The Front Porch — Restaurant in San Francisco

First time trying this place. I live close by and my husband and I were looking for a different spot to eat instead of the same old restaurants we normally it at. We looked this place up on line and decided to go as we walked in we were a little bit confused on whether or not we needed to be seated or not. But we were told we can just walk in as we walked in. We were greeted by a nice woman who was ringing up orders. she sat us down by the kitchen and at first I wasn’t filling it, but decided to just not complain and go with it. She bought our menus and told us about the special of the day. We glanced over the menu and within 5 to 10 minutes we’re ready to order, we started with the fried okra. It was absolutely delicious and very flavorful. We ordered our dishes which mine included chicken and waffles and my husband ordered the shrimp and grits With the gravy. The place was a little bit full, so we waited a little while for our food. As our Main dishes came out. The presentation was very good. I had three wings and a waffle with butter and syrup. as I been into the wing, it was very crispy and had extremely ample flavor hands-down one of the best fried chickens I’ve tasted. My waffle was not the greatest. It was a little bit soft, but had a pretty good taste. The butter could’ve been melted and the syrup should have been warmed up, overall 10 out of 10 for flavor and taste and presentation. Of course I had to take a bite out of my husband’s dish and the grits were very good buttery and well seasoned along with the shrimp and gravy. Also had lots of flavor and spice. I would definitely recommend this place to my family and friends, and we will definitely be back again , it’s a little dark and small and has more of a bar hangout vibe. But also has a very nice atmosphere for great dining as well along with wonderful customer service. The cook in the back was really nice and super chill as well keep up the great team work and an amazing dinning experience along...

YUM. I can't wait to come back here.

Came on a Saturday late morning for brunch, around 12:30pm. We had a reservation but the table wasn't done yet, so we waited another 10-15 minutes to be seated. The staff was nice and allowed us to order drinks which we enjoyed outside while we waited. The ambiance of the place was super cute, on point for old-school Southern feelings.

Bloody Mary: 3-stars. I liked the okra it was served with and the bacon salt around the rim, but the bloody mary itself was lacking any real flavor or spice.

Once we were seated, we ordered a bunch of food...

Beignets: 4-stars. Served in a paper bag, steaming hot, covered in a thick layer of powdered sugar. I would have liked them a little lighter and fluffier inside, where instead they were a bit thick around the edges, then completely hollow on the inside. With four to a serving, they were the perfect starter.

Hangover helper: 4-stars. Nice and spicy with chili mixed into mac and cheese, served with an egg on top. A cheesy, carby option to start the day.

Chicken & waffles: 4-stars. The chicken was super tender, the batter was well flavored, and the 3-pieces made for a good sized portion. The coating on the chicken seemed to be a mix of batter and breadcrumbs, creating a nice crunchy texture with a hint of kick. The waffle was crispy and almost meaty, though it was a tad dry and benefitted from syrup and hot sauce.

Spicy shrimp & grits: 5-stars. Perfectly cooked shrimp over creamy grits with a poached egg that oozed its yolk into the dish, complementing the meatiness of the sausage and adding to the creaminess of the dish. Though the dish first appeared a bit soupy, the grits and other elements soaked it all up. This dish was absolutely phenomenal.

Overall, this might be a new favorite for brunch... for food anyway. Arguably my new favorite for...

My parents wanted to try The Front Porch after seeing it on DD&D. I promptly made a reservation through Yelp, and requested that we be seated outside, fully knowing that they might not be able to fulfill that request.

They sat us right away at the next available table, which was inside all the way in the back. It was really hot back there, and dark.. My mom, who doesn't do well with heat, was feeling stuffy. And we smelled like food when we left.

Though service was good throughout, my dad did not appreciate our server taking orders from the table next to us. The couple came after we sat down, and yet their order was taken first. My dad who, through many years of traveling around the world, has experienced discrimination, and is sensitive when these things happen. I'm not sure why our order wasn't taken first, and though I'm absolutely do not believe it's racially motivated, it put a damper on our dining experience.

As far as the brunch, it was okay. It wasn't bad, and it wasn't off-the-charts fantastic. I ordered the Stoner Stack, which had fried chicken, cheddar, bacon, and sausage gravy on a biscuit. And for extra, I ordered it with a fried egg. It was heavy and one-noted. Nothing in the Stoner Stack stood out in flavor. I think if it came with a slaw, it would add some freshness to this heavy sandwich. I ordered this with potatoes, which was a mistake because it just added more weight. I wish I ordered the grits, especially since this is a Southern restaurant. Rookie mistake which I will not repeat. The beignets were okay too. I'm not expecting the ones I devoured in New Orleans, but they didn't come close either.

Our 3-star experience didn't deter us from our decision to come again. We want to try their dinner menu, and hopefully will have a...