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Oporto, the fast casual chain from Australia we announced would be expanding into the United States this week, was kind enough to invite us out for a private dinner the night before their grand opening. Closed to the public, the event housed almost half the chain’s corporate team and a select few hungry mouths to get a taste of their menu and atmosphere. With almost our entire FOODBEAST team in tow, we definitely could not pass up a night of fresh-grilled Aussie food!

“Oporto is the In-N-Out of Australia,” was the murmur we were hearing in the days leading up to their Southern California reveal. Those are some humongous shoes to step into, especially when the crux of your brand revolves around chicken items. As the Oporto brand builds steam in the US, there will be some undoubtable comparisons to Chick-fil-A restaurants, but rest assured, beyond serving chicken, the respective chains have little in common.

The night revolved around a tasting of their menu, everything from sandwiches, chicken plates, to their delicious frozen yogurt desserts. All the flavors are conspicuously Australian, and I say that naively without any real experience. That’s where their branding takes over. The Oporto chain has immediate plans for two more locations in Southern California, spearheaded by former Del Taco executive Arnold Dominguez, seen speaking below:

The night was filled with kind people, good food, spicy but unique sauces and a fun atmosphere. We have a quick and dirty gallery of some random snaps from the evening, starting with a shot of the wonderful staff being obstructed by Andrew (cravings editor), Geoff (advertising) and myself. Who let us in here anyways?!

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Elie AyrouthTwitterFacebook

Elie is a product of Orange County, CA. In early 2012, his dentist diagnosed him with 8 different cavities, three of which on the same tooth, as a result of his 23-year Sour Patch Kid addiction.