The Front Porch

Leonardtown, United States

4

Closed now

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards
Free Wi-Fi

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 301-997-1009
Website:
thefrontporchmd.com
Address:
22770 Washington St, Leonardtown, MD, 20650
Categories:
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
Yes
Delivery
Yes
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Good For
Lunch, Dinner
Parking
Private Lot
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
Yes
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Classy
Noise Level
Quiet
Alcohol
Full Bar
Outdoor Seating
Yes
Wi-Fi
Free
Has TV
No
Dogs Allowed
Yes
Waiter Service
Yes
Caters
Yes

Today

Today 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Closed now
Local time (Leonardtown) 10:38 AM Monday, June 23, 2025

Business hours

Monday 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Tuesday 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Wednesday 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Thursday 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Friday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Saturday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Sunday –

Description

Specialties

The Front Porch is an intimate restaurant featuring creative American Cuisine located in historic downtown Leonardtown. Set within the Sterling House, we offer casual dining in a cozy atmosphere and our friendly staff delivers gracious service. We serve as a gathering place for the community where all are welcomed to enjoy fresh, quality ingredients at an affordable price.

Our menu includes a broad selection of starters, soups, sandwiches, salads, and entrées. We offer daily specials, feature seasonal ingredients, local produce, and boast an ever changing dessert menu.

The «back room» at The Front Porch showcases over 40 varieties of wine, while our bar presents Specialty Drinks, Boutique beer, along with your traditional cocktails.

We take great pride in our restaurant, the heritage of this house, and we warmly invite you to enjoy The Front Porch at the Sterling House.

History

Established in 2010.

The Sterling House, originally constructed in the 1850’s, is an impressive two-​story, three bay Italianate-​style house.

In 1911, the house was purchased by Lynwood J. and Ruth E. Sterling who then constructed a significant addition to the house. Because of their growing family, the Sterling’s built a Queen-​Anne style turret as well as a rear kitchen. This grand estate was home to the Sterling family and their seventeen children and remained in the family until 2005.

Purchased in 2006, the restoration and renovation into a restaurant was meant to capture and preserve the homes earlier integrity and beauty. Numerous details of the home have remained. Hardwood floors, pocket doors, staircase, moldings and banister are original along with the transoms to the upstairs dining rooms; while the mantels and porch columns are modern replicas of profiles to the Italianate-​style house. The stately exterior was revealed during the remodeling as the peeled façade exposed the depression era yell

Meet the Manager

Jeffrey L.

Manager

Born in Louisville Kentucky.

Vicinity

Near this location:
210
ft
Best Kidz Inflatables
22755 Washington St Ste 322
240
ft
Hair Company
22740 Washington St
270
ft
Kenny’s Flowers
22765 Washington St
300
ft
Oga’s Asian Cuisine
22745 Washington St
330
ft
Crazy For Ewe
22715 Washington St
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ft
Big Larry’s Comic Book Cafe
22745 Washington St

20 reviews of The Front Porch

No registration required
Place rating: 4
Washington, DC
We started going back there about two years ago. I believe it changed ownership. Before the change it was a disappointment. Certainly it was a huge improvement. The food is excellent, good portions and well priced and the staff is attentive. I hope they do well. Leonardtown needs them. Whoever is running the place now has done a great job. Please keep it up.
Place rating: 5
Great Mills, MD
I’ve been to this place two times and both times it was a great experience. The food is great and the servers are very friendly. Everything that my wife and I tried off the menu was very flavorful and we enjoyed, especially our desserts. I always recommend this place to family and friends visiting the area.
Place rating: 3
Upper Marlboro, MD
The ambience was nice. Restaurant floor could have been cleaner. Food was pretty average.
Place rating: 5
Lexington Park, MD
Great spot, good menu, decent price. I know people that come down from PG county to have a nice dinner in a small town atmosphere. Keep up the good work!
Place rating: 3
Omaha, NE
Lunch was good.
However, overheard a conversation with one of the staff members and manager/​chef — let’s be honest and modest with ourselves — you’re not the only restaurant/​chef In town and you’re not the only reason why business has picked up recently because «I’m the only chef in town.»
Get over yourself.
Place rating: 5
Ramona, CA
For sure my favorite spot in SOMD. Been here many times and everything ive had has been outstanding. Burger Wednesday is awesome. The quality of the beef is unmatched down in slower lower. From Scallop risotto to braised pork shanks it hits the mark in my opinion. Wish they had a bigger selection of beers on tap, but the ones they have are fantastic.
Place rating: 2
Accokeek, MD
We had reservations for 11 ladies for their Tea. The restaurant is an old home. Perfect spot for a tea and the website made it look amazing. We were seated upstairs (note to self: should have told them we have some ladies with stair issues). Note to the manager, whoever takes the reservation needs to ask if we would like to dine up or downstairs. When we entered our private dining room the table was set with the tea service and food family style. After we were seated the server left. In my years of both catering tea’s and attending them I expected the server to ask what tea we would like and pour the tea. None of that happened plus both teas were cold, weak and had a lot of leaves floating in the water. The food was delicious but the pastry’s were cut in minuscule pieces and dumped on a serving plate. The scones were flat like a cookie. The fruit and cheese plate consisted of a spiral slice apple and a few wedges of cheese. Where’s the strawberries and grapes? One plate for 9 ladies? Since there were no spoons for our tea and water I had to go downstairs to fetch our server. In fact, I had to go downstairs many times to fetch our server for items forgotten. When it came time to pay, the server said even though we had reservations for 11 and 9 showed up they would not charge for the other two. Well, there is nothing on the website about that. The website did say that it’s $ 16.95 pp that will cover the menu planning. I wish I had thought of asking about the menu planning part. But, isn’t that their job. As it turned out we had ham and cheese sandwiches. As a rule, we don’t eat ham and cheese. I was very disappointed in the service and tea service. There is great potential for a proper tea at the Front Porch. They need to make some changes as to how it should be executed.
Place rating: 4
Leonardtown, MD
I love the atmosphere of this restraunt. More than the food itself, eating here is enjoyable because you truely can just relax and enjoy your meal. It is great for a casual outing or for business.
I also enjoy coming here in the evening simply for hot chocolate or desserts.
Place rating: 5
Lexington Park, MD
A very quaint location. Located inside a colonial-​style home, our group was immediately taken to a private room on the second floor. The staff was always attentive and, while I did not order any food, the drink selection and the plates brought out to others looked and smelled delicious.
If anything, the ambiance alone is more than enough to make you want to come back. Coupled with great food options, I’m certain this place is worth the trip. Definitely recommended.
Place rating: 5
Carrollton, TX
Food and drink are excellent! Extensive wine list. Excellent Old Fashion. Had the Crab dip appetizer which is very tasty. Then the Scallops with jalapeño risotto and the Pan Seared Rock Gish topped with a Maryland ran Cake. Delish!
Place rating: 5
Hollywood, MD
I ate here with my wife and three children on Christmas Eve. We have dined hear many times for lunch and a couple of dinners and it has always been a good experience, but this was so good I had to finally write a review. They have an interesting menu that covers standard fare to more adventurous and imaginative offerings. I had the quail over risotto and it was delicious. They also have a very imaginative selection of specialty cocktails. I really enjoyed the negroni. The service was very attentive and accommodating, some of the best service I ever received at a restaurant, other than super fine dining. I also really like the special burger menu they have for lunch on Wednesdays (I believe). Down here in Southern Maryland we are actually blessed with a few choices for fine/​finer dining than the chain restaurants, and this is definitely one of them.
Place rating: 4
Leonardtown, MD
We had a staff dinner with my office here twice in recent months and enjoyed it both times. The food came quickly and was fantastic with first rate service. If you are in the Leonardtown, MD. area take the time to stop by and enjoy a quality dinning experience… try the lamb chops! Beats the chain restaurants hands down!
Place rating: 4
Leonardtown, MD
Went for lunch on a Saturday. Good food. I was surprised at the food quality. The service was so so.
Place rating: 5
Ventura, CA
We arranged to have our son’s Rehearsal Dinner at The Front Porch in mid — October and were delighted. Until the month prior to the date everything was decided long distance. Jeff made himself available and was very helpful in choosing menus, appetizers and drinks. He answered my many questions with great patience.
The room upstairs accommodated us nicely and was cozy… lighting and music were perfect.
We chose Salmon Crab Scampi; Prime Rib, and Chicken Chesapeake for the main courses. All were delicious, nicely seasoned and cooked perfectly. Gluten Free… No problem! Several main courses are gluten free. Vegetarian??? No problem. Children’s Menu??? — Yes of course! And it was not a problem to vary from our 3 chosen main courses for those with special dietary needs.
Appetizers …crab dip and beef bruschetta… were also tasty and plentiful. Dessert was Chocolate Crème Brulee and was to die for.
The servers who were assigned to our party were outstanding! They were attentive and pleasant and always nearby if we needed anything.
My son and I had lunch on the Porch in September and my husband and I had dinner in the downstairs Dining Room the week prior to the wedding. Both times were pleasant and the food wonderful.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for a wonderful Rehearsal Dinner!
Place rating: 4
Denver, CO
Had a terrific meal here. Our server Brendan was great!
Two of us dining, ordered crab pretzel with was OK and decent size for a starter. Next we had the Lamb Chops and the Fried Turkey Pot Pie. The lamb was ordered medium-​rare but came medium. tasted great and although overcooked was still super tender. The pot pie was fantastic. Great veggies and chunks of meat. Awesome flavor from the seasoning. Had bread pudding for desert. It was a touch dry for my liking but good overall. Good bottle of wine. Will be back for sure, especially for the lack of home-​style restaurants in this area.
Place rating: 3
Alexandria, VA
I do not recommend the quiche.
So far the ambience of the restaurant is what compels me to return.
The hostess told me the first time there was a lunch menu I should return for, but today it was the same menu & pricing I had for dinner.
Place rating: 3
Winston-Salem, NC
Visiting here on business and was pointed here by my customer. The facility looks amazing and should have potential. However, I was unimpressed with the «Chilled Seared Tuna Wonton» appetizer. As quickly as it appeared I wonder if it was pre-​made well in advance of my arrival. The Wontons that the appetizer were served on tasted stale and were extremely hard to eat, I only had a couple and discarded the rest.
The service was ok, but the staff seemed more interested in themselves more than the customers. I may give it another try, but I’m not overly impressed after my first visit.
Place rating: 4
Mechanicsville, MD
I’m a regular here, for both lunch and dinner, and every time is wonderfully great.
Service is consistently quick, personable, and sometimes quite extraordinary– you know when you get a hilarious and sassy waiter or a super knowledgeable waitress– and the dining experience is casual, warm, and friendly.
Food is DELISH. I got one thing for dinner and I never get anything else now — Rockfish Hemingway is the way to go. Seasonal alcoholic drinks are always interesting and not for the faint of flavor.
For lunch, I always go with the quiche of the day (ALWAYS HEAVENLY) and do a side salad with the balsalmic — delicious, fresh, and perfectly crisp. The Front Porch Salad is great as well!
I really do love the atmosphere, and the local, fresh, vibe of the food is just what I search for when I try to eat local. Try it out!
Place rating: 3
Alexandria, VA
The cute little house the restaurant resides in gives a very home-​y vibe, which is comfortable and friendly.
The waitress was nice, although she didn’t check in with us often so we say with empty drinks and an uncooked steak for a while. The black bean soup is amazing, and they have delicious bread there. The crab bruschetta was somewhat bland, and they put salt on the center salad which I felt was unneeded and made the salad kind of nasty.
Overall okay experience.
Place rating: 4
Washington, DC
Tucked away in the county seat of Saint Mary’s is Leonardtown’s The Front Porch, an 1850s-​constructed building, also called The Sterling House. Out front is a sign that says it’s a «place to dine and unwind» — music to my ears!
A group of us walked in for supper and were warmly greeted by the hostess. Seated upstairs in a room with three other tables, you quickly remember that The Front Porch is a house converted to a restaurant and it’s really cool to mill around checking each room.
We started with apps: their crab dip and Southern pork and beef spring rolls. I was blown away by their crab dip. It’s shareable, and it came with plenty of lightly toasted slices of bread. Their spring rolls were so tasty and delicious, I could’ve just had that for my meal. My friends had the sirloin strip and me, still having a craving for crab had the Rockfish Hemingway, a pan-​seared and blackened rockfish topped with a crab cake. My little seafood plate was so delicious, the plate was clean! Now I’m normally not a dessert fan, but I had their bread pudding. It was the perfect end to my meal.
Service here was pleasant and came with smiles all around. If you’re visiting the southern Maryland area, come ‘dine and unwind’ at this charming restaurant in Leonardtown.