So.... My birthday just passed and I took some downtime just to sit around and do nothing, which equates to a good birthday - ignoring the world and just taking some time for myself. My sister and her husband took me out to Yard House for a birthday dinner. I've been wanting to try their food (yes I know, it's a chain) and I opted for their 5 oz grilled burger with a side salad. Their menu is quite extensive so I had a tough time making a decision, but I haven't ordered a burger since I started eating meat again and thought my birthday would be a good time to do it. Not to mention I also was craving it.
We got there around 6:30 with no wait. Inside is a little dark and the spacing and placement of the dining tables is kind of weird, kind of random.
When they brought out the courses, it was a little disorganized and the server called it a turkey burger... then I clarified and said beef? And his response? Turkey burger, under 600 calories. I'm like okay, turkey and beef is not the same thing, but okay. It's obviously beef. I was a little annoyed - they should know what they are serving their customers... since we ordered it.
Anyway, the burger came with dressing on the side for the salad and the burgers open-faced. I ate the salad first and always save the best for last. The dressing was a little tart, but good. It was salty, but I prefer it that way for a liquidy dressing. The burger came on a potato bun with lettuce, red onions, and a very mild pickle that wasn't overpowering on the burger. I think I would have preferred a more traditional and saltier pickle slice, but it wasn't bad.
I "assembled" my burger and had a tough time cutting it in half. As you can see, the patty didn't really stay together. At all. I might as well ate it with the toothpick still in to hold it all together. It was a little more done than I preferred too. But I still enjoyed it. I'm not a food snob. I'm more of a goat. I eat everything. And then I lick the bowl clean.
The buns were toasted nicely and without any butter, so I guess they really follow the standards for their healthy options. The patty tasted nice and slightly smokey like a burger should be. I think it could have used a smidge more seasoning, but it was still good. Not outstanding, but it was satisfying for a non-unhealthy option. This is coming from a gal who eats baked chicken breast and turkey meatballs everyday.
Okay, so my order didn't come with fries, but I couldn't resist trying some of the fries that came with my sister's dish. It was pretty good! She didn't order the truffle version, just the regular and they are nice and crispy as well as a skinnier fry which I prefer. Wider fries usually are too starchy and I get tired of chewing it. I don't think these were seasoned though. They came naked and even in the picture, you don't really see any salt.
The service was... a little annoying. I appreciate the fact that the waiter really tried, but it was desperate and as though he was trying to make up for his lack of professionalism. He bumped into my 2 year old niece! I mean, she's only two, she could easily fall out of the chair. What did he do, just glance back and waived his hand apologetically while looking onward not to even check she was okay. It was more of a "what did I bump into, whoops" type thing. The waitstaff was pretty amateur.
Would I return to Yard House? I'll give it another shot. But it's what I expected from a chain restaurant.
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