Don't make a trip just for The Front Porch. Make a trip for the rocks and enjoy the local fare. Â My opinion of the food is slightly biased since the last time I ate here was 2 nights in a row after spending 12 hours climbing the rocks. Â I have eaten here about 4 times total. Â Grab a 6 pack from the General Store's surprisingly awesome beer selection and relax while taking in another one of WV's beautiful sights.
Review Source:Kind of cool to eat above the general store on the porch, which isn't a front porch at all -- it's more of a side deck. But you get a good view of the rocks. The menu was more diverse than I would've expected out there in the middle of nowhere, and this was probably the best place we found to eat while in the area over the weekend. When you're in the Seneca/Smoke Hole/Petersburg area, you're really much better off just grilling your own food around a campfire because there aren't many great options that we've been able to find. But Front Porch had very good service and reasonable prices, and we liked the food.
The half-pita was stuffed so full, my girlfriend was glad she didn't order the full one. However, the chips that came with it were just generic plain Lay's -- and I can prove that because you can see into the kitchen where they keep dozens of bags of them lying around in plain view. I had the pizza, which was surprisingly good. They do seem to advertise themselves as a pizza place, and they supposedly make the dough fresh there daily. It was a VERY good dough, and they were pretty generous with the toppings. I really liked it -- BUT, the toppings were all canned, even the mushrooms. If they combined that dough recipe with fresh, locally sourced toppings, this place could potentially be off the chain.
I ordered hot tea and, whereas many places would bring you a selection of several teas to choose from or at least have a green tea, I got the most generic black pekoe tea imaginable. It had zero flavor but tasted a little better when I dumped a few packets of Sweet 'n' Low in it (no Splenda or Truvia here, sorry)! The ice water is DEFINITELY well water. Or maybe just that's how the West Virginia tap water tastes. I didn't actually mind it, but it's noticeable for sure.
If I'm ever back in the area, I'd probably go here and get another pizza, but only because there aren't any good restaurants around and because the only other pizza options are Hunt Brothers and Fox's (both gas station/gift shop chains) and Pizza Hut (ew) back in Petersburg. To sum it up, I'd say you can't go wrong with Front Porch if you're in Seneca because it's probably your best bet, but don't expect anything miraculous.
I see the confusion in the mix of reviews.  This is not fine dining folks.  It is On the porch of an old general sore with an amazing view of Seneca Rocks.  But it is really a  diner that has homestyle cooking with paper place mats.  Atmosphere is country.  The menu generally like that of a roadside eatery...burgers...a lamb sandwich, some subs...country style spaghetti (huge portions with like 7 meatballs)...and the pizza.  I was expecting crappy diner pizza and, instead, YUM.  The crust was chewy, tasty, perfect.  Sweet sauce, canned mushrooms.  It is what it is and it's good.
To the tourists that WV appreciates so much, this is really worth coming to. Â Lower expectations that have been raised by reviews...this is not Wolfgang Pucks...it's not a slick NY pizzeria...it is not a chainly brick oven joint...it is a locally owned mom and pop who has found a really delicious pizza recipe that draws locals and tourists alike. Â With loads of family restaurants along the highway to Dollys Sods and Seneca...that have seen better days, I'd pick here. Â
And, if you want fine dining...go to Elk River Inn in Slaty Fork.Seriously. Â AWESOME.
Seated ourselves at a large table on the deck and checked with the waitress who said it was fine. Â Then the other waitress came and asked us to move back inside. Â We waited twenty minutes for the waitress to reseat us at a table on the deck.
Menu is unimpressive. Â I just got a house salad and their combo app platter which I didn't like because it was served with salsa and not marinara. Â My husband got a meatball sub which looked good, but it was obvious the meatballs are not store made. Â My son got the pizza (pepperoni). Â It was a little short on the pepperoni, but my son said it was OK. Â I guess you can always just go for the atmosphere.
This place is terrible. Â For some reason I had it in my mind that it was awesome and drove all the way from Davis passing many restaurants to eat here. Â I had the famous lamb pita sandwich and it was complete crap. Â It came with generic chips. Â The service was also horrible and everytime the server brought me an ice tea she never put any ice in it, so it was hot. Â And the water is some type of well water that isn't very good at all. Â Then it hit me, last time I was here the year before it was just as terrible and the service was just as bad.
My wife and one of my kids have wheat allergies so there isn't much on the menu so she could pretty much only have the salad. Â We asked if it could be ordered with some grilled chicken on it and they gave her one tiny piece and charged us over $10. Â The side salad that came for free with her $6 meal at the Greenbank Observatory was bigger and tastier than the salad here. Â How sad is that, that a government owned restaurant in a facility where the primary purpose isn't a restaurant offers better, cheaper food with better service? Â Completely sad, we won't be back here. Â
I think our meal...the salad, two teas, the pita sandwhich, and a side of cheese covered Ore Ida potato wedges was over $50. Â Avoid at all costs. Â Drive to Elkins and eat at CJ Maggie's or the Railyard or to Greenbank and eat at the observatory. Â No kids menu either.
Everyone kept telling us to eat here & get the pizza. We ate here since there is NOPLACE else in WV to eat & the pizza was horrible! 2 pizzas, 4 people & nobody liked it. Very greasy, the crust is weird & the pizza is very sweet tasting... we will not eat here again. NOt sure why people like this place? Great view of the rocks though! Very busy area, lots of traffic/people to mingle with. cute country stores if you need a snack or some water.
Review Source:I don't think the pizza is anything special, by a long shot, but after a hard day of climbing it satisfies the hunger. Â The people are nice and the view is spectacular. Â It really doesn't get much better than this place in terms of a post climb hangout spot - that's why I give it four stars - the atmosphere.
Review Source:I crave pizza from Front Porch whenever I head out to Seneca Rocks because it is just that good. The view is amazing as well. Â You can sit there with your buddies pointing out what you did during the day (routes you climbed...trails you hiked) and enjoy the starry night sky.
This place is super chill  with a great BYOB policy.  There's a general store downstairs where you can buy a 6 pack and then carry it up to the restaurant.  How awesome is that?
You can't argue with the location: atop Harper's General Store, the Porch has an incredible view of Seneca Rocks; and it's usually lit up like a postcard in the evening sun as you are dining here. Dining on the porch, soaking in the view, and enjoying your favorite beverage under the BYO policy would all make this place worthwhile if all they served was microwave burritos.
But it turns out the pizza is really good. No, it's downright great. We've gone back and forth for years: Is the pizza great because even shoe leather would be appetizing after a long day of hauling gear and climbing  runout, exposed, sandbag-rated trad classics? Or is the pizza great because it's great. We're pretty sure after this trip that the pizza is simply great. With two families, we ordered 3 different pizzas, and everyone raved about all 3. We even grilled up the leftovers on the campfire next night.  If this place was in Frederick or Westminster - the line would be out the door every night. In the middle of nowhere, with the awesome Appalachian backdrop, it's nothing short of spectacular.
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