The Front Porch Bar & Grill

What has happened to the front porch? My husband and I love the food. It’s delicious, but the service is abysmal. Our waiter seemed to be the only one outside serving. He was very rude and curt with his responses. I asked for some extra sour cream and he walked by our table three times before he brought it. He then proceeded to charge us extra for the sour cream without telling us beforehand. When we asked for the check he walked by us four times before remembering that we had asked for the check. Front porch! We live your food but please figure out your service issues.

Updating my review from last year
Since my first review, I will have to admit that their service has dramatically improved and The Front Porch is actually one of my favorite restaurants in the neighborhood. Its such a favorite now, that when friends or family come into town this is where we take them now.
Also, the food is scrumptious and the portions are just right. My favorites are their Penne Milano pasta, Cesar salad, porch wings with their amazing blue cheese dressing and their burgers. They have daily «home cooked» specials that go quickly on certain days. Drink specials at happy hour, like any place though and the beer of tap is more exotic then normal Budweiser.
Only a few things to keep in mind. The parking lot is small and fills up quickly. Their kitchen gets overwhelmed easily when large groups arrive due to the small kitchen there. The inside is small in size and fits roughly 30 people, the rest is outside seating with fans for summer and heat lamps for winter.
Also, to keep in mind! Lately they have been closed on Monday’s. Sometimes they post it on their Facebook page though.

What Can I say. Are there places with better food? Yes. But the front porch has good food at great prices. 7oz steak for $ 11. Great atmosphere and food bands. Great karoeke. Always come back.

Big win for excellent food, authenticity, and overall dining great experience in Seminole Heights. The vibe here is casual, low key, and quite authentic (being a old farmhouse where you sit on either the huge wrap around porch or the old living room). Definitely not marketed as the latest and greatest hipster hangout-​families, seniors, etc fit in well here.
The food is a solid 4 stars and based on large portions of what I would call mostly southern and Midwestern comfort food. Yes, fried chicken, burgers, meatloaf, cornbread, etc. I have been here 4 times and always enjoyed the menu (especially when they offer gumbo or any Cajun dish). Highly recommended for anyone in the neighborhood and looking for great food and environment. The downstairs bar is as personal as being in your next door neighbors backyard.

My guest and I arrived after a drink and an ap up the street at Rooster & the Till up the street. The restaurant seemed busy, but they had a nice spot available literally outside on the front porch of the fantastic old house that is the restaurant.
After surveying the other guests food, we determined that they had appetizing dishes, and large portions. The menu was diverse, and each dish read good enough to make out mouths water. They also have beer, wine, and liquor offerings from the bar.
We had a few dirty martinis, made delightfully filthy with 3 olives each, and one gin and tonic. All pours were as expected, maybe even a little generous with the goods.
My guest and I split the Tuna Nachos — serves with chopped rare Ahi Tuna over tri-​colored tortilla chips with melted cheese and seaweed, with a wasabi drizzle. This was an inventive dish, but was very dry. The restaurant didn’t have any salsa verde, chimichurri sauce (which would have gone well), or anything to give it some moisture. The server kindly brought habanero, which was too hot for the dish. It was good, but could have used maybe some lettuce, tomato, and another sauce to keep the dish from being so dry.
In a previous visit, I had the Banana Heaven. It truly was! Like banana bread and Bananas Foster mashed together with the caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream. All was delicious, fresh, and inventive. I’d get this to share with a few people as it was plentiful and way too good not to share.
Highly recommended;)

Awesome food and asptphere

I very much enjoyed pulling up a seat at the bar, enjoying a nice cold beer and a light appetizer to start the night off. I love that this is an old, very old house converted to a comfortable restaurant that could be good for a date night or just with friends.
I can’t wait to go back and check out the menu a little more.

The service is abysmal and the food is meh. If you have a couple of hours to wait on lunch and you are within walking distance then this is your place. But if not, then just keep on driving.
We went to The Front Porch on a Sunday afternoon. You could easily count the number of tables occupied on less than two hands. Needless to say, it was not busy. Yet, burgers took an hour to arrive and tuna tacos took over 30min.
When the food arrived it was ok; not great, not bad, but OK. The tuna tacos were a little under done, I have to admit. There was barely even a sear on the outside. And rice & beans as the side were just weird.
Will I go here again? Probably not. And I would encourage you to make the same decision.

Here’s the main thing you need to know: this place is super inconsistent. Sometimes they’re quick, friendly, and the food is absolutely delicious. Sometimes they’re slow, rude, and the food is not good. But NORMALLY they’re overall really good. Basically, I still go there fairly regularly.
What I love: the Seminole heights burger is really good, and their fries are fresh and awesome. The Gorgonzola garlic bread is off the chain. The hot pepper ravioli and the 3 cheese sausage penne are both really yummy. On the weekends they sometimes have specials and I’ve really liked them normally. I also LOVE the grilled romaine salad. The mussels come In a delicious sauce and the garlic bread is on point. The drinks are poured well and they have some fair happy hour pricing from 5 – 7 Monday-​Saturday.
Things to note: the Caesar salad is good, but overdressed. Food comes out off-​temperature pretty often. It’s really loud inside when it’s karaōke night. They run out of certain food/​beer a lot (they’re out of the draft beer I like about 50% of the time).
Experiences we’ve actually had (remember, I still go here, so it’s not like this every time): my husband ordered a burger medium rare and it came out well done. He sent it back and the new burger was seared in the outside and RAW, like ground beef «raw» on the inside. They comped his meal and gave him a free drink, but it was bad. We’ve had over an hour wait for food. Salad plates have come out warm. Fries have come out cold. And many many times we’ve ordered food or drinks only to find out it’s not available.
Again, it’s SUPER inconsistent, but overall I love the atmosphere and the food is normally great. The prices are fair. It’s a great place to eat in Seminole heights if you want a low key, casual place where you can drink and eat on the porch.

I’ve had The Front Porch Grill on my bucket list for quite some time, and since today was a gorgeous sunny Florida day, I decided to mosey on over to Seminole Heights for an enjoyable lunch.
The Front Porch Grill is located along Florida Avenue, just south of Hillsborough, and at the intersection of Idlewild. The Front Porch restaurant resides in a refurbished 1898 Victorian house that once was home to Tiffany’s Tea Room. The formerly bright pink Seminole Heights landmark is long gone, and in it’s place is this quaint two-​story home with a great wrap-​around covered porch. The Front Porch are neighbors to several well-​known trendy restaurants, bars, and Cuban bakeries in this section of Seminole Heights.
The restaurant is trying to create a dining atmosphere that reflects Southern comfort. Diners can enjoy soups, gumbo, both side and entrée salads, a wide variety of appetizers, burgers, sandwiches, and flatbreads. Entrées include Southern-​style meatloaf, pot roast, eggplant parmesan, char-​grilled mahi mahi, Porch Bouillabaisse, hot pepper vodka ravioli, steaks, and chops, to name a few. The Front Porch also has an extensive craft beer, wine, and cocktails menu.
Food is served on the spacious, covered front porch or in one of three rooms inside the restaurant. Since the weather was so spectacular, I opted to sit outside and enjoy my meal during a warm afternoon. I started my lunch with a side salad, and that came with a complimentary serving of homemade warm cornbread that had been drizzled with local honey.
For my entrée, I selected their Southern-​style meatloaf, which sat on top of homemade mashed potatoes served with a port wine sauce, and a side of sautéed squash. To that I added the gorgonzola garlic bread which was a char-​grilled French baguette, topped with caramelized onions, minced garlic, and served with a compound butter containing gorgonzola cream.
This was a real nice meal of basic comfort food, and setting on the front porch was delightful. I recommend a visit when you’re in Seminole Heights.

Sorry to have bothered you with our money…
After more than a decade living a few blocks away and countless «let’s give it a try it again» visits, we finally experienced our final, deal-​breaker moment this evening. After a couple of beers, two glasses of wine and two appetizers, we tried to pay our $ 40 tab with a $ 100 bill. That’s where the fun started. At first, our waitress, Lauren, returned to the table to let us know that the till was insufficient to break our bill and provide change. Really? A busy Friday evening? At least 70 – 80 other diners were present. Three twenties. Two twenties and a couple of tens. What is this, a lemonade stand?
We told her that this was what we had. No joke. We had put this money aside to go out and treat ourselves. (We typically use American Express for dining but were previously told that the Front Porch doesn’t accept AmEX because it «costs the owner money.» Boo, freaking, hoo, owner.) She let us know that it would be lots of «ones and fives». Although it seemed ridiculous, we said we’d take what we they had.
The deal-​breaker moment: After several more minutes, Lauren appeared at the table, riffed through the bills, slapped them on the table, and said «Here ya go,» turned and walked away. No «thanks», «hope you come again», «have a good night» or anything. Just «Here ya go.» We had clearly been a burden.
My response: I took one of the single dollar bills, placed it on the table and said (to no one, since our «server» had left) «Here ya go.» I typically tip just south of 25% and had already mentioned to my wife that a $ 10 tip seemed like the way to go. Bummer for you, Lauren.
This is pathetic. You don’t take American Express and cash is clearly a burden as well. So, Front Porch. .. I have some good news: I won’t be burdening you with my cash in the future and will make sure to suggest to everyone I know that they should also refrain from bothering you. Rooster and the Till, Fodder and Shine, Refinery, Independent, Cappy’s, Hampton Station, etc. are ALL better options.

I gave this establishment 5 stars based off of my dish alone.
Came here with my ace on a Friday night and it was hopping when we arrived. Only about a 20 – 25 minute wait which provided ample time to hit the indoor bar and grab a few drinks. Bartender was friendly and quick to get a drink in my hand, which I appreciate.
Once seated, we were waited on by Garrett, a bearded fellow with a distinct southern accent. Ask for him, he’s a good dude.
For an appetizer, my girl decided on the porch nachos for us (cause you really can’t go wrong with nachos). The only issue I had wasn’t quality related, just that the app came out with our meal so it was kinda intimidating with all that food on the table at once.
As far as the meal, I ordered the hot vodka ravioli. I can say confidently that this was the best ravioli to ever touch my taste buds. I failed to ask, but the pasta tasted fresh and as though it had just been made. Cheese was incredible and my whole plate was covered in sauce. ¹⁰⁄₁₀ would recommend. My lady had the Baja fish tacos, which were delicious as well, but my plate really stole the show.
Overall, I had a great experience and will absolutely be back. This is a great local spot to grab drinks and enjoy live music, and I’m pretty sure I mentioned that the food is off the hook.

My second visit to a place in Seminole Heights, and a great choice. The old house atmosphere reminded me of places from my hometown (Key West), complete with a wrap around front porch and outside bar.
I met a friend here for happy hour, and we started inside and eventually moved to the porch. We enjoyed happy hour wine and wings (at very happy prices). My girlfriend had the blackened wings, and they were fabulous!
This is a great place for a nice casual evening with friends, and I can’t wait to come back and try more items on the menu.

I came here for Burger Week & their featured burger was The «Marie Rose» Burger. Out of the twenty seven participating restaurants for CL’s burger week, this was my #1 pick.
The «Marie Rose» Burger is an 8 ounce hand formed patty, topped with ham, Swiss, lettuce, tomato, a house-​made Marie Rose sauce (kinda like thousand island), and cooked to order. All the ingredients for the food are hand picked from a local farmers market. Having fresh lettuce, and vine ripe tomatoes finished off the burger perfectly!
Before the burger came out, some complimentary cornbread was brought to the table. The corn bread was warm, buttery, moist, and slightly sweet. I couldn’t stop stuffing it in my mouth! Way better than grandma used to make! Don’t tell her I said that. There was also a Unilocal check-​in offer for a bowl of Manhattan Clam Chowder soup. It was superb. During burger week, the featured burger is ala carte. My wife and I split the burger, so we ordered a side of fries to go with it. The fries were a little soggy, not my favorite. The fries and location were my only complaint of the whole experience.
With this restaurant being a bungalow built in the late 1800’s, not only can you get a fine meal, but also a taste of history. I’ll for sure be back!

This is more like a borderline 3* rating that could easily be a 2*. The short of it was that we had great table service, the prices are hard to beat, and the atmosphere is very nice… but the dish was pretty disappointing. I ordered the bone in pork chop and added the peppercorn brandy cream sauce at the recommendation of the waitress.
The pork chop was cooked very well but it was caked with peppercorn and that overpowered everything… it was a «wow, that is pepper!» then «bland» within seconds. The sauce didn’t compliment the pork as much as I had hoped… it was essentially a water gravy taste. I think something like apply chutney or a slightly sweeter sauce would have worked better.
Under $ 40 bill before tip for 2 people with a glass of wine in that atmosphere is still hard to beat, though. If you want to impress a date but keep it light on your wallet, The Front Porch may be a good option.

Hard to believe, but I had never been here until this past weekend. While out and about in the area, we decided to take full advantage of the low humidity and grab a beer outside at Bart’s Tavern. The beer list is not massive, but sufficient. I like it when places carry the local brews as well as Bud Light, especially if I’m eating.
I ordered up a burger, and I’ve got to say, it was pretty damn good. Char-​grilled, cooked medium (as ordered) and seasoned very well. Burgers are on of those things that often lack seasoning, but The Front Porch was having none of that. Best burger in Seminole Heights? Possibly.
Service was friendly and snappy, so no complaints there. In fact, I have no complaints at all.
Make sure you read some of the home’s history on the wall near the front door.

Not everything that glitters in Seminole Heights is gold. I thought every newish restaurant in SH was going to be a winner, but this one misses the mark. The food is definitely 2.5 stars, but I like the pet friendly patio and bar area so I’ll round up to 3.
I order the seafood bouillabaisse (thank you auto-​correct for helping me with that). I appreciated being able to choose a large portion versus a smaller portion of this entrée. It had a sufficient amount of seafood to justify the price. It was also good, but average. I have had better. Heck, I’ve cooked better. It just wasn’t memorable.
My boyfriend ordered a soup and a pork entrée. He gives his food 2 stars. I let him have a bite of what I ordered and he said I definitely got the better meal. When 2 of the 3 items you order are «meh» i can’t give a place more than 3 stars to be A-​ok. So go seafood here.
Now, if you’re only in the mood to have a drink, they have reasonably priced wine and liquor. I love that their outdoor patio bar is pet friendly. It is really narrow and not the most comfortable chairs. I really liked the live music– the guy was talented but I really wish musicians would not use a Friday night gig as their post break-​up therapy session and play sad/​gloomy songs.

I try to be as accurate as I can in my reviews without the benefit of a half star. And I really don’t like giving less than 3 stars unless a business isn’t at all good. But I can’t give 2.5, and I just can’t rank this with the other 3 star restaurants I’ve reviewed. It may not deserve only 2, but it also may not deserve 3
Friday night dinner-​place was ½ empty and plenty of outdoor tables for us. We were sat right away but it took a while for our server to greet us. It wasn’t the end of the world since it was a nice night and after that, she was on top of things. She gave my girlfriend a great suggestion for a seafood option which she enjoyed (the seafood boubuleise — I have no idea how to spell that and can’t be bothered to look it up).
As for me, I used the Unilocal check in to get a free cup of their soup-​a beef and veggie with rice. I also ordered their slow roasted pork, which comes with black beans and rice and an orange Demi glaze. Best way to describe this is to tell you that had I not unloaded the salt and pepper shakers into both the soup and entrée, it may not have been edible. It was so bland, that I may as well have eaten the menu itself-​at least that probably had the oils and bacteria from thousands of people’s hands that it might have had some flavor.
After dinner we went down to the outside bar (kind of a lower porch area) and listened to the live music. 2 issues here-​first, the musician was very good, but the mellow songs he played were all depressing. It is possible to play mellow relaxing nice songs. I mean, I love me some Springsteen, but The River is meant to be listened to at the bottom of a bottle of whiskey or the end on a case of natti light. Second, the bartender-​I ordered a wine for Melissa that she didn’t have behind the bar and she said she could get it, but she’s have to fight the crown to go upstairs. The place was half empty-​there was no crowd. Then, she had to enlist a customer to help her open a twist cap bottle of wine. Someone shouldn’t be a bartender.
Unilocal tells us that 3 stars means a-​ok and 2 stars is meh, I’ve had better. Frankly, I have definitely had better. And while it was okay-​it was certainly edible-​3 stars should be more than edible. This wasn’t terrible, but it was definitely «meh.»

I was surprised the chef of this restaurant has some skill for handling the material. The foods are delicious to my standard.
We have order the Escargot Bourguignon, Porch Bouillabaisse and the Plain Olé Steak with au Poivre sauce. The escargot is a bit small size but it is still a very good deal. We got it for $ 5 happy hour. It came with aluminum six spots mold. The flavor of the herb and butter sauce did mix well with the escargot. We dip the bread into the butter sauce and it is delicious.
My wife has the Porch Bouillabaisse with mixed seafood. It is sauté with white wine, olive oil and clam broth. Mmmm good. It also comes with penne pasta with the broth. My steak entrée come with mash potato and sautéed squash. The au Poivre sauce is brandy cream sauce with mushroom. The brandy adds the enhancement and sweetens the sauce and brown the mushroom. It is very very good. The steak is the top Sirlion season with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. It makes the exterior of the meat crispy. The steak company very well with the au Poivre sauce. The steak is well pick from the market and they are very tender.
The restaurant certainly has the food with good pricing. The only thing they really need to improve is the interior. The table, chair, lamp, and interior need to have makeover. They are too old and some table side is sticky. The food is 5 stars but the interior only allow me to award 4 stars.

I was referred to the Front Porch Grill by a friend and was told it is a very unique place. I nearly passed by while driving there because the sign out front is covered by a tree. I went with a couple of friends on a Saturday afternoon. There were not many people there but it took about 15 to 20 minutes for us just to be seated. The waitstaff was not very attentive.
The menu prices were very fair. The waitress told us about the 50 Cent wing special so my friend and I ordered ten. They were very delicious and spicy. We both ordered a side Caesar salad as well, which was as expected. My other friend ordered a bacon cheeseburger and we split escargot. The cheeseburger was overcooked and did not taste very good. The escargot were also overcooked and very disappointing. Drink prices were mid range. Sangria was $ 5 for a glass, Jai Alai beer was $ 6.
I don’t think I will be going back here because it was nothing special. There are plenty of other establishments in the area that are much more desirable.