Finally got to try their food this afternoon. I had the "morning after burger" and it was great. Cooked perfectly and the add-ons made it really tasty. Our waitress Jen was also great!
(5)
Susie T.
I loved it here! This spot totally reminded me of your typical philly bar. Of course it helped a lot that our waiter was a HUGE fan of my alma matter, but I digress. The food and drinks were SOOOO cheap! (Like "is this really our bill?!" cheap) The staff was great and my eggplant parm was delish. Everyone enjoyed their meals, and those that couldn't finish asked for theirs to go (always the sign of a good meal).
(5)
Ginger W.
We came up for a short ski trip and found this place on yelp. Thank goodness for yelp!! This place is fantastic. Everything we ordered was top notch (chips and dip, pretzels, pulled pork, buffalo chicken nuggets.... Not to mention the fabulous beer!!). Our waitress Jackie was so attentive and even picked up on the fact it was our sons bday and put candles in his dessert! Would recommend this place to anyone who visits the area!!
(5)
John M.
Great space, lots of beer good decor, owner appears to be a Notre Dame fan. What else could you ask for? Out group's meals were all great, from the meatball to the burgers, and all the other assorted foodstuffs. The actual 'backyard' looked great but we were all a little tired from shredding some epic Montage powder, otherwise we probably would have hung out there longer. I understand this place is new - it's great now and will only improve, I'm sure.
(5)
Michael B.
If your looking for obscure beers this is the best bar in a 30 mile radius at least that you will find them and you will find a very vast selection. Hundreds of beers to choose from and the prices are good. Food could be better but this is the best bar/restaurant in town with the biggest beer menu.
(4)
Tim O.
Probably the best gastropub for beer selection (550 bottles) with another 30 or so on tap. Great menu and incredibly fresh food. I certainly didn't expect this in Scranton.
(5)
Laura H.
Service was excellent. Food even better. Portions were good value. Chili, salmon gyro, ma meatloaf, homemade chips; then finished with smooth and creamy pumpkin ice cream. Yummmmy....
(5)
Mike A.
Great pub grub at an affordable price. When we wandered in here with friends we were surprised at the quality of food, awesome beer selection and fun atmosphere. I will definitely go back for a fun and entertaining evening.
(5)
Tim H.
Banjo Pig Cuban sandwich was huge & delicious. Nice back yard patio. Huge beer selection. Highly recommended.
(4)
Giuseppe M.
AMAZING!!!!! Place with excellent service, had an Amazing Rock Band playing called Mace in Dickson!!! Love this place and the food was outrageously delicious!!! But you will get carded at the door, but the atmosphere was Excellent, Bartender was on point with drinks and friendliness OUR NEW PLACE!!!!! It's a must go!!!
(5)
Kerry W.
Food is really good and a never ending selection of beer. Definitely worth trying the food if you are there
(4)
Kayla B.
A pretty good beer selection. I had the clam chowder and simple salad. Both were also decent. I expected the chowder to be better. I would have also expected a chilled glass for my beer, but got them at room temperature. I would definitely recommend this place. I would go back and try more food options if I were going to be in town longer.
(4)
Angela G.
I've been here a few times for beers with friends, and the atmosphere was always pleasant and fun. Lots of beers from which to choose, decent prices. Recently, I visited for dinner AND drinks and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of their food and the interesting takes on "pub food" they had listed on their menu. They had a really great skillet mac and cheese, and their other specials looked super good. I will definitely consider coming for more than beers the next time I'm in town.
(4)
Paul P.
This has become a regular lunch/happy hour spot. Service is pretty good, LOVE the food (despite forthcoming contradictory criticism), and it's a bar where you're not going to be overrun with students (more faculty and staff enjoying a beer than anything). I think the menu could be expanded a little. Had the nachos one time, they were totally ON POINT! However, I haven't seen em on the menu since. Maybe something in the a chicken finger basket or pretzels with cheese family would be an improvement. Don't get me wrong, it's an A-/B+ restaurant and worth the fairly reasonable prices!
Backyard Ale House has by far the best burgers I have ever tried. This in combination with their many craft beers on tap with their EXCEPTIONALLY HUGE bottle list. How could you go wrong! All the employees are fantastic, attentive, and knowledgeable in knowing their food and beer menus both forwards and backwards. If I could come in here everyday without going broke. I'd do it. And more than once a day. People, please come here and experience one the best food + craft beer establishments you'll ever witness. I promise you will not regret a single thing.
(5)
Meredith S.
If I could not give them any stars I would. I have highly disappointed in this bar/restaurant. We were in town for the night and were told by two different people to check this place out. EVERY person who worked there that night was rude and not helpful. We waited at the bar to just order drinks for about 15 mins with two female bartenders just standing and talking to each other. We called a male worker (I think the bar back) over and ordered but never got our drinks. Finally a table opened and we moved over, however one of us waited at the bar for drinks (at least another 10 mins). NO ONE came over to take our food order. We decided that we would not stay and when we were ready to leave a waitress came over and asked if we needed another drink. I was so angry and told her we were leaving (food menus still out on the table). I would never go back here or recommend this place!!!!!!!
(1)
Maggie O.
Beers and scenery at this place is great and bar service is usually good but dining here is a different story. Warning ...I LOVE brunch! Bloody Mary and breakfast for $10 sucks me in every time but the service... Or lack thereof is such a disappointment. Once you finally place an order and get a drink... 20+ mins after seating .... Food takes a while and then you're still waiting on toast or something else that forgot .... And then you don't see your server again....ever. Now big Part of the brunch appeal for me is getting drunk accidentally and forgetting that you have work tomorrow.... This is best achieved by enjoying the leisurely attention of someone willing to seduce me with champagne and pastries.... that zen place is hard to find when you have to go on an expedition to get a refill and no one is offering up alternatives to rejoining a productive life. Upside is the bill is always low because no one waited on you so you don't order much..... Which is a shame because the quality of food and booze is great.... Just not easily acquired or enjoyed.
(3)
Jason C.
These Folx must know that Ale Mary's is the competition. But lucky for them, Ale Mary's is closed on Tuesday. So it's wings night at the Backyard. I wish I had some friends in the area so we could try 5 sauces on 5 wings (25 wings) for $14. I had to settle for 10 of their hottest wings. Good spice and flavor, but not that spicy for my deranged palette. Also on Tues nights is their beer tasting flight. 5 selected beers (4oz pours) for $5. Great selection - but my only complaint is that they're in plastic cups (c'mon guys, invest in some fracking 4 oz glasses) and the poor wait staff has to bring them out one by one? I didn't try much other food, other than a fresh salad, but the space and the atmosphere here is great.
(4)
Tory W.
Awesome place with AMAZING beer selection....apparently they just added a food menu, definitely a good idea. Their food was really good and the waiter had great ideas of what we should get to eat. Definitely will stop back here next time I'm in the area!!!!!!
(5)
Guy F.
Not bad, pretty redundant beer selection for an ale house. Appetizer came out cold. Not bad, not great. Edit: to the owner, great customer service comes with a reliable repeatable process. Rather than putting the onus on customers to correct your staff, encourage your manager to ensure the hot food is hot. I'm aware that because I think something, others may think something else. It's just like... My opinion man. However, claiming you have x amount of beer selections available... And of those there are a limited amount of styles... You are limited in your selection. Personally, I don't go to an ale house for a bottle. But again, dude quote holds up here. Disclaimer: if I were you I'd carry the beers that sold... And I don't see your sales reports so if that's what drives draft spots, keep the lights on. Good on you for caring, most don't. Unsolicited advice: lose the part where you "wish I would have said something." Id go more with, "my bad, we'll use it to get better." Nice place you have, very nice staff too. -Guy F
(3)
Michael R.
This place is very cool and trendy. I recommend the bloody mary brunch on Sunday. Two thumbs up! Great beet selection as well.
(5)
Jessi G.
Backyard has always been a great bar for beer selection and atmosphere. A few months ago they started serving food and I was really pleased! Try the tin can fries and the wings on Tuesday. They are incredible! I wish the service was a little better (sometimes I feel like the servers are just goofing off and taking their time, which is fine when I'm not in a hurry but not so great for lunch), but all in all a really solid place for drinks, watching sports, and snacks.
(4)
Julie F.
One of my favorite places to grab drinks as an upper classman at the University of Scranton. They have tons of great beers on tap and I always enjoyed trying new ones. Always keep a look out for the events they have going on. They have beer tastings on Tuesdays, live music on the weekends, and they have an Oktoberfest beer tasting in the fall. While I wasn't able to try out much of their food, I did have the burger and it was pretty awesome. Wish I got to try other dishes they had to offer
(5)
Mike P.
Best friend & I visited Scranton the weekend of January 25th. This bar was close to our hotel, was recommended by our hotel bartender, and had great Yelp reviews. So we decided to check it out on a Saturday night. We had a great time. There were two extensive beer lists: one bottled, one draft.. The beer was cold, and moderately priced. Our bartender, Jessica C, was friendly and provided outstanding service. In addition to the regular bar area, the bar features a "back yard" which has a huge tent over it in the winter time, with heaters. We never felt cold or like we were outside when we ventured into this area. Overall, this was a great bar! Tip: There is a blackboard next to the front bar. Check this board for specials each night!
The waitress was rude. That should have been the first clue that we should have just had drinks and moved on to somewhere else. My Daughter And I ordered medium rare hamburgers and they came out barely cooked. My daughter could only eat 1/2. I ate all of mine but worried about being sick afterwards. I would avoid the food in this place and stick to drinking.
(2)
Wayne D.
Whenever I come to visit my daughter at school, we stop here for a bite. The food is great and service just fine. Would like to see more entrees with low calorie options and healthier selections. Will miss it when she graduates and comes home.
(4)
James N.
Fun place to hang out and have some drinks.... Will definitely be going back when in town!! Just wish the kitchen stayed open later
(4)
Annie Louisey M.
Two because the beer list is so good and the place has potential. The missing stars are for the lack of service, detail, and flavor of food. It's a little painful watching how dissatisfied people are. One guy fingered his burger while yelling "Does this look medium rare!?" Note, it was the second burger sent out over-done to same guy who waited 45 minutes. New cook? Our experience: bubbly server left mid-operation and never notified us, or her colleagues. The food was really bland, even the recommendation. Pretzels were good though. Tip to manager, don't do tip share or whatever is going on that is not motivating employees, train your cook, and work on energy/ambiance.
(2)
Nearme Y.
Consistent, with good Service. Glad they added food to the establishment because it compliments the atmosphere well.
(5)
Kait H.
An insane selection of beers, with an impressive number on tap. Food was very good, with a wider selection than I expected. I wish they offered flights. I will be back.
(4)
Cody Y.
Exceptional craft beer selection. Nice weekend crowd! Only place around I could find Springhouse Brewery's Satan's Bake Sale at!
(4)
Rich B.
Been there a bunch of times. Its a nice central Scranton location right across from city hall. Theres a front section and a back section. Sometimes they play classic movies in the back area. They played Spaceballs there one nice and I almost cried that I missed it. Tuesdays is beer tasting. My brother in law goes to inhale their wings, which are apparently delicious since its all he gets. I like their burgers and their pretzel app. Tons of TVs too if you want to watch Syracuse basketball like the rest of Scranton.
(4)
Chantel B.
Backyard is still really struggling with being a bar that is also trying to be a restaurant. Went to the advertised brunch today and probably the only things that saved the experience was a seriously fantastic Bloody Mary and some killin' omelettes. For three people to have three omelets and a single drink it took well over an hour. Read that again. It took 15 minutes after seating for someone to take our drink order, another 10 minutes for 2 drafts to be brought out, and yet another 10-15 minutes for someone to bring my drink and take our order. OVER THIRTY minutes before we placed our food order. Then, about 20 minutes later when our food finally came the home fries were cold and soggy. Clearly they sat around. Like I said, at least the omelettes were perfect. This review would have probably been 1 star without them.
(3)
Peter M.
Update to my review, everything in the previous review still stands with the addition of AWESOME food. BYAH just opened their kitchen just a few months ago and I can't understand why they didn't go into the food business earlier. Seriously, you can't even really consider it bar food. Huge sandwiches, tasty appetizers and crazy good hand cut fries. Try the Banjo Pig Cuban Sandwich, its killer. I have a healthy appetite to say the least but I could not finish my sandwich. Everything was hot and fresh. The kitchen does close earlier than you would expect a bar kitchen to (I think 9PM even on weekends) so don't show up expecting to get drunk food at 11:30. Tables are at a premium so you may have to wait if you have a larger group.
(5)
Kyle E.
Meh. Great beer selection but prices are a bit high(I know you're thinking I'm cheap but fuck you, I'll pay whatever for a good beer as long as it's fair) and the bartenders aren't all that knowledgeable about craft beers. I was there one afternoon and asked the bartender to recommend a good hoppy beer and he recommended Leinenkugels Summer Shandy(fucking Lemon Pledge tasting swill, FYI)! Anyway, the outdoor area is definitely a good spot for some day drinking when the weather's nice. UPDATE 8/2/2014 I've eaten here twice since my original review and the menu and the food are both great. Changing my score from 3 to 4 stars.
(4)
Dan A.
They have every beer you've ever wanted and more that you didn't know existed. The service is fantastic and the food is unbelievable. Do yourself a favor and get the fries with the cheddar-ale dipping sauce.
(5)
The Meepers G.
I believe this to be my third review of this business. This will be my last, as I will not be returning. I took a few days to think about this review, and I could not find one saving grace about my last and ultimately final experience here. My last encounter with this bar staff took place on Friday January 31, 2014. Several of my friends started their evening out there, so I met them. I arrived around 7 p.m. I missed happy hour, no big deal there. The Ale House was still in dinner service and the tables were all full, but the bar was pretty empty. I was greeted by a friend sitting at the bar, having a pint. Talked to him for a short period of time and got a beer at the bar. This should have been my first indication. A $6 beer cost me $8... OK this bar was always terrible with over charging. I then sauntered over to the table where the friends I was there to meet were sitting. After a while of the pleasantries, I look down in a fit of despair. My pint was infact empty. This being a terrible situation to find oneself in, I made the decision right then and there to make it my lifes mission to replenish my beer. Off I went. I journeyed over to the bar, where at this point the only three patrons occupying bar stools. They being my friend and two people he was with. With myself at the bar that made FOUR people with three bartenders standing behind the bar. All three looked at me, one was no more than four feet away, and none of them served me. Now to be clear, I had my EMPTY pint glass on the inside edge of the bar and a $10 bill in my hand up in the air like an S.O.S call for beer if you will. I stood there for at least 5 minutes (this is the only kind remark I will make in this review, because I was there for longer than 5 minutes and it certainly felt like an eternity) before a bartender came over to take my order. SIDEBAR: This is the second time the bar was dead and I stood there for an extended period of time while being ignored by the bar staff at this establishment. Though last time I waited for nearly 20 minutes with only two other partons at the bar. After I finally got a bartender I was poured a different pint of life saving ale. Thankfully it is winter and not the dead of summer. Otherwise I may have died from dehydration while waiting so long for my again extremely over priced pint. Again I ordered a beer in the $6 range and was charged $8.50. After this last pint, I did what I can only say took all the strength of 50 men to do. I refrained from drinking yet another overpriced pint and standing abandoned at the bar while bartenders look, but do not touch tap handles. I did this for a half an hour or more waiting begrudgingly in this establishment for my friends to finish up so we could move on to greener pastures. And there are many, many, many, many, many greener pastures in town. Several only a pint glass lob away from this very address. So to recap. Service at the Backyard Ale House- If I could give them ZERO stars I would. I will admit I have had OK (but never even close to average) service here at times,. But the bad service has been more frequent than the acceptable service. Even with a bar devoid of customers and fully stocked with bartenders, one will still wait for service for a long time. Price at the Backyard Ale House. Again I would give ZERO stars if that was an option. Always over priced. I recommend you take a walk around either corner to Adams or Washington to get a much better bar experience. Their prices are right and the service is.... well there is actually service. A note to management, do not ask me to re-review your bar again. I will not. Edit 2-6-2014: In regards to the comment below. I do not want to be miss leading . This third review, I was not asked to re-review The Backyard Ale House. My second review I was contacted and asked to do a re-review. This review was based on my own urge to do another review.
(1)
Michelle C.
The great beers continue to flow at Backyard Ale House (as does the amazing people watching, which is just a bonus). Recently, my mom and I went up together and the tradition of paying a visit continued. The draft list was killer for early summer, featuring Hell or High Watermelon, a very tasty blueberry wheat beer, and several pale ales and IPAs. My mom's night was set when she ordered her third(ish) brew of the night, Green Flash's Palate Wrecker, a 9.5% IPA that was served - yep, in a pint glass. Kid tested, mom approved.
(5)
Robert G.
This is my go to bar on the weekends, partly because it does a lot of things well, and partly because downtown (believe it or not) is lacking in this type of scene. The positives of BYAH: fanstastic selection of craft/micro brews. The bottle list is HUGE and they usually have approx 20 or so beers on tap; I can't remember the last time they've charged a cover; it's not a "dance club" type of place so the nonsense is kept to a minimum; the "backyard" part of the bar is awesome during the warmer months and there is a heated tent up during the cold; the inside part of the bar has enough tables if you get there early enough; the service is generally speedy and has knowledge of the beers they serve. The biggest negative I can find is that BYAH still allows smoking in the backyard part of the bar. This is not really a problem in the summer, but it is absolutely unbearable for a non-smoker when the tent is up. You need to shower immediately upon leaving and possibly throw your clothes away. I've had smoke hangovers the day after going, it's that bad. I understand the business aspect of allowing smoking, but if that doesn't appeal to you, plan on getting there early on the weekends so you can get a spot in the inside bar. The only other small complaint is that, while they do a good job rotating their drafts, the draft selection is usually dominated by ales. I'm not big on bitter beers and they rarely have many lagers available. Not the biggest deal in the world, but something to know if you plan on going for the beer.
(4)
Eleni P.
Pretty cool spot...I'm from New York so I was skeptical when a friend suggested this place....it's actually very popular and they have so many beers that I was lost on what to order. Def a spot to check out if you're in the area. And there's a club right next door which everyone seemed to go to when it got later. They also have an outside bar .
(4)
Jessica B.
Excellent beer selection, it's ridiculous. Beer tastings on Tuesdays are a great way to sample out-of-the-ordinary beers and find new favorites. Staff is always friendly and attentive. Saturdays are packed with a mixed crowd. Definitely an area favorite!
(4)
C W.
It's a nice bar with a nice outside patio. Their drinks are reasonable. Last I knew there was no kitchen, so don't plan on eating here. The clientele is usually decent to be around, usually laid back, not rowdy, trashy, or scummy.
(4)
Erik B.
Sunday to 2PM $8 brunch and a draft. I got the egg casserole and a draft. I will be back!!
(5)
Kevin M.
I met a pal here after a job one Saturday afternoon in late October. The place was quiet, with maybe 10 other patrons. Those looking to pick up something other than a pint might have been disappointed but it suited us fine. The decor is nothing special but more than adequate for our needs. We sat at the "Inside" bar. The Backyard Ale House has another bar in an adjoining tented-in area which might be the source of the name. The Outside provides something of a rarity in 21st century Pennsylvania--a bar for smokers. I don't know if the place is in compliance with the Commonwealth's laws governing smoking in public but I imagine this area is a real bonus for those who enjoy cigs and suds. I couldn't detect smoke where I drank when there were a few puffing away. I do wonder if a full tent might be a problem for tobacco-sensitive folk. Pictures on the bar's website show that section sans tent which could be quite nice in warmer times. The Backyard Ale House's printed draft menu was split into Inside and Outside listings with 20 for the former and 6 for the latter. The broad selection offered a good variety of styles. That day 5 of the 20 Insiders were Marzens or pumpkin ales. Only 1 mainstream offering diluted the group. Many beers were new to me, which is always a plus. I went with Belgian-style IPAs, Evil Genius Beer's Evil Eye PA and Clown Shoes' Tramp Stamp. For the record, I liked the Tramp Stamp better but did feel a little funny when I told the bartender "I need another Tramp Stamp." The Backyard Ale House also had an extensive bottle list. I would definitely return should I find myself back in the Electric City.
(4)
Shelley P.
The Ale House is a decent bar. If you're looking for the college bar scene, try here. It's right next to U of Scranton. If you've never been here, you probably wouldn't know there's a huge patio in the back. Even if it rains, there's a portion of the patio that's covered so you can still have a good time outdoors. If I was closer to the Scranton area, I would come back.
(3)
Brian E.
Really nice spot to hang with friends. This place has over 500 beers available! Wish they had better parking, but that's a curse for any bar owner in that area so can't blame em. Well worth stopping by.
(3)
Scott B.
Backyard Ale House opened in the space right next to Tinks. The scene is mostly college kids with a few older folks as well. This is definitely a place for the beer connoisseur. They have about 10 beers on tap as well as several dozen bottle beers. If you're not into beer they also a pretty wide selection of liquors and martinis as well... Even though they were packed the bartenders seemed pretty chill and attentive. One pretty cool thing about this is the layout... there is the bar area in the front with seating along the walls and a few huge LCD TV's but the have an outdoor section as well. This was essentially set up as a big tent in their backyard. The tent is heated and smoking is allowed back there. So as not to have you feeling 'let out in the cold' they actually have two beer stands serving beer back there... not only Coors Light but surprisingly Magic Hat. It looks as though this section might be unfinished and will be a completed party deck by spring time. We didn't stay long, but enjoyed while we were there... will definitely go back. The one criticism about this place would have to be the mixed drink I ordered... I expected the club soda to be from a tap and not a warm 1 liter bottle sitting behind the bar. Doesn't make for the best mixed drinks, but oh well what do expect from a full on ale house.
(3)
Brad M.
Good beer selection. Cool outside in summer/heated and covered in winter bar. Some cool bartenders and some (I'm a bartender I'm awesome bartenders) Prices for scranton probably a bit high.
(4)
Rebecca D.
Compared to the crap around it, ahem hardware bar, this place is great. Easily the best bar in downtown scranton, of course that isn't saying much, but at least it's relatively clean and scummer free.
(3)
Mike V.
Eh, nothing to write home about... Better than the other bars in the area, kidares, traxx, etc. but that's not saying much.
(3)
Jason S.
Great summer happy hour spot. The location is convenient and they have a huge beer selection. The outside bar gets packed on weekends, but is less so during weekday happy hour and they often have free food. The staff is friendly, though not always attentive, and there is an interesting mix of clientele. My one complaint is their prices. Especially for draft beer.
(3)
Brian L.
Loads of beer options, friendly bartenders and a great outside bar that's closed in kinda thing that i believe opens when it's nice out. You'll prolly hear some clown playin acoustic guitar and playin covers his voice will prolly sound like an irish Eddie Vedder, but that's pretty much every bar in Scranton except The Bog. Overall a good time though. Gem place!
(4)
Ian M.
Great outdoor option in Scranton, the patio in the back is very spacious with a lot of seating. The beer selection is huge, but the 21-35 crowd is drinking mostly Miller lites and Vodka cranberrys. Music can always be better and never put money in the juke box, it's never on. 4/5 on a relative scale. Great atmosphere, awesome patio and always a good well dressed crowd.
(4)
Kale M.
Great beer selection! Good specials and wings are fantastic and unique. Service was good enough but the portions and flavors are worth it! Five wing sampler great.
(4)
Elisabeth R.
Best Bar in Scranton! Great crowd, awesome beer list, and outdoor area is awesome.
(5)
Hugh H.
Best bar in Scranton. Wide selection of beers and ever changing draft list. Food is delicious, and I've never had a bad meal here. Weekends can get crowded, but always a good time. Brunch specials can be pricey for an omelet but you also get a mimosa or a draft beer with it, so it's worth it.
(5)
Michael B.
If your looking for obscure beers this is the best bar in a 30 mile radius at least that you will find them and you will find a very vast selection. Hundreds of beers to choose from and the prices are good. Food could be better but this is the best bar/restaurant in town with the biggest beer menu.
(4)
Nicole Z.
One of the best omelettes I've had. Good draft and bottle selection.
(4)
Jack M.
Went to backyard for brunch for the third and what is sure to be final time. The service was painfully slow. I'm still not even sure who our waiter/waitress is. Backyard is nice in warm weather but it resembles a warehouse in the colder months.
(2)
John O.
Holy beer selection Bat Man! Great location and even better vibe makes this place a must visit in Scranton. If my nick name was Frank the tank them I would of made a bigger dent in trying all of the beer on tap. For lunch I had a great Cuban sandwich that hit the spot. I was also impressed with the daily specials that looked amazing.
(4)
Bryan G.
Great burgers that are properly cooked to order, medium is medium. The chips with blue cheese carmalized onion dip was great. Then there is the beer. The beer menu is vast and reasonably priced. Delicious.
(4)
Jason L.
Had brunch this past weekend at the Backyard Ale House. Wasn't sure exactly what to expect, but there was a small crowd around noon, which I love....I'm not one for a crowded bar scene, especially on a Saturday afternoon, so this was perfect. Sat at the bar and ordered off of the special weekend brunch menu ($8 for a meal and a beer or bloody mary). I had a western omelet with cooper sharp cheese and my fiancee had a belgian waffle with fruit topping. Both were superb, hot, fresh and delicious. I'll certainly be back for more in the coming weeks. If you're going to do the Backyard Ale House and want to avoid the hectic bar crowd, I suggest brunch!
(5)
Tom O.
A beer magistrates Xanadu. What a selection of bottled beers and drafts. Seriously, the bottle list is pages upon pages long with small font. The prices won't leave you buzzed and the interior of this place has all the energy of the Scranton streets on the exterior.
(5)
Kunal P.
This has become the standard place to hang out and gather up old friends whenever I pop into town for the past year or so. 9 out of 10 times, I've was here during the happy hour times. And, its been a much more pleasant experience than any of the other local joints. So, keep it up BAH!!!
(4)
Kevin B.
This is a good place to find a variety of good beers on tap and in bottle when you're in downtown Scranton. There are two bars, one inside and one outside - the one outside unfortunately allows smoking, so that's one to avoid if you're like me and detest all forms of tobacco. That aside, the variety of brews is pretty awesome and prices are comparable for the area (i.e., cheap).
(4)
Jim Z.
First time visitor here. It was a cold and windy weekday night in NEPA. We were dining before a show and between the weather and Scranton there wasn't much to choose from in the immediate area. For some reason the pub next door looked pretty empty so we opted for TBAH, which we'd often heard of from college friends. It was not a bad choice given our constraints and expectations. We owe them a return visit to better explore what looks to be better stuff. The backyard part (a tented patio?) was closed due to the extreme weather. The bar area was busy but not crowded. It is a pretty large room with a dark pubby look and feel. Adequate TV screens are dispersed around the area, all on the same sports channel this night. No doubt this place must rock on nights when downtown is busier. Greeted as we wandered looking for a spot, we settled into one of the pub style tables with high seating. That was good. The bad was, despite many servers in the room, it took a while for someone to take our drink order and provide menus. A bit of a 'nit' but noticeable to us since we were time constrained. Once we were addressed, things went pretty well but overall service was just OK (well, it IS a collegey bar so what did old guys expect anyway ;-) ). Very good beer selection. Many drafts... including appropriately many local and regional offerings. Prices seemed reasonable for crafty pints and bottles. The bottled beer list provided even has a few exotics. This may be among the best beer selections in NEPA, certainly Scranton. We didn't inquire nor expect much in the wine department here...as it should be? Dining menu is, appropriately , pretty pubby (soups, sandwiches, burgers...) and a bit oblique to follow for a first timer. We were pressed for time so, we settled on burgers as the safest and quickest order in an unfamiliar place. They offer a choice of fries for a buck more or the house made chips...both were good. The burgers were not great but good enough...slightly overdone. I wonder why many places ask cooking burger preference these days, especially with the concern for food borne diseases and such. So no penalty here, just a comment. I plan to return when in the area and expect better the second time around too, after our experience and scanning the menu online. In our haste, we didn't adequately explore the daily nor house specials .... and because of this... the so-so service was more apparent. In other times we wouldn't care as much. All-in-all this downtown Scranton pub is convenient and a good choice for a beer, burger, and probably more...but, a caution too, we were there on a very slow night so it may get a lot livelier then some like at times.
(4)
Rob D.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my nights at the Backyard Ale House, but with the every-increasing popularity of Craft Beers, you could usually find bars that fit exactly what you are looking for. Positives? Great beer selection, usually have good local cover bands and I usually have good service. In the summer, the outside section is also nice. I am a sucker for decks and nice outdoor drinking areas and this one is pretty good. The downsides are more just personal preference. As another reviewer mention, they allow smoking outside and during the winter they have a tent that goes over the outside. This keeps all the smoke inside the tent and can become pretty unbearable. This is a personal issue and I'm sure others might not mind. During the weekends it can get crowded so if you do not like the smoke, you might get a bit cramped on the inside. The other downside is just the spillover of people from Mulligan's. Now this is a minor gripe, but sometimes you can get crowds that are mostly college-aged or like the 10+ group of frat-type folks. This is minor, but I tend to prefer sitting down and having a nice pint and sometimes I cannot get this. Super-minor, but if you enjoy a more laid-back craft beer bar, this might not meet your preferences (especially on weekends).
(3)
C W.
The selection has gone down hill in the last 6 months and happy hour now only includes outside drafts-6 or so to choice from on the other hand Coopers now has happy hour 7 days a week and it includes all drafts. Also Coopers draft selection has improved in the last year.
(3)
Lynn T.
Went here for brunch on saturday and sat out back at the upper deck bar - lots of room and a great space. Staff was friendly and attentive, and the beer selection is GREAT! they updated their draft list while we were there, and have a good variety of all styles of craft beer, plus the mass market stuff. My husband had the breakfast sandwich with a coffee stout and I had the Hawaii Five-O sandwich with an IPA - OUTSTANDING!!! They have a lot of drink specials with brunch, and the best part was that our 3 beers and 2 sandwiches came to an amazing $26 - can't beat it. Highly recommend it, ad I am sure it is even better when it is really warm.
(4)
Frank P.
Great selection of beer. Ordered the veggie flatbread pizza and soft pretzels with spicy mustard. Food was on point and cooked clean. Really wanted to try their house made veggie and grain burger, but when asked if the veggie burger was cooked right on the grill with the beef burgers we were told they were. Kinda defeats the purpose huh? I don't want my veggie burger cooked in the juices of a beef burger. Would definitely swing by again for a craft beer and some snack food.
(3)
Jason S.
Great summer happy hour spot. The location is convenient and they have a huge beer selection. The outside bar gets packed on weekends, but is less so during weekday happy hour and they often have free food. The staff is friendly, though not always attentive, and there is an interesting mix of clientele. My one complaint is their prices. Especially for draft beer.
(3)
Robert G.
This is my go to bar on the weekends, partly because it does a lot of things well, and partly because downtown (believe it or not) is lacking in this type of scene. The positives of BYAH: fanstastic selection of craft/micro brews. The bottle list is HUGE and they usually have approx 20 or so beers on tap; I can't remember the last time they've charged a cover; it's not a "dance club" type of place so the nonsense is kept to a minimum; the "backyard" part of the bar is awesome during the warmer months and there is a heated tent up during the cold; the inside part of the bar has enough tables if you get there early enough; the service is generally speedy and has knowledge of the beers they serve. The biggest negative I can find is that BYAH still allows smoking in the backyard part of the bar. This is not really a problem in the summer, but it is absolutely unbearable for a non-smoker when the tent is up. You need to shower immediately upon leaving and possibly throw your clothes away. I've had smoke hangovers the day after going, it's that bad. I understand the business aspect of allowing smoking, but if that doesn't appeal to you, plan on getting there early on the weekends so you can get a spot in the inside bar. The only other small complaint is that, while they do a good job rotating their drafts, the draft selection is usually dominated by ales. I'm not big on bitter beers and they rarely have many lagers available. Not the biggest deal in the world, but something to know if you plan on going for the beer.
(4)
Eleni P.
Pretty cool spot...I'm from New York so I was skeptical when a friend suggested this place....it's actually very popular and they have so many beers that I was lost on what to order. Def a spot to check out if you're in the area. And there's a club right next door which everyone seemed to go to when it got later. They also have an outside bar .
(4)
Jessica B.
Excellent beer selection, it's ridiculous. Beer tastings on Tuesdays are a great way to sample out-of-the-ordinary beers and find new favorites. Staff is always friendly and attentive. Saturdays are packed with a mixed crowd. Definitely an area favorite!
(4)
C W.
It's a nice bar with a nice outside patio. Their drinks are reasonable. Last I knew there was no kitchen, so don't plan on eating here. The clientele is usually decent to be around, usually laid back, not rowdy, trashy, or scummy.
(4)
Erik B.
Sunday to 2PM $8 brunch and a draft. I got the egg casserole and a draft. I will be back!!
(5)
Brad M.
Good beer selection. Cool outside in summer/heated and covered in winter bar. Some cool bartenders and some (I'm a bartender I'm awesome bartenders) Prices for scranton probably a bit high.
(4)
Rebecca D.
Compared to the crap around it, ahem hardware bar, this place is great. Easily the best bar in downtown scranton, of course that isn't saying much, but at least it's relatively clean and scummer free.
(3)
Mike V.
Eh, nothing to write home about... Better than the other bars in the area, kidares, traxx, etc. but that's not saying much.
(3)
Kevin M.
I met a pal here after a job one Saturday afternoon in late October. The place was quiet, with maybe 10 other patrons. Those looking to pick up something other than a pint might have been disappointed but it suited us fine. The decor is nothing special but more than adequate for our needs. We sat at the "Inside" bar. The Backyard Ale House has another bar in an adjoining tented-in area which might be the source of the name. The Outside provides something of a rarity in 21st century Pennsylvania--a bar for smokers. I don't know if the place is in compliance with the Commonwealth's laws governing smoking in public but I imagine this area is a real bonus for those who enjoy cigs and suds. I couldn't detect smoke where I drank when there were a few puffing away. I do wonder if a full tent might be a problem for tobacco-sensitive folk. Pictures on the bar's website show that section sans tent which could be quite nice in warmer times. The Backyard Ale House's printed draft menu was split into Inside and Outside listings with 20 for the former and 6 for the latter. The broad selection offered a good variety of styles. That day 5 of the 20 Insiders were Marzens or pumpkin ales. Only 1 mainstream offering diluted the group. Many beers were new to me, which is always a plus. I went with Belgian-style IPAs, Evil Genius Beer's Evil Eye PA and Clown Shoes' Tramp Stamp. For the record, I liked the Tramp Stamp better but did feel a little funny when I told the bartender "I need another Tramp Stamp." The Backyard Ale House also had an extensive bottle list. I would definitely return should I find myself back in the Electric City.
(4)
Shelley P.
The Ale House is a decent bar. If you're looking for the college bar scene, try here. It's right next to U of Scranton. If you've never been here, you probably wouldn't know there's a huge patio in the back. Even if it rains, there's a portion of the patio that's covered so you can still have a good time outdoors. If I was closer to the Scranton area, I would come back.
(3)
Brian E.
Really nice spot to hang with friends. This place has over 500 beers available! Wish they had better parking, but that's a curse for any bar owner in that area so can't blame em. Well worth stopping by.
(3)
Scott B.
Backyard Ale House opened in the space right next to Tinks. The scene is mostly college kids with a few older folks as well. This is definitely a place for the beer connoisseur. They have about 10 beers on tap as well as several dozen bottle beers. If you're not into beer they also a pretty wide selection of liquors and martinis as well... Even though they were packed the bartenders seemed pretty chill and attentive. One pretty cool thing about this is the layout... there is the bar area in the front with seating along the walls and a few huge LCD TV's but the have an outdoor section as well. This was essentially set up as a big tent in their backyard. The tent is heated and smoking is allowed back there. So as not to have you feeling 'let out in the cold' they actually have two beer stands serving beer back there... not only Coors Light but surprisingly Magic Hat. It looks as though this section might be unfinished and will be a completed party deck by spring time. We didn't stay long, but enjoyed while we were there... will definitely go back. The one criticism about this place would have to be the mixed drink I ordered... I expected the club soda to be from a tap and not a warm 1 liter bottle sitting behind the bar. Doesn't make for the best mixed drinks, but oh well what do expect from a full on ale house.
(3)
Brian L.
Loads of beer options, friendly bartenders and a great outside bar that's closed in kinda thing that i believe opens when it's nice out. You'll prolly hear some clown playin acoustic guitar and playin covers his voice will prolly sound like an irish Eddie Vedder, but that's pretty much every bar in Scranton except The Bog. Overall a good time though. Gem place!
(4)
Ian M.
Great outdoor option in Scranton, the patio in the back is very spacious with a lot of seating. The beer selection is huge, but the 21-35 crowd is drinking mostly Miller lites and Vodka cranberrys. Music can always be better and never put money in the juke box, it's never on. 4/5 on a relative scale. Great atmosphere, awesome patio and always a good well dressed crowd.
(4)
Kyle E.
Meh. Great beer selection but prices are a bit high(I know you're thinking I'm cheap but fuck you, I'll pay whatever for a good beer as long as it's fair) and the bartenders aren't all that knowledgeable about craft beers. I was there one afternoon and asked the bartender to recommend a good hoppy beer and he recommended Leinenkugels Summer Shandy(fucking Lemon Pledge tasting swill, FYI)! Anyway, the outdoor area is definitely a good spot for some day drinking when the weather's nice. UPDATE 8/2/2014 I've eaten here twice since my original review and the menu and the food are both great. Changing my score from 3 to 4 stars.
(4)
Dan A.
They have every beer you've ever wanted and more that you didn't know existed. The service is fantastic and the food is unbelievable. Do yourself a favor and get the fries with the cheddar-ale dipping sauce.
(5)
The Meepers G.
I believe this to be my third review of this business. This will be my last, as I will not be returning. I took a few days to think about this review, and I could not find one saving grace about my last and ultimately final experience here. My last encounter with this bar staff took place on Friday January 31, 2014. Several of my friends started their evening out there, so I met them. I arrived around 7 p.m. I missed happy hour, no big deal there. The Ale House was still in dinner service and the tables were all full, but the bar was pretty empty. I was greeted by a friend sitting at the bar, having a pint. Talked to him for a short period of time and got a beer at the bar. This should have been my first indication. A $6 beer cost me $8... OK this bar was always terrible with over charging. I then sauntered over to the table where the friends I was there to meet were sitting. After a while of the pleasantries, I look down in a fit of despair. My pint was infact empty. This being a terrible situation to find oneself in, I made the decision right then and there to make it my lifes mission to replenish my beer. Off I went. I journeyed over to the bar, where at this point the only three patrons occupying bar stools. They being my friend and two people he was with. With myself at the bar that made FOUR people with three bartenders standing behind the bar. All three looked at me, one was no more than four feet away, and none of them served me. Now to be clear, I had my EMPTY pint glass on the inside edge of the bar and a $10 bill in my hand up in the air like an S.O.S call for beer if you will. I stood there for at least 5 minutes (this is the only kind remark I will make in this review, because I was there for longer than 5 minutes and it certainly felt like an eternity) before a bartender came over to take my order. SIDEBAR: This is the second time the bar was dead and I stood there for an extended period of time while being ignored by the bar staff at this establishment. Though last time I waited for nearly 20 minutes with only two other partons at the bar. After I finally got a bartender I was poured a different pint of life saving ale. Thankfully it is winter and not the dead of summer. Otherwise I may have died from dehydration while waiting so long for my again extremely over priced pint. Again I ordered a beer in the $6 range and was charged $8.50. After this last pint, I did what I can only say took all the strength of 50 men to do. I refrained from drinking yet another overpriced pint and standing abandoned at the bar while bartenders look, but do not touch tap handles. I did this for a half an hour or more waiting begrudgingly in this establishment for my friends to finish up so we could move on to greener pastures. And there are many, many, many, many, many greener pastures in town. Several only a pint glass lob away from this very address. So to recap. Service at the Backyard Ale House- If I could give them ZERO stars I would. I will admit I have had OK (but never even close to average) service here at times,. But the bad service has been more frequent than the acceptable service. Even with a bar devoid of customers and fully stocked with bartenders, one will still wait for service for a long time. Price at the Backyard Ale House. Again I would give ZERO stars if that was an option. Always over priced. I recommend you take a walk around either corner to Adams or Washington to get a much better bar experience. Their prices are right and the service is.... well there is actually service. A note to management, do not ask me to re-review your bar again. I will not. Edit 2-6-2014: In regards to the comment below. I do not want to be miss leading . This third review, I was not asked to re-review The Backyard Ale House. My second review I was contacted and asked to do a re-review. This review was based on my own urge to do another review.
(1)
Michelle C.
The great beers continue to flow at Backyard Ale House (as does the amazing people watching, which is just a bonus). Recently, my mom and I went up together and the tradition of paying a visit continued. The draft list was killer for early summer, featuring Hell or High Watermelon, a very tasty blueberry wheat beer, and several pale ales and IPAs. My mom's night was set when she ordered her third(ish) brew of the night, Green Flash's Palate Wrecker, a 9.5% IPA that was served - yep, in a pint glass. Kid tested, mom approved.
(5)
sean m.
Finally got to try their food this afternoon. I had the "morning after burger" and it was great. Cooked perfectly and the add-ons made it really tasty. Our waitress Jen was also great!
(5)
Susie T.
I loved it here! This spot totally reminded me of your typical philly bar. Of course it helped a lot that our waiter was a HUGE fan of my alma matter, but I digress. The food and drinks were SOOOO cheap! (Like "is this really our bill?!" cheap) The staff was great and my eggplant parm was delish. Everyone enjoyed their meals, and those that couldn't finish asked for theirs to go (always the sign of a good meal).
(5)
Mike P.
Best friend & I visited Scranton the weekend of January 25th. This bar was close to our hotel, was recommended by our hotel bartender, and had great Yelp reviews. So we decided to check it out on a Saturday night. We had a great time. There were two extensive beer lists: one bottled, one draft.. The beer was cold, and moderately priced. Our bartender, Jessica C, was friendly and provided outstanding service. In addition to the regular bar area, the bar features a "back yard" which has a huge tent over it in the winter time, with heaters. We never felt cold or like we were outside when we ventured into this area. Overall, this was a great bar! Tip: There is a blackboard next to the front bar. Check this board for specials each night!
(5)
Nicole Z.
One of the best omelettes I've had. Good draft and bottle selection.
(4)
Jack M.
Went to backyard for brunch for the third and what is sure to be final time. The service was painfully slow. I'm still not even sure who our waiter/waitress is. Backyard is nice in warm weather but it resembles a warehouse in the colder months.
(2)
John O.
Holy beer selection Bat Man! Great location and even better vibe makes this place a must visit in Scranton. If my nick name was Frank the tank them I would of made a bigger dent in trying all of the beer on tap. For lunch I had a great Cuban sandwich that hit the spot. I was also impressed with the daily specials that looked amazing.
(4)
Bryan G.
Great burgers that are properly cooked to order, medium is medium. The chips with blue cheese carmalized onion dip was great. Then there is the beer. The beer menu is vast and reasonably priced. Delicious.
(4)
Kale M.
Great beer selection! Good specials and wings are fantastic and unique. Service was good enough but the portions and flavors are worth it! Five wing sampler great.
(4)
Elisabeth R.
Best Bar in Scranton! Great crowd, awesome beer list, and outdoor area is awesome.
(5)
Hugh H.
Best bar in Scranton. Wide selection of beers and ever changing draft list. Food is delicious, and I've never had a bad meal here. Weekends can get crowded, but always a good time. Brunch specials can be pricey for an omelet but you also get a mimosa or a draft beer with it, so it's worth it.
(5)
Jason L.
Had brunch this past weekend at the Backyard Ale House. Wasn't sure exactly what to expect, but there was a small crowd around noon, which I love....I'm not one for a crowded bar scene, especially on a Saturday afternoon, so this was perfect. Sat at the bar and ordered off of the special weekend brunch menu ($8 for a meal and a beer or bloody mary). I had a western omelet with cooper sharp cheese and my fiancee had a belgian waffle with fruit topping. Both were superb, hot, fresh and delicious. I'll certainly be back for more in the coming weeks. If you're going to do the Backyard Ale House and want to avoid the hectic bar crowd, I suggest brunch!
(5)
Tom O.
A beer magistrates Xanadu. What a selection of bottled beers and drafts. Seriously, the bottle list is pages upon pages long with small font. The prices won't leave you buzzed and the interior of this place has all the energy of the Scranton streets on the exterior.
(5)
Kunal P.
This has become the standard place to hang out and gather up old friends whenever I pop into town for the past year or so. 9 out of 10 times, I've was here during the happy hour times. And, its been a much more pleasant experience than any of the other local joints. So, keep it up BAH!!!
(4)
Kevin B.
This is a good place to find a variety of good beers on tap and in bottle when you're in downtown Scranton. There are two bars, one inside and one outside - the one outside unfortunately allows smoking, so that's one to avoid if you're like me and detest all forms of tobacco. That aside, the variety of brews is pretty awesome and prices are comparable for the area (i.e., cheap).
(4)
Rob D.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my nights at the Backyard Ale House, but with the every-increasing popularity of Craft Beers, you could usually find bars that fit exactly what you are looking for. Positives? Great beer selection, usually have good local cover bands and I usually have good service. In the summer, the outside section is also nice. I am a sucker for decks and nice outdoor drinking areas and this one is pretty good. The downsides are more just personal preference. As another reviewer mention, they allow smoking outside and during the winter they have a tent that goes over the outside. This keeps all the smoke inside the tent and can become pretty unbearable. This is a personal issue and I'm sure others might not mind. During the weekends it can get crowded so if you do not like the smoke, you might get a bit cramped on the inside. The other downside is just the spillover of people from Mulligan's. Now this is a minor gripe, but sometimes you can get crowds that are mostly college-aged or like the 10+ group of frat-type folks. This is minor, but I tend to prefer sitting down and having a nice pint and sometimes I cannot get this. Super-minor, but if you enjoy a more laid-back craft beer bar, this might not meet your preferences (especially on weekends).
(3)
Lynn T.
Went here for brunch on saturday and sat out back at the upper deck bar - lots of room and a great space. Staff was friendly and attentive, and the beer selection is GREAT! they updated their draft list while we were there, and have a good variety of all styles of craft beer, plus the mass market stuff. My husband had the breakfast sandwich with a coffee stout and I had the Hawaii Five-O sandwich with an IPA - OUTSTANDING!!! They have a lot of drink specials with brunch, and the best part was that our 3 beers and 2 sandwiches came to an amazing $26 - can't beat it. Highly recommend it, ad I am sure it is even better when it is really warm.
(4)
Jim Z.
First time visitor here. It was a cold and windy weekday night in NEPA. We were dining before a show and between the weather and Scranton there wasn't much to choose from in the immediate area. For some reason the pub next door looked pretty empty so we opted for TBAH, which we'd often heard of from college friends. It was not a bad choice given our constraints and expectations. We owe them a return visit to better explore what looks to be better stuff. The backyard part (a tented patio?) was closed due to the extreme weather. The bar area was busy but not crowded. It is a pretty large room with a dark pubby look and feel. Adequate TV screens are dispersed around the area, all on the same sports channel this night. No doubt this place must rock on nights when downtown is busier. Greeted as we wandered looking for a spot, we settled into one of the pub style tables with high seating. That was good. The bad was, despite many servers in the room, it took a while for someone to take our drink order and provide menus. A bit of a 'nit' but noticeable to us since we were time constrained. Once we were addressed, things went pretty well but overall service was just OK (well, it IS a collegey bar so what did old guys expect anyway ;-) ). Very good beer selection. Many drafts... including appropriately many local and regional offerings. Prices seemed reasonable for crafty pints and bottles. The bottled beer list provided even has a few exotics. This may be among the best beer selections in NEPA, certainly Scranton. We didn't inquire nor expect much in the wine department here...as it should be? Dining menu is, appropriately , pretty pubby (soups, sandwiches, burgers...) and a bit oblique to follow for a first timer. We were pressed for time so, we settled on burgers as the safest and quickest order in an unfamiliar place. They offer a choice of fries for a buck more or the house made chips...both were good. The burgers were not great but good enough...slightly overdone. I wonder why many places ask cooking burger preference these days, especially with the concern for food borne diseases and such. So no penalty here, just a comment. I plan to return when in the area and expect better the second time around too, after our experience and scanning the menu online. In our haste, we didn't adequately explore the daily nor house specials .... and because of this... the so-so service was more apparent. In other times we wouldn't care as much. All-in-all this downtown Scranton pub is convenient and a good choice for a beer, burger, and probably more...but, a caution too, we were there on a very slow night so it may get a lot livelier then some like at times.
(4)
Frank P.
Great selection of beer. Ordered the veggie flatbread pizza and soft pretzels with spicy mustard. Food was on point and cooked clean. Really wanted to try their house made veggie and grain burger, but when asked if the veggie burger was cooked right on the grill with the beef burgers we were told they were. Kinda defeats the purpose huh? I don't want my veggie burger cooked in the juices of a beef burger. Would definitely swing by again for a craft beer and some snack food.
(3)
Angela G.
I've been here a few times for beers with friends, and the atmosphere was always pleasant and fun. Lots of beers from which to choose, decent prices. Recently, I visited for dinner AND drinks and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of their food and the interesting takes on "pub food" they had listed on their menu. They had a really great skillet mac and cheese, and their other specials looked super good. I will definitely consider coming for more than beers the next time I'm in town.
(4)
Maggie O.
Beers and scenery at this place is great and bar service is usually good but dining here is a different story. Warning ...I LOVE brunch! Bloody Mary and breakfast for $10 sucks me in every time but the service... Or lack thereof is such a disappointment. Once you finally place an order and get a drink... 20+ mins after seating .... Food takes a while and then you're still waiting on toast or something else that forgot .... And then you don't see your server again....ever. Now big Part of the brunch appeal for me is getting drunk accidentally and forgetting that you have work tomorrow.... This is best achieved by enjoying the leisurely attention of someone willing to seduce me with champagne and pastries.... that zen place is hard to find when you have to go on an expedition to get a refill and no one is offering up alternatives to rejoining a productive life. Upside is the bill is always low because no one waited on you so you don't order much..... Which is a shame because the quality of food and booze is great.... Just not easily acquired or enjoyed.
(3)
Jason C.
These Folx must know that Ale Mary's is the competition. But lucky for them, Ale Mary's is closed on Tuesday. So it's wings night at the Backyard. I wish I had some friends in the area so we could try 5 sauces on 5 wings (25 wings) for $14. I had to settle for 10 of their hottest wings. Good spice and flavor, but not that spicy for my deranged palette. Also on Tues nights is their beer tasting flight. 5 selected beers (4oz pours) for $5. Great selection - but my only complaint is that they're in plastic cups (c'mon guys, invest in some fracking 4 oz glasses) and the poor wait staff has to bring them out one by one? I didn't try much other food, other than a fresh salad, but the space and the atmosphere here is great.
(4)
Tory W.
Awesome place with AMAZING beer selection....apparently they just added a food menu, definitely a good idea. Their food was really good and the waiter had great ideas of what we should get to eat. Definitely will stop back here next time I'm in the area!!!!!!
Backyard Ale House has by far the best burgers I have ever tried. This in combination with their many craft beers on tap with their EXCEPTIONALLY HUGE bottle list. How could you go wrong! All the employees are fantastic, attentive, and knowledgeable in knowing their food and beer menus both forwards and backwards. If I could come in here everyday without going broke. I'd do it. And more than once a day. People, please come here and experience one the best food + craft beer establishments you'll ever witness. I promise you will not regret a single thing.
(5)
Meredith S.
If I could not give them any stars I would. I have highly disappointed in this bar/restaurant. We were in town for the night and were told by two different people to check this place out. EVERY person who worked there that night was rude and not helpful. We waited at the bar to just order drinks for about 15 mins with two female bartenders just standing and talking to each other. We called a male worker (I think the bar back) over and ordered but never got our drinks. Finally a table opened and we moved over, however one of us waited at the bar for drinks (at least another 10 mins). NO ONE came over to take our food order. We decided that we would not stay and when we were ready to leave a waitress came over and asked if we needed another drink. I was so angry and told her we were leaving (food menus still out on the table). I would never go back here or recommend this place!!!!!!!
(1)
Guy F.
Not bad, pretty redundant beer selection for an ale house. Appetizer came out cold. Not bad, not great. Edit: to the owner, great customer service comes with a reliable repeatable process. Rather than putting the onus on customers to correct your staff, encourage your manager to ensure the hot food is hot. I'm aware that because I think something, others may think something else. It's just like... My opinion man. However, claiming you have x amount of beer selections available... And of those there are a limited amount of styles... You are limited in your selection. Personally, I don't go to an ale house for a bottle. But again, dude quote holds up here. Disclaimer: if I were you I'd carry the beers that sold... And I don't see your sales reports so if that's what drives draft spots, keep the lights on. Good on you for caring, most don't. Unsolicited advice: lose the part where you "wish I would have said something." Id go more with, "my bad, we'll use it to get better." Nice place you have, very nice staff too. -Guy F
(3)
Michael R.
This place is very cool and trendy. I recommend the bloody mary brunch on Sunday. Two thumbs up! Great beet selection as well.
(5)
Tim H.
Banjo Pig Cuban sandwich was huge & delicious. Nice back yard patio. Huge beer selection. Highly recommended.
(4)
Giuseppe M.
AMAZING!!!!! Place with excellent service, had an Amazing Rock Band playing called Mace in Dickson!!! Love this place and the food was outrageously delicious!!! But you will get carded at the door, but the atmosphere was Excellent, Bartender was on point with drinks and friendliness OUR NEW PLACE!!!!! It's a must go!!!
(5)
Kerry W.
Food is really good and a never ending selection of beer. Definitely worth trying the food if you are there
(4)
Tim O.
Probably the best gastropub for beer selection (550 bottles) with another 30 or so on tap. Great menu and incredibly fresh food. I certainly didn't expect this in Scranton.
(5)
Kayla B.
A pretty good beer selection. I had the clam chowder and simple salad. Both were also decent. I expected the chowder to be better. I would have also expected a chilled glass for my beer, but got them at room temperature. I would definitely recommend this place. I would go back and try more food options if I were going to be in town longer.
(4)
Laura H.
Service was excellent. Food even better. Portions were good value. Chili, salmon gyro, ma meatloaf, homemade chips; then finished with smooth and creamy pumpkin ice cream. Yummmmy....
(5)
Paul P.
This has become a regular lunch/happy hour spot. Service is pretty good, LOVE the food (despite forthcoming contradictory criticism), and it's a bar where you're not going to be overrun with students (more faculty and staff enjoying a beer than anything). I think the menu could be expanded a little. Had the nachos one time, they were totally ON POINT! However, I haven't seen em on the menu since. Maybe something in the a chicken finger basket or pretzels with cheese family would be an improvement. Don't get me wrong, it's an A-/B+ restaurant and worth the fairly reasonable prices!
(4)
Mike A.
Great pub grub at an affordable price. When we wandered in here with friends we were surprised at the quality of food, awesome beer selection and fun atmosphere. I will definitely go back for a fun and entertaining evening.
(5)
Jessi G.
Backyard has always been a great bar for beer selection and atmosphere. A few months ago they started serving food and I was really pleased! Try the tin can fries and the wings on Tuesday. They are incredible! I wish the service was a little better (sometimes I feel like the servers are just goofing off and taking their time, which is fine when I'm not in a hurry but not so great for lunch), but all in all a really solid place for drinks, watching sports, and snacks.
The waitress was rude. That should have been the first clue that we should have just had drinks and moved on to somewhere else. My Daughter And I ordered medium rare hamburgers and they came out barely cooked. My daughter could only eat 1/2. I ate all of mine but worried about being sick afterwards. I would avoid the food in this place and stick to drinking.
(2)
Wayne D.
Whenever I come to visit my daughter at school, we stop here for a bite. The food is great and service just fine. Would like to see more entrees with low calorie options and healthier selections. Will miss it when she graduates and comes home.
(4)
James N.
Fun place to hang out and have some drinks.... Will definitely be going back when in town!! Just wish the kitchen stayed open later
(4)
Annie Louisey M.
Two because the beer list is so good and the place has potential. The missing stars are for the lack of service, detail, and flavor of food. It's a little painful watching how dissatisfied people are. One guy fingered his burger while yelling "Does this look medium rare!?" Note, it was the second burger sent out over-done to same guy who waited 45 minutes. New cook? Our experience: bubbly server left mid-operation and never notified us, or her colleagues. The food was really bland, even the recommendation. Pretzels were good though. Tip to manager, don't do tip share or whatever is going on that is not motivating employees, train your cook, and work on energy/ambiance.
(2)
Nearme Y.
Consistent, with good Service. Glad they added food to the establishment because it compliments the atmosphere well.
(5)
Kait H.
An insane selection of beers, with an impressive number on tap. Food was very good, with a wider selection than I expected. I wish they offered flights. I will be back.
(4)
Cody Y.
Exceptional craft beer selection. Nice weekend crowd! Only place around I could find Springhouse Brewery's Satan's Bake Sale at!
(4)
Rich B.
Been there a bunch of times. Its a nice central Scranton location right across from city hall. Theres a front section and a back section. Sometimes they play classic movies in the back area. They played Spaceballs there one nice and I almost cried that I missed it. Tuesdays is beer tasting. My brother in law goes to inhale their wings, which are apparently delicious since its all he gets. I like their burgers and their pretzel app. Tons of TVs too if you want to watch Syracuse basketball like the rest of Scranton.
(4)
Peter M.
Update to my review, everything in the previous review still stands with the addition of AWESOME food. BYAH just opened their kitchen just a few months ago and I can't understand why they didn't go into the food business earlier. Seriously, you can't even really consider it bar food. Huge sandwiches, tasty appetizers and crazy good hand cut fries. Try the Banjo Pig Cuban Sandwich, its killer. I have a healthy appetite to say the least but I could not finish my sandwich. Everything was hot and fresh. The kitchen does close earlier than you would expect a bar kitchen to (I think 9PM even on weekends) so don't show up expecting to get drunk food at 11:30. Tables are at a premium so you may have to wait if you have a larger group.
(5)
Julie F.
One of my favorite places to grab drinks as an upper classman at the University of Scranton. They have tons of great beers on tap and I always enjoyed trying new ones. Always keep a look out for the events they have going on. They have beer tastings on Tuesdays, live music on the weekends, and they have an Oktoberfest beer tasting in the fall. While I wasn't able to try out much of their food, I did have the burger and it was pretty awesome. Wish I got to try other dishes they had to offer
(5)
Chantel B.
Backyard is still really struggling with being a bar that is also trying to be a restaurant. Went to the advertised brunch today and probably the only things that saved the experience was a seriously fantastic Bloody Mary and some killin' omelettes. For three people to have three omelets and a single drink it took well over an hour. Read that again. It took 15 minutes after seating for someone to take our drink order, another 10 minutes for 2 drafts to be brought out, and yet another 10-15 minutes for someone to bring my drink and take our order. OVER THIRTY minutes before we placed our food order. Then, about 20 minutes later when our food finally came the home fries were cold and soggy. Clearly they sat around. Like I said, at least the omelettes were perfect. This review would have probably been 1 star without them.
(3)
Ginger W.
We came up for a short ski trip and found this place on yelp. Thank goodness for yelp!! This place is fantastic. Everything we ordered was top notch (chips and dip, pretzels, pulled pork, buffalo chicken nuggets.... Not to mention the fabulous beer!!). Our waitress Jackie was so attentive and even picked up on the fact it was our sons bday and put candles in his dessert! Would recommend this place to anyone who visits the area!!
(5)
John M.
Great space, lots of beer good decor, owner appears to be a Notre Dame fan. What else could you ask for? Out group's meals were all great, from the meatball to the burgers, and all the other assorted foodstuffs. The actual 'backyard' looked great but we were all a little tired from shredding some epic Montage powder, otherwise we probably would have hung out there longer. I understand this place is new - it's great now and will only improve, I'm sure.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Brunch Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Loud Music : Juke Box Good For Dancing : No Alcohol : Full Bar Happy Hour : Yes Best Nights : Thu, Fri, Sat Coat Check : No Smoking : Outdoor Area/ Patio Only Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
sean m.
Finally got to try their food this afternoon. I had the "morning after burger" and it was great. Cooked perfectly and the add-ons made it really tasty. Our waitress Jen was also great!
(5)Susie T.
I loved it here! This spot totally reminded me of your typical philly bar. Of course it helped a lot that our waiter was a HUGE fan of my alma matter, but I digress. The food and drinks were SOOOO cheap! (Like "is this really our bill?!" cheap) The staff was great and my eggplant parm was delish. Everyone enjoyed their meals, and those that couldn't finish asked for theirs to go (always the sign of a good meal).
(5)Ginger W.
We came up for a short ski trip and found this place on yelp. Thank goodness for yelp!! This place is fantastic. Everything we ordered was top notch (chips and dip, pretzels, pulled pork, buffalo chicken nuggets.... Not to mention the fabulous beer!!). Our waitress Jackie was so attentive and even picked up on the fact it was our sons bday and put candles in his dessert! Would recommend this place to anyone who visits the area!!
(5)John M.
Great space, lots of beer good decor, owner appears to be a Notre Dame fan. What else could you ask for? Out group's meals were all great, from the meatball to the burgers, and all the other assorted foodstuffs. The actual 'backyard' looked great but we were all a little tired from shredding some epic Montage powder, otherwise we probably would have hung out there longer. I understand this place is new - it's great now and will only improve, I'm sure.
(5)Michael B.
If your looking for obscure beers this is the best bar in a 30 mile radius at least that you will find them and you will find a very vast selection. Hundreds of beers to choose from and the prices are good. Food could be better but this is the best bar/restaurant in town with the biggest beer menu.
(4)Tim O.
Probably the best gastropub for beer selection (550 bottles) with another 30 or so on tap. Great menu and incredibly fresh food. I certainly didn't expect this in Scranton.
(5)Laura H.
Service was excellent. Food even better. Portions were good value. Chili, salmon gyro, ma meatloaf, homemade chips; then finished with smooth and creamy pumpkin ice cream. Yummmmy....
(5)Mike A.
Great pub grub at an affordable price. When we wandered in here with friends we were surprised at the quality of food, awesome beer selection and fun atmosphere. I will definitely go back for a fun and entertaining evening.
(5)Tim H.
Banjo Pig Cuban sandwich was huge & delicious. Nice back yard patio. Huge beer selection. Highly recommended.
(4)Giuseppe M.
AMAZING!!!!! Place with excellent service, had an Amazing Rock Band playing called Mace in Dickson!!! Love this place and the food was outrageously delicious!!! But you will get carded at the door, but the atmosphere was Excellent, Bartender was on point with drinks and friendliness OUR NEW PLACE!!!!! It's a must go!!!
(5)Kerry W.
Food is really good and a never ending selection of beer. Definitely worth trying the food if you are there
(4)Kayla B.
A pretty good beer selection. I had the clam chowder and simple salad. Both were also decent. I expected the chowder to be better. I would have also expected a chilled glass for my beer, but got them at room temperature. I would definitely recommend this place. I would go back and try more food options if I were going to be in town longer.
(4)Angela G.
I've been here a few times for beers with friends, and the atmosphere was always pleasant and fun. Lots of beers from which to choose, decent prices. Recently, I visited for dinner AND drinks and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of their food and the interesting takes on "pub food" they had listed on their menu. They had a really great skillet mac and cheese, and their other specials looked super good. I will definitely consider coming for more than beers the next time I'm in town.
(4)Paul P.
This has become a regular lunch/happy hour spot. Service is pretty good, LOVE the food (despite forthcoming contradictory criticism), and it's a bar where you're not going to be overrun with students (more faculty and staff enjoying a beer than anything). I think the menu could be expanded a little. Had the nachos one time, they were totally ON POINT! However, I haven't seen em on the menu since. Maybe something in the a chicken finger basket or pretzels with cheese family would be an improvement. Don't get me wrong, it's an A-/B+ restaurant and worth the fairly reasonable prices!
(4)John F.
So this review is based on 3 recent visits. I've sat both inside and outside and both times the service was excellent, friendly & attentive. They have my beer, Guinness and my only complaint is that a few times I had a quick pour and for a "beer place" this shouldn't happen once. Last night the outdoor patio crew was excellent as they all seem to share the workload, and that means I could always count on service, which to us is big. The wings I had last night were delicious (hot) which aren't too hot and my fiancé enjoyed her Burger but the potato chips were bland. The only other point, they need to get better Vodka, Absolut Citron for the ladies and Tito's just because. Overall though, I plan to continue to enjoy this place, nice job!
(4)Mike R.
Backyard Ale House has by far the best burgers I have ever tried. This in combination with their many craft beers on tap with their EXCEPTIONALLY HUGE bottle list. How could you go wrong! All the employees are fantastic, attentive, and knowledgeable in knowing their food and beer menus both forwards and backwards. If I could come in here everyday without going broke. I'd do it. And more than once a day. People, please come here and experience one the best food + craft beer establishments you'll ever witness. I promise you will not regret a single thing.
(5)Meredith S.
If I could not give them any stars I would. I have highly disappointed in this bar/restaurant. We were in town for the night and were told by two different people to check this place out. EVERY person who worked there that night was rude and not helpful. We waited at the bar to just order drinks for about 15 mins with two female bartenders just standing and talking to each other. We called a male worker (I think the bar back) over and ordered but never got our drinks. Finally a table opened and we moved over, however one of us waited at the bar for drinks (at least another 10 mins). NO ONE came over to take our food order. We decided that we would not stay and when we were ready to leave a waitress came over and asked if we needed another drink. I was so angry and told her we were leaving (food menus still out on the table). I would never go back here or recommend this place!!!!!!!
(1)Maggie O.
Beers and scenery at this place is great and bar service is usually good but dining here is a different story. Warning ...I LOVE brunch! Bloody Mary and breakfast for $10 sucks me in every time but the service... Or lack thereof is such a disappointment. Once you finally place an order and get a drink... 20+ mins after seating .... Food takes a while and then you're still waiting on toast or something else that forgot .... And then you don't see your server again....ever. Now big Part of the brunch appeal for me is getting drunk accidentally and forgetting that you have work tomorrow.... This is best achieved by enjoying the leisurely attention of someone willing to seduce me with champagne and pastries.... that zen place is hard to find when you have to go on an expedition to get a refill and no one is offering up alternatives to rejoining a productive life. Upside is the bill is always low because no one waited on you so you don't order much..... Which is a shame because the quality of food and booze is great.... Just not easily acquired or enjoyed.
(3)Jason C.
These Folx must know that Ale Mary's is the competition. But lucky for them, Ale Mary's is closed on Tuesday. So it's wings night at the Backyard. I wish I had some friends in the area so we could try 5 sauces on 5 wings (25 wings) for $14. I had to settle for 10 of their hottest wings. Good spice and flavor, but not that spicy for my deranged palette. Also on Tues nights is their beer tasting flight. 5 selected beers (4oz pours) for $5. Great selection - but my only complaint is that they're in plastic cups (c'mon guys, invest in some fracking 4 oz glasses) and the poor wait staff has to bring them out one by one? I didn't try much other food, other than a fresh salad, but the space and the atmosphere here is great.
(4)Tory W.
Awesome place with AMAZING beer selection....apparently they just added a food menu, definitely a good idea. Their food was really good and the waiter had great ideas of what we should get to eat. Definitely will stop back here next time I'm in the area!!!!!!
(5)Guy F.
Not bad, pretty redundant beer selection for an ale house. Appetizer came out cold. Not bad, not great. Edit: to the owner, great customer service comes with a reliable repeatable process. Rather than putting the onus on customers to correct your staff, encourage your manager to ensure the hot food is hot. I'm aware that because I think something, others may think something else. It's just like... My opinion man. However, claiming you have x amount of beer selections available... And of those there are a limited amount of styles... You are limited in your selection. Personally, I don't go to an ale house for a bottle. But again, dude quote holds up here. Disclaimer: if I were you I'd carry the beers that sold... And I don't see your sales reports so if that's what drives draft spots, keep the lights on. Good on you for caring, most don't. Unsolicited advice: lose the part where you "wish I would have said something." Id go more with, "my bad, we'll use it to get better." Nice place you have, very nice staff too. -Guy F
(3)Michael R.
This place is very cool and trendy. I recommend the bloody mary brunch on Sunday. Two thumbs up! Great beet selection as well.
(5)Jessi G.
Backyard has always been a great bar for beer selection and atmosphere. A few months ago they started serving food and I was really pleased! Try the tin can fries and the wings on Tuesday. They are incredible! I wish the service was a little better (sometimes I feel like the servers are just goofing off and taking their time, which is fine when I'm not in a hurry but not so great for lunch), but all in all a really solid place for drinks, watching sports, and snacks.
(4)Julie F.
One of my favorite places to grab drinks as an upper classman at the University of Scranton. They have tons of great beers on tap and I always enjoyed trying new ones. Always keep a look out for the events they have going on. They have beer tastings on Tuesdays, live music on the weekends, and they have an Oktoberfest beer tasting in the fall. While I wasn't able to try out much of their food, I did have the burger and it was pretty awesome. Wish I got to try other dishes they had to offer
(5)Mike P.
Best friend & I visited Scranton the weekend of January 25th. This bar was close to our hotel, was recommended by our hotel bartender, and had great Yelp reviews. So we decided to check it out on a Saturday night. We had a great time. There were two extensive beer lists: one bottled, one draft.. The beer was cold, and moderately priced. Our bartender, Jessica C, was friendly and provided outstanding service. In addition to the regular bar area, the bar features a "back yard" which has a huge tent over it in the winter time, with heaters. We never felt cold or like we were outside when we ventured into this area. Overall, this was a great bar! Tip: There is a blackboard next to the front bar. Check this board for specials each night!
(5)Johnny G.
Me and my fiancé stopped in here after looking at a venue and doing a little shopping. We found this place on trip advisor and seemed like a cool place to go. We are both 25 yrs young. It was a Sunday around 5-5:30, the place wasn't that busy but being a head chef and in the restaurant business for over 8 years I can understand slow days especially with Christmas coming up and the cold weather hitting hard. We walked in and was told to sit anywhere, it must've taken a few minutes before I got up to ask for some menus. I think it might've been a miscommunication on who takes tables/ bartends. Anyways we got our menus and the menu style and look of it was a perfect fit to match the style. It was comfort homey food that everyone loves, a lot of cool things such as "social starters" and great looking sandwiches. We both shared the artichoke dip which was recommended and you can easily tell it was house made, cream cheese fresh spinach not that frozen chopped crap. It was a little bland but the tri-color tortillas chips that were served with it picked up the lack of salt so it was a nice balance. We both had a couple beers, the beer selection is huge! About 15 beers on tap+ and a small booklet of bottled beer. For our dinner my fiancé had the pulled pork which I think was called the banjo pig, served on a nice ciabatta panini. Clever name, and I had the hangover cure burger which had a beautiful sunny side up egg right on top and bacon. Served on a toasted English muffin! Really clever. There was a football game in which I don't mind at all except it was a little loud, but that's football I didn't mind it too much. We were relaxed the whole time and although the service was a little slow it was alrght because we were in no rush. That's really that only thing there is was that all they really need is one good server and to Focus on the tables and that place will be a five star location. The decor fit the theme, the colors and everything hanging on the wall was cool to look at. They had a back area which was closed in and heated with another bat and three more tv's. Great spot to watch football have some brews and watch the game, or a little date night without spending over 100$ to go to a fancy place. Will be back when in the area!
(4)John S.
The waitress was rude. That should have been the first clue that we should have just had drinks and moved on to somewhere else. My Daughter And I ordered medium rare hamburgers and they came out barely cooked. My daughter could only eat 1/2. I ate all of mine but worried about being sick afterwards. I would avoid the food in this place and stick to drinking.
(2)Wayne D.
Whenever I come to visit my daughter at school, we stop here for a bite. The food is great and service just fine. Would like to see more entrees with low calorie options and healthier selections. Will miss it when she graduates and comes home.
(4)James N.
Fun place to hang out and have some drinks.... Will definitely be going back when in town!! Just wish the kitchen stayed open later
(4)Annie Louisey M.
Two because the beer list is so good and the place has potential. The missing stars are for the lack of service, detail, and flavor of food. It's a little painful watching how dissatisfied people are. One guy fingered his burger while yelling "Does this look medium rare!?" Note, it was the second burger sent out over-done to same guy who waited 45 minutes. New cook? Our experience: bubbly server left mid-operation and never notified us, or her colleagues. The food was really bland, even the recommendation. Pretzels were good though. Tip to manager, don't do tip share or whatever is going on that is not motivating employees, train your cook, and work on energy/ambiance.
(2)Nearme Y.
Consistent, with good Service. Glad they added food to the establishment because it compliments the atmosphere well.
(5)Kait H.
An insane selection of beers, with an impressive number on tap. Food was very good, with a wider selection than I expected. I wish they offered flights. I will be back.
(4)Cody Y.
Exceptional craft beer selection. Nice weekend crowd! Only place around I could find Springhouse Brewery's Satan's Bake Sale at!
(4)Rich B.
Been there a bunch of times. Its a nice central Scranton location right across from city hall. Theres a front section and a back section. Sometimes they play classic movies in the back area. They played Spaceballs there one nice and I almost cried that I missed it. Tuesdays is beer tasting. My brother in law goes to inhale their wings, which are apparently delicious since its all he gets. I like their burgers and their pretzel app. Tons of TVs too if you want to watch Syracuse basketball like the rest of Scranton.
(4)Chantel B.
Backyard is still really struggling with being a bar that is also trying to be a restaurant. Went to the advertised brunch today and probably the only things that saved the experience was a seriously fantastic Bloody Mary and some killin' omelettes. For three people to have three omelets and a single drink it took well over an hour. Read that again. It took 15 minutes after seating for someone to take our drink order, another 10 minutes for 2 drafts to be brought out, and yet another 10-15 minutes for someone to bring my drink and take our order. OVER THIRTY minutes before we placed our food order. Then, about 20 minutes later when our food finally came the home fries were cold and soggy. Clearly they sat around. Like I said, at least the omelettes were perfect. This review would have probably been 1 star without them.
(3)Peter M.
Update to my review, everything in the previous review still stands with the addition of AWESOME food. BYAH just opened their kitchen just a few months ago and I can't understand why they didn't go into the food business earlier. Seriously, you can't even really consider it bar food. Huge sandwiches, tasty appetizers and crazy good hand cut fries. Try the Banjo Pig Cuban Sandwich, its killer. I have a healthy appetite to say the least but I could not finish my sandwich. Everything was hot and fresh. The kitchen does close earlier than you would expect a bar kitchen to (I think 9PM even on weekends) so don't show up expecting to get drunk food at 11:30. Tables are at a premium so you may have to wait if you have a larger group.
(5)Kyle E.
Meh. Great beer selection but prices are a bit high(I know you're thinking I'm cheap but fuck you, I'll pay whatever for a good beer as long as it's fair) and the bartenders aren't all that knowledgeable about craft beers. I was there one afternoon and asked the bartender to recommend a good hoppy beer and he recommended Leinenkugels Summer Shandy(fucking Lemon Pledge tasting swill, FYI)! Anyway, the outdoor area is definitely a good spot for some day drinking when the weather's nice. UPDATE 8/2/2014 I've eaten here twice since my original review and the menu and the food are both great. Changing my score from 3 to 4 stars.
(4)Dan A.
They have every beer you've ever wanted and more that you didn't know existed. The service is fantastic and the food is unbelievable. Do yourself a favor and get the fries with the cheddar-ale dipping sauce.
(5)The Meepers G.
I believe this to be my third review of this business. This will be my last, as I will not be returning. I took a few days to think about this review, and I could not find one saving grace about my last and ultimately final experience here. My last encounter with this bar staff took place on Friday January 31, 2014. Several of my friends started their evening out there, so I met them. I arrived around 7 p.m. I missed happy hour, no big deal there. The Ale House was still in dinner service and the tables were all full, but the bar was pretty empty. I was greeted by a friend sitting at the bar, having a pint. Talked to him for a short period of time and got a beer at the bar. This should have been my first indication. A $6 beer cost me $8... OK this bar was always terrible with over charging. I then sauntered over to the table where the friends I was there to meet were sitting. After a while of the pleasantries, I look down in a fit of despair. My pint was infact empty. This being a terrible situation to find oneself in, I made the decision right then and there to make it my lifes mission to replenish my beer. Off I went. I journeyed over to the bar, where at this point the only three patrons occupying bar stools. They being my friend and two people he was with. With myself at the bar that made FOUR people with three bartenders standing behind the bar. All three looked at me, one was no more than four feet away, and none of them served me. Now to be clear, I had my EMPTY pint glass on the inside edge of the bar and a $10 bill in my hand up in the air like an S.O.S call for beer if you will. I stood there for at least 5 minutes (this is the only kind remark I will make in this review, because I was there for longer than 5 minutes and it certainly felt like an eternity) before a bartender came over to take my order. SIDEBAR: This is the second time the bar was dead and I stood there for an extended period of time while being ignored by the bar staff at this establishment. Though last time I waited for nearly 20 minutes with only two other partons at the bar. After I finally got a bartender I was poured a different pint of life saving ale. Thankfully it is winter and not the dead of summer. Otherwise I may have died from dehydration while waiting so long for my again extremely over priced pint. Again I ordered a beer in the $6 range and was charged $8.50. After this last pint, I did what I can only say took all the strength of 50 men to do. I refrained from drinking yet another overpriced pint and standing abandoned at the bar while bartenders look, but do not touch tap handles. I did this for a half an hour or more waiting begrudgingly in this establishment for my friends to finish up so we could move on to greener pastures. And there are many, many, many, many, many greener pastures in town. Several only a pint glass lob away from this very address. So to recap. Service at the Backyard Ale House- If I could give them ZERO stars I would. I will admit I have had OK (but never even close to average) service here at times,. But the bad service has been more frequent than the acceptable service. Even with a bar devoid of customers and fully stocked with bartenders, one will still wait for service for a long time. Price at the Backyard Ale House. Again I would give ZERO stars if that was an option. Always over priced. I recommend you take a walk around either corner to Adams or Washington to get a much better bar experience. Their prices are right and the service is.... well there is actually service. A note to management, do not ask me to re-review your bar again. I will not. Edit 2-6-2014: In regards to the comment below. I do not want to be miss leading . This third review, I was not asked to re-review The Backyard Ale House. My second review I was contacted and asked to do a re-review. This review was based on my own urge to do another review.
(1)Michelle C.
The great beers continue to flow at Backyard Ale House (as does the amazing people watching, which is just a bonus). Recently, my mom and I went up together and the tradition of paying a visit continued. The draft list was killer for early summer, featuring Hell or High Watermelon, a very tasty blueberry wheat beer, and several pale ales and IPAs. My mom's night was set when she ordered her third(ish) brew of the night, Green Flash's Palate Wrecker, a 9.5% IPA that was served - yep, in a pint glass. Kid tested, mom approved.
(5)Robert G.
This is my go to bar on the weekends, partly because it does a lot of things well, and partly because downtown (believe it or not) is lacking in this type of scene. The positives of BYAH: fanstastic selection of craft/micro brews. The bottle list is HUGE and they usually have approx 20 or so beers on tap; I can't remember the last time they've charged a cover; it's not a "dance club" type of place so the nonsense is kept to a minimum; the "backyard" part of the bar is awesome during the warmer months and there is a heated tent up during the cold; the inside part of the bar has enough tables if you get there early enough; the service is generally speedy and has knowledge of the beers they serve. The biggest negative I can find is that BYAH still allows smoking in the backyard part of the bar. This is not really a problem in the summer, but it is absolutely unbearable for a non-smoker when the tent is up. You need to shower immediately upon leaving and possibly throw your clothes away. I've had smoke hangovers the day after going, it's that bad. I understand the business aspect of allowing smoking, but if that doesn't appeal to you, plan on getting there early on the weekends so you can get a spot in the inside bar. The only other small complaint is that, while they do a good job rotating their drafts, the draft selection is usually dominated by ales. I'm not big on bitter beers and they rarely have many lagers available. Not the biggest deal in the world, but something to know if you plan on going for the beer.
(4)Eleni P.
Pretty cool spot...I'm from New York so I was skeptical when a friend suggested this place....it's actually very popular and they have so many beers that I was lost on what to order. Def a spot to check out if you're in the area. And there's a club right next door which everyone seemed to go to when it got later. They also have an outside bar .
(4)Jessica B.
Excellent beer selection, it's ridiculous. Beer tastings on Tuesdays are a great way to sample out-of-the-ordinary beers and find new favorites. Staff is always friendly and attentive. Saturdays are packed with a mixed crowd. Definitely an area favorite!
(4)C W.
It's a nice bar with a nice outside patio. Their drinks are reasonable. Last I knew there was no kitchen, so don't plan on eating here. The clientele is usually decent to be around, usually laid back, not rowdy, trashy, or scummy.
(4)Erik B.
Sunday to 2PM $8 brunch and a draft. I got the egg casserole and a draft. I will be back!!
(5)Kevin M.
I met a pal here after a job one Saturday afternoon in late October. The place was quiet, with maybe 10 other patrons. Those looking to pick up something other than a pint might have been disappointed but it suited us fine. The decor is nothing special but more than adequate for our needs. We sat at the "Inside" bar. The Backyard Ale House has another bar in an adjoining tented-in area which might be the source of the name. The Outside provides something of a rarity in 21st century Pennsylvania--a bar for smokers. I don't know if the place is in compliance with the Commonwealth's laws governing smoking in public but I imagine this area is a real bonus for those who enjoy cigs and suds. I couldn't detect smoke where I drank when there were a few puffing away. I do wonder if a full tent might be a problem for tobacco-sensitive folk. Pictures on the bar's website show that section sans tent which could be quite nice in warmer times. The Backyard Ale House's printed draft menu was split into Inside and Outside listings with 20 for the former and 6 for the latter. The broad selection offered a good variety of styles. That day 5 of the 20 Insiders were Marzens or pumpkin ales. Only 1 mainstream offering diluted the group. Many beers were new to me, which is always a plus. I went with Belgian-style IPAs, Evil Genius Beer's Evil Eye PA and Clown Shoes' Tramp Stamp. For the record, I liked the Tramp Stamp better but did feel a little funny when I told the bartender "I need another Tramp Stamp." The Backyard Ale House also had an extensive bottle list. I would definitely return should I find myself back in the Electric City.
(4)Shelley P.
The Ale House is a decent bar. If you're looking for the college bar scene, try here. It's right next to U of Scranton. If you've never been here, you probably wouldn't know there's a huge patio in the back. Even if it rains, there's a portion of the patio that's covered so you can still have a good time outdoors. If I was closer to the Scranton area, I would come back.
(3)Brian E.
Really nice spot to hang with friends. This place has over 500 beers available! Wish they had better parking, but that's a curse for any bar owner in that area so can't blame em. Well worth stopping by.
(3)Scott B.
Backyard Ale House opened in the space right next to Tinks. The scene is mostly college kids with a few older folks as well. This is definitely a place for the beer connoisseur. They have about 10 beers on tap as well as several dozen bottle beers. If you're not into beer they also a pretty wide selection of liquors and martinis as well... Even though they were packed the bartenders seemed pretty chill and attentive. One pretty cool thing about this is the layout... there is the bar area in the front with seating along the walls and a few huge LCD TV's but the have an outdoor section as well. This was essentially set up as a big tent in their backyard. The tent is heated and smoking is allowed back there. So as not to have you feeling 'let out in the cold' they actually have two beer stands serving beer back there... not only Coors Light but surprisingly Magic Hat. It looks as though this section might be unfinished and will be a completed party deck by spring time. We didn't stay long, but enjoyed while we were there... will definitely go back. The one criticism about this place would have to be the mixed drink I ordered... I expected the club soda to be from a tap and not a warm 1 liter bottle sitting behind the bar. Doesn't make for the best mixed drinks, but oh well what do expect from a full on ale house.
(3)Brad M.
Good beer selection. Cool outside in summer/heated and covered in winter bar. Some cool bartenders and some (I'm a bartender I'm awesome bartenders) Prices for scranton probably a bit high.
(4)Rebecca D.
Compared to the crap around it, ahem hardware bar, this place is great. Easily the best bar in downtown scranton, of course that isn't saying much, but at least it's relatively clean and scummer free.
(3)Mike V.
Eh, nothing to write home about... Better than the other bars in the area, kidares, traxx, etc. but that's not saying much.
(3)Jason S.
Great summer happy hour spot. The location is convenient and they have a huge beer selection. The outside bar gets packed on weekends, but is less so during weekday happy hour and they often have free food. The staff is friendly, though not always attentive, and there is an interesting mix of clientele. My one complaint is their prices. Especially for draft beer.
(3)Brian L.
Loads of beer options, friendly bartenders and a great outside bar that's closed in kinda thing that i believe opens when it's nice out. You'll prolly hear some clown playin acoustic guitar and playin covers his voice will prolly sound like an irish Eddie Vedder, but that's pretty much every bar in Scranton except The Bog. Overall a good time though. Gem place!
(4)Ian M.
Great outdoor option in Scranton, the patio in the back is very spacious with a lot of seating. The beer selection is huge, but the 21-35 crowd is drinking mostly Miller lites and Vodka cranberrys. Music can always be better and never put money in the juke box, it's never on. 4/5 on a relative scale. Great atmosphere, awesome patio and always a good well dressed crowd.
(4)Kale M.
Great beer selection! Good specials and wings are fantastic and unique. Service was good enough but the portions and flavors are worth it! Five wing sampler great.
(4)Elisabeth R.
Best Bar in Scranton! Great crowd, awesome beer list, and outdoor area is awesome.
(5)Hugh H.
Best bar in Scranton. Wide selection of beers and ever changing draft list. Food is delicious, and I've never had a bad meal here. Weekends can get crowded, but always a good time. Brunch specials can be pricey for an omelet but you also get a mimosa or a draft beer with it, so it's worth it.
(5)Michael B.
If your looking for obscure beers this is the best bar in a 30 mile radius at least that you will find them and you will find a very vast selection. Hundreds of beers to choose from and the prices are good. Food could be better but this is the best bar/restaurant in town with the biggest beer menu.
(4)Nicole Z.
One of the best omelettes I've had. Good draft and bottle selection.
(4)Jack M.
Went to backyard for brunch for the third and what is sure to be final time. The service was painfully slow. I'm still not even sure who our waiter/waitress is. Backyard is nice in warm weather but it resembles a warehouse in the colder months.
(2)John O.
Holy beer selection Bat Man! Great location and even better vibe makes this place a must visit in Scranton. If my nick name was Frank the tank them I would of made a bigger dent in trying all of the beer on tap. For lunch I had a great Cuban sandwich that hit the spot. I was also impressed with the daily specials that looked amazing.
(4)Bryan G.
Great burgers that are properly cooked to order, medium is medium. The chips with blue cheese carmalized onion dip was great. Then there is the beer. The beer menu is vast and reasonably priced. Delicious.
(4)Jason L.
Had brunch this past weekend at the Backyard Ale House. Wasn't sure exactly what to expect, but there was a small crowd around noon, which I love....I'm not one for a crowded bar scene, especially on a Saturday afternoon, so this was perfect. Sat at the bar and ordered off of the special weekend brunch menu ($8 for a meal and a beer or bloody mary). I had a western omelet with cooper sharp cheese and my fiancee had a belgian waffle with fruit topping. Both were superb, hot, fresh and delicious. I'll certainly be back for more in the coming weeks. If you're going to do the Backyard Ale House and want to avoid the hectic bar crowd, I suggest brunch!
(5)Tom O.
A beer magistrates Xanadu. What a selection of bottled beers and drafts. Seriously, the bottle list is pages upon pages long with small font. The prices won't leave you buzzed and the interior of this place has all the energy of the Scranton streets on the exterior.
(5)Kunal P.
This has become the standard place to hang out and gather up old friends whenever I pop into town for the past year or so. 9 out of 10 times, I've was here during the happy hour times. And, its been a much more pleasant experience than any of the other local joints. So, keep it up BAH!!!
(4)Kevin B.
This is a good place to find a variety of good beers on tap and in bottle when you're in downtown Scranton. There are two bars, one inside and one outside - the one outside unfortunately allows smoking, so that's one to avoid if you're like me and detest all forms of tobacco. That aside, the variety of brews is pretty awesome and prices are comparable for the area (i.e., cheap).
(4)Jim Z.
First time visitor here. It was a cold and windy weekday night in NEPA. We were dining before a show and between the weather and Scranton there wasn't much to choose from in the immediate area. For some reason the pub next door looked pretty empty so we opted for TBAH, which we'd often heard of from college friends. It was not a bad choice given our constraints and expectations. We owe them a return visit to better explore what looks to be better stuff. The backyard part (a tented patio?) was closed due to the extreme weather. The bar area was busy but not crowded. It is a pretty large room with a dark pubby look and feel. Adequate TV screens are dispersed around the area, all on the same sports channel this night. No doubt this place must rock on nights when downtown is busier. Greeted as we wandered looking for a spot, we settled into one of the pub style tables with high seating. That was good. The bad was, despite many servers in the room, it took a while for someone to take our drink order and provide menus. A bit of a 'nit' but noticeable to us since we were time constrained. Once we were addressed, things went pretty well but overall service was just OK (well, it IS a collegey bar so what did old guys expect anyway ;-) ). Very good beer selection. Many drafts... including appropriately many local and regional offerings. Prices seemed reasonable for crafty pints and bottles. The bottled beer list provided even has a few exotics. This may be among the best beer selections in NEPA, certainly Scranton. We didn't inquire nor expect much in the wine department here...as it should be? Dining menu is, appropriately , pretty pubby (soups, sandwiches, burgers...) and a bit oblique to follow for a first timer. We were pressed for time so, we settled on burgers as the safest and quickest order in an unfamiliar place. They offer a choice of fries for a buck more or the house made chips...both were good. The burgers were not great but good enough...slightly overdone. I wonder why many places ask cooking burger preference these days, especially with the concern for food borne diseases and such. So no penalty here, just a comment. I plan to return when in the area and expect better the second time around too, after our experience and scanning the menu online. In our haste, we didn't adequately explore the daily nor house specials .... and because of this... the so-so service was more apparent. In other times we wouldn't care as much. All-in-all this downtown Scranton pub is convenient and a good choice for a beer, burger, and probably more...but, a caution too, we were there on a very slow night so it may get a lot livelier then some like at times.
(4)Rob D.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my nights at the Backyard Ale House, but with the every-increasing popularity of Craft Beers, you could usually find bars that fit exactly what you are looking for. Positives? Great beer selection, usually have good local cover bands and I usually have good service. In the summer, the outside section is also nice. I am a sucker for decks and nice outdoor drinking areas and this one is pretty good. The downsides are more just personal preference. As another reviewer mention, they allow smoking outside and during the winter they have a tent that goes over the outside. This keeps all the smoke inside the tent and can become pretty unbearable. This is a personal issue and I'm sure others might not mind. During the weekends it can get crowded so if you do not like the smoke, you might get a bit cramped on the inside. The other downside is just the spillover of people from Mulligan's. Now this is a minor gripe, but sometimes you can get crowds that are mostly college-aged or like the 10+ group of frat-type folks. This is minor, but I tend to prefer sitting down and having a nice pint and sometimes I cannot get this. Super-minor, but if you enjoy a more laid-back craft beer bar, this might not meet your preferences (especially on weekends).
(3)C W.
The selection has gone down hill in the last 6 months and happy hour now only includes outside drafts-6 or so to choice from on the other hand Coopers now has happy hour 7 days a week and it includes all drafts. Also Coopers draft selection has improved in the last year.
(3)Lynn T.
Went here for brunch on saturday and sat out back at the upper deck bar - lots of room and a great space. Staff was friendly and attentive, and the beer selection is GREAT! they updated their draft list while we were there, and have a good variety of all styles of craft beer, plus the mass market stuff. My husband had the breakfast sandwich with a coffee stout and I had the Hawaii Five-O sandwich with an IPA - OUTSTANDING!!! They have a lot of drink specials with brunch, and the best part was that our 3 beers and 2 sandwiches came to an amazing $26 - can't beat it. Highly recommend it, ad I am sure it is even better when it is really warm.
(4)Frank P.
Great selection of beer. Ordered the veggie flatbread pizza and soft pretzels with spicy mustard. Food was on point and cooked clean. Really wanted to try their house made veggie and grain burger, but when asked if the veggie burger was cooked right on the grill with the beef burgers we were told they were. Kinda defeats the purpose huh? I don't want my veggie burger cooked in the juices of a beef burger. Would definitely swing by again for a craft beer and some snack food.
(3)Jason S.
Great summer happy hour spot. The location is convenient and they have a huge beer selection. The outside bar gets packed on weekends, but is less so during weekday happy hour and they often have free food. The staff is friendly, though not always attentive, and there is an interesting mix of clientele. My one complaint is their prices. Especially for draft beer.
(3)Robert G.
This is my go to bar on the weekends, partly because it does a lot of things well, and partly because downtown (believe it or not) is lacking in this type of scene. The positives of BYAH: fanstastic selection of craft/micro brews. The bottle list is HUGE and they usually have approx 20 or so beers on tap; I can't remember the last time they've charged a cover; it's not a "dance club" type of place so the nonsense is kept to a minimum; the "backyard" part of the bar is awesome during the warmer months and there is a heated tent up during the cold; the inside part of the bar has enough tables if you get there early enough; the service is generally speedy and has knowledge of the beers they serve. The biggest negative I can find is that BYAH still allows smoking in the backyard part of the bar. This is not really a problem in the summer, but it is absolutely unbearable for a non-smoker when the tent is up. You need to shower immediately upon leaving and possibly throw your clothes away. I've had smoke hangovers the day after going, it's that bad. I understand the business aspect of allowing smoking, but if that doesn't appeal to you, plan on getting there early on the weekends so you can get a spot in the inside bar. The only other small complaint is that, while they do a good job rotating their drafts, the draft selection is usually dominated by ales. I'm not big on bitter beers and they rarely have many lagers available. Not the biggest deal in the world, but something to know if you plan on going for the beer.
(4)Eleni P.
Pretty cool spot...I'm from New York so I was skeptical when a friend suggested this place....it's actually very popular and they have so many beers that I was lost on what to order. Def a spot to check out if you're in the area. And there's a club right next door which everyone seemed to go to when it got later. They also have an outside bar .
(4)Jessica B.
Excellent beer selection, it's ridiculous. Beer tastings on Tuesdays are a great way to sample out-of-the-ordinary beers and find new favorites. Staff is always friendly and attentive. Saturdays are packed with a mixed crowd. Definitely an area favorite!
(4)C W.
It's a nice bar with a nice outside patio. Their drinks are reasonable. Last I knew there was no kitchen, so don't plan on eating here. The clientele is usually decent to be around, usually laid back, not rowdy, trashy, or scummy.
(4)Erik B.
Sunday to 2PM $8 brunch and a draft. I got the egg casserole and a draft. I will be back!!
(5)Brad M.
Good beer selection. Cool outside in summer/heated and covered in winter bar. Some cool bartenders and some (I'm a bartender I'm awesome bartenders) Prices for scranton probably a bit high.
(4)Rebecca D.
Compared to the crap around it, ahem hardware bar, this place is great. Easily the best bar in downtown scranton, of course that isn't saying much, but at least it's relatively clean and scummer free.
(3)Mike V.
Eh, nothing to write home about... Better than the other bars in the area, kidares, traxx, etc. but that's not saying much.
(3)Kevin M.
I met a pal here after a job one Saturday afternoon in late October. The place was quiet, with maybe 10 other patrons. Those looking to pick up something other than a pint might have been disappointed but it suited us fine. The decor is nothing special but more than adequate for our needs. We sat at the "Inside" bar. The Backyard Ale House has another bar in an adjoining tented-in area which might be the source of the name. The Outside provides something of a rarity in 21st century Pennsylvania--a bar for smokers. I don't know if the place is in compliance with the Commonwealth's laws governing smoking in public but I imagine this area is a real bonus for those who enjoy cigs and suds. I couldn't detect smoke where I drank when there were a few puffing away. I do wonder if a full tent might be a problem for tobacco-sensitive folk. Pictures on the bar's website show that section sans tent which could be quite nice in warmer times. The Backyard Ale House's printed draft menu was split into Inside and Outside listings with 20 for the former and 6 for the latter. The broad selection offered a good variety of styles. That day 5 of the 20 Insiders were Marzens or pumpkin ales. Only 1 mainstream offering diluted the group. Many beers were new to me, which is always a plus. I went with Belgian-style IPAs, Evil Genius Beer's Evil Eye PA and Clown Shoes' Tramp Stamp. For the record, I liked the Tramp Stamp better but did feel a little funny when I told the bartender "I need another Tramp Stamp." The Backyard Ale House also had an extensive bottle list. I would definitely return should I find myself back in the Electric City.
(4)Shelley P.
The Ale House is a decent bar. If you're looking for the college bar scene, try here. It's right next to U of Scranton. If you've never been here, you probably wouldn't know there's a huge patio in the back. Even if it rains, there's a portion of the patio that's covered so you can still have a good time outdoors. If I was closer to the Scranton area, I would come back.
(3)Brian E.
Really nice spot to hang with friends. This place has over 500 beers available! Wish they had better parking, but that's a curse for any bar owner in that area so can't blame em. Well worth stopping by.
(3)Scott B.
Backyard Ale House opened in the space right next to Tinks. The scene is mostly college kids with a few older folks as well. This is definitely a place for the beer connoisseur. They have about 10 beers on tap as well as several dozen bottle beers. If you're not into beer they also a pretty wide selection of liquors and martinis as well... Even though they were packed the bartenders seemed pretty chill and attentive. One pretty cool thing about this is the layout... there is the bar area in the front with seating along the walls and a few huge LCD TV's but the have an outdoor section as well. This was essentially set up as a big tent in their backyard. The tent is heated and smoking is allowed back there. So as not to have you feeling 'let out in the cold' they actually have two beer stands serving beer back there... not only Coors Light but surprisingly Magic Hat. It looks as though this section might be unfinished and will be a completed party deck by spring time. We didn't stay long, but enjoyed while we were there... will definitely go back. The one criticism about this place would have to be the mixed drink I ordered... I expected the club soda to be from a tap and not a warm 1 liter bottle sitting behind the bar. Doesn't make for the best mixed drinks, but oh well what do expect from a full on ale house.
(3)Brian L.
Loads of beer options, friendly bartenders and a great outside bar that's closed in kinda thing that i believe opens when it's nice out. You'll prolly hear some clown playin acoustic guitar and playin covers his voice will prolly sound like an irish Eddie Vedder, but that's pretty much every bar in Scranton except The Bog. Overall a good time though. Gem place!
(4)Ian M.
Great outdoor option in Scranton, the patio in the back is very spacious with a lot of seating. The beer selection is huge, but the 21-35 crowd is drinking mostly Miller lites and Vodka cranberrys. Music can always be better and never put money in the juke box, it's never on. 4/5 on a relative scale. Great atmosphere, awesome patio and always a good well dressed crowd.
(4)Kyle E.
Meh. Great beer selection but prices are a bit high(I know you're thinking I'm cheap but fuck you, I'll pay whatever for a good beer as long as it's fair) and the bartenders aren't all that knowledgeable about craft beers. I was there one afternoon and asked the bartender to recommend a good hoppy beer and he recommended Leinenkugels Summer Shandy(fucking Lemon Pledge tasting swill, FYI)! Anyway, the outdoor area is definitely a good spot for some day drinking when the weather's nice. UPDATE 8/2/2014 I've eaten here twice since my original review and the menu and the food are both great. Changing my score from 3 to 4 stars.
(4)Dan A.
They have every beer you've ever wanted and more that you didn't know existed. The service is fantastic and the food is unbelievable. Do yourself a favor and get the fries with the cheddar-ale dipping sauce.
(5)The Meepers G.
I believe this to be my third review of this business. This will be my last, as I will not be returning. I took a few days to think about this review, and I could not find one saving grace about my last and ultimately final experience here. My last encounter with this bar staff took place on Friday January 31, 2014. Several of my friends started their evening out there, so I met them. I arrived around 7 p.m. I missed happy hour, no big deal there. The Ale House was still in dinner service and the tables were all full, but the bar was pretty empty. I was greeted by a friend sitting at the bar, having a pint. Talked to him for a short period of time and got a beer at the bar. This should have been my first indication. A $6 beer cost me $8... OK this bar was always terrible with over charging. I then sauntered over to the table where the friends I was there to meet were sitting. After a while of the pleasantries, I look down in a fit of despair. My pint was infact empty. This being a terrible situation to find oneself in, I made the decision right then and there to make it my lifes mission to replenish my beer. Off I went. I journeyed over to the bar, where at this point the only three patrons occupying bar stools. They being my friend and two people he was with. With myself at the bar that made FOUR people with three bartenders standing behind the bar. All three looked at me, one was no more than four feet away, and none of them served me. Now to be clear, I had my EMPTY pint glass on the inside edge of the bar and a $10 bill in my hand up in the air like an S.O.S call for beer if you will. I stood there for at least 5 minutes (this is the only kind remark I will make in this review, because I was there for longer than 5 minutes and it certainly felt like an eternity) before a bartender came over to take my order. SIDEBAR: This is the second time the bar was dead and I stood there for an extended period of time while being ignored by the bar staff at this establishment. Though last time I waited for nearly 20 minutes with only two other partons at the bar. After I finally got a bartender I was poured a different pint of life saving ale. Thankfully it is winter and not the dead of summer. Otherwise I may have died from dehydration while waiting so long for my again extremely over priced pint. Again I ordered a beer in the $6 range and was charged $8.50. After this last pint, I did what I can only say took all the strength of 50 men to do. I refrained from drinking yet another overpriced pint and standing abandoned at the bar while bartenders look, but do not touch tap handles. I did this for a half an hour or more waiting begrudgingly in this establishment for my friends to finish up so we could move on to greener pastures. And there are many, many, many, many, many greener pastures in town. Several only a pint glass lob away from this very address. So to recap. Service at the Backyard Ale House- If I could give them ZERO stars I would. I will admit I have had OK (but never even close to average) service here at times,. But the bad service has been more frequent than the acceptable service. Even with a bar devoid of customers and fully stocked with bartenders, one will still wait for service for a long time. Price at the Backyard Ale House. Again I would give ZERO stars if that was an option. Always over priced. I recommend you take a walk around either corner to Adams or Washington to get a much better bar experience. Their prices are right and the service is.... well there is actually service. A note to management, do not ask me to re-review your bar again. I will not. Edit 2-6-2014: In regards to the comment below. I do not want to be miss leading . This third review, I was not asked to re-review The Backyard Ale House. My second review I was contacted and asked to do a re-review. This review was based on my own urge to do another review.
(1)Michelle C.
The great beers continue to flow at Backyard Ale House (as does the amazing people watching, which is just a bonus). Recently, my mom and I went up together and the tradition of paying a visit continued. The draft list was killer for early summer, featuring Hell or High Watermelon, a very tasty blueberry wheat beer, and several pale ales and IPAs. My mom's night was set when she ordered her third(ish) brew of the night, Green Flash's Palate Wrecker, a 9.5% IPA that was served - yep, in a pint glass. Kid tested, mom approved.
(5)sean m.
Finally got to try their food this afternoon. I had the "morning after burger" and it was great. Cooked perfectly and the add-ons made it really tasty. Our waitress Jen was also great!
(5)Susie T.
I loved it here! This spot totally reminded me of your typical philly bar. Of course it helped a lot that our waiter was a HUGE fan of my alma matter, but I digress. The food and drinks were SOOOO cheap! (Like "is this really our bill?!" cheap) The staff was great and my eggplant parm was delish. Everyone enjoyed their meals, and those that couldn't finish asked for theirs to go (always the sign of a good meal).
(5)Mike P.
Best friend & I visited Scranton the weekend of January 25th. This bar was close to our hotel, was recommended by our hotel bartender, and had great Yelp reviews. So we decided to check it out on a Saturday night. We had a great time. There were two extensive beer lists: one bottled, one draft.. The beer was cold, and moderately priced. Our bartender, Jessica C, was friendly and provided outstanding service. In addition to the regular bar area, the bar features a "back yard" which has a huge tent over it in the winter time, with heaters. We never felt cold or like we were outside when we ventured into this area. Overall, this was a great bar! Tip: There is a blackboard next to the front bar. Check this board for specials each night!
(5)Nicole Z.
One of the best omelettes I've had. Good draft and bottle selection.
(4)Jack M.
Went to backyard for brunch for the third and what is sure to be final time. The service was painfully slow. I'm still not even sure who our waiter/waitress is. Backyard is nice in warm weather but it resembles a warehouse in the colder months.
(2)John O.
Holy beer selection Bat Man! Great location and even better vibe makes this place a must visit in Scranton. If my nick name was Frank the tank them I would of made a bigger dent in trying all of the beer on tap. For lunch I had a great Cuban sandwich that hit the spot. I was also impressed with the daily specials that looked amazing.
(4)Bryan G.
Great burgers that are properly cooked to order, medium is medium. The chips with blue cheese carmalized onion dip was great. Then there is the beer. The beer menu is vast and reasonably priced. Delicious.
(4)Kale M.
Great beer selection! Good specials and wings are fantastic and unique. Service was good enough but the portions and flavors are worth it! Five wing sampler great.
(4)Elisabeth R.
Best Bar in Scranton! Great crowd, awesome beer list, and outdoor area is awesome.
(5)Hugh H.
Best bar in Scranton. Wide selection of beers and ever changing draft list. Food is delicious, and I've never had a bad meal here. Weekends can get crowded, but always a good time. Brunch specials can be pricey for an omelet but you also get a mimosa or a draft beer with it, so it's worth it.
(5)Jason L.
Had brunch this past weekend at the Backyard Ale House. Wasn't sure exactly what to expect, but there was a small crowd around noon, which I love....I'm not one for a crowded bar scene, especially on a Saturday afternoon, so this was perfect. Sat at the bar and ordered off of the special weekend brunch menu ($8 for a meal and a beer or bloody mary). I had a western omelet with cooper sharp cheese and my fiancee had a belgian waffle with fruit topping. Both were superb, hot, fresh and delicious. I'll certainly be back for more in the coming weeks. If you're going to do the Backyard Ale House and want to avoid the hectic bar crowd, I suggest brunch!
(5)Tom O.
A beer magistrates Xanadu. What a selection of bottled beers and drafts. Seriously, the bottle list is pages upon pages long with small font. The prices won't leave you buzzed and the interior of this place has all the energy of the Scranton streets on the exterior.
(5)Kunal P.
This has become the standard place to hang out and gather up old friends whenever I pop into town for the past year or so. 9 out of 10 times, I've was here during the happy hour times. And, its been a much more pleasant experience than any of the other local joints. So, keep it up BAH!!!
(4)Kevin B.
This is a good place to find a variety of good beers on tap and in bottle when you're in downtown Scranton. There are two bars, one inside and one outside - the one outside unfortunately allows smoking, so that's one to avoid if you're like me and detest all forms of tobacco. That aside, the variety of brews is pretty awesome and prices are comparable for the area (i.e., cheap).
(4)Rob D.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my nights at the Backyard Ale House, but with the every-increasing popularity of Craft Beers, you could usually find bars that fit exactly what you are looking for. Positives? Great beer selection, usually have good local cover bands and I usually have good service. In the summer, the outside section is also nice. I am a sucker for decks and nice outdoor drinking areas and this one is pretty good. The downsides are more just personal preference. As another reviewer mention, they allow smoking outside and during the winter they have a tent that goes over the outside. This keeps all the smoke inside the tent and can become pretty unbearable. This is a personal issue and I'm sure others might not mind. During the weekends it can get crowded so if you do not like the smoke, you might get a bit cramped on the inside. The other downside is just the spillover of people from Mulligan's. Now this is a minor gripe, but sometimes you can get crowds that are mostly college-aged or like the 10+ group of frat-type folks. This is minor, but I tend to prefer sitting down and having a nice pint and sometimes I cannot get this. Super-minor, but if you enjoy a more laid-back craft beer bar, this might not meet your preferences (especially on weekends).
(3)Lynn T.
Went here for brunch on saturday and sat out back at the upper deck bar - lots of room and a great space. Staff was friendly and attentive, and the beer selection is GREAT! they updated their draft list while we were there, and have a good variety of all styles of craft beer, plus the mass market stuff. My husband had the breakfast sandwich with a coffee stout and I had the Hawaii Five-O sandwich with an IPA - OUTSTANDING!!! They have a lot of drink specials with brunch, and the best part was that our 3 beers and 2 sandwiches came to an amazing $26 - can't beat it. Highly recommend it, ad I am sure it is even better when it is really warm.
(4)Jim Z.
First time visitor here. It was a cold and windy weekday night in NEPA. We were dining before a show and between the weather and Scranton there wasn't much to choose from in the immediate area. For some reason the pub next door looked pretty empty so we opted for TBAH, which we'd often heard of from college friends. It was not a bad choice given our constraints and expectations. We owe them a return visit to better explore what looks to be better stuff. The backyard part (a tented patio?) was closed due to the extreme weather. The bar area was busy but not crowded. It is a pretty large room with a dark pubby look and feel. Adequate TV screens are dispersed around the area, all on the same sports channel this night. No doubt this place must rock on nights when downtown is busier. Greeted as we wandered looking for a spot, we settled into one of the pub style tables with high seating. That was good. The bad was, despite many servers in the room, it took a while for someone to take our drink order and provide menus. A bit of a 'nit' but noticeable to us since we were time constrained. Once we were addressed, things went pretty well but overall service was just OK (well, it IS a collegey bar so what did old guys expect anyway ;-) ). Very good beer selection. Many drafts... including appropriately many local and regional offerings. Prices seemed reasonable for crafty pints and bottles. The bottled beer list provided even has a few exotics. This may be among the best beer selections in NEPA, certainly Scranton. We didn't inquire nor expect much in the wine department here...as it should be? Dining menu is, appropriately , pretty pubby (soups, sandwiches, burgers...) and a bit oblique to follow for a first timer. We were pressed for time so, we settled on burgers as the safest and quickest order in an unfamiliar place. They offer a choice of fries for a buck more or the house made chips...both were good. The burgers were not great but good enough...slightly overdone. I wonder why many places ask cooking burger preference these days, especially with the concern for food borne diseases and such. So no penalty here, just a comment. I plan to return when in the area and expect better the second time around too, after our experience and scanning the menu online. In our haste, we didn't adequately explore the daily nor house specials .... and because of this... the so-so service was more apparent. In other times we wouldn't care as much. All-in-all this downtown Scranton pub is convenient and a good choice for a beer, burger, and probably more...but, a caution too, we were there on a very slow night so it may get a lot livelier then some like at times.
(4)Frank P.
Great selection of beer. Ordered the veggie flatbread pizza and soft pretzels with spicy mustard. Food was on point and cooked clean. Really wanted to try their house made veggie and grain burger, but when asked if the veggie burger was cooked right on the grill with the beef burgers we were told they were. Kinda defeats the purpose huh? I don't want my veggie burger cooked in the juices of a beef burger. Would definitely swing by again for a craft beer and some snack food.
(3)Angela G.
I've been here a few times for beers with friends, and the atmosphere was always pleasant and fun. Lots of beers from which to choose, decent prices. Recently, I visited for dinner AND drinks and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of their food and the interesting takes on "pub food" they had listed on their menu. They had a really great skillet mac and cheese, and their other specials looked super good. I will definitely consider coming for more than beers the next time I'm in town.
(4)Maggie O.
Beers and scenery at this place is great and bar service is usually good but dining here is a different story. Warning ...I LOVE brunch! Bloody Mary and breakfast for $10 sucks me in every time but the service... Or lack thereof is such a disappointment. Once you finally place an order and get a drink... 20+ mins after seating .... Food takes a while and then you're still waiting on toast or something else that forgot .... And then you don't see your server again....ever. Now big Part of the brunch appeal for me is getting drunk accidentally and forgetting that you have work tomorrow.... This is best achieved by enjoying the leisurely attention of someone willing to seduce me with champagne and pastries.... that zen place is hard to find when you have to go on an expedition to get a refill and no one is offering up alternatives to rejoining a productive life. Upside is the bill is always low because no one waited on you so you don't order much..... Which is a shame because the quality of food and booze is great.... Just not easily acquired or enjoyed.
(3)Jason C.
These Folx must know that Ale Mary's is the competition. But lucky for them, Ale Mary's is closed on Tuesday. So it's wings night at the Backyard. I wish I had some friends in the area so we could try 5 sauces on 5 wings (25 wings) for $14. I had to settle for 10 of their hottest wings. Good spice and flavor, but not that spicy for my deranged palette. Also on Tues nights is their beer tasting flight. 5 selected beers (4oz pours) for $5. Great selection - but my only complaint is that they're in plastic cups (c'mon guys, invest in some fracking 4 oz glasses) and the poor wait staff has to bring them out one by one? I didn't try much other food, other than a fresh salad, but the space and the atmosphere here is great.
(4)Tory W.
Awesome place with AMAZING beer selection....apparently they just added a food menu, definitely a good idea. Their food was really good and the waiter had great ideas of what we should get to eat. Definitely will stop back here next time I'm in the area!!!!!!
(5)John F.
So this review is based on 3 recent visits. I've sat both inside and outside and both times the service was excellent, friendly & attentive. They have my beer, Guinness and my only complaint is that a few times I had a quick pour and for a "beer place" this shouldn't happen once. Last night the outdoor patio crew was excellent as they all seem to share the workload, and that means I could always count on service, which to us is big. The wings I had last night were delicious (hot) which aren't too hot and my fiancé enjoyed her Burger but the potato chips were bland. The only other point, they need to get better Vodka, Absolut Citron for the ladies and Tito's just because. Overall though, I plan to continue to enjoy this place, nice job!
(4)Mike R.
Backyard Ale House has by far the best burgers I have ever tried. This in combination with their many craft beers on tap with their EXCEPTIONALLY HUGE bottle list. How could you go wrong! All the employees are fantastic, attentive, and knowledgeable in knowing their food and beer menus both forwards and backwards. If I could come in here everyday without going broke. I'd do it. And more than once a day. People, please come here and experience one the best food + craft beer establishments you'll ever witness. I promise you will not regret a single thing.
(5)Meredith S.
If I could not give them any stars I would. I have highly disappointed in this bar/restaurant. We were in town for the night and were told by two different people to check this place out. EVERY person who worked there that night was rude and not helpful. We waited at the bar to just order drinks for about 15 mins with two female bartenders just standing and talking to each other. We called a male worker (I think the bar back) over and ordered but never got our drinks. Finally a table opened and we moved over, however one of us waited at the bar for drinks (at least another 10 mins). NO ONE came over to take our food order. We decided that we would not stay and when we were ready to leave a waitress came over and asked if we needed another drink. I was so angry and told her we were leaving (food menus still out on the table). I would never go back here or recommend this place!!!!!!!
(1)Guy F.
Not bad, pretty redundant beer selection for an ale house. Appetizer came out cold. Not bad, not great. Edit: to the owner, great customer service comes with a reliable repeatable process. Rather than putting the onus on customers to correct your staff, encourage your manager to ensure the hot food is hot. I'm aware that because I think something, others may think something else. It's just like... My opinion man. However, claiming you have x amount of beer selections available... And of those there are a limited amount of styles... You are limited in your selection. Personally, I don't go to an ale house for a bottle. But again, dude quote holds up here. Disclaimer: if I were you I'd carry the beers that sold... And I don't see your sales reports so if that's what drives draft spots, keep the lights on. Good on you for caring, most don't. Unsolicited advice: lose the part where you "wish I would have said something." Id go more with, "my bad, we'll use it to get better." Nice place you have, very nice staff too. -Guy F
(3)Michael R.
This place is very cool and trendy. I recommend the bloody mary brunch on Sunday. Two thumbs up! Great beet selection as well.
(5)Tim H.
Banjo Pig Cuban sandwich was huge & delicious. Nice back yard patio. Huge beer selection. Highly recommended.
(4)Giuseppe M.
AMAZING!!!!! Place with excellent service, had an Amazing Rock Band playing called Mace in Dickson!!! Love this place and the food was outrageously delicious!!! But you will get carded at the door, but the atmosphere was Excellent, Bartender was on point with drinks and friendliness OUR NEW PLACE!!!!! It's a must go!!!
(5)Kerry W.
Food is really good and a never ending selection of beer. Definitely worth trying the food if you are there
(4)Tim O.
Probably the best gastropub for beer selection (550 bottles) with another 30 or so on tap. Great menu and incredibly fresh food. I certainly didn't expect this in Scranton.
(5)Kayla B.
A pretty good beer selection. I had the clam chowder and simple salad. Both were also decent. I expected the chowder to be better. I would have also expected a chilled glass for my beer, but got them at room temperature. I would definitely recommend this place. I would go back and try more food options if I were going to be in town longer.
(4)Laura H.
Service was excellent. Food even better. Portions were good value. Chili, salmon gyro, ma meatloaf, homemade chips; then finished with smooth and creamy pumpkin ice cream. Yummmmy....
(5)Paul P.
This has become a regular lunch/happy hour spot. Service is pretty good, LOVE the food (despite forthcoming contradictory criticism), and it's a bar where you're not going to be overrun with students (more faculty and staff enjoying a beer than anything). I think the menu could be expanded a little. Had the nachos one time, they were totally ON POINT! However, I haven't seen em on the menu since. Maybe something in the a chicken finger basket or pretzels with cheese family would be an improvement. Don't get me wrong, it's an A-/B+ restaurant and worth the fairly reasonable prices!
(4)Mike A.
Great pub grub at an affordable price. When we wandered in here with friends we were surprised at the quality of food, awesome beer selection and fun atmosphere. I will definitely go back for a fun and entertaining evening.
(5)Jessi G.
Backyard has always been a great bar for beer selection and atmosphere. A few months ago they started serving food and I was really pleased! Try the tin can fries and the wings on Tuesday. They are incredible! I wish the service was a little better (sometimes I feel like the servers are just goofing off and taking their time, which is fine when I'm not in a hurry but not so great for lunch), but all in all a really solid place for drinks, watching sports, and snacks.
(4)Johnny G.
Me and my fiancé stopped in here after looking at a venue and doing a little shopping. We found this place on trip advisor and seemed like a cool place to go. We are both 25 yrs young. It was a Sunday around 5-5:30, the place wasn't that busy but being a head chef and in the restaurant business for over 8 years I can understand slow days especially with Christmas coming up and the cold weather hitting hard. We walked in and was told to sit anywhere, it must've taken a few minutes before I got up to ask for some menus. I think it might've been a miscommunication on who takes tables/ bartends. Anyways we got our menus and the menu style and look of it was a perfect fit to match the style. It was comfort homey food that everyone loves, a lot of cool things such as "social starters" and great looking sandwiches. We both shared the artichoke dip which was recommended and you can easily tell it was house made, cream cheese fresh spinach not that frozen chopped crap. It was a little bland but the tri-color tortillas chips that were served with it picked up the lack of salt so it was a nice balance. We both had a couple beers, the beer selection is huge! About 15 beers on tap+ and a small booklet of bottled beer. For our dinner my fiancé had the pulled pork which I think was called the banjo pig, served on a nice ciabatta panini. Clever name, and I had the hangover cure burger which had a beautiful sunny side up egg right on top and bacon. Served on a toasted English muffin! Really clever. There was a football game in which I don't mind at all except it was a little loud, but that's football I didn't mind it too much. We were relaxed the whole time and although the service was a little slow it was alrght because we were in no rush. That's really that only thing there is was that all they really need is one good server and to Focus on the tables and that place will be a five star location. The decor fit the theme, the colors and everything hanging on the wall was cool to look at. They had a back area which was closed in and heated with another bat and three more tv's. Great spot to watch football have some brews and watch the game, or a little date night without spending over 100$ to go to a fancy place. Will be back when in the area!
(4)John S.
The waitress was rude. That should have been the first clue that we should have just had drinks and moved on to somewhere else. My Daughter And I ordered medium rare hamburgers and they came out barely cooked. My daughter could only eat 1/2. I ate all of mine but worried about being sick afterwards. I would avoid the food in this place and stick to drinking.
(2)Wayne D.
Whenever I come to visit my daughter at school, we stop here for a bite. The food is great and service just fine. Would like to see more entrees with low calorie options and healthier selections. Will miss it when she graduates and comes home.
(4)James N.
Fun place to hang out and have some drinks.... Will definitely be going back when in town!! Just wish the kitchen stayed open later
(4)Annie Louisey M.
Two because the beer list is so good and the place has potential. The missing stars are for the lack of service, detail, and flavor of food. It's a little painful watching how dissatisfied people are. One guy fingered his burger while yelling "Does this look medium rare!?" Note, it was the second burger sent out over-done to same guy who waited 45 minutes. New cook? Our experience: bubbly server left mid-operation and never notified us, or her colleagues. The food was really bland, even the recommendation. Pretzels were good though. Tip to manager, don't do tip share or whatever is going on that is not motivating employees, train your cook, and work on energy/ambiance.
(2)Nearme Y.
Consistent, with good Service. Glad they added food to the establishment because it compliments the atmosphere well.
(5)Kait H.
An insane selection of beers, with an impressive number on tap. Food was very good, with a wider selection than I expected. I wish they offered flights. I will be back.
(4)Cody Y.
Exceptional craft beer selection. Nice weekend crowd! Only place around I could find Springhouse Brewery's Satan's Bake Sale at!
(4)Rich B.
Been there a bunch of times. Its a nice central Scranton location right across from city hall. Theres a front section and a back section. Sometimes they play classic movies in the back area. They played Spaceballs there one nice and I almost cried that I missed it. Tuesdays is beer tasting. My brother in law goes to inhale their wings, which are apparently delicious since its all he gets. I like their burgers and their pretzel app. Tons of TVs too if you want to watch Syracuse basketball like the rest of Scranton.
(4)Peter M.
Update to my review, everything in the previous review still stands with the addition of AWESOME food. BYAH just opened their kitchen just a few months ago and I can't understand why they didn't go into the food business earlier. Seriously, you can't even really consider it bar food. Huge sandwiches, tasty appetizers and crazy good hand cut fries. Try the Banjo Pig Cuban Sandwich, its killer. I have a healthy appetite to say the least but I could not finish my sandwich. Everything was hot and fresh. The kitchen does close earlier than you would expect a bar kitchen to (I think 9PM even on weekends) so don't show up expecting to get drunk food at 11:30. Tables are at a premium so you may have to wait if you have a larger group.
(5)Julie F.
One of my favorite places to grab drinks as an upper classman at the University of Scranton. They have tons of great beers on tap and I always enjoyed trying new ones. Always keep a look out for the events they have going on. They have beer tastings on Tuesdays, live music on the weekends, and they have an Oktoberfest beer tasting in the fall. While I wasn't able to try out much of their food, I did have the burger and it was pretty awesome. Wish I got to try other dishes they had to offer
(5)Chantel B.
Backyard is still really struggling with being a bar that is also trying to be a restaurant. Went to the advertised brunch today and probably the only things that saved the experience was a seriously fantastic Bloody Mary and some killin' omelettes. For three people to have three omelets and a single drink it took well over an hour. Read that again. It took 15 minutes after seating for someone to take our drink order, another 10 minutes for 2 drafts to be brought out, and yet another 10-15 minutes for someone to bring my drink and take our order. OVER THIRTY minutes before we placed our food order. Then, about 20 minutes later when our food finally came the home fries were cold and soggy. Clearly they sat around. Like I said, at least the omelettes were perfect. This review would have probably been 1 star without them.
(3)Ginger W.
We came up for a short ski trip and found this place on yelp. Thank goodness for yelp!! This place is fantastic. Everything we ordered was top notch (chips and dip, pretzels, pulled pork, buffalo chicken nuggets.... Not to mention the fabulous beer!!). Our waitress Jackie was so attentive and even picked up on the fact it was our sons bday and put candles in his dessert! Would recommend this place to anyone who visits the area!!
(5)John M.
Great space, lots of beer good decor, owner appears to be a Notre Dame fan. What else could you ask for? Out group's meals were all great, from the meatball to the burgers, and all the other assorted foodstuffs. The actual 'backyard' looked great but we were all a little tired from shredding some epic Montage powder, otherwise we probably would have hung out there longer. I understand this place is new - it's great now and will only improve, I'm sure.
(5)