|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Goose Port Public House, located in the Civic Center building in downtown Roseville, as been serving amazing lunch, dinner and breakfast on weekends, with an amazing Portuguese flair, thanks to the creative talents of owner Al Santos. Goose Port Public House is open every day of the week, and besides fine food, the restaurant has a full-service bar, beer on tap, and patio dining with a up-front-and-personal view of downtown Roseville, weather permitting. As with all of reviews that I publish, I have no affiliation with the restaurant reviewed, and there is no monetary gain on my part, as I am simply a person who likes to eat, and I love to write-up, and publish my dining experiences.
Photo: It's just past 11:00 in the morning, on a rainy Saturday, April 11, 2026, and I'm taking a break from railroading and will be enjoying lunch at Goose Port Public House, located in downtown Roseville, CA.
Photo: It's just a little past 11:00 on this Saturday morning, as the main dining room is packed, thanks to "Big Boy" being in town, and it's an "all hands on deck" experience for the employees. I noted the restaurant seemed to be operating at full staff, and service was top shelf on this super busy morning. As you enter the restaurant, there is a staff member at the door who will welcome you to the restaurant, hand you a menu, and seat you at an available table. The dining room was very busy, as nearly all tables were in use, but since I was solo, I lucked out and was able to sit at a high bar type table - my favorite - with a great view out the window of all the action happening today on Vernon Street. Normally I would have preferred to sit outside on the patio, which always offers great dining during the right weather, but due to the rain today, outside dining wasn't an option. Roseville is home to Union Pacific Railroad's Roseville Yard, which is one of the largest railroad freight switching yards in the western United States. Roseville began as a "railroad town," and it still retains much railroad legacy, as the railroad yard is simply enormous, and Union Pacific is one of the largest employers in town. As an aside, Union Pacific Railroad runs the world's largest operating steam locomotive for excursions and publicity, #4014, also known as "Big Boy. During April, 2026 , as part of Union Pacific's "coast to coast steam tour," #4014 headed a special train west to Roseville, to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the United States of America. Today, the locomotive was in the Roseville yard on public display. To see more about this great event, click on my Big Boy article.
Photo: The restaurant is separated into two dining rooms, the main dining room shown in the previous photo, and a smaller dining room that' revolves around the full service bar, and lots of video monitors, tuned to various sporting events in progress
Photo: My table was next to the window where I could look outside and watch action on Vernon Street, and wish that I could dine outside on the very damp patio, in the foreground of the photo. All day was on and off rain showers - sometimes heavy - and this photo was taken between showers.
Photo: "Americana" comfort food, with a Portuguese twist is featured on one page of the menu. I wavered between fish and chips or the "Classic" burger, but in the end, the fish and chips won out.
Photo: The bar offers many beers on tap, including local craft beer, and nearly every brand that you could ever hope for. I'm a gigantic fan of west coast IPA, so I went with a locally-brewed "Breaking Bud" from the tap.
Photo: Back on Sunday, June 16, 2019, I made my first visit to this fine restaurant, and I was treated to a "Classic" burger and tots, and the friendly service of Mr. Al Santos, the owner of the restaurant. I saw Al today and said "hello," and he recognized me, despite the fact that I hadn't been in for a few months. He's a great guy and runs a fantastic restaurant!
Photo: Meet Anthony, my super friendly server who brought my lunch to me with a smile.
Photo: I toast my server Anthony, the restaurant, and Union Pacific #4014, as I wear my railroad hat, and raise my glass of "Breaking Bud" to salute my friendly host.
Photo: From the "Entrees" section of the menu, I went with "Wild Cod Fish and Chips," as I'd been craving fish and chips for the last couple weeks. Next to burgers, fish and chips is probably my favorite meal, especially when enjoyed in a sports pub on a rainy Saturday afternoon, while checking out the world's largest operating steam locomotive. The menu describes the entree as, "Blonde ale batter, seasoned fries, malt vinegar, and house tartar sauce." That's a simple description for such an elegant lunch... The star of the meal is the fish, and your meal includes four pieces of wild cod, coated in seasoned batter, and deep fried to a beautiful, crispy golden brown on the outside, and juicy, tender and delicious on the inside, with makes for a perfect piece of "fish." Each piece was the "right size" for dipping into the malt vinegar, or the tartar sauce. The batter was light and crispy - perfect... almost like tempura - which enhanced the delicate taste of the juicy cod. I've never been to London, but from what I understand, this is the way fish and chips are created in the U.K. My compliments to owner Al Santos and his talented kitchen team. The fries were lightly seasoned - most likely seasoned salt - and sprinkled with parsley flakes for added flavor and a beautiful presentation. Such a perfect combination! The fries were perfectly deep fried to a light, golden brown, and were crispy on the outside, and tender on the inside. The fries were absolutely delicious, and made for a perfect side dish. The chef has talent, as the fries were seasoned perfectly, and weren't salty or greasy. As a nice touch, a small cups of malt vinegar, ketchup and tarter sauce, along with a couple lemon slices are provided for your dipping pleasure. I dipped my fries in the ketchup, and alternated between the tartar sauce and the vinegar for my fish. London meets Roseville in fine style at Goose Port Public House! The presentation was beautiful, as the fish, fries, tartar sauce, ketchup, malt vinegar and lemon wedges were artfully arranged on food-grade paper, with an attractive red and white checkerboard pattern, like a tablecloth and placed on stainless steel tray. The only thing better than the lovely presentation was the delicious taste! For my appetizer and dessert, I went with a pint of "Breaking Bud," a classic west coast IPA brewed by Knee Deep Brewing Co., in nearby Auburn. I love all west coast IPAs, and especially an IPA that is brewed locally, in Placer County. Combine delicious "pub food," cold beer, friendly service, along with comfortable patio dining, and you'll realize Goose Port Public House is a "gem" of a fine restaurant. Amazing dining, with a fine view of all the street action that downtown Roseville, CA has to offer. As an added bonus, if you like to watch mainline railroad action, weather permitting, you can sit outside on the patio, sip a beer, enjoy fine dining, and watch railroad action at Roseville yard, one of the largest railroad switching yards on the west coast.
Photo: I cut off a small bite of the battered cod, dipped it into the tartar sauce, savored the beauty, and then devoured the goodness. I LOVED the soft, tender white fish, enhanced by the crispy, delicate batter, which was perfectly deep fried. When you're in the mood for delicious London style fish and chips, Goose Port Public House should be your destination. Besides the delicious "comfort food" the restaurant offers, you'll love the decor, as it is very modern, "hip," comfortable and family friendly. The patio is "dog friendly" for friendly dogs, and a great place to enjoy great food and beer, and watch mainline railroad action. The beer is cold, the food is delicious, and the staff is super friendly. When it comes to friendly atmosphere and fine dining, there is everything to love about Goose Port Public House, located in the heart of downtown Roseville, CA? Goose Port Public House Copyright(c) 2026 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.
|
