We chose Porters Steakhouse for my 40th birthday celebration, and they were very accommodating over the phone regarding our questions and adjustments to the party size. The restaurant was beautiful, and the party room was perfect. Our server's name was Chris, and he was very friendly; he even lit candles and brought in an extra table for gifts.
As excited as I was for this occasion, I must say the night fell short for several reasons. Unfortunately, some guests (including myself) were late to the reservation. However, those who arrived on time were left waiting in the room without being offered any beverages. To save time, we ordered all of our drinks, starters, and meals at once since we had an engagement starting a few hours later. Some guests went outside to socialize, and when we returned, there were still no beverages. We remained patient and began party games.
After another 15 minutes, a server assistant brought in one loaf of bread for a group of nine, which seemed more appropriate for a table of two or four. After another 15 minutes, I left the party room to ask a server assistant about our beverages, as I could not find Chris. We decided to start the party games with just water and a loaf of bread (we requested more but it never came)
15 minutes later, Chris arrived with a couple of bottles of wine, explaining that drinks and meals were on the way and that we were going to begin with a birthday toast. I had specifically brought an expensive bottle of champagne for this, but this detail hadn't been communicated to our server. I attempted to interject but ultimately let it go since the wine was complimentary.
Finally, drinks and food were served. I ordered the salmon and potatoes, and while my dish was lacking in flavor, some others said theirs was very good. We did not receive much attention beyond the assistant offering water, but no drink refills.
As the night went on, we decided to start packing up since we were traveling back to St. Louis for our next event. Overall, while Chris was very nice, he should have been pulled from rotation by management to focus on his party. We felt forgotten, and the night was disappointing for the cost. Although we were told during a phone call that tickets for large parties could be separated, we noted that this would not be the case if they became busy. Nonetheless, Chris did separate the tickets for us.
Despite these issues, we still tipped above average even with gratuity, although I intended to tip much more had the service been adequate. We chose this restaurant because of the great reviews but would have appreciated more consideration for our party. I would love to give Porters Steakhouse another shot but given the number of steakhouses in the St. Louis area, we probably would not return. While Chris was very nice, it seemed that other parties took priority over us. I have managed and served at various dining establishments. We always made arrangements in the front and back of the house for large parties and removed servers from the floor to offer undivided attention according to guest size. At least until they were ready to begin taking tables without their party suffering.
We had a great time, but Porters, please take note of my review and make the necessary changes if you want parties to return. read more