The Front Porch

Recommends

mightypow

Joined 7 years ago

Inconsistent though generally tasty; undeniably adorable. This newish place is great to look at, and the food was generally quite tasty and reasonably priced for what it is, though I'm a little mystified at the fact that there was an hour and a half wait for a walk-in table on Friday night... We had a res and still had to wait 1/2 hour for our table (though the host was very gracious). Can the Mission really be hurting that much for good food in a hip setting? I mean, it was good but not nearly worth the hype that was in evidence by the insane crowds. That said: yummy drinks (though the drinks menu is really self-conscious and cutesy), lovely salads, very good ceviche, great fried chicken, delicious brussels sprouts. The negatives: both burgers, ordered medium rare, were tough little hockey pucks, and I didn't think the crab & grits thing was all that exciting. But the bucket of fried chicken was incredible and fed three people, with leftovers. We didn't order dessert, as Mitchell's is around the corner. The Front Porch would be a great little neighborhood place if it wasn't so damn mobbed. I'd go again, but on a weeknight, and early.

Doesn't Recommend

tigle

Joined 7 years ago

Too much of what?. Hate to be the dissenting voice here, but I found the dining experience at The Front Porch to be poor. The menu was extremely limited and was quite a let down. We ordered the chicken and fish n chips, but it was hard to find much fish between all that batter; shame. The chicken was good, but I don't know.....I've had beetter and I can't say it warranted the price. I ordered a side of greens and beans, and was expecting just that; instead it was a small bowl of cooked saucy beans with some small bits of greens mixed in. Poor! The music was way too loud, which made trying to have any kind of a conversation impossible. Basically, if this place was a little road side stand with outside bench seating and the dinners were about $5 -7 bucks, you might have something. Instead, I found the food and the dining experience extremely unappealing. Maybe we should have been drinking.

Recommends

etaw

Joined 7 years ago

Fun and welcoming, food is inconsistent. The short menu is interesting, but execution sometimes falls short. Last night we enjoyed cold underdone fries with a hockey puck burger in a huge dry bun, but the swordfish special was perfect. The place is still very new, so I am hopeful that the kinks will be worked out in the kitchen over time. I have noticed improvement in the fried chicken already. And I love the slaw! The staff is warm and friendly and the bar has an unusual selection. The decor is fun and funky and definitely SF. The lighting is dim but the crowd is always high energy.

Recommends

benayse

Joined 7 years ago

not quick but worth the wait. We went to Front Porch on Saturday night. We had a casual night in mind with no schedules to follow so the 45 minute wait (they told us 45, we sat down in 42) flew by chatting at the bar, drinking beer, and eating pickled veggies. As we sat down, the service wasn't very fast either, but the food that finally arrived (bucket of tasty fried chicken with two sides) was definitely worth the wait. I would definitely go back to this restaurant, but preferably on a weeknight. I think your enjoyment will depend on the mood you're in, I probably would not take picky-eaters (limited menu) or in-laws to this place. They take reservations for groups 5 or more,but they only have 2 tables that would accomodate that many people.

In summary, I had a great time at this restaurant but you have to be in the mood for it!

Doesn't Recommend

franciscan

Joined 7 years ago

The love to make you wait!. I took my wife and three daughters. First I called and talked to the hotess to find out how long the wait was. The hostess urged me to come, told me that they were kid friendly, and that she would put me on the list and that they would have a table for us in forty minutes. I got there in plenty of time. While we were waiting she never told us that they were running behind. We waited paitently, but still no table. Finally after waiting substancially more than the 40 minutes she promised me over the phone, she told me that they would not have a table for another 40 minutes. No apology. Infact it seemed she to enjoy having wasted somuch ofour time.

Recommends

rdlseagull

Joined 7 years ago

GREAT NEW NEIGHBORHOOD SPOT.... I live in Bernal and stopped by this restaurant on Friday night w/o a reservation. I was drawn by the charming front porch and innovative menu. There was a 45 minute wait which passed while we drank wine, rocking away on the front porch chairs. We were seated in the rear of the restaurant which provided a great view of the kitchen. For apps we enjoyed the tuna tartar and sashimi style salmon with pickled salt cod. Sounds unusual but it was AMAZING. We also had the fried chicken with black eyed peas and a "special" stew. All were fantastic. Both the owner and the chef stopped by our table to ensure everything was to our liking. Two thumbs up for this great new restaurant!

Recommends

bccorinn

Joined 7 years ago

great southern food in the mission!. The front porch is a mixture of hip homey and deliciousness. One of the best kept secrets so far. Dont be in a rush. Linger at the bar and enjoy your time at one of the booths over a bucket of the best fried chicken and a couple of red stripes. From the salt cod cristinis to the red bean and cocunut soup. you will be full, but dont miss the wine marinated peaches with a scoop of mitchell brothers ice cream. The staff is amazingly friendly (this is san francisco) and will offer great advice on the menu. This is truly a group that cares about its establishment.