I took a date to Charlotte’s new steakhouse, The Porter’s House. Here’s how we spent $202.38.

The menu is focused on steaks, seafoods and pastas and will run you about $50-$55, with one cocktail, per person.

Armed with the Agenda credit card, I informed my date that our original plans – a casual first date to get $5 burgers at Pinky’s –  were off and that we were going to treat ourselves to a steak dinner instead. The only catch? He’d have to write about it (that’s the thing with agreeing to go on a date with someone at the Agenda. There’s always a catch).

The poor guy agreed and allowed me to convince him to help me try most of the menu – and get a feel for the out-of-my-league steakhouse.

Location:

Kylie: About ten minutes into the drive, I had two thoughts –

1) All of a sudden, it was crystal clear why Ted chose to send me to Porter’s House rather than take his wife, and it wasn’t because he wanted me to write about it. It was because, with an 8:15 bedtime, an 8:45 reservation (the earliest we could snag) at a place that far away was out of the question, and

2) I’m glad that my date and I have a few years of friendship on record, because if we weren’t friends and comfortable with each other already, the thirty minute drive to Waverly could have been painful – and I’m 90% certain he’ll say the same. Seriously, drive separately if there’s any chance of awkwardness.

It feels a lot like the restaurant is in an area that’s trying hard to become something, but it’s still painfully young and trying to get its feet on solid ground. Because of this, the parking situation is a bit weird, and the restaurant doesn’t have a dedicated lot. We wound up parallel parking about a block away, but they do offer free valet parking, which is a big plus in my book.

Date: Better be worth the drive. Coming in from South End, if you have to settle for a later reservation, the drive out there can create a sense of irritability and restlessness – driving to Waverly isn’t like driving across Uptown. It’s a haul. The actual physical location itself is slightly underwhelming, as the building itself is found in the midst of a quickly rising shopping center, so it kind of lacks the clean and orderly aesthetic that you’d expect an upscale steakhouse to have.

First thoughts:

Kylie: The first thing that struck me was how crowded it was at 9 p.m. on a Saturday and how glad I was that we’d made reservations. We made a move toward the bar to order drinks while we waited for our table, but couldn’t get there because every seat was taken.

The second was that it was loud – really, really loud. If we’d been seated in the bar or the main dining room, I think it would have been a deal breaker because I’m just like my dad when it comes to loud, crowded places: I can’t handle them.

The whole place, though, looks and feels young and sophisticated.

Side note: Making reservations is a breeze through Resy and they’ll send you a confirmation via e-mail and text the day you make the reservation and again the day before. The day of, you’ll get a reminder 30 minutes before and a chance to shoot them a text if you’re running late (they’ll hold your table for 15 minutes), which is useful because of who I am as a person:

Date: Wow, this place is loud. And happening! The hostess stand is the only buffer between the front door and the bar, and once you take that first step in, that’s extremely apparent.

The bar was packed and the staff was sporting clean white shirts and black ties, which was a nice touch that didn’t clash with the subtle minimal look to the bar. The atmosphere was energetic, and while I was excited to sit down and eat, I was concerned that the noise would travel into the dining area and potentially disrupt the vibe of a nice sit-down date night.

Kylie: Luckily, our table wound up being tucked into a quiet corner in the dining room off of the main dining rooms where we could actually hear each other speak. Trés romantique. Or something.

Food and drink:

Kylie: It’s a good thing we came hungry and, honestly, armed with an Agenda allowance.

Cocktails were first, obviously, and presented on an iPad.

I went for a What She’s Having (chamomile infused Reyka, lavender syrup, Cocchi Moscato D’asti, hibiscus bitters and a hibiscus ice ball – $13). I’m a texture person and it wasn’t my thing – it felt too thick – but can we take a second to appreciate the garnish?

I made my date order the Porter’s House Cocktail ($14) and maybe I’m picky or just not a bourbon person, but it was my second strike (most likely the latter).

We started with the Seared Slab Bacon ($12), which is Applewood smoked for a full 24 hours and presented on a plate of apple slaw. I’m not a bacon person that often, but when I am, I’m a chewy bacon person (I know), and while this plate wasn’t crispy, I wouldn’t describe it as chewy either – it literally fell apart in my mouth.

For dinner, I ordered the Scallops ($39) while my date got a steak so we could get a full appreciation for both sides of the menu, since the restaurant is going to be known for its steaks and its seafood.

The scallops are served on a bed of pappardelle, pesto and harissa; if you like a little bit of kick, but not too much – “Just enough to make an old lady ask for water,” is the way our waitress described it – you’ll love these. We finished the entire plate.

We shared an order of mushrooms ($9) and Duck Fat Fried Fingerling Potatoes with Pickled Peppers ($8) and while I picked at all of it, including his 22-ounce Porterhouse Steak (poor guy had a really rough night), the highlight of my meal was the slice of Mom’s Cheesecake we split ($8).

Bottom line: Delicious, but I’m glad we’ve been friends for a few years and that I was comfortable enough to not have to pretend that no, I didn’t want steak and that just a salad would be fine.

Date: Kylie twisted my arm until I got the Porter’s House Cocktail, which felt like an impressive, smoother and sweeter version of a Manhattan made with a house-infused fig and honey Woodford Reserve.

The food was outside of the box and simple all at the same time. Never did I expect to be talked into bacon for an appetizer but I trusted our waitress and am so glad I did. It was Applewood-smoked for 24 hours, cut thick and in large 2 inch by 3 inch portions, and paired well with the bourbon. It was so savory that it left us wondering if we had ever experienced bacon before that first bite.

When it came to dinner, we got both seafood and steak and neither disappointed.

The steak was perfect, and had just enough grill marks to hint at smokiness that only stood out strongly on a few bites. The sauces were all incredible – not sure what they were but they were all easily pairable with the steak itself, even though it didn’t need them.

The scallop description – “spicy, but only if you consider ginger beer spicy, so more of a nice bite than a hard spice” – was spot on. If you’re looking for a nice seafood dish that won’t leave you too hungry but also won’t require stretchy pants, this is a great choice.

I don’t usually mess with sides, but these were worth it. If you order a steak, get the mushrooms, and if you get seafood, get the fingerling potatoes.

And don’t skip on dessert – seriously. I looked at Kylie like she was out of her mind when she asked to see the dessert menu, but trust me, find the strength to muster up a few bites of the cheesecake.

Service:

Kylie: I can’t say enough about the service. Our waitress was incredibly knowledgeable about every item on the menu. At first, I couldn’t decide if her recommendations were trustworthy (the first appetizer she recommended was the most expensive one), but then she became painfully honest about what on the menu is “nothing to write home about” versus what on the menu is a “must.” Plus, she had 10+ years of bartending experience under her belt and a palette similar to mine (we both prefer vodka-based drinks and red wine) and if you can’t trust that, what can you trust? Her tip was the most expensive part of the meal.

Date: Out of this world. I’ve never experienced such a knowledgeable server with such fantastic recommendations. Even better: our server even recommended what not to get. While some might find that in poor taste for the restaurant, nothing gains my trust faster than to tell me what to avoid if you want to experience the restaurant to the best of one’s ability.

Final thoughts:

Kylie: If it was closer to my end of Charlotte, more my style and actually in my budget, I would go back to the Porter’s House in a heartbeat for another round of scallops and a steak on a night that’s young and wide open, because it’s not the kind of experience you rush. Don’t expect to be in and out, and take your time with it. We stayed for right around two hours and were one of the last tables to leave.

As far as date nights go, I’m a lot more low-key than fancy date nights at steakhouses and I’m the type of person whose heart catches in her throat if the bill hits triple digits (so a cheap burger and beer at a place like Pinky’s is far more my kind of scene). Looking back, this approach might explain why it feels like more of a special occasion meal to me rather than a casual one.

My date actually lives in Raleigh, which, for the first time works in my favor – I got to keep (and not share) the leftovers. Sucker.

Date: While I wouldn’t make the drive out on a whim (plus, I doubt you would be able to find a reservation so hastily), I would definitely put this on a short list of restaurants to try again soon, even if it’s just for a house cocktail and a bacon appetizer.

The Porter’s House is open Sunday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. See the full menu and make reservations.

Feature photo via Facebook