Porch & Pantry: a porch with a delicious taste (Lebanon Valley Food Critics)

Editor’s Note: Last year, Michael and Nicole Borrell began reviewing Lebanon Valley’s restaurants and eating attractions as the Lebanon Valley Food Critics. Since then, the couple has aimed to offer unbiased reviews of the eating and drinking establishments the Lebanon Valley has to offer. LebTown is pleased to be partnering with LVFC to share these reviews with our readers. This review is one of several written prior to LVFC’s partnership with LebTown, initially posted July 27. Bon appétit!

On Saturdays, breakfast is always an adventure.

This week, we visited Porch & Pantry in Mount Gretna. We have visited several times before, and again we were not disappointed.

I like to thank our newfound love for this little slice of breakfast heaven to the Lebanon Valley Java Journey tour this winter. It was one of the many stops we made, and this is our third time there since then. The menu is available online here.

This week, we had some guests tagging along who were equally impressed. Just a note: If you have a larger group, make sure everyone is with you as they only seat the full party.

We also were excited to see the self-serve coffee area set up again. It had been closed due to COVID and they were taking drink orders. Teas and juices are still served by the waitresses.

If you like tea, you must try the Lemon Soufflé tea! It was a delicious blend of vanilla and lemon, sweet and not overpowering.

Our meals were as follows: zucchini, onion, mozzarella and red pepper quiche; chipped beef gravy on a biscuit with home fries; strawberry banana French toast; and a breakfast staple: two eggs, smoked sausage, home fries and toast.

The French toast was delicious, with a sweet cream cheese and whipped topping to accent the fresh fruit and yummy cinnamon-swirl French toast. The portion was plentiful, and several bites were shared between us.

The quiche was very good as well, a generous portion with a nice blend of cantaloupe, banana slices, strawberries and blueberries on the side. I did need to add some salt and pepper, as it could have used a little more seasoning.

The zucchini was the center of the flavor in this dish. I had gotten the special quiche the first time I had visited here and was less than impressed that time. (In fact, I thought I would never go back, but I’m glad I gave it a second chance.)

I think I’ll stick with the sweet rather than savory here in the future, as I had a ginormous pancake on another visit and it had a wonderful flavor as well.

The chipped beef gravy was definitely homemade and not a canned gravy that you more often find in diners and family restaurants. It had a good flavor and, again, a plentiful portion on top of a freshly baked large biscuit.

The last meal, the breakfast staple of eggs, sausage, home fries and toast, were noted to be a favorite … and some of the best smoked sausage this group has ever tasted.

Those getting the home fries had requested extra crispy, but they were not quite to their liking in that arena … but they made up with it in flavor, again being described as some of the best seasoned potatoes they’ve ever had.

The toast was thick sliced rye, obviously made from scratch in house. It was also delicious.

The other great thing about the Porch & Pantry is the wide selection for dietary needs. They offer both vegan and vegetarian options along with the sweets and savories. There’s a make-your-own option as well, where you can choose burrito or sandwich, with different styles of breads and toppings to choose from.

The restaurant is open for lunch as well. The staff is always friendly, and the atmosphere is cozy and quaint, much like all of Mount Gretna. You can dine out front on the porch during the warmer months as well. Our guests can’t wait to go back.

We give this place .

If you have a restaurant you would like us to visit or review, whether a place you like or are nervous to try, please message us on Facebook or email lvfoodcritics@outlook.com and let us know. We thank everyone for the recommendations and the kind words we have received.