The Back Porch — Restaurant in Destin

This review is a little late but I came here for my 21st birthday with my Hispanic family. We immediately got a very disinterested feel from the staff but we figured whatever, the hostess are probably having a bad day. They send us outside to wait so we do and the waiting took FOREVER. We were fine with that since we were all outside talking BUT the issues began again when my little cousin who was 7, got thirsty. We went inside to ask someone for a cup of water while we wait. The hostess straight up just told us no. That they cannot give water to people who are not customers. We explained that we’ve been waiting for about 30 mins outside in the heat and this child is thirsty. We are on the list. She did not care, she kept telling us no. We ended up just going up to the bar and asking for a water cup which the bartender gave us with no issue. Larger families started showing us and were seated first even though at that point we’ve been there for at least 45 mins. We walked in to ask the hostess and once again we were met with hostility. She told us that we’re still on the wait list and she will call us when the table is ready so we need to stay outside all in a frustrated tone but we weren’t once rude to her even after all that waiting. We just wanted to know why families that haven’t been there for half the time we have are being seating first esp when they’re just as big or bigger. It’s been an hour of waiting. Others are being sat while we still wait. We start looking for other places to eat bummed bc we were very excited to eat here and we all collectively chose to come here. We realize at this point, most places are closed and even this place was 30 mins to close. Ofc at this point we’re frustrated. We go in again and ask what could possibly be happening here since we’ve been in multiple times. The hostess is still being rude and nasty and she’s gossiping with her coworker about us while we spoke to the manager. The manager apologized and immediately sat us. The restaurant was not busy at all. Despite everything, we let it go and order our food. The waitress we had was so kind. The food was good, there were a couple mistakes on some people food but since it was so close to close we decided to just deal with it. They did forget to give us a kids menu so I went to the hostess again and asked for one and at this point it’s a broken record with her, she rolls her eyes and me and says they don’t have any. She walked away and guess what, they had some behind the hostess stand so I grabbed one. I’m not sure what her problem was and ofc one persons actions aren’t a reflection of the entire restaurant & staff but this ruined my 21st and ruined our last night of vacation which was supposed to be a fun night ending with a great meal. I hate to think we were troublesome but I myself work in service industry and would never allow anyone to act rudely to any staff member. I hate to say this but we were also the only Hispanic family I saw while there which leads me to believe this person was just hateful. All in all it was enough for us to never want to go there again or recommend...

The Back Porch is a Destin tradition. I have been coming to this restaurant since the 1980's when it a shack on the beach .

I preferred the charm of the old building but, without a doubt, the new building holds many more people, the expenses are much higher and the food is much more expensive, but the view is great and the food is still very good. Unfortunately, the amberjack sandwich used to be about $6.00 and is now about $20 bur the increase in prices over a 40-year period is not a surprise.

Seafood is the most popular item. Guests can sit at a table and enjoy the view of the magnificent water of the Gulf of Mexico while enjoying fresh seafood and a glass of wine. For those who don't care as much about the view and prefer sitting in the bar area, that is an option as well.

The service is usually very good. The servers work hard and the line will usually move fast. In the winter months, there is usually not a line so that is a good time to go. During tourist season, not surprisingly, there can be a line and parking near the restaurant will be a challenge.

My favorite has always been the amberjack sandwich, grilled and served with lettuce and tomato. It is a light brown on the top. It usually comes with French fries (other sides can be substituted), which have changed over the years, but still taste good or other sides are available as well.

One tip to hold down expenses: The sandwich is less expensive than the entree portion. One person in our group ordered the sandwich, without the bun, and it was plenty of food as well as less expensive. I usually order the sandwich as it tastes just as good and a more reasonable portion.

There are also several excellent salads available. My favorite includes adding shrimp or fish to the salad and the mandarin oranges that come with one of the salads add to the flavor and variety.

So, the Back Porch is a good place to eat seafood. Some locals refer to it as a "tourist trap" and that may be a well-deserved moniker. But, when traveling to Destin, a major attraction is seeing the Gulf and the white sand. A chance to enjoy a good meal, a glass of wine and an excellent view is...

I decided to eat here after seeing numerous recommendations in a Destin Facebook group. We only eat out 1 or 2 times on our beach trip, so we were excited to try this place for an early dinner. My whole family was extremely disappointed in the food and overall experience. I called from the parking lot to ask if there was a wait for a party of 5 and was told no. (I have small children, and my family didn't want to wait.) I immediately walked inside, and the host told me there would be a 20 minute wait. I asked if they had just gone on a wait, and she said no. I was confused, but that wasn't too long. From the start, our server was less than friendly. I heard him complaining at the wait station directly behind us. The food was subpar and so bland. I had to season my food, which I never do when I eat out. We asked about the size of the size of the raw oysters and ordered a dozen after our server told us he had seen multiple orders go out that day, and they were a good size. The shells were large, but the actual raw oysters were very small. I ordered the $40 crab stuffed shrimp, because our server said it is one of their most popular dishes. I got 6 small shrimp, so overcooked and dry that they stuck to the plate. The $45 seafood platter was a very small portion size for the price. Our family of 5, 3 of which ate off the kids menu, spent $200. The beach view was nice, but there was no breeze or ceiling fans. Back Porch compares to a very commercialized seafood restaurant, in my opinion. I wish I'd paid more attention to the newest Google reviews. It seems many other people have had unpleasant experiences...