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    Porterhouse

    3.8 (832 reviews)
    Ultra High-EndSteakhouses, Seafood, Lounges
    Closed 4:30 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated 2 weeks ago

    Porterhouse Steakhouses Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    PORTERHOUSE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Classy
    Outdoor seating
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Porterhouse

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    Reviews With Photos

    Anna N.

    Came here to celebrate our anniversary last month I got the Cowboy which is a 18oz prime rib and he got a Porterhouse which is a 20oz. It comes with some vegetables and a baked potato situation. We ordered a Beets Salad and the Wild Mushroom, supppper good! Service was great and our waitress was really kind & helpful ~

    18 OZ Dry-Aged Cowboy
    Crystal D.

    We made reservations for Valentine's Day dinner at Porterhouse and overall had a great experience. It was pretty obvious the restaurant had added extra seating to accommodate the holiday crowd, so the space felt a bit crammed and walking room was limited. That said, it didn't take away from the evening. The service was immaculate. Our waitress was extremely kind, attentive, and made us feel well taken care of throughout the night. As for the food, the truffle mac and cheese was a pleasant surprise and ended up being the star of the show. The glazed carrots were delicious, and the twice-baked potatoes were perfectly executed. While the cook on our steaks was spot-on, we did feel they were slightly over-seasoned. Still, it wasn't enough to overshadow the overall experience. We would definitely come back and look forward to trying more from the menu.

    Burger

    Fantastic service. Excellent food. My favorite place for happy hour. Phenomenal service at the bar. Love you ladies

    Jacob C.

    We tried their iconic porterhouse steak. It was very flavorful and juicy, but my only complaint with this steak as well as the other steaks that my party got was that they were all overcooked we ordered medium rare for our steaks, and I'd say we got a medium at best Porterhouse staff treated my party very well and even gave my dog a bowl of water, which we really appreciated.

    APPLE SALAD
    Julia B.

    Finally got the chance to stop by Porterhouse in San Mateo for pre-Valentine's day dinner. We made a reservation two days before and were able to get a spot at 8:30pm. We were seated right on time but service was a bit slow, obviously because everyone was there to celebrate. I got the refreshing Apple salad and still wish that I ordered more. The cauliflower steak wasn't to my personal liking so we shared the Porterhouse steak with the cauliflower as a side. The steak was incredible, we ordered it medium rare and it came out perfect. The mac n cheese along with the bread and butter were the perfect carbs to eat on the side. We also ordered the Bananas Foster, which gets sautéed right in front of your table. I will definitely be back to have more steak and salad.

    Truffled Mac and Cheese
    Maggie W.

    Had a really excellent experience at Porterhouse in regards to the quality of service and dishes we ordered! I randomly walked in from downtown San Mateo and immediately was seated at a table for two on a weekday night. We ordered the steak tartare, 20 oz porterhouse, Kansas City steak, truffle mac & cheese. Both steaks were done medium rare. A fresh bread basket came out prior to our dishes, The steak tartare was excellent, I was initially apprehensive due to other reviews but this is my favorite part of the meal solely because I could eat a decent portion of it and not get tired of the taste since it's so layered with various acidic flavors. Our server mixed it up while making small talk with us, and my initial impression was that this was a very lemony steak tartare! I enjoyed eating it without the crostini, opting to butter the crostini and eat tartare by the spoonful. However, my boyfriend insists that the crostini and tartare are best enjoyed together due to the combination of texture. The porterhouse was my boyfriend's favorite part of the meal- it was really delicious and had an excellent sear. Each bite was so tender and filling. The Kansas City steak was also delicious, but I preferred the porterhouse to it. Our server informed us that if we wanted to split the steaks, we should inform her next time so that they are able to slice and plate them properly for us- this was so sweet of her! Pairing our orders with the mac and cheese and the baked potato for carbs definitely helped to not get tired of the steak. The mac and cheese was yummy and had a fragrant aroma to it because of the truffle, the pot was decently sized as well. I was ambivalent about the vegetables they provided since I found bok choy to be an interesting choice to be paired with steak?

    Had such a great experience with Cassius! He was very knowledgeable, welcoming, and kept things fun with his sense of humor. You can tell he really cares about what he does. Top-notch service! He deserves a filet mignon!

    The whiskey flamed banana dessert
    Love K.

    This is my favorite steak restaurant in SF! The owner and the team of the restaurant always provide the best service. The quality of the food was excellent. Aged beef was my favorite. The flame banana dessert will make a fantastic end of the meal . I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who loves aged steak.

    The Rita Hayworth cocktail at Porterhouse - adorned with a real and beautiful orchid.
    Loni R.

    BEFORE WE GET TO THE DINING PORTION OF OUR REVIEW: While perusing the reviews of Porterhouse, I have to say I found it highly amusing that those who gave Porterhouse one and two stars clearly have little to no experience with fine dining (it's an easy thing to find out: Just look at their profiles to see where they have eaten in the past... many of their reviews for the casual or fast food establishments they frequent are also negative!). For those who don't visit Yelp often for recommendations, know that it's well documented that many will deliberately leave bad reviews with the hope the restaurant will contact them and offer them a free meal to offset their 'alleged' bad experience. Restaurants aren't falling for that scam anymore, as they have learned a diner with a legitimate complaint will voice their concerns while they are there and NOT post hurtful reviews after they've left. NOW ON TO THE FOOD: Having what some have called a 'picky palate', Porterhouse has never failed to meet and exceed my culinary expectations! When I dine here, I am a 'VINO' (vegetarian in name only!) - I won't eat meat anywhere else - full stop! The mouth watering Filet Mignon steak Porterhouse serves is where I abandon my vegetarian oath. Accompanied by flavorful sautéed vegetables and a unique twice baked potato (not ala carte btw: both come with your steak), you are memorably swept into foodie heaven! The salads - they're all perfect - and the table bread... soft and warm from the oven! The environment is very 'upscale old school:' Bruno (Porterhouse's owner) has brought in his own personal collection of 1930's/40's movie poster memorabilia to grace the walls of the restaurant in what can only be described as a homage to a bygone era ...'Casablanca come to life!' Classic crooners sing the standards during happy hour before the vibe changes as the night goes on. Bruno has become renowned for his table-side flambé dessert masterpieces. ... AND WE END OUR PORTERHOUSE ADVENTURE AT THE BAR! (you can also start your adventure here too!) Suzanna and Pepper are without question the BEST MIXOLOGISTS in the Bay Area! A special menu of cocktails has been crafted to satisfy every mood and every palate (in keeping with the 'old school' vibe, the 'Rita Hayworth' is one of my personal faves!). I'm also partial to a really good Grey Goose vodka martini... and no establishment makes them better (the hand stuffed Bleu Cheese olives are just the right touch to set Porterhouse's martinis way above anyone else's). They have a standout selection of top shelf spirits in addition to the standards - and the 'Happy Hour' menu is one of the best I've seen for both cocktails and food. Cheesy Garlic Bread... sliders... Bruno's Tacos for two... (you may never make it to the dining room, which is okay, because you're more than welcome to have your dinner in the bar!) Suzanna... Pepper... Bruno... EVERYONE! Yes everyone working at Porterhouse takes their job seriously and goes above and beyond to make sure your experience there is one you'll remember, and return for. Extended family.... Fun and jokes... laughter... great relaxing vibes... and even HUGS! And let's not forget the FOOD!!! Porterhouse checks every single box for me, and I hope it will for you too!

    Surf and turf

    Im super disappointed as I've visited over 4 times individually, celebrated my anniversary friends and families birthdays, my colleagues bring big dinner parties here and I recommend all my clients. I order the same plate every time. Each time I've been asked to confirm I'd like the 8oz filet mignon steak, since this was the first time I was not I was under the assumption it must always be an 8oz steak, since I wasn't told my options, the service was terrible which is so sad considering how local this spot is to my home. I ordered the bread service and was never brought the bread, my food was brought out I asked another server for the bread and then on top of that they served me my steak and never brought us our steak knives. After 10 minutes of sitting waiting hoping my server would glance over I finally got up and walked over to the manager who was very rude when I shared with him my experience proceeded to grab knives ignored me walked over put knife on table and then walked away. He then sent the server over and had the server speak to me in which he said will do better next time and walked away. They attempted to compensate by offering me and my husband a free dessert handed me and my husband a dessert menu we picked the creme brulee, he then said okay and yourself to my husband and said also we will be giving you bread putting on the house so we said okay thank you, he then said as he was walking away you have 2 desserts and one is on the house when I did not want bread pudding, also why would you bring the dessert menu out and say we would like to give you a free dessert have me pick and then say oh ok we are giving u free bread pudding after I order. I said thank you the server then said okay and yourself. I will never be coming back here and will be making sure to share with all my colleagues and family members. Clearly the staff is not trained well nor is the manager.

    Cowboy steak
    Mike B.

    I ordered thw cowboy steak, well we all did, the veggies on the sides were blanched i think too much that it took out the crunch texture, carrots were sweet, like sweet potato sweet, the bakes potato it came with was decent. Now the steak, it was disappointing to have your first bite and have the steaks underseasoned, what's terrible was I bit into a few pieces of salt that didnt dissolve or they sprinkled it with salt as it sat after cooking on the pan, either way I bit into a few salty pieces, wasnt the best experience. The meat was tender enough, not the most tender but decent and decent size. I say overall its a place I've tasted and probaby won't come back, nothing wrong just wasnt blown away, for the price,

    Tasty Lamb Chops
    Eric C.

    I went to Porterhouse to celebrate my birthday with my family. We had an Italian gentleman as our server; he was very friendly and humorous. I had the lamb chops for dinner; they were delicious and very tender. Many people were celebrating Christmas and having a grand time. The atmosphere is cozy and warm; the walls are filled with old time Hollywood celebrities and classic movie posters. Overall an excellent steakhouse!

    Look at the stringy grizzle!!!
    Alex A.

    When the best thing about a steakhouse is the twice baked potato and the bread with butter AND NOT the porterhouse steak -- which is the signature/namesake of the restaurant is below SUBPAR = NOT recommended. We ordered the porterhouse steak for 2, medium and it came out rare. The meat was so tasteless, tough, stringy with an off-flavor fake like liquid smoke essence. We started at the bar for a glass of wine and I inquired with the hostess if I could transfer the bill over to our dinner and she stated of course no problem. However when I requested this from the bartender, she BARKED No! You need to pay here. Then it took her 10 min to run the cc. Our server never inquired or asked how our meal was so we never had a chance to say anything. Also, I notified them when I both made the rsvp and when checking in that it was a bday celebration, they mentioned a free scoop of ice cream with a candle would be provided. After the check was paid--they brought a non-descript golf ball size of sorbet that we had to actually ask what flavor it was because it tasted like plain shaved ice. Not the restaurants fault, however note parking is a nightmare. Brought the leftovers home for the dog and he would not even eat it...! What a waste of time, calories and $$$$$. Could be coincidence, however we doubt it--we both experienced acute gastroenteritis and I checked with my chef friend at Bob's Chop house the image in the photo is rare--not medium cooked. Also, muscle fibers in better cuts of meat indicator was not dry aged. Could never recommend....

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    Brenda was amazing! She made my night and the food was phenomenal. You need to come here if ur in San Mateo

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    Cassius is amazing, knowledgeable, and friendly. He have a great sense of humor and deserves a filet mignon

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    7 days ago

    Incredible food and our bartender/server, Susanna was incredible. We will continue to go there weekly.

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    11 days ago

    Armando provided wonderful service and made our anniversary so special. Porter House is wonderful to celebrate life's milestones

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    Page 1 of 21

    Porterhouse Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Porterhouse

    Do they serve prime ribs?

    Fridays & Saturdays mostly

    Do they serve beef wellington?

    Yes, they serve Beef Wellington as a special, not in their menu.

    Do they still have Happy hour M-F 5-6pm?

    Happy hour is 4:30 to 6pm Monday thru Friday

    Have you moved to a different location this year (2023)? Thanks

    Yes they moved to a better and nicer location not far away. Just 3 blocks away close to the parking structure.

    Does the outside patio have cover or heat lamps?

    They have heat lamps

    How much is the corkage fee? Thank you!

    Corkage is $40/bottle with a two bottle limit.

    View All 7 Questions

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    Pausa Bar & Cookery

    4.2(1k reviews)
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    Pausa is hands down my FAVORITE restaurant in San Mateo…read more They make their pizza crust in-house and you can truly taste the difference. The crust is chewy on the inside and has a perfect crunch on the outside. They also give you scissors to cut it up which is fun!! The menu changes with the seasons and I always try to get something new I'm here. Service is always really friendly. The restaurant itself is gorgeous and almost is too pretty for San Mateo. You feel like you're in a restaurant in LA (I mean that as a compliment)! This restaurant will wow anyone on a date night. This is my go-to spot to take guests whenever they're visiting me in the bay. [this review was written in connection with a Toast promotion]

    Decent Italian food! Pretty pricey though, dark ambiance. Not my particular cup of tea though I…read moreunderstand the allure. I get why people may like it but just not for me! Food (6/10) - I have mixed feelings about the food. On the one hand, all the appetizers were absolutely DELICIOUS. The creamery burrata with the slightly charred bread had an amazing crunchy texture that was followed by the smoothness of the burrata. The bone marrow had a super rich flavor (that also paired great with the focaccia). On the other hand, I wasn't the biggest fan of the entrees, which arguably, should be the stars of the meal. The mint with the lamb was definitely interesting and added a nice zing. I wasn't a super big fan of the overall lamb taste and texture though. The lamb's pull apart texture reminded me a lot of ribs (which is FINE) but didn't give me that characteristic lamb flavor. Since it was slow braised, that kind of flavor was lost. Additionally, the pasta was extremely chewy and borderline hard. I fully understand the concept of al dente BUT this was not a pleasant mouth feel. It was such a strange texture to bite straight through the pasta with this super firm texture. Price (5/10) - This kind of restaurant is bound to be expensive; you can kind of read from the vibe. I just don't find this place to be particularly worth the cost. I'm sure they use "the freshest ingredients" but the taste is not reflective on the price. I've had comparable or better food for cheaper and much better food for relative prices. Even a small pasta dish costs $30+. Ambiance (7/10) - The dark ambient lighting is intended to "set the mood" but it's just so dark in there :') Service (10/10) - What they do hit on is the amazing service of a restaurant like this! The servers are super friendly and amazing. They know the menu well and give great recommendations. Overall, this particular restaurant wasn't my cup of tea but I can understand if you ARE a fan. Give it a try if you're a fan of Italian but I wouldn't make the trip again.

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    Valentine's day complimentary

    Porterhouse - steak - Updated May 2026

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