Pauley's Front Porch — Review by Food Network
Columbia, United States — American Burgers
Pauley's Front Porch in Columbia crafts exceptional burgers from scratch, grinding their own beef and resting patties for 24 hours. The featured Fri Island burger showcases house-made ingredients including fried green tomato, a five-cheese blend, and a complex southern salsa with champagne vinaigrette, delivering outstanding flavor complexity.
What was great: The Fri Island burger with fried green tomato, house-made cheese blend, southern salsa, and red cow pea salad. Fresh ground beef patties made in-house, pretzel bun, and the combination of spicy, tangy, southwestern flavors.
What could improve: Nothing mentioned
The Dishes
The main focus is the Fri Island burger, a showcase of meticulous preparation and creative Southern-inspired ingredients. The burger starts with ground chuck that is seasoned with roasted garlic, pepper, sea salt, and Worcestershire sauce, then ground twice for optimal texture. The patties rest for 24 hours before cooking, which is a significant detail that elevates the final product.
The Fri Island burger itself is loaded with thoughtful components. The fried green tomato is dipped in seasoned flour, egg wash, and seasoned panko, providing a crispy exterior that contrasts beautifully with the tender burger patty. The house-made cheese blend, called boren cheese, combines five different types: cream cheese, pepper jack, parmesan, blue cheese, and goat cheese, creating a tangy, creamy topping that melts perfectly over the hot patty. The southern salsa is a standout element, prepared with red cow peas soaked overnight with salt and bay leaves, combined with pineapple, diced jalapeno, sweet onion, red onion, scallions, tomatoes, and diced peppers, all bound together with a champagne vinaigrette made from champagne vinegar, garlic, Dijon mustard, fresh herbs, and olive oil. The burger arrives on a pretzel bun that adds another layer of flavor and texture to the overall composition.
The Experience
The video showcases the behind-the-scenes process at Pauley's Front Porch, located on Harden Street in the Five Points area, which is described as the main drag of bars and restaurants for the University of South Carolina. The atmosphere is vibrant and filled with culinary passion, with the staff demonstrating their commitment to quality through detailed explanations of their process and ingredients.
Value & Pricing
No specific pricing information is mentioned in the transcript, making it difficult to assess the exact value proposition. However, the meticulous preparation and house-made components suggest this is a premium burger experience.
Notable Moments
This is as fresh as it gets. When it comes down to it, we come for the beef. Let's grind some burgers and see how this thing whole starts here at Pauly's.
If you're going to do a burger, cut it up yourself and grind it. This is going to give you the greatest taste.
That cheese is out of bounds. Look how it's melted. It's got the sweetness, creaminess, little spinach inside of it. The bean salad is great and the pretzel bun. That's just the icing. That's a great burger.
The Verdict
Pauley's Front Porch delivers a burger experience that exemplifies craft and attention to detail. The combination of fresh-ground beef, creative house-made components, and bold Southern flavors creates a truly memorable meal. This restaurant is ideal for burger enthusiasts who appreciate quality ingredients and creative preparation, as well as anyone visiting the University of South Carolina area looking for an elevated burger experience.