The Back Porch

Nice location. Nice to sit outside. Good music. Mediocre food & too many summer people.

I really hate to rate a restaurant on the first visit, however, I won’t ever be returning. The ambiance is the river and boats if you forget about the parking lot in your view. The food is over priced. I ordered a lobster roll. Hot! Came room temperature, all small claw meat, no tail meat. Tried cutting one piece and it was so tough rubbery couldn’t. Butter looked like and tasted the fake kind. Now the best part. French fries. Ate one and got thinking. Ate another and it hit me. My french fries tasted like fish. Probably cooked in same oil. Husband had lobster with risotto. Same lobster with an extremely large bowl of rice. There are many other places. We were not pleased at all. A waste of a beautiful afternoon and lunch.

Very nice location, by the marina, a lot of people gather there for the live band. Highly recommend the fish sandwich and the ice-​cream sundae!

My friend and I had a lousy day of fishing (as if that can happen). Exhausted, famished and parched we stopped into the back porch. Took them 20 minutes to tell us 10 times «your server will be right with you». We left there about an hour ago. I’m sure they’re still thinking of sending a server. Good luck.

A warm summer night, an absolutely gorgeous patio view of the marina and the Connecticut River, live music, friendly staff, and a sweet beer selection. I was pretty impressed with everything here tonight.
I had a few Big Wave Golden Ales from Kona Brewing in Hawaii –I had never seen it before and I liked it a lot. I sampled some of the fried clams and shrimp and they were very good. But I really liked the Chicken Taquitos — a cigar like cylinder of chicken, chili Peppers, and queso cheese. It had quite a bit of zip to it and was served with a smoked chipotle dipping sauce.
Good beer, good food, nice scenery and ambience, nice music. What more do you want?

Place is ok, food is decent but way overpriced. Live music on Sunday’s is hit or miss. Alot of older bikers like to come here to hang out (50 – 70).
Went here with a group of friends. The place is right on the water adjacent to a Marina with good view. Parking is across the street.
Food
Last time we came I got the lobster roll. It was 22 dollars and came with some fries. For 22 I was expecting a larger roll packed with lobster. But I got basically the same as what Mc D’s or D’angeloes puts in theres.
Service
The waitress was very kind but at the end of the night the credit card machine broke and she had to take a hard copy of my credit card info. This always scares me so now Ill have to check my bill constantly and hope I don’t get any fake amounts.
Music
The band was god awful but still its a live band. My friends that frequently go even agreed. They also told me the music is hit or miss, I guess we just got unlucky that time
Overall
If you are interested in going to a place to hang out for a bit in a group this place will work just fine. But depending on what you are into you may want to reconsider.

I was looking for somewhere to have lunch by the water and found this place by checking out Unilocal.We found it easily, parked across the street, and made our way over. We got a table on the patio overlooking the parking lot — I mean the water. It was a gorgeous day out and I appreciated being able to sit outside without being exposed — the patio is covered enough to protect us from sunburns but still allowing us to enjoy the breeze and warmth. Our food was good and our waitress stopped by enough times to be attentive without being overwhelming.
I would like to come back in the evening, as the other side of the patio was not covered and has tables with fire pits in the middle. It looks like it would be the best place to sit around with friends and wine and enjoy the water, weather, and a s’mores or two.

Good food and nice location. Been there 3 times in the last 2 months. If you like whole belly clams, they’re the best here!!! However, absolutely stay away from the crab cakes. All bread and no crab whatsoever!!! Thought it was just me, but mentioned it to 2 of my friends and they had the same experience.

Great location overlooking the marina. Friendly service from the hostess to the servers makes for a very pleasant experience. Be careful when ordering food here. I have found it to be a sandwich and salad type of place. Tried their fried calamari and it was one of the worst and couldnt even attempt to finish it. The caesar’s salad was fantastic and the turkey club was excellent. Scallops wrapped in bacon over rice was great too. The lobster grilled cheese sandwich was fabulous. The free live entertainment that starts at 7pm every weds. thru sun. evening on the outside deck is as good as it gets for a great time overlooking the marina and the CT. river. The house specialty drinks were very tasty indeed.

Great view (of Connecticut River filled with boats and train bridge). Had mussels (great), crab cakes (if you’re used to Maryland-​style crab cakes, don’t order … this was probably half breading), New England clam chowder (great), fish and chips (too greasy), and lobster roll (meat on tough side, so my guess was meat frozen or at least cooked twice). But as a said, great view.

Great ambiance, reasonable prices and decent food. The restaurant is located right near the docks in the Essex neighborhood and has a great ambiance. It offers a great river view with both dining inside as well as outside. The staff was friendly and nice and the food arrived relatively quickly! The prices range from about $ 9 — $ 25, depending on what you get. Restaurant is casual, good date night or place to eat with family.

The Back Porch Restaurant — Old Saybrook, CT — 7÷5÷2015
The Summer is here folks! And what better way to spend a sunday afternoon than out on the patio somewhere out by the water? Well wonder no more! We had just heard about The Back Porch from a friend when we decided to try them out. I looked on their website and found that there have live entertainment and the three of us headed down.
On this day a Steely dan Tribute band was playing. Hearing those old songs brought me back a few decades and it was a real good «feel-​good» experience. There were lots of people enjoying the day, many of which strutted their stuff on the dance floor.
They have live entertainment regularly so I may ave just found our Summer hangout…
I started my dinner with a Seafood Chowdah… Rich creamy based and quite yummy…
Next came out the Wings with both Ranch and Bleu Cheese dressings. I much prefer the Bleu Cheese…
For the main I had the Petit Filet over Mashed Potatoes and Steamed Vegetables.
I’d say the soup was really good, the Wings pretty good and the Filet just OK. A tab bit more garlic than it needed and not very inspiring.
We had a slight issue with the hostess as we were waiting for a table for a while by sitting at a small two person table while we waited for the larger table next to us to open up. Once we tried to move into that table we were waiting for she said; «someone else was waiting for that table»… Not possible because they had just arrived and we were waiting over an hour. None the less we didn’t make a stink only to watch that table remain mostly empt for the next 30+ minutes waiting for the rest of their party to show up… Not a very effective way to manage tabes but hey…
Aside from the turnoff by the hostess, our server was great and when you factor in the location ambiance, the live band and food I would give them a 3.5. The rating system does not allow for ½ stars so my rating above is rounded from this true score… Its a fun place to come in the Summer and we will definitely come back. You will enjoy it.

Only had drinks and apps at the bar but the service was friendly, the food was spot on and you couldn’t beat the views. Parking is across the street and at night they have firepits

Got super excited about this place when I found it — the menu looked awesome and I’m always down for waterfront dining. We got there on a Sunday around 5:30 and there was live music. We were seated outside immediately which was pleasantly shocking considering it was a gorgeous day. The food, however, was a huge let down. We waited about 45 minutes for it and we’re starving when it arrived. My boyfriend ordered filet and I ordered the salmon. His food was fantastic, mine was awful. The salmon was overcooked and the entire dish lacked any flavor (it came with lobster mashed potatoes and a corn salsa). None of
It tasted fresh and I started to feel nauseous as soon as I got home.
Probably won’t go again unless it’s for happy hour, where we’ll move on for dinner afterwards.

Parking sucks. Although my wife sent her lobster risotto back due to it being a pile of tasteless mush, the other 5 meals in our party were pretty good. Large portions. Reasonably priced. Service was very good. Great band outside on the patio. Pretty mixed bag of patrons. This being the start of the summer season I can only imagine the crowds, esp on the weekends. Good luck finding a parking space.

A bit of a roller coaster ride here, but all things considered, I’d give it a thumbs up.
First, for the good news: Both times I’ve been there, the food was MUCH better than expected. I had a steak the first time and a burger most recently. I was impressed with both. Very tasty. Good sides. My first litmus test for a restaurant is: Is the food as good or better than what I can make at home? And they passed this test, for sure.
My wife had a salad that she raved about. And I was even impressed by the kids menu selections. My son got pasta and my daughter got chicken fingers, and they were like adult sized portions. And tasty, too. (I tried them both.)
The waiters were great on both visits, as well. And there are live bands each weekend on the outside deck. So there’s a liveliness to the joint that makes you feel good. Also, there are tables both inside and outside. So depending on your mood (and whether you prefer the music, or want quiet conversation) both are available.
Now for the critique: the bartenders are the absolute worst. (At least the two who were there on Mother’s Day, 2015.) While waiting for a table, I tried to get a drink and was flat ignored even though I was one of only two people looking to buy something. The male bartender was frantic filling his registers with cash (for change, presumably) and running back and forth to the office. And the female bartender was slow and uninterested. By the time they actually were ready to serve someone, about 10 people had gathered and were waiting. And though I was the first, I was still ignored because they didn’t even know how long I had been standing there. Why? Because they broke the cardinal rule of customer service — never turn your back on the customer, literally or figuratively. I stood there for 10 minutes and they didn’t look my way once. They didn’t know if I was there for 10 minutes or 10 seconds. I walked away and came back 15 minutes later to get the same treatment all over again. (I got my first drink at my table an hour later.)
Also, it’s a bit pricey and the waits are long. Both times I was there, it was over an hour wait during non-​peak hours. Parking is very challenging as it’s a popular spot. I had to circle around and wait for somebody to leave like Christmas time at the mall.
And lastly, though it is technically waterfront dining overlooking a marina, it’s the Connecticut River. And it’s over a parking lot with a view of three dumpsters. And beyond that is the murky river and some boats. So it’s like saying the Olive Garden is Italian — yes, it is but in a bit of a bizarro way.
So anyway, more good than bad. I definitely recommend this place. But for me, it’s more like a once– or twice-​a-​year place.

Stopped for an early supper. Very nice restaurant, staff is very friendly. We sat outside where there is plenty of seating under the canopy. Nice view of the Marina and river. There is outdoor seating at low tables with built in fire pits as well that looked very inviting. Seating inside features large windows looking out.
Decent wine list by the glass– nothing fancy but what you would expect. Also a list of seasonal drinks. Interesting bean dip served with flat bread. My husband had the clam chowder and enjoyed it. He had the salmon with lobster mashed potatoes– very good done well. I had the lobster roll which is really just large pieces of lobster in a toasted bun but was fresh and large, served with butter. Sides were French fries — my only complaint they are advertised as spicy which they are not and my would Luke warm and stale (might have been sitting there since we came after the lunch crowd and before dinner rush) and cole slaw which was very good.
Will certainly return and try other things. Everyone’s dishes around us came out quickly and looked good. The bar looks inviting and the bar tender waits on the fire pit tables and engaged patrons and kept the drinks coming. Looked like a lot of fun.

The Back Porch has a couple nice deals during the week and a pretty phenomenal happy hour that ends by 6. The food is pretty good and the staff is friendly. Additionally, there is a nice outdoor seating area.
Still, something on the whole leaves me a little cold. The food quality is good but can be a little pricey if it’s not on one of their deal nights. The view of the river is nice, but you’re so far removed that it feels like you’re dining along the parking lot that leads to the marina that leads to the river.
All and all, it’s worth checking out for their week day deals and the combination of everything else. Wednesday is my favorite day to eat here thanks to their lobster special.

My girlfriend and I went to the back porch for a nice Sunday lunch and as always the view never disappoints. I have been there in the past for a couple work happy hours but my girlfriend has never been so I thought it would be a nice spot to drive too. One thing I’ve alway loved about the place is that it’s off the beaten path from your typical Old Saybrook locals. We had the ahai tuna tartar, salad, soup, lobster grilled cheese and a lobster roll. All were great especially the lobster roll. Great flavor and cooked just right. My girlfriend had the clam chowder that was a little too funny and more vegetable based compared to clam based, but ok.
Our one and only big complaint the service staff. We got a table right away but waited almost 10 minutes to get our waitress to come over. I was about to get up and say something but she came over finally. What irritated me the most was that she along with other servers were all sitting at the welcome station where we were greeted. They would all be on their phones and just being chatty. Listen I get it there all summer college kids but we shouldn’t have to wait that long and especially when you have runners that run your food… a little attention and a smile will get you an easy 20%. She was not rude by any means just needs to understand that in order to make money you need to give your customers the proper attention and service.
This will no way keep us from going back but I just hope management sees this and addresses it.
Thanks

GREAT place for the ambiance and the view of the river.
OK place for the food — seriously nothing special, it is quite good, but just your normal seafood digs.
TIPS — Sundays they have a band which can get kind of loud, so wouldn’t recommend coming here to sit on the patio