want to stick to a burger!

Love. This. Place. We get a lot of takeout from here due to kids and the small space there. The food is just great. The staff are super (for takeout at least). The risotto, smash burger, and kale chicken are some favorites but have not had any dish there that wasn't very good.

Great neighborhood cafe/bar. Fun cocktails. Outdoor seating too - free street parking

Absolutely amazing ambiance, service and food. When friends are in town--this is the place we recommend. Feels like a piece of Brooklyn or Back Bay right in West Roxbury. Delicious menu items, and my only complaint is that the menu changes seasonally, so some favorites aren't there during some months (hello watermelon arugula salad). The double smash burger, or as I call it--the classiest BigMac ever--is delicious. Maybe the best burger I've ever had. Beer selection is top notch. Great, diverse crowd. Awesome servers and bartenders. Go here--even if you are not in Westie, Rozzie, Hyde Park, Mattapan, JP, Needham, Newton, Dedham. Worth going to--you will not regret it.

Love love love the Porter Cafe. Great beer selection and I don't know how they do the fries but they're incredible. Get the pork schnitzel or the burger. For vegetarians the rotating seasonal risotto is excellent.

Delicious food -fresh produce-creative menu and options for everyone in your party-in season lovely patio options for seating-staff is delightful

AWESOME bartender and waitress. Best burger in town. Damn fine Guinness. Can't go wrong. Small spaces between tables but still one damn fine place.

Looked like they have a good number of outdoor seating, though we wanted to be seated sooner so sat inside. Food was a bit salty but flavorful. They got the crisp on the Panko Chicken just right/not heavy. My friend told me her chicken parm was one of the best she's had in Boston. Service: 4.5 Food: 4 Ambiance: 3

A terrific and cozy bar/restaurant. Great atmosphere, low lighting at the tables against the wall opposite the bar make it seem intimate. Friendly bartender, and kitchen gets things out quickly.

Not sure how to explain this place. It's cozy, comforting, casual, relaxing with great food. A neighborhood spot that you'd wish was in yours. Started with fish taco appetizer, lightly fried fish, with the perfect toppings. Pork schnitzel with roasted potatoe and a slaw on top, delicious! Cheeseburger was awesome with great homemade fresh fries. Staff was friendly and meal was affordable. I will certainly come back, many more times.

Poke bowl was eh. Although this was takeout- presentation still wasn't stellar. There was way too much rice and I would not term this as "sticky rice." This was more like a raw tuna stir fry. Onions were awkward. I would like to give this place a second chance since they do have great reviews.

Food is awesome the risotto is perfect. Great service and great food. Have to go back to try the seafood options

My friend had been recommending this place to me for the past month, saying I had to go, I won't be disappointed, blah blah blah. After making plans on a Saturday night to meet up and go to dinner he, of course, suggested Porter Cafe. I'm a big fan of all things Porter. Porter drafts, Porter Robinson, and now Porter Cafe. Our group of 4 arrived, and it's a pretty small outfit. Dimly lit, with a lengthy bar right when you walk in, and maybe 12 tables inside total (another 12 seats if you include bar seating.) Outside seating is available as well. Our wait was a mere 10 minutes, so we took it upon ourselves to explore the "largest craft beer selection in West Roxbury." Great freaking list, I was impressed they had SixPoint always rotating on tap - and how fitting they would have the Bengali IPA. As soon as we got our drinks a table was cleared and we sat. Service from the beginning was excellent (and ended excellent!) I'll start with stating everything is homemade, and the menu holds no bounds with ethnic inspirational offerings. The table ordered beef and cheese empanadas (2 per order) and some guy name 'Paco's' homemade chips which were accompanied with a french onion dip. The empanadas were SO EFFING GOOD and we ordered another; authentic, crispy/flakey exterior and meaty flavorful filling with a fresh salsa picante. The main 4 orders: Hot roasted pork sandwich, Indian butter chicken in a curried tomato sauce over basmati rice, and 2/two/dose/II prime chuck burgers. The roasted pork sandwich tasted insanely good; roasted and shaved thin pork, with flash cooked cherry peppers, draped with melty/bubbly provolone cheese and Lawd.have.mercy fresh cut french fries. I also had the good fortune of having chaps that enjoy sharing. The prime burger was the best I've had in Boston so far. Hands down. #getit. The Indian butter chicken was also true to it's origins and done very well. I paired the main with a Racer 5 IPA. A west coast style IPA that had a great citrus, medium filter, and a grace of sweetness before the mild hop flavor hit. ('twas nice). Yea so this was last week we all went. I've already suggested this twice since, and will be making this a go-to in the neighborhood for good food, drinks, service, and fare. Get some.