Do not judge this place by the exterior. There is a reason this place has been here for 20+ yrs. The value of this place and quality of food is solid for the price! There are lines during peak weekend hours so be aware.

If you go during lunch (Ends at 4pm) it's cheaper for the same food, minus egg rolls and egg drop soup. They are closed on Tuesdays, so Wednesday the food is the freshest. I would avoid the turkey, but the other meats were fine. My favorite is the lamb. Of note, the peppers and red pepper oil they have at the bar lacks spicyness so I need to put a lot on and I ask for siracha sauce to help with the heat. They also have assorted spirits and sodas. The service is friendly and fast. The ambiance is causal and family friendly.

Let me preface this by saying, after the pandemic most Souplantations did NOT survive. (There is one that recently opened up "Sweet tomatoes" however it's in Tucson Arizona...also there was news of one opening up close to San Diego..)

Therefore, if you're not a souplantation fan, this is NOT the restaurant for you. If you are a fan, understand that there are not that many restaurants post pandemic in the SoCal region with this salad/soup buffet style left and this restaurant is a love letter to all of its die hard fans.

Please do not go during peak hours unless you want to wait in line. I went on a Thursday at 3pm during their soft opening in March and had a 5 min wait outside. Went last week on Wednesday at 2pm no line. But at 3:30pm when we left there was a considerable line.

Food: They feature their Chinese chicken salad/ Ceasar salad and a salad bar for you to prepare your own salad. After the official opening the salad bar was nicely flushed out and had most salad condiments.

Soups: New England clam chowder, mushroom, chili, chicken noodles soup with LARGE chunks of chicken, corn chowder, minestrone were the featured soups and adjacent was a loaded potato bar with cheddar, sour cream, bacon.

The bread bar: cheesy garlic bread and cheese bread, blue berry muffins and brownies
And sweet baked potatoes (gold foil) and baked potatoes

Dessert bar: soft serve (vanilla /chocolate), tapioca pudding, pineapple slices, oranges

Drinks: sodas/ice tea/strawberry lemonade

Ambiance: family sit down dining room

Families with small toddlers/babies: Baby changing table in the WOMENS bathroom only (I had to ask the manager if I could change my son) but they were accommodating.
They also provided us with a booster seat for our child.


The quality of the food was PERFECT. The lines are understandable given the space they have and souplantation also had lines.

I live in Pasadena and make the trek to rancho weekly but during off peak hours to eat here.

By far, Porto's is known for their consistent great food and I'm in agreement. I only go to original one in Glendale (3 different counters to help customers, lots of indoor seating, lots of helpful staff). I'm more into there sweet foods ...RED VELVET CAKE is amazing! Not too sweet with just the right amount of moisture and cocoa. This is the ultimate red velvet cake. (It's my fav type of cake and I've had many red velvets but this cake comes close to perfection)..THE PARISIAN CAKE is a slice of heaven! DEF WORTH A SLICE or a CAKE, ONLY if you love chocolate. You will not be disappointed! GUAVA AND CHEESE STRUDEL/COCONUT STRUDEL another amazing staple! Make sure you get CHEESE with the guava bc they do come separately. Also they have amazing seasonal items. The ambiance is no reservations, causal, walk in with lots of in door seating, however given its status and popularity It can be busy so prepare accordingly or call ahead. You are able to order online and pick up and they do deliver per their website.

The pizzas are phenomenal! The service is great but pay attention to the business hours. Sometimes people line up before they open on Saturday nights to get a table, but to go is great. They only accept cash (have atm on premises). The ambiance is family friendly and business causal.