el porton cafe

el porton good, not great. i went with a couple of friends from work to el porton for lunch and had "the works" special, with the ecarne mechada arepa and a chicken empanada.
although the empanadas are small for how much they cost ($2.50), this empanada was probably the best i've ever had!
the arepa is basically a patty that is like a really thick tortilla that is fried in a skillet and then split open and served with shredded beef in it. the end result looks like a sandwich. it was very good.
the ceviche tasted fresh and light, and to be honest it was the first time i have ever had ceviche so i really have no frame of reference. i liked it, it's not going to be one of my favorite dishes.
the black beans and the rice were good, but neither was seasoned much. the plantains were seasoned to be sweeter than i am used to and were not crisped up like i like, but that could just be the way this culture cooks them. they were good, not great, which really sums up the overall experience. the menu said this platter comes with avocado, but none came on my plate.
the service was pretty good, not great, and the overall price with tax and tip was $15. that is steep for what i got. i may go back, because the different flavors were good, but not often, because the price was not.

good food!. my husband and i have eaten here on 2 occassions. we went for dinner and liked it so much went back the following week for lunch.

service and food was great the first time for dinner. for lunch, the service unexpectedly bad. when we walked in the server didn't acknowledge our presence and we were left standing while he finished his conversation with someone in the kitchen. after a couple of minutes, which seems like a long time when you are being ignored he sat us down at a table with lots of crumbs underneath it. all of the tables had crumbs underneath them and it was early in the day. we asked him questions about the food and he gave answers that were not helpful or descriptive. it was such a difference from our experience the week before. the steak sandwich however was wonderful,

great food!. the food was really delicious. we had the chorizo arepa and the pollo adobado - both were really fantastic. the service, however, was pretty poor. we never got drink refills, and i had to try for nearly 15 minutes to get someone's attention to bring us a check. it's a pretty small place - in fact, it's about the size of a typical server's section at a bigger restaurant, yet with two servers, we were still ignored. hopefully that was a fluke, and the food is delicious enough to mitigate some of that poor service.

delicious in every aspect- the juice which can be made with milk or water; the entrees and the tres leche cake! attentive kind servers. beautiful atmosphere. great music.

for my kc friends....check it out


-----27 jul, 2010-----

awesome!!! authentic. classy & cozy interior feel and decor. had beef empanadas, the pernil! you can't miss

my wife and i had an awesome dinner. the meal was so good, we can't wait to go back. the staff was so personal and nice. to top off a great dinner we that the tres leche cake for dessert, that was one of the best desserts i have ever had! one of the best meals i have ever had in kansas city. thank you

you know the food is good when the table next to you is occupied by an older cuban couple who have nothing but praise for the owner and the menu. we had the pork sandwich, the steak sandwich and shared the flan. loved it! we can't wait to return again soon.