The Back Porch: A Restaurant Review
As you pull into the parking lot of the Diamond Mineral Springs/Back Porch complex, you'll instantly feel as if you were attending a friends and family get-together in the country. The gravel parking lot is a bit scattered, but find a spot and prepare yourself for a dining experience unlike any other. You enter The Back Porch on a path of stepping stones through a back yard-like garden of flowers and vines. Up a few stairs, you'll step into a large screened in porch that seats over 100 guests. The floorboards are white-washed and the ceilings boast swirling fans which add to the soothing atmosphere. The servers greet you wearing khaki shorts and soft colored Hawaiian shirts.
As you pull up a white chair to any of the various sized tables clothed in white linen, you'll hear familiar melodies coming from the Lovely Diana as she tickles the ivories in a corner of the porch. The menu offers a variety of salads, seafood, chicken, and steak options. Have confidence that you will not be leaving hungry! They do not sacrifice zesty flavor in their filling portions. Each entree, except for the pasta, comes with a baked or sweet potato or the chef's vegetable of the day. I had the sweet potato and it was about the size of a shoe! I have had both the peppercorn steak and the steak Carolina. These steaks are cooked to perfection. I prefer medium well and I received it medium well. These tangy, juicy cuts melt in your mouth. With a fully stocked bar, you can choose to have a cocktail, wine, or brew with your meal as well.
After you've finished your meal, you may want to persuade yourself into a piece of their famous pie. The homemade pies include lemon, chocolate and coconut meringue pies, fruit pies, chocolate pies, ice cream desserts and more. You may also want to request an extra fork or two as the serving sizes are of epic proportions as well. Their meringue stands nearly 6 inches off the plate!
An average meal (dinner salad, entree, side, dessert, beverage) will run you around $25.00-$30.00 per person. Yes, it's pricier than a local bar and grille, but it's going to be an experience you'll never forget. It's perfect for family events, romantic dinners, relaxing brunches, or anything else! Enjoy the ambiance. Enjoy the delicious food. And enjoy being with those who you care about in a relaxing, comforting, heart-warming environment!
A few more pieces of important information:
The Back Porch
Located at:
1 W Pocahontas Rd
Highland, IL
Contact with Reservations:
(618) 675-2655
Hours of Operation*:
April through October
Friday, Saturday, Sunday
5:00p.m.-9:00p.m.
*weather permitting
Published by Annie Frey
I graduated college with a Bachelors of Science in Mass Communications. I spent three years in sports broadcasting doing an array of jobs, and now I am a digital branding manager for 971talk.com. I enjoy s... View profile
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3 Comments
Post a CommentMORE hollandaise when the item is on the menu? I've never had to wait for a special batch of hollandaise--they grab it from the bain marie and bring it out in a good restaurant because it is made by the quart. When it finally DID arrive, eighteen minutes later, my salmon was stone cold because the ceiling fan had been turning like a plane propeller chilling my food nicely while I waited. Did I mention they don't have air conditioning? On the upside, the filet that my incredibly finicky husband ordered was delightful according to him--perfectly cooked and delicious and he was long finished with his dinner while I waited for sauce. When the sauce did arrive, it was perfectly made and delicious but it didn't do a thing for the now ice-cold salmon.
The server was oblivious to all of this as their waitstaff leaves a LOT to be desired--another thing that a restaurant in this price range should have: Competent Waitstaff. However, I sucked it up and wrote it off to my stupidity in assuming th
soup-kitchen quality utensils should have given me the hint that the Back Porch was going to fail to meet my expectations. The salad was premade and the dressing soaked into the greens giving them a wilted and soggy appearance that was matched by the wilted and soggy flavor. Here's a clue--leave the dressing OFF until the salad is served--if you are going to have Waffle House food then Waffle House prices should be in place. My entree of salmon with crab and hollandaise (usually named Salmon Oscar--which apparently the ill-trained staff didn't know) was lovely but very light on the hollandaise that had broken just a bit. Sadly, I asked the server for a bit more hollandaise and it took more than FIFTEEN MINUTES TO ARRIVE. I tried to cancel it, preferring to eat my food while it was still hot but she told me the chef was making it specially and I didn't have the heart to tell her I didn't want it. I'm so sorry I asked for it--what kind of restaurant has to make MORE hollandaise when the
With 5-star prices and a very appealing decor concept (even sans air-conditioning) The Back Porch at Diamond Mineral Springs Restaurant in Grant Fork started off with lots of goodwill as I have dined at both Diamond Mineral Springs and Blue Springs which is their sister restaurant off of the I-70 exit just past Highland and both were nice experiences--nothing fancy but good hearty dinner-at-Grandma's house fare and done well. Add in the amazing "foot-hi pies" and I was anticipating the Back Porch as a first-class experience in the Highland area as my experience with Popeye's Chop House in St. Rose was not impressive. The restaurant was moderately busy and the menu ambitious. The plastic Wal-Mart chairs seemed a bit out of place in a restaurant where the entrees are in the $20-plus range but the white table cloths and cloth napkins were a plus--until the incredibly cheap and flimsy flatware made it's appearance. I've used more substantial PLASTIC flatware and to have soup-kitchen qualit