The Back Porch Bay

Very good food, but not cheap. Great service, OK atmosphere.

Upon coming to the restaurant,ambiax was great. The setting was great. The noise level is very moderate. Brandon was my server fast response from him was fantastic all around 10 out of 10

I was really happy with this spot. Perhaps the best dinner I've had on this trip. The crab stuffed shrimp were awesome and the firecracker shrimp appetizer was also very good. True, it was not an inexpensive meal (as I've seen mentioned in other reviews) so if you're trying to save money in a tourist town, you might need to look somewhere else. For the money spent, I was impressed with The Back Porch and would definitely recommend it.

We love going to the Back Porch! It is quite expensive though so with 3 kids, we only come for special occasions. The food is delicious every time we go. The portions are pretty good size, customer service has been good for us every time we went as well. I recommend getting the key lime pie for dessert!

Great restaurant located across the street from the beach and the pier. Good selection of menu items including fresh seafood caught from the local area. They also have a bar that serves drinks as well as an upstairs area that has a great view of the beach and pier. Currently the upstairs is being renovated but will be open soon. The staff was friendly and made sure we had everything we needed. Definitely a place to try out if you are in the area.

The food was AWESOME, the waiters were really nice, and the atmosphere was nice and chill. Music and just a clean place. I recommend the shrimp Po boy. It is a little hard to eat, so I just eat the shrimp. Then, I take the fries and put them into the buns. After, I eat it like a sandwich. It tastes really good.

Nice location, very friendly staff, good food and great vibe. The view is also amazing!

Came here to satisfy a seafood craving on New Year's Eve. We had a great time! The two of us got a full seafood platter and a Tuna Shrimp Salad. Both of them were solid! The seafood platter had fried oysters, shrimp, and scallops with amazing fresh taste and maintained a nice texture. On the other hand, the fish was a bit dry and bland, while the crab cake just didn't taste very good. The other problem I had with the platter was the price - it wasn't worth paying 40+ bucks for how much seafood we got (shown in pics). The Tuna and Shrimp salad tasted great! No complaints about the great dressing and well-cooked shrimp & tuna. TLDR: Great quality seafood, but on the pricier side. Fried Captain's Platter: 8/10 Tuna & Shrimp Salad: 8.5/10

Stumbled across this gem while staying close to Panama. Worth the drive! Had a party of 8 people, no wait, seated very quickly and had great service. Drinks were delicious as well as the shrimp tacos! Atmosphere was good, not too loud!

On vacations here’s… we looked by real fish grill in different places, but finally found The Back Porch… Real piece of fresh fish grilled or fried …

We went yesterday around 6:30 and got seated fast! The food was amazing, I got the Blackened Chicken Alfredo 10/10 my daughter had the Fried Fish Toes and she loved them! My mother got the Jumbo Crab stuffed Shrimp and she said it was delicious. Our server was Cas and she was the sweetest and checked on us throughout the time we were there, will definitely be back!

Took my staff last night for a Christmas dinner. Appetizers were great. Best crab cakes I've probably had in a very long time. Stuff shrimp were great!! Desserts needed some help but you go there for the seafood not dessert. Don't recommend the key lime pie or the chocolate cake. All in all we will be back

I ordered the Crab Cake Sandwich with two sides—fries and hush puppies—and everything was absolutely delicious! The crab cake was fresh and flavorful, perfectly seasoned, and paired so well with the sides. Dinner was wonderful from start to finish. What made the experience even better was my waitress, Carley. She was attentive, friendly, welcoming and went above and beyond to make sure I had everything I needed. Her warm personality and excellent service made the evening even more enjoyable. Highly recommend both the food and the outstanding service—I’ll definitely be coming back!

My husband and I had an amazing experience here. The clerk at our hotel recommended this place to us for their next level seafood. The food was excellent. The atmosphere was cozy, and our waitress, Brinlee, was the BEST!! She was very attentive, helpful and friendly. She made us feel so welcome. We will definitely be recommending this place to others!

Our family was totally impressed with not only our waitress who by the way was totally outstanding but the food. The food was obviously delicious. We tried several dishes and none disappointed. We will definitely go back.

Came here last Feb !! Loved everything about the place. We shared a shrimp basket , plenty for two seniors. The shrimp , fry's and coleslaw were excellent !! The hush puppies were under cooked , but our waitress quickly took them off our table. We will be back for sure

Food was heavy and good. The taste was pretty decent. The shrimp was big than normal. Customer Service was ok nothing stood out besides the asking of silverware 3 times after my food arrived and my waitress kept forgetting.

Came at a busy time and they got us seated right away. The crab dip I recommend trying, the steak was over cooked and didn’t have much flavor. My hubs fish was super good and so was the double baked loaded potato Super pricey here tho

Great Service. Great Atmosphere and Location. Okay food. I got the angry amberjack and it was okay. Nothing particularly special. It’s a little spicy which I liked. The location and great service made the visit worth it. The Firecracker shrimp appetizer was good. The sauce it comes with is well balanced and very good.

What more can you ask for but a seafood restaurant with ocean view. Absolutely beautiful! Our server Marcus, poor guy, it just seemed like he was overwhelmed. He did try his best, but he was flustered. The seafood was seasoned and cooked to perfection. I can't say the same for the sides. It needs a little more work. Overall, great spot to get some fresh seafood. A bit pricy, but overall we would visit again.

Visiting from Missouri. Hostess offered 3 options for seating. Indoor, outdoor and rooftop. Chose rooftop. Took us up in an elevator. Wonderful views. Chose the seafood gumbo. It was just ok. Having alpha-gal (allergy to beef, pork, lamb & other meats except fish & fowl) I remember loving andouille sausage in gumbo so that skews my rating maybe. Salad ok. Chose a stout beer which was very good. Server was perfect (Jessica, thanks!). Bathroom on 2nd floor had fair amount of water on the floor. Handsoap only. BR stall so tight I had to turn sideways to shut the door. Other customers would come & go while we were there. So it's definitely a place for quick bites, or lingering.

The patio is the best area to enjoy a meal here unless you really despise the sound of roaring vehicles passing by every now and then. The Back Porch Punch is the way to go. I'm not a fan of overly sweet drinks so I thoroughly enjoyed this cocktail. We got the Flounder Florentine and a bowl of the Seafood Gumbo. Also the calamari appetizer. The gumbo itself is amazing. Definitely worth a try. The only complaint would be that some of the rice was under cooked but the flavor was there! The Flounder Florentine was alright. The side of green beans were way overcooked. The fish itself was pretty good. Our server was Carley Hankins and she was such a sweet, devoted waitress.

Overall not bad, staff was friendly seems they were training new ppl in the front so everyone was attentive. When I asked where the bathroom was, I was walked personally to the general direction instead of being pointed to. We went for apps, got the calamari and the crab bites. Crab bites were well seasoned and the sauce had plenty of flavor. Did not get 5 stars only because the orange cake was awful, tasted like vitamin c chewable tablets. I would go back... maybe I need to try the cheesecake instead.

Ordered chicken expecting it to be good well since you are known for your fish options. Had assumed if you can cook good fish then chicken would be a slam dunk. I was wrong. It was tough, hard to chew. The tuna dip left me feeling like they opened the can from the back. Not smoked tuna dip in the least. Wait staff was amazing regardless. To be fair I just suffered through the meal and didn’t even say anything because I don’t like making a fuss. Maybe other things are better or the cooks tonight were just off. Carley H did a geat job making sure I was taken care of through my experience.

This was a very pleasant experience! The food was delicious and even though it was somewhat understaffed it was probably due to them just being busy. The pricing was reasonable for the location, and the food was very good. I highly recommend the oysters off the shell. You can make a meal out of that! Every meal item in these pictures was delicious. I definitely recommend visiting and making this a stop if you are hungry.

Great server and a comfortable place with a good gluten free menu. The hot mess on the plate should have been my warning - my grouper was cooked into a block of leather that I should have sent back, but the twice baked potato was huge and made me happy. I can't say the food was worth it. The drinks though - they were delicious!

We sat upstairs and the view was great however we didn’t have a great experience. We started with hush puppies, which were fantastic. The sriracha honey sauce was a great accompaniment. I had the grouper which was okay but the waitress either didn’t put in the right sides for my meal or the kitchen didn’t give me the right sides. She said the dill rice was delicious and it was, in fact, disgusting. The baked potato wasn’t cooked all the way through. My husband got the mahi mahi and here’s where the real issues started happening. We have eaten mahi mahi many, many times. They brought it to us half raw. My husband said something to the waitress and we sent it back to the kitchen to be remade. The second time was just as bad. My husband ended up eating around the raw parts. When our waitress brought us the bill they tried to charge us for two mahi mahi dinners. Absolutely not. You brought us raw food. I don’t mind paying for my original meal, I don’t expect it to be free but I’m not paying for something that isn’t my fault. We will not be visiting again, even if this was a possible one time event.

The food was decent, but for the price that we paid it isn’t. This plate was $32.99 and there was barely to no seasoning in it. However, the gumbo was so salty that I had to add a ton of tobacco sauce to it to make it more edible. The only upside to this shop is big portions!

Was greeted upon entry and seated quickly. We visited during PCB Mardi Gras weekend. Food was ok. The firecracker shrimp was the best with the sauce. Waitress provided good service. No wings on menu but lots of local craft beer choices. Overall was ok...

The food was amazing. Service not so much. The hostess tossed the menus on the table and walked off, just rude. The waitress was worse. She was condescending as hell, didn't bring silverware or plates with the two appetizers. I guess the manager was concerned about the amount of food at the table that no one was enjoying and asked if we needed anything and came right back with silverware then halfway into the appetizers, our waitress showed up. 😕 Recommended dish not listed was the Cobb salad.

Firstly I did come during an off-season, but I ordered the fish fingers and smoked tuna dip. The tuna dip was great, however the fish fingers were unimpressive, no flavor and a bit rubbery, service was great however and the design of the restaurant is cool.

The back porch oysters were meh. Same toppings as the mushrooms. The gulf oysters on the half shell are good. The gumbo was horrible. Not cooked thoroughly and no real flavor. Hush puppies were wet inside. The drinks weird tasting. I wouldn’t come back.

We stopped in for a quick bite, however after waiting over an hour, we realized that was not going to happen. Our appetizer was not ever put in and when the food finally came out it was cold. Flavor was bland and definitely overpriced for what we received. I have had much better for far less. Skip this place and find a better seafood joint.

Service was slow and mediocre. Mozzarella sticks were room temperature but the marinara was good. The burger was an overwhelmingly salted and seasoned frozen patty with overcooked fries. The fish tacos were not bad but have definitely had better. The rice had good flavor but was quite dry. For the price you pay, the quality should be much better. We went because a friend from out of town wanted to try it. I do not think we will be back.

We chose this restaurant because it was the busiest among the nearby options. Unfortunately, the food didn’t live up to expectations and was extremely overpriced for the quality. The service was excellent — our waiter was friendly and attentive. If you stick to basic fried items, you might have a better experience. However, the stuffed mahi and the tuna were both overcooked and heavily seasoned.

Our server was amazing. Everybody was really friendly. The restaurant was clean and well kept. However, the food was absolutely atrocious. I ordered the mahi-mahi and it came out raw. My husband had the stuffed shrimp and there were so many shells in his food and it was just disgusting. It messed up both of our stomachs the rest of the night. I would not really recommend this place.

Probably the worst possible place in pier park to eat. Everything is obviously not fresh, comes frozen and fried. Even the burger was gross. We also waited like 5 minutes to be seated and the host smelled like cigarettes. Avoid!

I’ve been going to The Back Porch in Destin for over 45 years so I was excited that one was close to where we were staying in PCB. I made a reservation for outdoor seating, but a table wasn’t available yet. No big deal, we only had to wait about 15 minutes. However, no one at the hostess stand knew what was going on and the other customers where confused as well. They sat us at a table inside where there is hardly any ambience and when I said we were supposed to be outside, a very kind manager did come and move us outside within about five minutes even though I said it was fine no big deal. It was downstairs right by the road, upstairs would have been nice…maybe. Our server was OK but not overly helpful and never brought or acknowledged that she forgot the beer that I ordered. She never asked how our food was or I would have mentioned to her the lack of flavor and temperature of our meals. My son got a bacon cheeseburger and said it had zero flavor and the bacon was very undercooked. He also said the fries were bland. My other son ordered the Alfredo linguine with grilled chicken and it was pretty bland as well. I ordered the Flounder Florentine, which I was excited about because I remember liking it at the Destin location, but it came out looking like a boiled piece of fish with some paprika sprinkled on top and the spinach and crab Florentine mixture was lukewarm. And I actually don’t recall there being any crab in it. It was also supposed to be topped with a lemon beurre blanc that just looked like melted butter on the plate. Very disappointing to have paid $120 for 3 flavorless meals and service that was just OK. When we left, the girls at the hostess stand were just looking at their phones and did not even acknowledge us leaving.

Won't go again. Of the 8 dozen oysters I've had this week, Back Porch's have been the worst. Small, shucked badly (I was picking shell out of my mouth with every oyster), the cocktail sauce was ketchup only, and they were the most expensive I've had. There were no condiments on the table (where's the Tobasco Sauce?!) Supposedly a dog friendly porch, but after being there for an hour and the only ones in the dog part of their outdoor seating, the manager came out to tell us the dogs needed to be on leash. Our dogs were laying down on the ground either under our seats or directly next to us. They told us we had to have them on lead and holding that leash while attempting to eat at the same time. To put in perspective, the dog beach is across the road from them. Dogs are to be on lead there as well, but if your dog is under verbal control, nobody cares. When we ate at Sharkey's management had no issues since the dogs stayed next to our table. Management at Back Porch needed to assert dominance and ruined the lunch. I have better places to spend my money while here.

We came here one evening because our usual spot was closed for the season, and HUGE REGRET. RUN. Do not eat here. As someone who works in the restaurant business, I usually look for an inspection score and look at reviews before even walking in any eatery. Being that we were tired and hungry from our 8 - hour drive, I was in no shape to pay attention to details. My mistake...and a huge one. I could've saved myself and my friend from 48 hours of pure misery. First of all, there was no one in the restaurant beside the five of us and the staff. This was about an hour and a half before their posted closing time on a weeknight (Thursday). We were famished, and it seemed nothing else was still open on the pier except clubs or bars full of teens. The girl at the front told us to sit wherever, and we asked if it wojld be ok if we sat on the patio to see the beach. She huffed and said she didn't know if patio seats were available (despite it being almost empty). The server was just as rude and acted like we were an inconvenience to her, even though they were not closing for another hour. We ate and went on our way, but not even two hours later, one of my friends and I started to have severe stomach cramps. We thought we were going to have to go to the ER they were so bad. We both had cold sweats, rapid HR, vomiting, dia***** etc. for hours into the next day and evening. We connected the dots, and she and I were the only ones in our group to order the tuna dip and share it. It had looked a bit "off" when it was brought to the table, but as I said, we were too tired and hungry to pay attention. We didnt even finish it because it tasted too salty to me and she said it tasted too "fishy". Thank God we didn't eat it all, because we WOULD have ended up in the ER. I had never experienced food poisoning this bad before. Run from this place unless you want to ruin your vacation.