Yard House

This continues part II of the suburban tour at a place filled with old memories (even though The Glen is relatively new). I went to the Yard to meet an old friend and his wife for drinks and food the other week to catch up after a hectic summer. It's an appropriate location since they live in the northwest suburbs and I'm coming from the city. It also happens to be the location where many nights have been spent swapping stories on vacation holidays during the college years. The suburbs are not know for having "bars" to hang out at, so the Yard House become a de-factor hang out whenever we returned from school. Because everyone's schedule allowed, we were able to meet early enough to take advantage of happy-hour - 50% off most appetizers.

We ordered a plethora of drinks and food. If you've never been or heard of the Yard House, they have the most extensive on-tap beer list that I have ever seen (impressive because it's a chain). Everything tasted good and drank well. We were relaxed sitting on their outside patio trading stories and drinking good beer. I don't' know that I've ever been there for a complete "meal," but I'm sure you'd have a good time if you did.

We ordered five appetizers to share and they were sufficient for the entire time. We had a good but not amazing spinach and artichoke dip, Chinese style chicken lettuce cups, fresh poke stack, chicken nachos and a battered shrimp dish. My favorites were the lettuce cups and nachos, though the poke stack wasn't bad. It's hard to compare poke in Illinois having just come from Hawaii and fresh-as-can-be poke. The shrimp dish wasn't bad, but we were full and it was a bit much at the end of our meal. Nachos are hard to mess up and I like the pile-on approach.

That was our meal with lots of good draft beer all-around. The yard house will remain a solid suburban choice for catching up and drinking good beer with friends.