Go for the famous "cachorrinhos," aka little sausage sandwiches, stay for the vibe and the rest of…read morethe menu. I'd read about this place online and was glad we went. It's one of those incredibly soulful spots that I feel are, low-key, becoming extinct in big cities, where everything is starting to look homogenized. We queued for about 15 minutes and grabbed seats at the bar. This was with awful weather and before peak tourist season, so I imagine the lines can get quite long. Pro tip: don't head inside just because you see someone leave. I made that mistake and was told to wait for someone to call me over. The people working here have zero sense of urgency, and that's part of the magic. You're in Portugal. Relax. The cachorrinhos were great, but we also had a steak sandwich that was phenomenal. Think greasy street food in a compact, hole-in-the-wall spot. Pair it with a beer and fries, and you've got the perfect lunch. They take cards!

This is definitely one of several places I wished I'd had time to go back to more than once, or…read moreindeed, ideally, that they'd somehow decide to open an offshoot in the exact place I live in the US (counterpoint, that that would *suck* for my arteries)... I'm very glad we stopped here while we were in Porto. I'm also glad we managed to find two *seats* together - the place is tiny, and well-attended. It's a bit cramped if you're dining in, but worth it (assuming you can find a seat.) I was also spoiled after the first fried cheese-dog arrived like 2 minutes after ordering it, despite it being so busy - the pica pao took a longer time (not an unreasonably long time), as did the second cachorrinho I decided I needed to get even though I wasn't *terribly* hungry after sharing the first two items, cause it was so good, and I knew I wouldn't be back any time soon, if ever (was fine by me, as I was also enjoying trying a bunch of Portuguese spirits for cheap - 3.5 euro for a decently large glass of ginja, 3-5 euro for various Portuguese brandies... they thought I was weird ordering a large glass of ginja, but it goes *so* well with the salty deep fried food served here.) Cachorrinhos are super unhealthy obviously, being basically a fried hot dog stuffed with cheese, but excellent, totally worth the roughly 5 bucks. The pica pau Americo was also a pretty good value, as a "small" is... not small. I figured I should try both of the things they were most known for - the pica pau was great too, but if I were ever back, I'd probably just stuff my face with wonderful fried crispy cheese dogs.

Why am I, a vegetarian american tourist in Porto, eating at a hot dog spot you ask?…read more For one, the line at brasao was going into the next city, and we just wanted a snack. Frankie looked enticing, a large array of hot dog offerings covering the entire wall behind the counter and a couple veggie options sold the deal. I tried the Frankiezinha (an obvious nod to the Francesinha, porto's classic dish). The food took its time to come out (20 mins or so), and I can't say I was blown away by it, but it did the deal with a nice beer. It can use some more pizzaz, more filling in there, it felt rather empty. My friend's enjoyed their meat ones though, veggie hotdog science is still a fledgling field.

Randomly popped into this awesome little spot. Great food at decent prices especially for how close…read moreto the city center they are. In a city that can be a bit pricey grab a delicious and affordable meal here.

Great ambience and friendly people! Spacious and bright. The…read moreCachorro especial was great! Mix of a hot dog and sandwich, the cheese was delicious and the bread beautifully toasted. The meat was rich and everything ate well. The fries were crispy and not over salted. If you want a quick place to grab some good food and a beer then stop by!

This place was surprising. I had a prego the dog and prego with ham and cheese. The steak was…read morecooked nicely and the bread for the sandwich was so good. The ketchup they have is all natural and tasted like tomato. I also had the super block white beer (sabor autentico) and that was good. Fries could've been more crispy. It's more of a causal bar place with seating and staff are super nice.

5 stars! We had such an amazing experience. Came across this gem because it was one of the only…read moreplaces open late at night. We were also hoping for exposure to yummy Portuguese food. The building itself is so beautiful and comfortable. Cozy booths with medieval stones- who could ask for more?! Our server may have been my favorite part- charming, welcoming, and proud of the restaurants' food. We asked the server to recommend wine and serve his favorite snacks- he did NOT disappoint! WHAT DID I EAT?! I'm not sure! But it was incredible! We had a fantastic time! Thanks again to our server, we wish we asked your name- obrigada!

Wonderful find and close to our hotel. Friendly service. Great food, nice ambiance,…read more and good price. I'm a very happy camper.

I was looking for a late night snack after the dinner we had earlier wasn't too satisfying. I…read morespecifically wanted a cachorro, and a spot within walking distance from our hotel. Republica dos Cachorros fit the bill. So we trekked on over at around 10:30 on a Wednesday night. The place was packed at that time, especially for a place that was closing at 11 pm, there were still plenty of people coming in to sit down to eat. We got our order to go, which took quite a bit of time to come out. We ordered the Simples (cachorro with cheese) and Prego Em Pão Misto (steak, ham, cheese sandwich). The cachorro wasn't bad but I would prefer the one over at Gazela's (unfortunately, they were closed already). It did the trick though. I didn't care for the steak sandwich, which was dry, and the bread tasted stale. I would say go only if you're passing by, but don't expect it to be quick. Otherwise, don't go out of your way.

OMG. The steak and bread was the best steak I've had recently, and the bread was amazing too…read more Service was quick and friendly. Outdoor dining is shaded and very pleasant today. Also loved the lemonade.

I have to admit that neither Jamie W nor I were all that excited about trying the Francesinha,…read morePorto's signature sandwich, because it's a "heart attack on a plate" as Anthony Bourdain described it. Its nearest cousin is the Croque Madame only more gluttonous with multiple kinds of meat and an excess of melted cheese. Bourdain went to O Afonso to try his first Francesinha when he visited Porto. However, current consensus motivated us to come here after we watched more recent YouTube travel videos from Jamie Oliver and others. This looked like a more classic, retro-style diner like Mel's Drive-In, but there was no mistaking what everyone was ordering here whether they were tourists or locals. Tables were pretty snug, but we managed to squeeze ourselves in against the wall. We knew we had to get the 13,2€ Francesinha Santiago because it was the classic rendition (Photo 8). Fortunately they allowed us to share an order because our tablemates let us know other places around town don't allow you to do that. It was quite a sight with the fried egg on top of a monstrous sandwich covered by multiple, overlapping slices of a Portuguese cheese called queijo flamengo. The sandwich itself consisted of two thick slices of white bread toasted to golden brown. Inside was Portuguese wet-cured ham, bologna, grilled sirloin steak, fresh sausage, linguiça, and mortadella. It was all doused with their house francesinha sauce made of beef gravy, tomato paste, onion, garlic, piri piri chiles, beer, brandy, and port wine. A pile of fries surrounded the sandwich (Photo 10). Wow, I just spent two paragraphs describing the francesinha and didn't mention whether I liked it or not. I did - but I also realized it was one-and-done for me. We managed to have a couple of the 2,7€ bowls of soup. Jamie had the Caldo Verde (Spinach Soup) (Photo 9), and I had the Canja de Galinha (Chicken Soup) (Photo 7). Both were satisfying, and mine had orzo. Yes, that was enough food. FOOD - 4 stars...that was quite a mountain of a sandwich AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...very popular spot with seating squeezed together SERVICE - 4.5 stars...a veteran server treated us very well TOTAL - 4 stars...come hungry and enjoy RELATED - Exploring Porto? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/7s1tZV5h5M

Partner and I wanted to try some authentic Portuguese items and we were recommended to try the…read morefrancesinha. Got my expectations up too maybe it's not really up my alley. Definitely a lot of protein but I also didn't really taste the protein much. We ordered one sandwich to split and they asked us if we wanted it cut in half and we said sure. Saw the bill and saw that we were charged 2.5 EUR. We could've just honestly just shared the plate. We also enjoyed sitting at the counter, but unfortunately we noticed that the staff were handling food while touching other surfaces (like rags or parts of their body) with the same gloves. At that point, the gloves don't really serve their purpose. It might be something worth paying attention to, especially since guests at the counter can clearly see the food preparation.

I visited Com Cuore during my December 2024 trip to Porto after hearing about a 100% gluten-free…read morecafe, and I was certainly excited to check this place out, it is located a short walk away from São Bento railway station, although it is rather well-hidden, I ended up having to go up a set of steps from where Apple Maps told me the location was to find it - I do think having some sort of sign on the main street could help people find this place and help increase footfall for sure. They do operate on a cash-only model, which is a big negative for me, they direct people to use a nearby ATM. I usually refuse to pay cash, but after making an effort to find this place and spending some time, I decided to bite the bullet. It was unfortunate that they were cash only as this meant I spent less than I would have done if they had card payments - Come on, who doesn't take cards in 2024? The interior is small and fairly cramped, and the door did seem to lock, it didn't feel too welcoming with people struggling to get inside while I was eating my food. The menu was impressive and extensive, and most of it was priced reasonably, I ended up going for a sandwich which had ham, German sausage and cheese - The value was certainly really good, however. I also ordered some fries however, I never received them. I was not charged for them, so it is likely my waiter wasn't paying attention when taking my order. I noticed how the menu also mentioned a charge for cutlery - which seemed bizarre, and I'd love some clarification on this - surely they can't charge you for something to eat your food within a sit-down cafe? I found my sandwich to be quite dry. While the meats were decent, though not exceptional in quality, they would just slide off the bread, which was strange considering how dry the sandwich itself was. 3* - The prices are affordable, and the gluten-free options are extensive. However, the overall food quality is just okay. Combined with issues like the atmosphere inside the cafe and the fact that it's cash-only, I wouldn't be in a hurry to return if I visit Porto again. That said, I wouldn't be against giving it another try either.

Was very happy to come across this place in my trip research as it was the only place I was able to…read morefind a gluten free pastel de nata during my trip to Portugal, and was really wanting to try one. I was also grateful for the extensive gluten free options on the menu as a celiac traveler, but was disappointed in the service, atmosphere, and general quality of the food upon my visits. Definitely not somewhere to go when you're in a rush/on your way anywhere timed as well! Was also a bit hard to find as it's up a staircase and on the inside of a plaza compared to the address that appears publicly, but has a cute little outdoor patio once found!