While living on your own, it is hard not to miss those home-cooked meals. Warm and filling, home-cooked meals are comfort food when compared to our on-campus dining or Goff’s, Jimmy John’s or La Madeline. Fortunately, SMU students are in luck. The perfect place to go when missing Mom’s cooking, The Porch, is just down the street.
The Porch, one of Dallas’ trendiest restaurants, invites you in to come in and stay awhile. One-third bar and two-thirds dining area, this massive, open restaurant with worn cherry wood floors, high ceilings, padded booths and wooden tables feels like an idyllic farmhouse or country barn.
But don’t worry, y’all, this is no ordinary farmhouse. Brushed metal countertops, booze bottles in all shapes and sizes line the brick wall and modern light fixtures adorn the bar making this a chic, see-and-be-seen locale for area hipsters.
Like any restaurant in the Knox-Henderson neighborhood, expect a wait unless you want to get there at 5 p.m. (and who does that?). Restaurateur Tristan Simon, who also owns and operates Fireside Pies, Hibiscus and Cuba Libre, has managed to turn waiting for a table into the cool thing to do rather than a burden.
The wait gives you the opportunity to mingle in the expansive bar area (which lines an entire wall of the restaurant), sip on a cocktail and check out everyone else doing the exact same thing.
The Porch offers at least a dozen signature cocktail creations to enjoy. I definitely recommend checking them out (responsibly of course) while you wait in the snazzy bar among the well-dressed crowd. Try the chilled blueberry martini with crushed fresh fruit and you won’t notice how long you’ve been waiting to eat.
When you are seated, you will want to delve right into the menu. Straight away you should notice the restaurant’s updated, upscale twists on American faves. You can’t go wrong when ordering the crab artichoke dip (rich and addictive) or the smoked brisket sliders with tangy slaw and a pickle slice (like tiny sloppy joes) to begin your meal.
The kitchen towel, The Porch’s clever and kitschy idea of a napkin, will come in handy when eating those deliciously messy sliders.
If Mom had gone to culinary art school, this is the food we would be eating at the dinner table. The short rib stroganoff over wide, buttery parmesan noodles is comfort food at its best.
Try the much-hyped grilled cheese sandwich (a grown-up version) and tomato soup, and expect to be overwhelmed with memories of cold nights at home sitting around the fire. The oh-so-yummy mac and cheese casserole or thin, crunchy sea salt fries make perfect sides for The Porch’s hearty burgers.
Not specializing in diet foods, the restaurant serves up generous portions with no thought of calorie counting. Looking for something on the lighter side to save room for dessert? Go for the crab and shrimp Cobb salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, pancetta and mozzarella cheese, tossed in a red wine vinaigrette.
Desserts follow in the American, down-home cooking theme. The warm Fuji apple cobbler a la mode with handmade vanilla ice cream on top is almost as good as my grandmother’s and creates the perfect ending to the comfort food experience.
The Porch is the place to go for easy, comfortable food in a lively, inviting atmosphere. The restaurant seamlessly blends homestyle cuisine with Dallas’ style. When sushi, fast food or Tex-Mex gets monotonous and Mom’s cooking is calling, The Porch is your home away from home.
