There is a culinary treasure here in Long Beach that’s pretty well-known, but probably not well-known enough given how great it is. That’s why I’m writing this, to inform Cal State Long Beach of a literally rockin’ place in this very city.
The place deserving of such accolades is Yard House, a restaurant in Shoreline Village near downtown Long Beach and the Pike. Its slogan really says it all: “Great Food, Classic Rock, World’s Largest Selection of Draft Beer.”
Wait, what? World’s largest selection of draft beer? Does such a fine thing really exist here in the LBC?
The answer is yes, yes it does. So, I’ll start with the beer.
The Yard House in Long Beach has 250 beer taps, making its fleet of beer-serving steel quite the marvel. Even the quickest perusal of the bar at Yard House will have most mouths agape upon seeing how so many taps of various beers can be lined up in one place.
The 250-piece collection has all the standard domestics, beers from a few local breweries and some of the more exotic beverages. I don’t recommend trying all of them in a single sitting, however.
Beer aside, let’s talk about the food. Yard House doesn’t exactly skip over its food selection in lieu of an awesome beer arsenal. Every meal I’ve had at Yard House in both its Long Beach and San Diego locations was good. Actually, make that really good.
Yard House is not likely to impress when it comes to serving the most exotic dishes from around the world. But the dishes it does serve, however, are not likely to displease, especially when combined with a rare or exotic pint of beer.
One thing the Long Beach Yard House has to its advantage is its location. Situated in Shoreline Village, which is near the Pike in downtown Long Beach, visitors for a meal at Yard House will be invited to either sit inside or outside with a view of the Long Beach Harbor.
And as Yard House’s mantra says, there is classic rock, and lots of it. During a typical visit to Yard House your ears will likely come across many songs you know and love.
In fact, the last time I went to Yard House and was trying to have a conversation I became distracted multiple times by the tunes. Discussions were abruptly halted as I looked off to the side in a daze, my mind entranced by the purity of great classic rock hits. I then combined that with the view of the Long Beach Harbor and the great pint in front of me. And as the cool, alcoholic beer buzz reached my brain, I said to myself, “Damn, this place rules.”
Price-wise, Yard House calls itself an “upscale-casual eatery,” so expect to spend around $20 per person for an entrée and drink(s). The happy hour is a good deal to visit Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. It includes $3 pints and half-off appetizers.
Other Southern California Yard House locations are in Brea, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Pasadena, Rancho Cucamonga, Rancho Mirage and San Diego.