I should preface this review by confessing that I knew ahead of time that this place was going to be like Tap 42 on steroids. However, I was able to find a few positives that Tap 42 doesn't even come close to.
The Beer:
I bet you didn't guess that all the positives about the Yard House have to do with beer! They have a huge list in comparison to Tap 42 (but they still don't have World of Beer beat), and even though I spotted a few 6-packs in their keg room, I think they either have everything on tap or pour glasses based on size regardless of the vessel it's poured from, since the menu only lists pricing for 'Shortys, Goblet/Pint/ or Half-Yards'. That last one is a questionable choice: I understand it's the gimmick the whole franchise rests on, but in a place that tries to sell high-end food (see below), a bunch of dudes carrying around giant tubes of beer in that environment makes you think your country club was just crashed by a frat house. No sensible man would order a quality craft beer in such a vulgar container.And of course I'm still waiting for someone to start a beer-variety place that DOESN'T waste tap space on Bud, Miller or Michelob. One can dream, can't they?
The Food:
Eh. That's my gut reaction. I had the grilled artichoke appetizer, the Vodka Shrimp Pasta plus had a classic ranch salad on the side.
The artichoke was actually fantastic, but it came with a rather boring garlic aïoli sauce. Doesn't matter though... the artichoke itself was seasoned and perfect without any sauce at all.
I substituted the Ranch dressing on my salad because I have a deep-seated hatred of it. The dressing I chose was a wasabi vinaigrette, but it was almost tasteless. I then asked for their wasabi soy 'dressing' on the side, and man was that good. However, its literally the same soy-wasabi mixture you might make at a sushi restaurant, so it has a hell of a kick.
I ordered the smaller portion of the shrimp pasta because our server said the regular portion was only slightly smaller than a Cheesecake Factory portion, and that's just ridiculous. It came in what I thought was too big a bowl, and clearly had zero effort put into presentation. The sauce wasnt particularly flavorful, the shrimp were somehow the size and shape of a marble (did they chop them up or just serve the tops of them? I couldn't figure it out.), and I was unable to detect the 'dusting of parmesean' promised on the menu.
That being said, the pricing wasn't outrageous. I think it was maybe even cheaper than Tap 42, although Tap 42 definitely puts time and effort into presentation and their food is better and more creative.
The Staff:
Even though there was a 45-minute wait at 7 oclock, we walked right up the a totally packed bar and were asked if we had been helped yet by not one but two bartenders while a third was already getting our order.
I was a little off-put by a practice of denying me a pint glass for a high-ABV beer simply 'because of the alcohol content'. If I order a pint of a beer on tap and you basically tell me that I am not responsible enough to handle a large glass of strong beer (but you're be totally OK with me ordering a second smaller glass of the same beer at the same price as a pint) then guess what? I'm also irresponsible enough to be OK with using your tip money to pay the difference.
The Info: Overall, it was better than I expected. The beer pricing would be considered reasonable anywhere, and therefore SURPRISINGLY reasonable for Mizner Park (unlike Tap 42). The food tried to deliver, but I wouldn't risk ordering a proper steak there if a bad steak ruins your whole evening like it does for me. Great place to people watch, maybe even better than Uncle Julios. Try it at least once if you need someplace new but not too adventurous.
Recommended For:
Seeing and Being seen, Happy Hour, Warming up for Cougar Hunting season at Blue Martini later on, meeting a group of friends, TV sports at the bar
Contact:
Phone: (561) 417-6124
http://www.yardhouse.com
Location:
201 Plaza Real
Boca Raton, FL 33432
