We were in the Back Porch on opening night (March 30 so they are in fact open) and it was wonderful! Every minute of the dining experience was superb. Our server was so attentive and nice. The other employees were equally as attentive, taking our plates and keeping us full on drinks. My husband had the bacon wrapped scallops as an appetizer and said they were amazing. I ordered the pecan encrusted chicken and it was to die for. The portions were huge. I ate two of the breast medallions but had to bring home the third because I was stuffed. (it made a yummy breakfast the next morning) It was served with rice that was seasoned so perfectly that no added salt or pepper was necessary, and a vegetable medley that was perfect. My husband had salmon and said it was perfectly cooked. The porch was not open yet because it is still a bit cool on the island so the dining room was full with people waiting to get it. Great job! read more

Not sure what to say here. Food was ok. Bar guy was funny. Wait staff was pretty darn awful and terribly slow. High points on the meal were crab beignets and bacon wrapped scallops were awesome. Bread was a nice surprise. Everything else was bland at best. Ambience was ok. Lucked out on the evening temp. Would I come back? No, probably not. Save the money. read more

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The best attribute of this restaurant is most definitely the doors in the bathrooms- they are chalkboards and you can write while you do your business! I enjoyed the ramen soup my husband ordered, the Back Porch Salad was pretty good (I substituted the blue cheese with feta.) Oh and the bread was great! The staff was okay but I wouldnt describe them as friendly, we were there around 8:15 on a Monday night, and nobody said goodbye to us as we left or thanked us for our business which was too bad. Ho hum. The environment was kind of like a cedar church converted into a restaurant and had faux snakeskin tablecloths and beat up chairs. Mojitos were pretty good. We are only here for a few days, and won't be going back to this place... Just wasn't terribly impressed. Plus it was rather pricey. read more

After reading great reviews, we decided to try this restaurant. The service was absolutely terrible! We (4 in our group) ordered our meal, watched 2 large parties finish, another party of 6 seated & served. Finally our waitress came to our table (45 minutes after placing our order) & told us they no longer had the fresh pasta. We selected different entrees & finally received our food 30 minutes later. There were no offers to comp desserts or to apologize. NOT a good experience! read more

Really great Ocracoke dining experience. More upscale than other options and worth it. Great seafood and nice wine list. Seafood platter was wonderful. read more

Wasn't super impressed with this place. My salmon was good but my husband said his $29 rib eye was dry and tough. Not to mention, it was 88 degrees outside and was honestly cooler outside with the breeze than dining inside. Was not worth the price, won't be going back. read more

There are some excellent restaurants on this tiny island, but The Back Porch is the best for fine dining. The setting is very nice, and while we were visiting Ocracoke it was cool enough at night for the screened windows to be open with the fans on. They do an excellent job cooking elaborate seafood and meat dishes and combining interesting flavors. During the week we stayed on the island we went here 4 times - a couple times to dine in the main room and a couple times to sit at the relaxing bar. They also have an excellent wine list with one of the best Howell Mountain Ca. Cabernets we've ever had (at the time we were there, early Sept 2010). Extremely well run restaurant in a place where many businesses seemed to have gotten a little lazy with the captive audience. read more

Lemon calamari was flavorful but a bit chewy. Grilled bluefish and mackerel were cooked well but not great. Sides of rice and vegetable medley were ho-hum. Portions were large (we had 1/2 portions and that was enough). A disappointment for the price read more

My favorite part of Ocraoke. Love this place, it's always our nice dinner on the island. Specials are always fantastic. Have yet to have a bad meal. You can dress up or down either works (esp in Ocracoke). read more

Great place! We had Bourbon pecan crusted chicken and crab cakes for our meals. We also ordered shrimp empanadas for our appetizer, everything was seriously delicious ! We sat out on the porch which was really special. Don't pass this place up! Fresh well cooked and great atmosphere read more

My favorite restaurant on Ocracoke island. The food is gourmet, fresh, delicious and flavorful. Also they have great drinks and service to match . I highly recommend the back porch !!!! read more

Just had a great dinner so no complaints about the food or the server. My complaint lies totally with the hostess. Upon our arrival at 5:10, they open for dinner at 5, I asked her if my husband and I were dressed appropriately enough for dinner. She ignored my question and proceeded to gather menus and walk away out onto the screened in a deck seating area. Told us our server would be with us shortly. I stated to her as we walked through the doors (because of course we assumed we were were supposed to follow) how hot it was on the deck area. She just walked away. Thankfully our server was wonderful and the food excellent because it took everything in my being to not cause a scene. Funny thing is, as we sat there, we could see other patrons walk up to the door and we knew where the hostess was going to seat them just by what they were wearing. Don't say that you are a laid back kind of atmosphere at a beach and when beach goers come to your establishment, not make them feel welcomed. Again, our server was wonderful and the food excellent. It was the hostess who thinks she is all that and a bag of chips. Nothing like being in the sun all day and then sitting in a 95 degree restaurant. Great customer service my dear! read more

Average food at above-average prices. You're a captive audience on island, and this is considered one of the "fancy" restaurants in ocracoke. On the mainland, this would be considered "a sizzler with greatly inflated prices". The deserts are above average, but the value of the main course drags down my overall review. read more

Every year I have loved this place. This year, not so much. The sweet potato curry soup was unbalanced: i.e. Too spicy to enjoy. Needed more fresh cilantro. It helped. The crab crepes were soggy, heavy, uninspired. Service was poor. Michelle brought 2 plates at once so one was cold--the crab--before I could start it. She h Kept me waiting during the check process, which was unforgivable in tip time. I am so disappointed..... read more

Amazing service and incredible food!!! Had a specialty dish and key lime pie on top of a great beer....definitely a top tier spot to experience!!! read more

The Back Porch was sensational! The service was great, the food delicious and the ambiance lovely! I had the "sheeps head" fish which despite the name was delicious! Thanks for a fantastic night!! read more

While the tacky muted exterior may cause some to squirm the pleasant mahogany interior serves wonders for the homey atmosphere. Dining in a party of five I had the fortune of tasting both the good, the excellent and the just alright of the restaurant. The appetizers (referred to as small plates) are outstanding. I ordered the crab beignet, and while colossal, it was delicious and more than satisfying. The other "small plates" we're all delectable and come highly recommended. The main courses (large plates) served as a disappointment lacking the spark of the earlier dishes coming in solid 7's. Dessert was easily the pinnacle of our experience. The key lime pie will be one of the best you've experienced. The vanilla custard was phenomenal. While pricy (25 dollars average for an entree) I would recommend for a relaxed special occasion. read more

Very decent restaurant. Good food, great service, good presentation. This restaurant looks like a very standard restaurant in many cities. It has a really good, large screened in porch. This is really great on the island of Ocracoke. We enjoyed our dinner. The down side is similar to other reviews. Menu is standard, not much creativity. It would be my choice once in a while, not as a special experience. Go, and enjoy. read more

Our favorite restaurant in Ocracoke. In 25 years of visiting Ocracoke, we have never had a bad meal, and the service is always excellent. We love the casual, yet romantic setting, with light breezes blowing through the screened porch seating area. And the food is top notch. We usually save it for our last night on the island ... Kind of our "dessert" at the end of the outstanding meal that Ocracoke always is for us. Do yourself a favor. If you need to choose only one place to eat on Ocracoke, make it the Back Porch. read more

Great food and cheap beer (by D.C. standards anyway). They gave us the patio so our dog could join us and even brought him a water bowl. The staff was really friendly. read more

Great food..nice atmosphere... A little over priced but what the hell your on vacation....

Wow, big menu change and definitely for the better. Really ambitious dishes and I've got to say carried off really well. Have the sticky toffee bread pudding for desert...it is TDF! Really. On the flip side, $9 for a Mojito...not even a giant one. read more

As a restaurant manager from the Philadelphia area, I find it incredibly hard to dine out and fully enjoy a meal - simply because I eat amazing high quality food everyday (my restaurant sources locally on a weekly basis - can't get much fresher than that). Not only was the food amazing, but the service was awesome! Sherry was attentive and polite. This has become a must stop for us in the outer banks from now on!! Also - I lovvvve the vegetarian options! read more

I love this place and the food. I always look forward to coming and getting their toffee pudding. But every single time I come I'm disturbed by how rude the hostess is. I placed a to-go order and she talked down to me and said 'she's the only one who takes orders and I hadn't called her.' I then pulled out my phone, confirmed the number and time of the call. She still acted like I was wasting her time. Eventually, she "found" my order. Honestly, find a better person to be the first face people interact with at your restaurant. read more

The female bartender needs to find some joy in her life. She was VERY rude to our group. She had some friends sitting at the bar and it was OBVIOUS she was talking about us. Every trip we've taken to the island and places we've eaten or just had drinks has been nothing but great. We will not be back to the Back Porch. Find a new bartender ya'll. read more

Beautiful and delicious food! Friendly waiters and Ocracoke ambience! Definitely a must if you visit this island!

It's interesting reading through the other more recent reviews posted here. My wife and I have been coming to Ocracoke for around 20 years. Coming to the back porch has always been a high light of the trip. Maybe it's the rose colored glasses, maybe the island air, maybe the desire to extend the good feelings we have on this wonderful island, but we have always found the service and food to be good, sometimes moving into great. This last trip was no different. Let's be clear - this is a laid back place but is more formal/nicer than most other places in OINC. And you can easily drop quite a bit of cash here (they do take credit cards which is good). They have a full bar and the drinks seem good (I had a beer which, as long as it's cold is fine, the wife and friend had mixed drinks/wine - no complaints). They do not take reservations which can occasionally cause some issues, although we were seated right away when we went this past Friday night. We brought our kids and our friend which made us a party of 6 - we were expecting to wait but were glad we didn't have to. We were celebrating our 20th anniversary and looking back, it was a great place to mark the occasion. The food: In general, and I am not sure why we cannot remember this each time we go, the appetizers are better than the main dishes. The bacon wrapped scallops are wonderful - they come with a red wine reduction. Totally tasty. We also got the Poke (raw fish prepared with a light Asian flair). This was also good, although we lived in Hawaii for a year and the poke there is better. Not sure why that is, except that everything is better in Hawaii. We also had the calamari which was good - somewhat standard good quality, not oily, crisp, yummy. We got one more app (cannot remember the name of it) which was good. For main dishes kid one got the calamari pasta - she thought it was good not great. Kid 3 got the fresh fist (it wasn't blue, but the other one they had that night). It was tasty - cooked well. The veggies they served were only okay, not great. I think it was missing seasoning. I got the sampler which I have gotten before and always think it's going to be better than it is. The fish was good, the scallops were a little over cooked as were the shrimp. The crab cake was tasty. My wife got some type of salad and shared a fish dish with our friend. Again, all was good, none of it was great. A few years back we had fish there in Balsamic brown butter which was amazing. Not sure why that's not longer on the menu but that was something that, at the time, set this place apart from other places we have eaten at. Deserts were had by some in our party and the cheese cake struck the right balance being not too sweet and somehow not to heavy (as cheese cakes can be). A winner. The cobbler was good with fresh fruit how can you go wrong? We will go back next year when we return. Having said that, in reading and reflecting I think that this place is in need of a review by the owners and chef. I cannot imagine how hard it is to run a restaurant (I worked in a few in my younger years but never in any type of leadership position) but feel like, as in most businesses, it's easy to get complacent especially when there isn't a lot of competition. There are a few reviews that speak to poor service - instead of getting defensive maybe it's time to have a meeting with the staff and review the reviews. Think about way's the things could be addressed. Review the menu and make sure that there is some passion behind the dishes. The seafood is key here and is generally the star. Again, just a thought. We love you back porch and will be back. Ps. Our bill was over $50/person. That's not a small chunk of change. I would hope to be blown away not just satisfied. read more

The atmosphere is the best part of this dining experience. The restaurant's name definitely tells you the vibe and it was a perfect evening for it. Nice gentle breeze coming through the screen with nicely designed lighting and decor. It's simple yet elegant. This was our big night out so we indulged with some cocktails to start. I ordered the Bijou Punch which was sweet and refreshing. My husband got the Moon-Lit which states it had moonshine but it clearly contained tequila and a lot of it. Not sure if that was the wrong drink but it was definitely a little too intense for either of us. We hit much more success with our small plate of spicy pimento cheese - warm, creamy, and the right amount of heat. Our entrees hit the spot - the seafood platter with lots of fresh local caught items and the pecan bourbon chicken. Both entrees came out quickly and had generous portions. I was expecting a little more richness from the bourbon butter but I added a little salt and pepper to my dish and it was perfect. The veggie meldley that came with our dish had the best green beans I've ever had. We would definitely come back for the great service, amazing ambience, and quality food. read more

Odd decor, especially inside. Food was decent, but not amazing. Plating was outdated. Not bad overall. There are a few places on the island that are better to eat. read more

Very pleased with the meal, atmosphere, and service!! After a bad prior experience I skipped Back Porch on last three trips, however based on feedback from a local today we decided to get it another try and we're glad we did! From the second we walked in the experience was excellent all around. Would highly recommend! read more

Exceptional food and service. Great dining in wonderfully slow Ocracoke. Highly recommended. If possible, you want to sit in the screen porch part of the restaurant. read more

Charming casual elegance at the Back Porch in Ocracoke Ocracoke is a very small, charming community at the tip of the Outer Banks. The staff at the Back Porch were pleasant, welcoming and efficient. The atmosphere was well heeled yet relaxed. We were in the mood for seafood and as such elected to try the mini crab cakes with lemon caper sauce as an appetizer. The crab cakes had delicate flavors, lots of crab and the sauce drizzled on top, was a perfect compliment. We followed with a bowl of the soup de jour, onion bisque. The flavor was similar to a French onion with the texture creamy with small chunks of onion. Taste and texture were superb. We split the Seafood platter which featured a local fish, scallops, shrimp and a crab beignet. The portions were generous. The fish was fresh, the scallops were tender and not overcooked. The flavors of the three items were all very similar, mild yet pleasant. The crab beignet was in a pastry shell that was too light to be considered pie or pasty dough, it really did remind me of a beignet. The dish came with rice and sautéed squash which was perfectly cooked, as it was a tad crunchy. read more

This was one of the best meals I had on the island. Bourbon Pecan chicken was fantastic.

The Back Porch is where you must go for a special dinner when you're on the island, or any night to enjoy good conversation in the bar with the island's best bartender, Beatle! Whether you're ordering from the bar menu or from a variety of specials offered each night, the Back Porch is consistently spot on. The combination of French and southern cuisine marries my two favorites. There are some long-standing menu favorites that are simple and perfect, especially the Bourbon-pecan crusted chicken. However, the deserts at the Back Porch are the best you can get on the island or maybe even the east coast! You must try warm sticky toffee pudding with melting vanilla ice cream. But nowhere else can you find FIG CAKE made with local figs and the most decadent cream cheese frosting. There's nothing in the world like it! (And I hope to get some before my last night on the island tomorrow!) read more

The recent reviews are mixed here so wanted to share our excellent experience last night! This is our 5th time vacationing in Ocracoke and we always love going to the Back Porch. Last night we had an all-around wonderful experience with our fantastic server, Mary. She was very attentive, friendly, and was very happy to answer any questions we had (about the food and the island itself!) We chose to sit inside as the screened-in area was very hot. We started with the bacon-wrapped scallops which were delicious. Bread and butter was brought to the table right away and water glasses constantly refilled (which was appreciated as it was such a humid night!) I loved my crabmeat special - very simply prepared and delicious. The bourbon pecan chicken is always a winner and my sister loved her crab cakes. The warm cookie skillet dessert with hot fudge and homemade ice cream was a perfect way to end the meal! Overall we had a lovely night out and we were relieved the Back Porch is as great as we remembered from years ago. Looking forward to returning, quite possibly this week. Thanks Mary and the Back Porch for a great meal! read more

Awesome!!! Staff friendly and atmosphere great! Try the fresh catch and ask the servers their opinions!

We've been here three or four times over the years. Consistent, well prepared, nice atmosphere. We like being on the outside near the screens for the breeze. Good variety of wines by the glass and bottle, reasonably priced. Crab beignets were great. Not too fried, great flavor to filling. Broiled scallops, salads and veggies done just right. This is a nice beach restaurant, not city haute cuisine. Fresh, well prepared and something for everyone. Slightly fancier than the waterfront and nice place to relax and enjoy. read more

Better choices for dinner. Avg service w avg food. Would echo other comments about a dated menu.

I very seldom write reviews other than those that offer positive feedback to business owners. I feel the need to make an exception with this review. First the good; the appetizers were delicious and quickly delivered. The Old Fashioned was well done, as was the Crown and Coke my brother in law ordered. Then we get to the main course. To describe this as a train wreck is an understatement. Out of six entrees we sent four back. I NEVER send entrees back. The last time I sent an entree back was over three years ago. We sent the entrees back after waiting an hour for them to arrive. My son and Wife have an onion allergy, and we asked for no onions and explained the allergy to the waitress. My sons burger arrives covered in onions. (The smell of which triggers an allergic reaction in my son). The two Fillet Minion could not be cut using the utensil provided, all of the beef was VERY rare. After spending from 5:30 to 8:17 at this restaurant three of the four members of my party left without food. The one beef dish that was accepted back after returning to the kitchen was the Steak Frite. I literally had to pull out my pocket knife to cut it. By the time we left Back Porch the other restaurants were closed, (everything down here closes at nine). My suggestion, go ANY where but here. Get a taco, pizza, go to Howard's Pub, Jolly Roger, but avoid this restaurant. read more

I absolutely love this place. The food is delicious, especially the pecan crusted chicken. My only negative is that we didn't have options of where we wanted to sit even though there were other tables open and still open when we left. read more