It had been more than three years since Mike and I had eaten at Yard House together.
The last time we went, we were there for dinner with a large group. I had worked all day, was tired and really just wanted to go home, so I honestly didn’t remember much about the restaurant or the food.
But there was one thing I remembered about Yard House.
That tomato bisque.
A couple of years later, my workplace ordered lunch from Yard House, and I had the grilled cheese sandwich with tomato bisque. It was amazing.
So when Mike and I were trying to decide where to go for our monthly date day and wanted somewhere we hadn’t visited in a while, Yard House popped into my head.
It was time to go back.
REVIEW AT A GLANCE
Location: California
City: Fresno
Craving: Burgers, Dessert
A Pretty Perfect Spot for Date Day
We arrived a little after 1 p.m. and didn’t have to wait for a table.
We asked for a booth and ended up sitting next to a window overlooking the walkway. It was the perfect spot. We could sit together, look outside and watch everyone walking around enjoying their day.
It felt a little like being in a romantic movie.
Our server, Valerie, came over and took our drink order.
I have this weird thing about drinking something flavored while I’m eating. I don’t know when it started, but I don’t like mixing the flavor of a drink with the flavor of my food.
I usually drink water with my meal. If I do order something else, I have to finish it before I start eating or wait until I’m done.
Strange, I know. But there it is.
Mike didn’t have that problem. Hubby ordered a House Honey Blonde beer.
Mike's Pepper Jack Burger
Mike ordered the Pepper Jack Burger with roasted poblano pepper, pepper jack cheese and chipotle mayo. He chose onion rings for his side.
His burger came out cooked just the way he likes it, well done.
That’s always important with hubby. He likes his meat well done.
I Came Back for the Tomato Bisque
I ordered from the lunch specials and chose two sliders with tomato bisque.
I’d been thinking about that soup since the last time I’d had it, so it had a lot to live up to.
Thankfully, it was just as delicious as I remembered.
My sliders were also perfect. The tomatoes, pickles and arugula came on the side, which worked well for me because I could add exactly what I wanted.
We Couldn't Leave Without Dessert... Well, I Couldn't
Technically, I was already too full for dessert.
That didn’t stop me.
I have a sweet tooth, and I knew there weren’t any sweets waiting for me at home, so I ordered the Mini Trio Sampler Dessert.
It came with three little desserts: Peach Apple Cobbler with caramel ice cream, Cheesecake Brûlée and Chocolate Soufflé Cake with vanilla bean ice cream.
It actually turned out to be the perfect sampler for the two of us. Mike loves cobblers and cheesecake, while I’m the chocolate person.
All three were good.
I’m not even much of a cheesecake lover, and I still liked the Cheesecake Brûlée.
They may have been sampler-sized desserts, but we still couldn’t finish all three.
Apparently, I really was too full for dessert.
Would We Go Back to Yard House?
Absolutely.
This visit gave me a much better impression of Yard House than our first dinner there years earlier.
We had a great booth for our date day, Mike enjoyed his burger and beer, my sliders were good, and the tomato bisque was every bit as delicious as I remembered.
Then we finished it all off by sharing three desserts.
That’s a pretty successful date day to me.
Jen
Jen is one half of Couples Dining Out. She loves pasta, a great salad, and believes dessert should be eaten first because why risk running out of room? She loves trying new places with Mike, but if something looks good on her plate, order your own. She’s not sharing.