Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Porterhouse

    3.8 (860 reviews)
    Ultra High-EndSteakhouses, Seafood, Lounges
    Closed • 4:30 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated 3 months ago

    Porterhouse Photos

    Business Info

    PORTERHOUSE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Porterhouse

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Porterhouse Sliders (3)
    Patrick G.

    In town for work and this place was highly recommended. Glad I went! Megan at the bar was super nice and makes great cocktails. The ambiance is great and the food/drinks & service was excellent.

    Hope D.

    I had a decent experience here, definitely have had better. It's not a fancy restaurant, you can dress up or dress down. The service was mediocre nothing crazy. We ordered the caesar salad and cowboy ribeye. The salad's presentation was beautiful, decent salad. The cowboy ribeye wasn't anything fancy, just regular. However, the little baked potato and honey glazed carrots were delicious! The cake was okay too, could've been without it. I won't be back.

    Christine K.

    Spontaneously came here on a Saturday night, was able to get a reservation for 8:30pm on OpenTable. I had never heard of this place before, but I'm always up for trying a new steak spot! The ambiance is low lit and romantic. There's Audrey Hepburn posters throughout the restaurant, my fave had to be the Marilyn Monroe ones though! Tables are spaced fairly far apart for privacy. The restaurant was clean, modern, but still had some old time charm. We started with a glass of wine and a cocktail with the apple salad. The salad was delicious and refreshing. My cocktail was delicious and strong! For our main, we shared the porterhouse which was 30oz. of steak total. This was the perfect serving amount for two people honestly. I had no idea we would be served two different cuts, so we were super happy about that. The steak was absolutely phenomenal. It was served with a baked potato and veggies on the side, which was also delicious. The owner was walking around and chatting with guests (including us) and it felt like such a personal touch to the experience. The wait staff also took time to chat with us and talk food and wine with us! Overall, this was an amazing dining experience. From the service to food, I will 100% be back and recommend this to anyone in search of a good steak in San Mateo!

    Flambé
    Amrita P.

    Old Hollywood ambiance with Humphrey Bogart movie posters around the seating area. Food and drinks were delicious. Service was great and the flambé was a treat. Will definitely visit again.

    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 ~

    Crème Brûlée
    Brock P.

    Food, service, attention to detail, ambiance. Amazing restaurant. The food was excellent, and just delicious excellent prepared to perfection. I have gotten away from my earlier carnivore days but have really been feeling the need for some protein. I have been really craving beef. Not only did they have beef but Escargot and table side crepe Suzette's. Had a special occasions coming so I booked a reservation. It was a perfect evening. I am already looking forward to my next visit and I just got home

    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.

    Crab cakes
    Nancy J.

    I came here for a work related presentation in a separate room and the staff is very organized in remembering who ordered what. The food was good I got the 8oz filet and it was tasty. The restaurant looked cozy and people enjoying, also outdoor seating is an option

    Heirloom tomato salad with burrata cheese, balsamic vinegar and pesto. I could have eaten 10 plates of this!

    My parents were celebrating their 51st anniversary and my dad's one request was "I want a fancy steak". I'm not much of a red meat eater but I have been wanting to check this place out since The Vault closed. As soon as you walk in, you're immediately greeted with a large refrigerator of their in-house, dry-aged steaks, so my mouth was watering before I even sat down! The place has a casual ambiance so you can dress up or down if preferred, but the staff dresses up as I would expect from a nice steakhouse. We started off with an heirloom tomato salad with burrata cheese, balsamic drizzled on top, and pesto. For 3 of us it was kind of a small plate but delicious and refreshing. For main courses, mom and I ordered the porterhouse for 2, which included tender New York strip and melt-in-your mouth filet mignon. Dad had a combo lamb chops with filet mignon, and proclaimed it was the best he ever had! I'm not sure what type of salt they use, but it has some amazing type of seasoning in it that they used to season their steaks and broccoli with. If anyone has any idea of what kind of salt they use, please let me know! The carrots were also perfectly cooked (not too crunchy but not mushy) and I could taste a hint of brown sugar and butter. I don't love carrots but I could seriously eat those all day. We ended the night with a molten chocolate lava cake and peach sorbet(on the house!). Cake was ok but the sorbet was flavorful and tasted homemade. Overall an amazing experience and my parents enjoyed themselves. Would definitely come back here again!

    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.

    4oz filet with Béarnaise sauce and twice baked potato.
    Janice P.

    We went for a late mother's day dinner this past Saturday. Zella, who is amazing, was able to fit us in even though it was a last minute request and was ver accommodating to our requests. When we arrived there was a bit of a wait, however the staff was very friendly and did their best to get us in as quickly as possible. I ordered the 4oz filet with Béarnaise sauce and my boyfriend got the NY strip, and even though it wasn't cooked as medium rare as we would have liked (bordering on rare), it was still delicious. The twice baked potato was a huge favorite. Everyone else around us who ordered the steak got their temperatures correct. The restaurant was very clean and romantic. We would definitely come back to order the Banana's foster as they cook it table side.

    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?

    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.

    Oysters

    See all

    2 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Natasha P.

    Natasha P.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    2 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Natasha P.

    Natasha P.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Natasha P.

    Natasha P.

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Natasha P.

    Natasha P.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Natasha P.

    Natasha P.

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Natasha P.

    Natasha P.

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Anna N.
    173
    294
    1242

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    3 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Natasha P.

    Natasha P.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Natasha P.

    Natasha P.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Nancy J.
    0
    63
    146

    1 month ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Natasha P.

    Natasha P.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 days ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Natasha P.

    Natasha P.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 2
    Photo of Janice P.
    258
    21
    11

    5 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 1
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Natasha P.

    Natasha P.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 days ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Natasha P.

    Natasha P.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Toro A.
    0
    232
    389

    4 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Natasha P.

    Natasha P.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Natasha P.

    Natasha P.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of R S.
    0
    201
    63

    4 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Loni R.
    105
    62
    33

    10 months ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Alex A.
    5000
    621
    942

    2 years ago

    Helpful 29
    Thanks 6
    Love this 10
    Oh no 19
    Photo of Eric C.
    281
    40
    11

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Josh M.
    522
    430
    1737

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Natasha P.

    Natasha P.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Jenna T.
    1327
    1598
    5121

    10 months ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 4
    Love this 3
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mike B.
    129
    352
    329

    7 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jon T.
    1203
    1462
    110

    11 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Love K.
    21
    82
    70

    6 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Natasha P.

    Natasha P.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 22

    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

    You might also consider

    Fogbird

    Fogbird

    4.0(205 reviews)
    0.0 mi
    •$$

    Fogbird is easily one of the best spots around for a mid- to late-night drink after dinner. The…read morespace is extremely clean, cute, and comfortable, creating the perfect ambiance to wind down your evening. The Highlights: Food & Drinks: They have a great selection of classic cocktails and an approachable menu of bar bites that pair effortlessly with the drinks. Perfect for a late-night snack! Just keep in mind that while they're open until midnight, last call for food is before 9 PM. Pricing: Very reasonable for the quality. Their Happy Hour is a stellar deal, with drinks ranging from $9-$13 and bites between $7-$14. Service: The staff is wonderfully kind and hard-working. With a small team (typically two servers and one bartender), service can run a bit on the slower side when it's busy, but the personal touch--like the bartender personally bringing drinks over to our table--makes a big difference. Seating & Group Size: Walk-Ins: You can easily walk in most days with a small party, though making a reservation in advance never hurts if you want to guarantee a spot. Party Size: Stick to smaller groups. We've tried coming with a party larger than 10 before, but it gets busy and is much better suited for small, intimate gatherings. Overall, a lovely spot with great vibes and sweet service. Will definitely keep coming back!

    Fogbird is definitely worth a visit if you're in downtown San Mateo. Their cocktails are creative,…read morewell-balanced, and full of flavor, making each sip enjoyable. The ambiance is just as impressive, stylish, cozy, and perfect for a date night, a night out with friends, or simply unwinding after a long day. If you're exploring downtown San Mateo, I highly recommend stopping by and giving Fogbird a try.

    Photos
    Fogbird - Angry Bird and Shirley Temple

    Angry Bird and Shirley Temple

    Fogbird - Nectar of the gods

    Nectar of the gods

    Fogbird - Happy hour drinks

    See all

    Happy hour drinks

    Vinyl Room - Where the room glows and the records breathe.

    Vinyl Room

    4.0(526 reviews)
    1.5 mi
    •$$

    I was at a local mixer event when we decided to come by here and continue the party. The Vinyl Room…read moreis always a solid choice because of the drinks, but especially because of the no cover charge at the door. The DJ was pretty good that night and he covered top music from 90's to today. Drinks were sooooo good!! We started off with just tequila and soda, but as the night got later I needed a little pick me up. I was initially going for an espresso martini, but I saw After Hours which consisted of Tequila Reposado, Espresso Liquor 43, Coconut and Milk Wash and ofc I had to get that... All I can say is WOW!! There were other drinks that looked really interesting too, but I wasn't trying to get too faded, so I'll have to come back and check them out. Service was very prompt and friendly despite it being pretty busy.

    I went to Vinyl Room on 4/21/26 around 10pm with my friend, her boyfriend, and my wife and it was…read moresuper fun! Not a lot of people were there, so it was a relaxing environment to talk to them in. We got so many drinks -- they're typical prices for bars, but I am very glad about my selection being drinks I thoroughly enjoyed. Jarrito Jam was my first one, it was delicious, but I honestly bought it to hold the little clay pot it came in. Nutty By Nature was my second drink. I enjoyed it, but it lacked the pistachio aspect of the flavorings. Orange Crush was my third drink and I loved it more than Nutty By Nature. My spouse got a Tiki Track and Tropicana and loved both of them a lot! I also loved my spouse's Tropicana drink and plan on getting it tonight when we go back to get my wallet I left there! Thank you to the people who picked up the phone today and helped me locate my wallet!

    Photos
    Vinyl Room - Cocktails stirred slow.
Records played all the way through.

    Cocktails stirred slow. Records played all the way through.

    Vinyl Room - Needle Drop.
Full tracks. No rush. Let it play.

    Needle Drop. Full tracks. No rush. Let it play.

    Vinyl Room - Our main bar -- where the records spin and the night begins.

    See all

    Our main bar -- where the records spin and the night begins.

    B Street & Vine - Bruschetta | @whaevaeats

    B Street & Vine

    4.1(2k reviews)
    0.1 mi
    •$$

    Decent spot for drinks…read more Pretty solid place with a good selection of drinks. The bar staff were great and made the experience enjoyable. They have a lot of options to choose from, and the cocktails were definitely the highlight. Well-made, flavorful, and easy to enjoy. I also tried the wine. It was just okay to me, but honestly, I'm probably not the best person to judge wine since I don't really know how to appreciate it properly. Overall, a good spot for drinks, especially if cocktails are more your thing.

    I honestly don't understand all the glowing reviews for B Street & Vine. Our experience was…read moredisappointing from start to finish. We sat outside, and the atmosphere felt tired and uninspired. There was nothing particularly inviting or memorable about the space. We ordered the bruschetta sampler ($24), choosing the mango, salmon, mushroom with prosciutto, and tomato mozzarella varieties. Surprisingly, they all tasted almost exactly the same. Nothing tasted fresh or vibrant. The bread was especially disappointing--bland, lacking texture, and seemingly devoid of flavor. The mango wasn't sweet, the tomatoes tasted like nothing, and even the mozzarella lacked freshness and character. The wine was equally underwhelming. My husband ordered the Tempranillo and I had the Albariño. Neither was enjoyable; both tasted harsh and overly alcoholic rather than balanced or flavorful. Even the presentation missed the mark. The glassware felt dated and unattractive, which only added to the overall feeling that the restaurant is past its prime. Unfortunately, this was not a memorable meal for the right reasons. With so many great dining options available, we won't be returning.

    Photos
    B Street & Vine - Valentine's Day specials.

    Valentine's Day specials.

    B Street & Vine - Autostrada Panini | @whaevaeats

    Autostrada Panini | @whaevaeats

    B Street & Vine - Bruschetta | @whaevaeats

    See all

    Bruschetta | @whaevaeats

    Pausa Bar & Cookery - Pizza

    Pausa Bar & Cookery

    4.2(1.1k reviews)
    0.1 mi
    •$$$

    Pausa was a balanced experience from beginning to end! My in-laws flew in from the Midwest to…read morecelebrate me and my husband's wedding anniversary + my FIL's birthday! We were greeted at the door with a "happy anniversary!" and it was printed on our menu as well :) Small touches and personalization really do go a long way. I love the casual yet upscale vibe of the place, and my in-laws commented on what a great choice of restaurant it was! The noise level was just busy enough with white noise without it being overly noisy. Our waitress was so friendly without being overbearing, and timing was great (checked in enough, not too much). We got the Chef's Board 3-piece to start - had a great variety! My in-laws split the Pizza Margherita (crust was similar to what we had in Florence!), my mom and I got the Papardelle (mine was a bit overcooked, but I also love mine super al dente, so just a personal preference) and my husband's Toasted Semolina Ravioli was a little *too* al dente for his taste, so if we'd switched, it would've been perfect! My dad got the Top Sirloin that was very tender. For cocktails, I got the Amore Proibito which was like a gimlet with a kiwi cordial, yum! My husband got one of the featured negronis for Negroni Week! Overall, 4.5/5 stars Would come again for another special occasion!

    10/10 dinner. Service, vibes, and food were immaculate. Our waiter had such great energy, which…read moreI've noticed a lot of restaurants lacking lately. We started with three of their house-made meats, which I highly recommend. The meats were good, but the butter, mustard, and bread are what made it fun. DIY sandwich action. Our meal was coursed out perfectly. We had time to enjoy our wine before the next dish. The endive salad should not be missed. Salad can feel like an afterthought, but it definitely was not in this case. The apples were subtle and added an enjoyable crunch and sweetness. Many of the reviews talk about the Margherita pizza, but we went with the Fichi since it isn't a pizza you normally see. The bread was light and fluffy, and the figs paired great with the saltiness of the cheese. Honestly though, the crust was fuego. The only "miss" was the butterfly pea risotto. It wasn't bad, it just was a bit too seafoody and average compared to the rest of the meal. We ended the night with the chocolate cake and the semifreddo. Both were ok. I liked the gelato that came with the chocolate cake more than the cake itself. The semifreddo was unique, with the tartness of the yogurt being prominent. Both were finished because quitting is for the weak. Some of the best Italian I've had in a long time. Thank you, Pausa, for a very fun night!

    Photos
    Pausa Bar & Cookery - Great ambiance

    Great ambiance

    Pausa Bar & Cookery - Mixed Chicories Salad (Amarosa Potatoes, Radish, Blu di Bufala Fonduta, Basil Vinaigrette)

    Mixed Chicories Salad (Amarosa Potatoes, Radish, Blu di Bufala Fonduta, Basil Vinaigrette)

    Pausa Bar & Cookery - Butterfly pea risotto

    See all

    Butterfly pea risotto

    Porterhouse - steak - Updated October 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...