The Porch: Southern Fare & Juke Joint--Initial Impressions

Back in January 2016, The Porch: Southern Fare & Juke Joint opened on Tuttle Street in Wakefield, a small, 20-seat restaurant serving Southern dishes, from fried chicken to pulled pork, ribs to meat loaf. The food, all made from scratch, was delicious and it ended up on my 2016: Favorite Restaurants & My Top 50. It was included on my 2017 list too, and likely would have been on my 2018 list but it closed in June 2018.

The closing was a positive in some respects because Nashville-born Chef Jonathan Post and his business partner, Cenk Emre, planned to open a much larger incarnation of their restaurant in the new River’s Edge complex in Medford. However, would they be able to replicate the quality and taste of the food from their tiny restaurant on such a grander scale?

The new restaurant opened in July 2019, about a year after the closing of their Wakefield location, and it spans 8,500-square feet, with 250 seats inside and another 50 seats at their outside patio. The restaurant includes a 54-foot bar and a stage for performing bands.

The interior of the restaurant is casual, with lots of southern-inspired artwork bedecking the walls and other areas. Though quite large, there is still a sense of intimacy. It has a modern look, but with homages to the past as well.

Jonathan and Cenk have hired Alex Horowitz as their Executive Chef, and Alex has an excellent resume, having worked at local restaurants including 80 Thoreau, Moody’s Delicatessen, Blue Ginger, Tavola, and James Pub & Provisions. The Porch intendeds to showcase various Southern regional cuisines, bringing back some classics from their Wakefield location and introducing plenty of new choices as well. They are open for both lunch and dinner, and I've dined there twice so far for lunch and wanted to present some of my initial impressions.

The Lunch Menu has Small Thangs, 3 appetizers ($4-$9), Plates, salads and larger appetizers, 6 choices ($10-$24), Trays, 6 entrees ($17-$26), Between the Buns, 6 sandwiches ($13-$16), and Fixins', 10 sides, $5 each. The Dinner Menu simply adds a number of additional choices. On these menus, you'll find dishes such as Spicy Pork Rinds, Oyster Stew, Crawfish Étouffée, Biscuit & Ham, Cornmeal Crusted Catfish, Sweet Corn Gumbo, Smoked BBQ Jackfruit, Nashville Hot Fried Chicken, Texas Brisket, and much more. Lots of tasty choices, appealing to many different preferences.

The Porch has a full bar program, including Cocktails, Wine and Beer. They have 8 special cocktails ($11-$12), such as The Beautiful South above, which is made with Bourbon, Assam Tea, Grilled Peach, Praline Gastrique, and Lemon. A tasty and balanced blend of smoked peach, tea, citrus and a mild nutty flavor. There are 13 wines available by the glass ($10-$13), and I think the list has plenty of interesting and good choices, such as the Garzon Tannat, an Uruguayan wine, and Bedell Cabernet France, from New York. The beer list includes plenty of craft options, with about 12 beers on draft, as well as some old traditional choices, such as Pabst Blue Ribbon and Schlitz Tall Boy. You'll also find plenty of local beer options. They even offer some Shot & Beer Combos.

The Hellhound, made from Mezcal, Reposado Tequila, Smoked Poblanos, Lime & Ginger Beer, was excellent, with that delicious agave taste, enhanced by the spice of the ginger beer. Refreshing, with a hint of smokiness, and a nice accompaniment to the cuisine.

On each table, you'll find four different sauces, from Zippy & Sweet to Earthy & Tangy, which you can use on your food.

The Corn Hush Puppies ($7), with a bacon, onion jam, have a crunchy exterior with a moist interior,  with a dominant mildly sweet corn flavor.

The Deviled Eggs ($9) are topped with fried clams and pickled mustard seeds, a delicious combination. The crunchy fried clams, with a clean taste, made a nice contrast to the creamy deviled eggs, and the pickled seeds added some bright acid to balanced the dish. A hearty recommendation.

For an entree, I thoroughly enjoyed a Tray of Fried Chicken ($17), which comes with one piece of white meat and one dark. You have your choice of either Plain or Nashville Hot, and I opted for the Plain, so I could best compare it to the chicken from the Wakefield location, which was a favorite of mine. The Tray also comes with your choice of two sides, and I selected a Biscuit and Cheesy Grits.

The biscuits at the Wakefield location were also a favorite, and they have changed at the Medford spot. They are much larger, but just as tasty, being buttery, flaky, and with a crisp exterior. The Cheesy Grits were also a very tasty side, with lots of creaminess, a pleasing corn flavor, and just the right texture. As for the fried chicken, it was also excellent, with that delightful clean, crunchy coating, and lots of moist meat within. The new Porch certainly delivers on quality and taste with this dish and its sides.

With the Combo Tray ($26), you get your choice of two of the meats, and I chose the St. Louis Ribs (wet rub) and Texas Brisket, with sides of the Mac & Cheese and Skillet Cornbread. As for the sides, both were available at the Wakefield location, but I feel that both taste better at this new location. Previously, the corn bread was served in slices, and not within a cast iron skillet. It is scrumptious, with a natural sweetness of the corn, and is moist beneath the crusty top.

The Brisket was tender, meaty and flavorful, enhanced by some of the North Cackalacky Vinegar Sauce, while the Ribs were fall-off-the bone tender, with a tangy and compelling wet rub. These items were similar in many respects to what was once at the Wakefield location, but they might taste even better here.

Has the new Porch in Medford been able to replicate the quality and taste of the food from their prior, tiny Wakefield restaurant? The answer is undoubtedly affirmative, and the food overall is even better at the new location. There are many more choices available here, and the dishes are priced reasonably for their quantity and quality. Service is very good, the drinks program is excellent, and the ambiance is welcoming. Jonathan Post and Cenk Emre have created a restaurant poised for success, and I look forward to dining there more often, to check out more of the menu, and to attend one of their musical events. Based on my initial impressions, I give The Porch a hearty recommendation and urge you to check it out.

Just one minor caveat though, as some customers might take issue with this matter. The Porch adds a 3% "Kitchen Appreciation Fee" onto your bill, however their website does not mention that fact and the Lunch menu didn't mention it either. I have no problems with restaurants adding such a fee, as I agree with the philosophy of supporting the kitchen staff who doesn't receive tips. The issue is that such a fee should be prominently mentioned on a restaurant's menu and website. That has become the norm with restaurants that have adopted such a fee. Failing to disclose the fee, until a customer receives their check, can cause problems which can be avoided with a proper disclosure.