Yard House

So we were heading to Hard Rock Live to see a concert and didn’t feel like eating at any of the Universal Studios restaurants and so we took a friend’s recommendation to try Yard House, which was a newer addition to I Drive.

He had worked at the location in Fort Lauderdale and said we would like it, and that we had to order the Mac N Cheese because it was his favorite thing on the menu.

This was enough for us so we headed that way to give it a try.

Once we found it and pulled in we realized that your only option was to valet your car.

This was complimentary and both our drop of and our pick up were both quick and painless.

Then you enter what is technically the back of the building.

As our hostess seated us we noticed that the extremely large bar was the centerpiece of the building and the seating is around the sides of the building.

Décor-wise, the bar is definitely the star of this show, and there were so many beers on draft it was quite overwhelming.

It was also right at happy hour, and we noticed that most of the clientele were clearly business people after work and were there to have a drink.

We were there to eat and at the location we were seated at is actually became a little uncomfortable with the amount of people just standing around the bar.

Note to self – If there is a “next time” then request to be seated as far away from the bar as possible.

The extremely large menu did have several things that sounded good (almost too many) so we decided to just ignore the noise and crowd and just enjoy ourselves.

Our server told us that several of the appetizers were ½ priced for happy hour, so we definitely took advantage of that when we placed our order.

We started with the Onion Ring Tower (happy hour price $4.62)

(beer battered, dusted with parmesan, with chipotle & buttermilk dipping sauces)

They were just Onion Rings, however they tasted pretty decent and there were plenty of them.

Then she ordered the Spicy Tuna Roll (happy hour price $6.47)

(stacked seared rare ahi, avocado, edamame, cucumber and wasabi soy sauce)

Although I don’t eat seafood it did look really pretty and she said the presentation was not at all what she expected but that it was delicious.

Then I decided to take my friend’s advice and order the “smaller” portion of Mac+Cheese.

(chicken breast, applewood bacon, wild mushrooms, cheddar, parmesan, campanelle pasta & truffle oil $11.85)

I did enjoy the flavors and thought it was good, however I did feel guilty after I ate it because of its decadence.

Glad I ordered the smaller portion.

I will say that if I ever go back there are still lots of things on the menu that I would like to try.

The Burgers looked really good, and something else that I like is the fact that they have a full section of Gardein menu items, which is my favorite manufacturer of soy-based proteins (great for vegans who still want to enjoy a burger or fried chicken strips).

I’m sure they will do well here in Orlando, especially with how I Drive is expanding.

Seems like a great place to get a beer or cocktail, and they do have some really tempting menu items, especially if you go and happy hour and can enjoy those cheaper prices.