Yards Went the Whole Nine Yards

Finally made it over to the new Yards Brewery on Spring Garden Street and I only had one question: Why the F*ck did I wait so long?!

The place is impressive. It’s sleek, clean, spacious and filled with long communal tables and benches.

The bar space has a few TVs so you can drink and watch games.

The space has a nice, friendly open feel to it. It reminds me of some of the better breweries’ I’ve visited across the country like Southern Pacific Brewing or Maui Brewing Company.

The beer selection impressed the hell out of me. I expected the Signature Ales and Revolutionary Ales, but was blown away by the amount of specialty/seasonal brews. I think in total there were 20 brews on draft. You can do flights, but only with the Signature Ales and Revolutionary Ales.

Yards Russian Imperial Stout

The clear highlight for me was the Russian Imperial Stout. I’m not even a RIS drinker. Most of the time they are too sweet for me and the high abv is noticeable in the taste. Not this one. Sweetness was just right, full-bodied, smooth. It’s roasty and warming as advertised and perfect for winter drinking. And, it’s like 10%.

Yards Tripel and my buddy’s wallet

And there’s a Yards Tripel on tap? Who knew. One of my favorite styles of beer. Yards’ version is a tasty offering. This one isn’t in the world-class range like a St. Bernardus or Chimay, but right up there with some of the better ones I enjoyed in while day drinking in Belgium.

This place is so good, I’ve been there three times in the past week. It’s also kid-friendly with the space and noise level. It’s active and noisy enough that your whiny 3-year old won’t really disturb anyone. Skip the Zoo, get to Yards. They’ve also got a couple of pool tables.

Here’s the food menu.

We grabbed spiced nuts, pickles and wings.

The nuts were good. Who doesn’t like spiced nuts. Pickles and beets, etc were enjoyable. The only critique I’d have is with the wings. They are covered in something like a long-hot sauce that tastes decent, but they were soggy. Soggy wings aren’t good. Here’s to hoping it was just a bad batch and they regularly turn out good, crispy wings.

The reality is that I was there for the beer and not the food, but the menu has plenty of good things to try. I’m good with beer and nuts. The beer was everything we expected and more.

This place is a great addition to the Philly beer scene and a major step up from their previous home on Columbus Blvd. I also grabbed a solid shirt in the merch area. Hard to resist swag on a quality Next Level shirt. It was like I was running on adrenaline and bought a shirt after. The beers were so good I would’ve bought a sweet hoodie if they had my size.

Check the place out when you can. You’ll probably see me there.