Yard House — Restaurant in San Jose

Last Sunday was my wife birthday, we wanted to drive to SF to dine at Le Colonial but they closed early on Sunday. We decided to visit Santana Row, it was the first time for me. The street is nice but nothing impressed me. Anyhow, my wife and daughter found this Yard House online and wanted to have dinner there after we browsed all the stores on Santana Row. We made reservation and came in for dinner. This restaurant was crowded, mostly younger crowd. It's kinda like a sport bar, Chili's, TGIF type of restaurant. The atmosphere is noisy, lots of young people chatting and drinking. It wasn't a nice place for my wife birthday's diner, but we're here. We ordered calamari, nachos with tuna dressing and garlic fries since I was craving for it, we ordered jambalaya, texas chicken sandwich, mac and cheese and tuna salad . After the drinks came, we waited for 1/2 hr and nothing came out, it seemed busy but it couldn't be this slow. I was hungry and then the server came with the main course. I told them the appetizers didn't come out yet, they took the food back and the waiter came, he apologized for the mixed up, went inside and in a few minutes the appetizers came out. The Nachos was good, but the calamari was tasteless, the batter had no flavor and the squids were chewy like they're under cooked, it was the worst calamari anywhere. I asked the waiter about the garlic fries. He went in and right away the fries came out. It's like they took the regular fries and dumped some garlic and spice on them, it's the worst garlic fries ever. The fries were either fresh or frozen, not crispy or moist, totally dull and the garlic flavor wasn't on the fries at all. After 2-3 minutes, the main course came back out, warm. My son was hungry so he finished the Texas Spicy Chicken sandwich quickly, he said he liked the Popeyes Spicy chicken sandwich better. My daughter left 80% of the mac and cheese plate to take home. I ate half of the Jambalaya plate and took the rest home because it was warm and extremely salty although the flavor was good. My wife was safe with the tuna salad so she finished it. I think the reason for this restaurant was crowded, not because of the food, it's the least expensive restaurant on the strip. The young crowd like the place to chat and drink. Not sure if I'll ever come back here again, may be my kids would when they're going out with friends or something. We only saw the waiter for about 3 minutes taking order and he was so busy with other tables until...

At the heart of Santana Row and Valley Fair Mall, Yard house absolutely nails it from food, service, atmosphere, value, and of course, the location. I typically don't give 5 stars to chains but Yard House at Santan Row is a slam dunk multiple times over.

When you are at the premier cross walk between two mega establishments (Valley Fair and Santan Row), it is absolutely certain that you'll be popular, not just with a trendy date night crowd but with shoppers, families and office workers. And you want to serve the general population in a well-rounded way - great food that is vernacular in culture, yet done really well, a large bustling atmosphere where diners don't feel clustered, a great beer selection (as the name suggests) for happy hour, and spaces that allow families to huddle. Yard House Santana Row has all of this and does well in each and every category.

Top this with an absolutely reasonable, if not on the "cheaper side" of Silicon Valley, especially given the foot traffic and the location premium, Yard House is a steal. We would go there each and every time we visit either of the two shopping centers only if we didn't have to wait.

Food is the popular hits around the world but done in a middle-of-the-line comfort style. Plenty of portions, always slightly sweeter to serve many palates, and quite fast delivery. This isn't a Michelin style establishment but a place where the overall experience matters many times more. And even then, with a great tasting food. Is the food truly great? No. But can each dish be proud of itself? Absolutely yes.

Phenomenal beer selection with variety on tap and more, and of course, with your group night out or happy hour with colleagues, go for the yard glass.

And for the families out there. Try avoid prime peak time but do not worry at all about it being a beer-first place with sports game screens. Yard House functions as a family restaurant, just like TGI Friday's but done so much better, Californian, and airy with high ceilings.

Combined with friendly service, 5 stars all around. I guarantee your satisfaction for any meal,...

Great Beers & Appetizers at Yard House – Santana Row

Stopped by Yard House at Santana Row with a friend for a casual afternoon hangout, and overall it was a solid experience. The atmosphere is lively and modern—perfect for grabbing drinks, catching a game, or just people-watching in the heart of San Jose’s upscale Santana Row.

We ordered one of their signature yard-long beers, which comes in a tall, narrow glass that definitely turns heads. While it’s not literally a yard long, it’s close—around 32 oz—and makes for a fun experience if you’re looking to split with someone or just go big. The beer was cold, fresh, and they have a great rotating tap selection. I appreciated the variety—from IPAs to lagers and seasonal brews.

For appetizers, we went with the nachos and chicken wings. The nachos were loaded and came out hot—crispy chips piled high with melted cheese, black beans, jalapeños, tomatoes, and a generous dollop of guac and sour cream. Definitely good for sharing and surprisingly filling.

The wings were also solid—crispy outside, juicy inside. We went with a classic flavor (Buffalo, I believe), and it hit the spot. Not mind-blowing, but exactly what you’d expect from a quality sports bar-type spot. If I had more room, I probably would’ve explored more of their menu, because there’s a lot of variety—burgers, tacos, even poke nachos.

Service was friendly and relatively quick, even though the place was decently packed. Our server checked in at the right times and kept things flowing without being intrusive.

The only reason I’m giving this 4 stars instead of 5 is that while everything was good, nothing really stood out as exceptional or uniquely memorable. It’s reliable and hits all the right notes, but doesn’t quite push into “must-visit” territory for me. That said, I’d absolutely come back, especially for happy hour or game day.

Pro tip: If you go during peak hours, expect a bit of a wait. But Santana Row is a great place to walk around while you wait...