Porterhouse San Mateo Reopens In Historic 1924 Bank Vault With New Menu And Happy hour

Earlier this year, family-owned Porterhouse San Mateo reopened in Downtown San Mateo’s historic 1924 bank vault. Guests are greeted to the restaurant by Porterhouse’s impressive, custom meat locker where meats are dry-aged, some for over 28 days. Originally opened in 2007, this steakhouse introduced in-house, dry-aging in 2013 and is celebrating 10 years of serving top quality dry-aged Midwest beef this year. Soon it will switch over to serving only grass-fed beef from local California ranches.

“The 10 years of dry-aging is a huge milestone for Porterhouse, as it requires ample space, patience, skill, and of course, it’s an investment,” explains Steve Ugur, Owner and Restaurateur Hamdi “Bruno” Ugur’s son, who is also the Director of Butchering.

“This process is crucial as it softens the beef while concentrating the flavor by eliminating excess moisture. Our decision to add grass-fed beef to our menu was driven not only by high demand but also by our capacity to dry-age this type of beef. Dry-aging is already a lost art, but dry-aging grass-fed is simply unheard of.”

Porterhouse’s new location features a new dining menu by Executive Chef Mynor Ajvix, along with an all-new happy hour menu by Bar Manager Donald Bodan Jr. The reimagined menu includes standout dishes like the Surf & Turf which features four ounces of both filet mignon and lobster tail and the Cauliflower Steak served with a twice baked potato and seasonal vegetables.

The new cocktail program offers twist on classic cocktails with standouts like the The Castaway with Coconut Washed Vodka and Crème de Cacao served over shaved ice and the Ready Aim Fire with Del Maguey Vida Mezcal and Honey Pineapple Syrup.

We chatted with Steve Ugur, Bruno’s son, who is also the Director of Butchering, on the new menu, dry-aging, restaurant design, and more. Here’s what he had to say.

How has Porterhouse evolved since its opening in 2007. How long was it closed for before reopening and since then how has it changed? What’s new at the restaurant?

Since our opening in 2007, our cocktail program has evolved by incorporating more house-original cocktails, deviating from the classic drinks. In 2013, the introduction of in-house dry-aging of beef was a game changer for our steakhouse. Our steaks, which are aged for 21-30 days, are now highly regarded, and we proudly showcase the process in our custom meat locker upon entry. As a result, our steakhouse has gained a reputation as a top-tier dining destination.

With the reopening of the new location, Porterhouse now offers dry-aged grass-fed beef (limited availability), fresh seafood options and a vegan-friendly cauliflower steak.

Porterhouse closed on Christmas Day and reopened shortly after the New Year. Bruno, the owner, prioritized retaining the existing staff since most of them have been working with him for several decades.

What are some of the new menu highlights and what are some signatures?

New menu highlights include our new Bar Menu, which features comfort bites that are easy to share. Of course, the introduction of dry-aged grass-fed steaks and the dry-aged Wagyu Tomahawk are also new additions. Porterhouse signatures include house-made sauces, the tableside steak tartare, bananas foster and caesar salad.

It celebrated 10 years of dry aging in-house. Talk about why Porterhouse recently switched over to serving grass fed beef over other types.

Grass-fed beef is the most authentic form of beef as the cattle feed on unaltered, natural diets, making it an ideal candidate for dry-aging. The process of dry-aging is the most primitive way to tenderize and enhance the flavor of beef, making it a perfect match for grass-fed beef. Compared to corn-fed beef, grass-fed beef is leaner and more natural, making it more reliant on dry-aging to achieve optimal tenderness and flavor.

Many individuals who have tried grass-fed beef may have found it to be tougher or lacking in taste because they have not tried a properly dry-aged grass-fed steak. Once the grass-fed beef is properly matured through dry-aging, the result is not only a delicious steak but also a healthier one. Plus, we are proud to source our grass-fed beef from a local California ranch – Stemple Creek.

Talk about the bananas foster — Hamdi “Bruno” Ugur said he’s made over 35,000 of these over-the-top desserts! Is this true? What makes this dessert special?

Bruno has been preparing tableside flambés for over 35 years, so we are being conservative! The uniqueness of the Bananas Foster dessert lies in its preparation, which involves creating the entire dish right at the table on a cart, using a copper pan and featuring a flambé as a captivating performance. Definitely worth a picture, video, or two.

Talk about the newly introduced bar program. What’s inventive about it?

The new bar program at Porterhouse differs from the original location’s, in that all the ingredients are made in-house. From the spicy sauce in our Margherita, to our coconut washed Vodka — we are experimenting with more recipes that are seasonal and sometimes spontaneous. All of our citrus is also fresh squeezed daily. We are very excited about our bar program being more creative and inventive than ever before.

Talk about the design and atmosphere of the restaurant and how that ties to Hamidi’s original restaurant. How is its current location in the historic 1924 bank vault special?

The current location of Porterhouse, at the historic 1924 Bank Vault, really fits the bill for a steakhouse. High ceilings, beautiful columns, and the large decorative lighting fixtures compliment the steakhouse experience. The restaurant has an intriguing Hollywood theme that harks back to the era of Humphrey Bogart. The walls of the restaurant are adorned with original movie billboards and posters from the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, all of which are from Bruno’s first restaurant – Bogie’s – that was located in the old San Mateo Theater.