As a frequent customer, I’m basing my opinions on many different occasions. None of this “the one time I went sucked” nonsense. I give it four stars because I’m thoroughly pleased, but I see a few places it doesn’t excel at. But it’s mostly good. Here we go.
HIGHLIGHTS
BEERS ON TAP: How am I supposed to go back to bottles and cans?! A beer for EVERYONE here, even beer blends like snakebites, velvets, and whatnot. I love a good Killian’s, Moose Drool, Blue Hawaiian or Paulaner Hef. If you like cocktails, they’ve got plenty of tasty mixes, too… Try having them all in one night!* Also, I believe they offer a complimentary non-alcoholic drink for the D.D. That almost makes it worth it to draw the short straw.
FOOD: I’ve tried a lot of different things here. Fantastic burgers and fries (avocado/swiss or pepper jack stand out the most), much better than your average restaurant burger. As far as entrees go, I’m into the Asian dishes, the chicken rice bowl being my fave (I always add a side of their Wasabi-soy sauce, AMAAAZING). The appetizers are always great, especially their interesting variations on the CALIFORNIA or SPICY TUNA ROLL, which sit on the plate in a circular shaped layered stack. The tuna roll has layers of edamame and cucumber, then delicious ahi tuna, topped with a thick layer of avocado. The firecracker wings aren’t as spicy as I was expecting, but are sweet and tangy with a kick. The spinach/cheese dip is hot, melty, and very tasty with giant crispy flatbread chips. Prices ain’t cheap, but they certainly aren’t overly ridiculous…. unless you go during…
HAPPY HOUR: Mon-Fri 3-6pm, and Sun-Wed 10pm-12am. God bless this wonderful time where myself and buddy or date can enjoy a few beers, and some great appetizers (at least 3) for little more than $30! DRINKS AND APPETIZERS FOR HALF PRICE?!?! I don’t think I’ve ever been happy for something that has the word “Happy” in its title.
SERVICE: Not perfect, still great, though. I can always ask my servers about menus or drinks and get a decent opinion on them, or sometimes even an excellent recommendation, if you like trying new things (which I always do). Where things get a little sloppy is during really busy bar times, where beers have been known to take a while to get to your table or even completely disappear in the rush, but overall, the service is great at keeping up with your table. They are always extremely likable, too. Hmm… suspiciously likable…
ATMOSPHERE: Pretty full on weekends, but if the group is small (4 or so), waiting usually isn’t longer than 20 minutes. Televisions everywhere for sports nights, and the tunes pump loud and proud, with a lot of great music from the past few decades (especially 90′s) that have been known to get the crowds singing along. The “outdoor” patio is well-covered, lit, and heated on cold evenings, with smoking allowed after 10pm. A fun place to be with a lot of friends. Oh, and also, if you want to talk, you’ll spend a lot of time raising your voice to people across the table, the music is pretty loud sometimes.
In conclusion, the Yard House delivers pretty consistently on so many levels, happy hours, appetizer choices, and most importantly BEER!!! One of my favorite places!!
*Don’t actually try tasting them all in one night. I learned the hard way.
