Yard House

bradybeer

California

4.2/5  rDev +19%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

Located in the newly minted rich shopping area known as Santana Row it is hard to miss this place with the multitudes of people who were coming in on Friday at about 5pm.

Atmosphere was like a large sports bar with music blaring. Not my kind of thing as it made talking to my friends difficult at best.

The quality of the beer selection was good. Off hand I remember they had two Grand Teton, two 21A beers including hop crises, two FW beers including Union Jack, A few Laguanitas including 15, they had three North Coasts including Old Rasputin, and a number of other solid craft beers on tap. They also had a handful of Belgium etc.

Service was very good and attentive. Selection very good and deep. The calmari and the spinach dip were good and I was there at happy hour which was reasonable.

I would mos' def return. Yeah it is a chain, but if they are this good I can look past this.

08-29-2011 14:56:25 | More by bradybeer

ThreeWiseMen

California

2.86/5  rDev -19%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 2.5 | $$$

Stopped in here with some friends on the afternoon of July 3, 2011. Following review written a few days after that experience.

This is the first Yard House I've ever been to, though I've heard things about the chain and had a vague idea of what to expect going in. While the beer selection was very large (~120 taps), it was also thin. I saw a lot of BMC and lower-end craft offerings, and I didn't spot any local or rare(r) beers. Also, the prices were steep: $6+ for a pint of domestic craft or import. The "half yard" glass might be a slightly better deal ($/oz.), but who wants to drink beer from a carnival cup. The bar's interior is open and spacious, and flaunts modern-industrial decor. Finally, the service was slow and not very beer savvy. All in all, that sums up my experience at Yard House on Santana Row.

The "more is better" mantra may work well with some crowds, but it doesn't do much in the craft beer community. Maybe other Yard Houses offer better beer selections, but I don't plan on finding out anytime soon.

07-26-2011 05:11:31 | More by ThreeWiseMen