Upscale shopping and dining destination the Village of Merrick Park welcomed the Yard House restaurant and sports bar in May. The Coral Gables location is the second in Florida (the other is in Palm Beach Gardens) and the 25th nationwide.
The 12,000-square-foot restaurant has 130 beers on tap, and a glass-enclosed keg room in the rear of the restaurant houses as many as 5,000 gallons of beer at any given time. In addition to keeping the beer at 34 degrees, stainless steel conduits on the ceiling stretch from the keg room to the central 40-seat bar.
The eatery’s decor mixes warm woods, stainless steel, and bright artwork. Some two dozen plasma screens throughout the dining room show sporting events daily and can be used for presentations during a buyout. The Yard House also has a built-in sound system and a music library of more than 6,000 titles, ranging from classic rock to '80s hits.
The main dining room seats 379, and a 2,258-square-foot patio overlooking the shopping center’s central courtyard can seat an additional 100.
Executive chef Carlito Jocson designed the 100-item menu with a nod to his Filipino heritage. Many of the dishes use flavors of the Pacific Rim in addition to American staples like Southern fried chicken with mashed potatoes and bourbon gravy and mac and cheese with applewood-smoked bacon, truffle oil, and wild mushrooms.
The Yard House can accommodate as many as 482 for receptions and offers a large party menu for groups of 20 or more that can be customized to include a limited- to full-service bar.
