Saucy Porka Hyde Park
Ben Shakman · 415 Google reviewsSaucy Porka Hyde Park — established caribbean in Hyde Park with a loyal following. No frills and no gimmicks, just a solid honest room. The recipes feel handed down, not invented. Quick and efficient. "The broth is smokey and spicy with soft pork chunks slow cooked in traditional latin spices" — Rolo [$$, patio]
What 365 diners keep saying
What 365 diners keep saying
verbatim, from Google
“VEGANS, VEGETARIANS, PESCATARIANS there are delicious options here for us! I’ll mention some of my favorites below. 💚 I’ve been coming to this place for years and have recommended it to many people. I’ve also had the pleasure of meeting the owner a few times. She is always warm, kind, and genuinely excited about her business. My go-to order is the veggie Buddha bowl (no cheese) with Puerto Rican rice and black bean tofu. I think they may have changed the name, but that’s still how I order it. If I’m feeling indulgent, I’ll add tostones with extra green onion as well. One small tip: it’s best to come at least 30 minutes before closing, even for carryout. The grill is sometimes turned off early, especially when the owner isn’t there, which can affect how certain items are prepared or you’re offered a limited menu. The owner addressed this so hopefully this is no longer an issue. I have not come in close to closing since to say. Another thing I love: sign up for the rewards program! The owner isn’t petty about the points, and I don’t think they ever expire. I left Chicago and didn’t use my points for a couple of years, and when I came back, they were still active! Every time I visit, it seems like I have a new reward waiting. This places is also reasonably priced for Hyde Park as well. And they’re not on a super busy street. I actually find decent parking when I come here. That said, I truly appreciate how the owner handles things when small mistakes happen. In the food industry, it’s unfortunately common for places to make customers feel like they’re at fault for mentioning an issue. She’s the opposite, she acknowledges it with grace, and that’s refreshing. I truly speak for this business to continue to thrive. You can tell the owner genuinely cares, and she absolutely deserves success in her endeavors.✨”
“Had a nice experience, food was tasty. Really liked the Mexican pho. Place could use a bit of a spruce up, though.”
“I'm moving my reviews over from Yelp. I am so happy to see they've opened a St Louis location as well with the same menu. This was originally published 5/6/19: Saucy Porka kinda rocks! I was in for lunch during a freak late-April winter storm and really enjoyed everything I ate. This place is already pretty well reviewed so I'm just going to hit a couple of the highlights: * Best bite was certainly the chorizo eggroll. It was simultaneously sweet, spicy, crunchy and loaded with flavor. * They have a different name for their bao - they call them "baco" because they are served standing up. It's your restaurant and your pen so I suppose you can write whatever you want but they still look like bao to me. That said, the tofu bao was really outstanding. The bun was light while the tofu had a bit of a crunch to it. The lightly dilled vegetables were sweet and vinegar-y with a nice snap that rounded out each bite. I tried a few other things but those two were the stand-outs for me. I hope they do well in HP. Their location is a bit of a challenge but maybe 55th Street has changed since I lived in the neighborhood.”
“I JUST ordered about an hour ago from DoorDash and I haaad to get on here to let y’all know. I only got to take a picture of the Ropa Vieja Beef Bowl because I practically inhaled everything else right before. The Beef Baco is good, Picadillo Egg Roll was yummy as well. The Chorizo Egg Roll was BOMB. And the Ropa Vieja Beef Bowl is just too good. Meat is tender and all the flavors work really well together. Can’t wait to try even more from here!”
“Where do I begin. The service was very friendly, attentive and quick. We ordered Monkey Fries in house and Asian paella, Puerto Rican rice and duck gumbo to go. When I say wow, I mean WOW! We will definitely be back for the ‘bacos’ and egg rolls soon.”
“Love their food. Typically order online but I've dined in as well and enjoyed myself. Delivery is pretty quick (quicker than some fast food options even).my favorites are their picadillo/chorizo egg rolls and the DUCK GUMBO (w added chicken and/or shrimp). One of few places I can get a hibiscus juice (as a fan of bissap or sorrel) . Also good: their bacos, monkey fries, THE DIPPING SAUCES, and a host of other items It's actually wild how often I eat here/order delivery from here.”
“Impressive seasoning on fries and very good rice bowls!!”
“Gosh the food here is so good and the sauces are just as delicious (no surprise there)! There are many options for people with dietary restrictions. The food is also very filling.”
“I got the monkey fries from here that were mad flavorful. Made with ground beef, and cheese with this mayo-based sauce over seasoned fries. 8.8. I also got this decent duck gumbo too. The broth lacked flavor kinda bland but wasn't terrible thou. 7.9. Overall I like the setup and this place has some interesting items on the menu worth checking out. 8.5.”
“I took the mexi pho with duck and the eggroll. It was good. But me being south asian, felt a little bland. But the duck was cooked to perfection. Had more expectation. Maybe just once more I will visit for one of the rice bowls.”
“The food is great. I've tried several different items and each one has met or exceeded my expectations”
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