By Nadine Moedt (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: February 19, 2014
I spent my Saturday night at Porter’s Bistro, listening to the entertaining Dave “Hurricane” Hoerl and company while making numerous trips back and forth from the buffet table. Hoerl lived up to his reputation as one of Canada’s best at blues harmonica in a performance that went well into the night; the audience was excitable, but that also might have been a result of the fantastic buffet-style roast beef dinner.
The buffet, offered every Saturday evening, is $22.95, and this week’s menu included Yorkshire pudding, six different salads, potatoes, gravy, roast beef cut to preference, and a second entree of jambalaya. The salads are entirely unique, ranging from an interesting red cabbage and sweet raisin to a more Asian noodle fusion. The Yorkshire pudding was still warm, and had everyone going for seconds. There is also a selection of wines and beer to accompany the meal.
Porter’s also offers a breakfast and lunch menu during the day, which has more student-friendly pricing; a typical breakfast runs from $7.95 to $10.50, while a sandwich on the lunch menu is $9.50, including chips and a salad. All breads are baked on-site.
Most pleasing, however, is the comfortable and welcoming atmosphere. When my companion and I walked in, we were greeted not only by the waitress, but also the table of diners beside where we settled. It’s a small seating area, which seems to strike feelings of kinship among patrons.
Porter’s has a rather long reputation as a Langley fixture. It has been around since 1888, when it was first erected as a general store. Since then it has been a post office and tea shop; the restaurant standing now has the original floors and fixtures, lending the restaurant a quaint and honest from-the-past feel. In 2009, the building achieved “heritage building” status. The restaurant also features a variety of local musicians on Friday and Saturday nights.
Another quirk that makes this restaurant a worthy destination is its distinctive decor; aside from the historical interest, the walls of Porter’s are covered with peculiar gift items. Everything from Benaya tiles to vintage hats piques customers’ interests. Perhaps most eye-catching are the eccentric clocks from Allan Design in Vancouver. The clocks feature a wide variety of oddities; there are fat little shark clocks, owl clocks, sly fox clocks, and sassy cow clocks.
Porter’s is well worth the trip to Langley. For those of us on a student budget, a breakfast or lunch suits. The seating area is pleasant and the people friendly.
Porter’s makes for the perfect not-too romantic outing; if you want to impress with your off-beat restaurant selection, a night of live music at Porter’s leaves no awkward silences. After all, you can always talk about the clocks.
