The Yard at the Iron Horse Hotel

Upscale-cazh outdoor drinking & dining in Milwaukee

When I hear the words "Iron Horse Hotel," two things come to mind: Harley Davidson and expensive. I know that the Iron Horse boasts some great restaurants, but they seemed out of reach to me, price-wise. Well thanks to google and a search for outdoor dining in Milwaukee, my eyes were finally opened to The Yard. 

The Yard is the Iron Horse Hotel's gorgeous patio, serving drinks and upscale bar food. You don't have to be all dressed up to enjoy a beer at The Yard, but the ambiance will leave you feeling like a schmuck if you're too cazh. While the prices are certainly more within reach and the food is more laid-back than at the Iron Horse's swanky Smyth restaurant, it still feels like a special occasion place. 

On this our first trip to The Yard, we went because of our dear friend Joel, who's celebrating his golden birthday this weekend. Happy Birthday Joel! Our criteria for the night was that we go someplace new (at least, new to us!) and outdoors. The Yard was Joel's smart pick. 

To start, we ordered beer and Clock Shadow Creamery cheese curds — curds so fresh, they're made right down the road and are still squeaky. They'll set you back $12, which sounds like a lot because it kind of is. However, they are divine: battered to perfection, served with ranch and spicy dipping sauces, and (like I said) the cheese is super fresh. I know I'll be dreaming about these cheese curds.

For dinner, I went for the turkey club with bacon, avocado, and tarragon mascarpone on crusty Rocket Baby bread. I could tell this was one substantial and high-end turkey club — I mean, look at all that meat! But it was way too much turkey for my taste. About half of that had to go before I'd even attempt it. So that said, I wouldn't get it again. The fries, however, were perfection.

The boys in our group went for the Branded Burger: a house-blend patty of bison and bacon topped with Hook's havarti cheese, avocado spread, and arugula on a ciabatta bun. I had one bite of Adam's and oh boy, was it ever tasty! This is a burger that's worth the $15 price tag, and if I make it back to The Yard, that's what I'm getting.

Another way you know The Yard is fine dining with a casual twist: Our lovely waitress Alise learned our names. That was a first for all of us. She'd come over and address us personally, making easy-breezy small talk throughout the evening and triple checking that there wasn't anything lacking from our experience. It was some of the best, most attentive service I've ever encountered. We were all pretty taken aback by it. Is this how the other half lives?

One final note: If you're not wanting to drop a bunch of money on fancy bar food, you don't have to. There's a sea of roomy couches throughout The Yard where you can kick back with a beer – and maybe an order of cheese curds (trust me people!). The place wasn't crowded when we went (granted it was Tuesday), and I imagine you could spend hours lounging around, enjoying the scene. The Yard is open until 2am on Friday and Saturday nights and serves food until midnight.