How many times haven’t we sit down at our favourite fast food joint, after a long and tiring day, only to stuff our faces with the most ludicrous food item we can find on the menu? Yep, few things can feel as good as taking a giant bite off of our most beloved decadent sandwich, but maybe.. dare I say.. sex is a close second. After all, you get to enjoy them greatly at the time but in both you end up ashamed of looking at yourself in the mirror – a classic! Don’t worry though, even if you don’t get lucky during your stay in Porto, at least you can try one of our many over-the-top fast food items.
HERE ARE 8 BUCKET LIST FAST FOOD IN PORTO YOU CANNOT MISS:
SPECIAL HOT DOG
If you’re too hungry for a regular hot dog but too scared of a Francesinha, then a Special Hot Dog might be exactly what you’re looking for! A long sausage sandwich, covered in typical Francesinha sauce and surrounded by loads of french fries, it can be found in pretty much every place that sells our popular juggernaut sandwich, such as Cachorro do Mar in Matosinhos, or in places that made it their signature dish, such as República dos Cachorros. It may not be as heavy but it’s just as decadent.
Praça dos Poveiros, 30 (República dos Cachorros)
Av. Dr. Fernando Aroso, 1161 (Cachorro do Mar)
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FRANCESINHA
Photo by: oportoblog
The granddaddy of them all, the most venerable junk food you can find in the entire country – our very own Francesinha! Bread, tons of smoked meats, ham, steak, cheese and fries… no it’s not a shopping list for a family of 4, it’s what you’ll be up against when you order a Francesinha (all of it drizzled in a thick, spicy sauce). Needless to say, you can forget about the dirty sex (or any sex at all) once this arrives at your table.
READ ALSO: 5 Francesinha spots in Porto you need to try
HOT DOGS
If you want to see something as casual as a hot dog elevated into an art form, then you gotta give Frankie’s a go. With 10 different hot dog varieties available (including a vegetarian one) under the 5€ price tag, we understand if you can’t resist having at least a couple of these fast food treats (sorry for not including a wiener joke in this entry but we still have some dignity left). Frankie’s is open every day between noon and midnight.
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BURGERS
Photo by: Tiago Mulhmann
Where else can you step into a McDonald’s and feel like you’re about to dine in a Michelin-star restaurant?! Only in Porto can you have your Big Mac at the most beautiful of the chain’s 35.000 restaurants worldwide! However, and since it’s McDonald’s that we’re talking about, don’t expect anything different from what you’d find in your hometown. Rest assured though, for some really good burgers (albeit in a less glitzy space), you can try DeGema instead – less flash but more substance.
Praça da Liberdade 126, (McDonald’s, Aliados)
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PORK SHANK SANDWICHES
Photo by: Nuno Carvalho
IF YOU’RE A VEGETARIAN DON’T READ THIS! Now that it’s safe my fellow meat-lovers, let me ask you this: is there anything more drool inducing than watching perfectly cooked meat gently falling off the bone? If you’re shivering already, then pay a visit to Casa Guedes, a good old-fashioned tavern where you can have the best pork shank sandwiches (2,90€) in the city! Your taste buds will be lighting up a cigarette after this encounter. Casa Guedes is open from Tuesday to Sunday, between 11am and 11pm.
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PIADINI
Photo by: Nuno Carvalho
For a little taste of Italian fast food while in Porto, catch the next bus to the Bom Sucesso Market. Once there, make sure to grab a Piadina, a pita bread/pizza dough crossover that you can stuff with whatever outrageous combination that may pop into your head! For the sake of your stomach though, we recommend their Chicken Piadina, with chicken breast, mozzarella, fried onion and honey mustard sauce. Piadina Mia is open every day between 10am and 11pm.
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BIFANAS
Photo courtesy of: Conga
Inaugurated in 1976, Conga is a well-established institution among Porto’s student and bohemian community, and all because of its delicious bifanas! If you’re wondering what a bifana is, it consists of shredded pork meat cooked in a top-secret sauce that is then stuffed inside a bun (3€). Trust us – it will be love at first bite! Conga is open every day between 11am and 10h30pm.
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PIZZA
Photo courtesy of: Mr Pizza
Finally, no fast food list is complete without everyone’s favourite comfort food! And in Porto, there is certainly no shortage of amazing places where you can have a giant, delicious pizza slices to eat on the go. Among the several different options available, we recommend Mr. Pizza, a nice place located in the city centre where you can keep these cheesy pieces of heaven coming at 2€/slice.
Hungry already? Which of these fast food items are you the most eager to try? Let us know!
Hey! Sorry but the best hot dogs aren’t from frankie’s for sure! If you want really a real local place you have to go to gazela! The most special and delicious hot dogs in town!
Hi Sofia! Thank you for your feedback. We’ve discovered that in Porto you can experience two types of Hot Dogs. One that is unique to Portugal like the ones they serve at Republica Dos Cachorros and Gazela -which we will have to try very soon bty. And the other one is more of an American style hot dog which could be found at Frankie’s.