This week I ventured down the street to grab dinner at a new local favorite, Yard House. Located on 126 Brookline Ave, it’s an easy five-minute walk from Simmons University for some quality grub. Yard House is actually a chain that began over twenty years ago in California, and it is rapidly expanding across the country, with six new locations opening this year alone! Yard House is the perfect blend of modern sports bar and cozy sit-down establishment. With comfortable booths, an expansive bar, and an eclectic menu, Yard House has something for everyone.
Upon entering Yard House, the first thing I noticed was the cool atmosphere. Dark lighting aside from the distant glow of flat screens at the bar and the sounds of ACDC set the mood for dinner and a baseball game. The dining room was large and open, offering space for bigger parties, yet held intimate booths along each wall for smaller groups such as myself. Despite not having a reservation, I was politely seated at a nearby table by a kind host in a timely fashion (so if you’re bad at planning or just need a last-minute meal, Yard House is a great option!).
The menus at Yard House are nothing short of monumental. From fruity lambics to coffee porters, the drink list boasts over a hundred different kinds of beer. Organized by taste notes and lightness, navigating the beer list is easy, but choosing just one is another story.
Now what we’ve all been waiting for…
“A little bit of everything” is a phrase that comes to mind when deciding what to eat at Yard House. Appetizers range from fried cheese curds, to sushi, sliders, edamame and more, offering a full variety of flavors that touch every corner of the world. After a brief deliberation and input from my very kind server, I decided to start with the queso. Without delay, a beautiful crock of bubbling cheesy-goodness was delivered to my table and admittedly devoured within minutes. Dabbled with poblanos and chipotle spice, Yard House’s queso was a fantastic commencement to my meal.
If there’s one thing I know about myself at a restaurant, it’s that I’m a pasta-fanatic. So when my eyes fell upon Yard House’s chicken, mushroom, bacon mac and cheese, one thing led to another. The mac and cheese was satisfactory, but certainly not the best I’d had. An issue I often notice with the nostalgic meal is that it can easily become quite boring, lacking complex flavor and missing that home style gooey texture that mom and dad used to nail. My dish seemed to be warm, but not hot, and would have benefited from some more mushrooms, as each bite tasted one dimensional and a little bland. Opting for the larger portion was my biggest dining mistake, as I could barely make a dent in my meal, but hey mini fridges were made for leftovers right?
After boxing up the remainder of my mac and cheese, I somehow managed to clear up enough space in my stomach for dessert. Fairly priced around five to ten dollars each, the desserts had me pretty excited. Using my newfound portion-wisdom, I ordered the “mini chocolate soufflé cake.” To my surprise, the final course was delicious, although I can’t think of anyone who would find warm chocolate cake and a scoop of ice cream as tasting anything but. Comprehensively, I thought the food was well-priced. Appetizers averaged $12 and entrées hovered around $20, making Yard House an upscale stop without having to overstep your budget too much.
Overall, I would give Yard House a 3.5 star rating on a five star scale. Although I appreciated the cool atmosphere, friendly staff, and wide menu selection, I thought the entrées could be more flavor-dimensional. It might be in Yard House’s best interest to focus on perfecting fewer styles of food preparation in an effort to narrow the menu, versus overloading the potential customer with too many subpar options. After all, quality does beat quantity. If you get a chance, give Yard House a try and decide for yourself, I know I’ll be back!