With a “Downhome Food, Uptown Cocktails” motto, The Porch is all about bringing Americana to the bar and table. Key basics, like salad dressings, are made fresh every day. Daily specials make use of fresh ingredients that are both flavorful and calendar appropriate, though some items could use more seasoning. The beautiful and spacious outdoor patio is unmatched on a Dallas evening—as long as it’s not scorchingly hot.

Preps like smoked brisket enchiladas, buttermilk-fried-chicken Cobb salad, and the “Stodg Burger ”with bacon and a fried egg offer in-your-face Southern flavors in a relaxed atmosphere. Fried items could stand a bit more of a delicate touch. Also consult the “BIG Board” for those daily specials (hey, it is big).

Colorful cocktails like the blood orange margarita and the “Black and Blue Martini” (to call this a martini is to sell it short—it comes with blackberries, blueberries, mint, St. Germain, lime juice, and simple syrup—and do be careful, as it goes down a little too easy) are standouts. The wine list is creative and appropriately priced. The Porch is as popular at lunch as it is at dinner with an accommodating staff to match, even if you stroll in 5 minutes before close.