Yard House Irvine
Irvine Spectrum
So it has been about two years since I have been to the Irvine location of the Yard House. Whenever I am at the Spectrum I usually opt for Cheesecake Factory, PF Changs, or Champs. So many great choices that Yard House kind of gets lost in the shuffle. When I was younger the sleek look and loud music of Yard House would have attracted me every time. Oh, the curse of getting old!
Yard House has 26 locations in 10 states. Each restaurant has between 100 to 250 beers on tap. So of course the bar is the main focus of the place, but we are here to sample their food, which deserves some billing also. The menu has great variety and is not your typical bar food. Prices range between 10 dollars to 30 dollars for steak and shrimp.
This was Katie's Mixed Greens salad. At $6.45 it was enough for both of us to share. I really liked the salad, the balsamic vinaigrette dressing was great and this was a nice way to start off our meal.
Okay here is my Blue Crab Cake Hoagie. This sandwich has some of my favorite food items all in one place. Bacon, swiss cheese, avocado, a very good spicy aioli sauce, and of course crab. The strong flavors of this sandwich all mesh together quite well to form a truly great sandwich. The fries are okay but are no match for the over-powering goodness of the sandwich. Job well done on this pick.
Next up was Katie's pick. After a long, hard decision she decided on the Mac + Cheese. This was not your typical blue box mac and cheese. This mac and cheese included big chunks of chicken, chopped bacon, mushrooms, and two kinds of cheeses. And if that does not sound rich enough for you, they also include white truffle oil. Katie had a hard time finishing it, so of course, I had to help her out. I found the dish rich and creamy. It was a really good scene. Katie also liked it.
So if we learned anything about the Yard House it should be that they are just not a bar, they actually have really good food and should not be overlooked when you are at the Spectrum. You just have to be in the mood for loud rock music and dark lighting.
If you would like to get more information about the Yard House, check them out at http://www.yardhouse.com/
Have been to the Yardhouse for lunch in San Diego several times. I agree that it is a better than average chain restaurant, not as noisy at lunch, always crowded.
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