Yardarm — Restaurant in Garden City

I am giving 5 stars. Because I would like to support any local business that is going through economic strife throughout this pandemic. We all want to be the solution, not contribute to the problem, although I had an unsettling welcome from what seemed to be the owner/manager. I have to admit it was mine and my boyfriend’s fault for walking past a “please wait to be seated” sign without notice to the gentleman. We walked past the sign because we had friends who had already gotten a table and we came late to the party. As soon as we walk in, the same gentleman walked up to the two of us and yelled “how did you two get in here? Didn’t you see the sign? We’re not supposed to have over a party of 6 in one table!” It was very audible that every table in the patio was staring at us. And I have to say, it wasn’t this gentleman’s voicing out his frustration (which is understandable) that made us feel unwelcome, but rather the manner which he did it that brought about everyone’s attention that practically felt very ostracizing. I have never felt this embarrassed in my whole life at a restaurant. With a low, calm voice, I apologized to this man and he walked out on us. I understand. Because my whole career living in Los Angeles my business was all about building relationships with local restaurant owners/managers and I know people like you work very hard to keep your business afloat. You were in the heat of the moment and did not want to escalate things any further. But I don’t know what I heard exactly, but he indirectly yelled saying we could complain about this on Yelp like everybody else does. The whole 20 minutes of us there, I tried to catch this man’s eye so I could walk up to him and personally apologize, introduce myself and catch his name, so I could maybe lighten up the mood and maybe crack a joke with him and ask him about this neat little place’s backstory, because it was very down to earth. But it seemed like I couldn’t get a chance. Maybe because the place was moderately busy. The tacos were really good and everybody else working there was down to earth and friendly. So maybe I just caught this man at a bad time. But I understand you’re trying your best to keep this place open and not be a reason to have to close it up again because of a spike in COVID cases. I’m writing this long review and taking my time to do it, because what I’m saying is absolutely genuine and coming from a place of tolerance and understanding. I still do want to come back because the place seemed like something that could grow on me. I did want to get your name before we left and I still do. I wanted to apologize and I don’t want you to have this preconceived idea that we’re one of those customers who complain on Yelp all the time. So...

The atmosphere might have been better if the dogs present were required to be controlled (and not allowed to take a dump in the literal middle of the seating/walking area or pee on the underside of the tables).

The menu was a mixed bag — the $10 burritos were good (though some of the meat was pretty tough), but the tacos were $5 a piece and they were microscopic. If they were sized to feed a child, they would have been acceptable. The tip options on the iPad for ordering were also egregious given the level of service actually provided: 30%, 40%, or 50%.

The girls running the kitchen, both the cook and the one taking orders, ignored you unless they decided it was time to listen to your order. The bartender was pleasant to speak to, but he just seemed... passively annoyed. Not really sure what was up there, but it wasn't the most inviting feeling as a patron.

Overall, I was pretty disappointed. So much so that we ended up taking our half-eaten food and finishing it while walking down the Greenbelt. I last visited Yardarm several years ago, and I was really excited to finally come back because the food and atmosphere had been THAT memorable. I'm not really sure what all changed (or if I was recalling things through rose colored glasses), but I'm bummed it wasn't how I...

Pros and cons. Pros: The bar is close to the waterpark in Garden City, right next to the River at the end of 35th street. I love the beachy feel it has. It looks like a trailer put right on the beach somewhere. The bar is actually made out of a shipping container. The seating is nice and is pretty rustic, like stools are made from iron and a layer of a tree trunk to sit on. Shade is provided by overhead 'sails', again giving the place a beachy feel, like sail boats or something. There is a food truck inside the premises, which looks very modern. I have not eaten anything yet though there. The bartender and owner, Sam, is very friendly and has a lot of stories to tell, as he is from upstate NY and is still adjusting to so much nice Boise weather. :) Cons: There is no happy hour and no happy hour deals. The beer pours are not very good. you get a lot of foam often leaving you with a 12ounce pour in a pint glass (16 ounce) but you pay for a pint. However, I'll go...