The Back Porch Restaurant — Restaurant in Speers

Very Sad! My wife and I have been dinning at the Back Porch for special occasions several time a year for over 20 years, we have always had a wonderful meal. However that changed when we were there on December 23, 2022. The four of us all agreed that this was a bad experience. The atmosphere and service has not changed and was good and worthy of the price we paid, however the food was extremely disappointing. The soups were fine as always, the normal dinner roll and muffin basket that has been the standard for years was not provided only standard commercially bought dinner rolls that were obviously frozen since they were still partially frozen when served to us. Myself and another in our party ordered the pasta dish with mushrooms and spinach. After some time after ordering the waitress came out and informed us that they had no spinach, being that the chef has always been outstanding we told her to just have the chef prepare it however he thinks would be best and tasty. Well when we got it nothing had been added only the spinach was not present. The pasta was oily and totally tasteless, I had mine with shrimp which was simply grilled and served on the side of the dish and not blended in the pasta. The shrimp was also overcooked and chewy. My wife and other friend had their hearts set on the crab cakes they have enjoyed in the past on previous visits. They were surprised to see they were no longer on the menu. They asked the waitress if they were still available, she said she would check with the chef. She came back and said the chef had 4 left and could prepare them so both my wife and my friend ordered two each. When they were served they apparently had been left over from an earlier day and probably frozen and heated up to be served. If they were ever made with lump crab it had disintegrated in the cook-freeze-reheat process and were a mushy texture and also tasteless mostly filler crab cake. They at best should have been $10 crab cakes so both my friend and I were shocked when the bill came and they charged us $49 per serving. I am guessing that they have a new chef who is more geared to profit than providing high quality food. As I said the Back Porch has been our go-to restaurant for special occasions for many years and we really looked forward to our special night out there. Unfortunately because of this very disappointing experience we are not planning on returning. Another formally excellent restaurant that has fallen to the...

Back Porch was a great restaurant, and we very much enjoy sitting outside. However, the menu is scaled down it seems more so each time we visit which is on average 3-4 times a year. We would go more often, but there really isn't much that we would like on the menu here. It's a fairly plain menu with no specials and a dwindling selection. Which would be fine if they rotated the options a bit more than they do. The owners are taking advantage of the fact that there really isnt any other nice restaurant to go to in the area and are cutting corners and they dont seem to read or care about the reviews posted. For example, they made home made bearnaise sauce prior which is hard to do well and keep for dinner service (trick, put it in a insulated carafe) That's no longer offered. The rolls and small muffin basket are gone, now the table will be served with 1 small roll per person, and you will need to request more if you want more. Filet with potatoes and veggie, is now a filet on a smashed potato. Yes you read that correctly Chef Ramsey, they take a baked potato, smash it down about half as thick and fairly flat, then place your filet on top. The salad dressings they had prior are gone, now you are left with a lack luster dressing assortment, and there is no more caesar salad offered. It's evidently clear they are cutting as many corners as possible to keep the execution of the food to be very easy for whoever they get in there to cook. That usually is the first step in the demise of a restaurant, the next will be to use more and more frozen/ready made foods, and then cheaper and cheaper food quality until no one goes there anymore and they start trying to attract people with $2 beer nights and wings, god forbid. I really hope they turn it around, because we were rather disappointed and likely wont be back for another year before giving it another shot. The restaurant building and atmosphere is nice, and the staff is very nice. The food is just ..meh.., and the prices are fairly steep for what they offer, similar to a nice restaurant in town. $63 dollars for a choice meat quality filet, a smashed potato and...

A friend and I drove over to Washington county to check out what the area has to offer. We absolutely loved checking out the attractions and restaurants. I came to the back porch for dinner during winter and loved the coziness that the ambiance gave off. The back porch has so much history and delicious food. From the local art on the walls and the way the staff knew nearly all the customers by name, this place had the sweetest charm. We started in the speakeasy for a cocktail before our reservation. The kind hostess lead us down to the bar and we passed the cutest table in their wine room. Once we got to the bar, we tried the Speakeasy Royale and the Dad's Hat Toasted Cinna-Berry Sour. The bartender Kristen took great care of us. Once we finished our drinks, we headed back up to our reservation. Roman took care of us and treated us with focus and care. He shared the history of the building and guided us through the menu with grace. We started with cup of lobster bisque and the mussels. The lobster bisque was a fantastic starter on a cold winter night and the mussels were the perfect item to share. For our entrees we ordered the maine-style baked scallops, salmon & lobster hemingway, and the mushroom risotto to share. When our entrees came out, Roman described them in great detail which truly elevated our experience. The food was delicious! For dessert we shared the almond torte. The presentation was stunning and was the perfect thing to end the night with. Roman showed us their upstairs with additional seating after our meal. The set up is absolutely perfect for a private event and we both immediately said that it was the perfect space for a bridal shower, baby shower or family gathering. Roman shared that they have customizable packages for private events to accommodate to the customer. The back porch restaurant is a wonderful option when looking for a nice, quality dinner. If you are ever around Washington county, be sure to add the back porch...