even with issues, i would return...here's why. (mansfield) i've been to the porch in burleson, texas and it is very good. i had breakfast there a while ago and was pleased. with that in mind i thought i would give the porch in mansfield a try.
first of all, the porch in mansfield is anything but relaxing. music is loud and seems to reverberate in the rafters. not conducive to having a quiet conversation. floors here are concrete, not hardwood. no patio. this is an eatery at the end of a strip mall, so it's not a romantic setting by any means. it is bright though. lots of glass with lots and lots of sunlight. table set ups are utilitarian and simple. chairs are comfy enough.
my specific server today was not very friendly. the others servers seemed okay, watching them interact with their customers. my server just seemed to not want to be there. she took my order but didn't seem to want to chit-chat. all business. i ordered a roasted poblano burger with onion rings and unsweetened iced tea. i guess i waited about fifteen minutes for my burger. she brought me a couple of soft sweetened rolls with butter. light and airy, they really hit the spot.
my burger finally arrived and looked very appetizing. the burger bun again was sweet and fluffy. the problem was that the bottom portion of the bun was thinner than than the upper portion. didn't appear to be a problem until it all disintegrated due to the mustard making it mushy. peppers, onions and lettuce soon were deposited around my shoes and i was forced to eat about half of the burger with a fork. mind you, the burger was juicy and had a lot of flavor. it just needed a sturdier bun. the onion rings were fabulous. a decent portion, these rings were golden brown, crispy and were very good. my server came by to fill my half-empty glass but then turned and walked away. i stopped her and said to please fill the glass, but she had brought the wrong tea.
my server started to warm up by the end of the meal and was more friendly. i would have enjoyed the meal more if she could have been nicer throughout the meal. the place was doing steady business. but a group of four waited at the entrance for about a minute while all the servers and manager were back in the kitchen. they all looked perplexed and i was going to tell them that someone would be there in a moment, but one of the guys had already had a dispassionate look on his face as he was trying to convince the others to go to burger joint next door. when a server finally popped out from the back to take the party to a table, the guy had finally convinced the others to go to hideout burgers and i watched them exit and enter the venue just steps away. lesson boys and girls? always have someone covering the front.
the porch here in mansfield is on the borderline with me. the burger and rings are great except for the flimsy bun. servers need some pepping up. tone down the music. have someone mind up front. while this place doesn't really excite me, it has its merits. nothing is so bad that it deserves a thumbs down, but apparently some do not have the patience that i do.