The Yard Milkshake Bar Of Virginia Beach — Restaurant in Virginia Beach

Upon entering, at first glance it feels fairly confusing, but the reality is that once in line and moving along the line, the view of the ice cream flavors is easy to see starting right at the beginning of the that line.

Later, the container types & sizes are very easy to see & select from.

But there are SO MANY VARIATIONS of what can be done to the ice cream you chose.

What IS overwhelming is that exactly at the very final area of the line are where seen several large wall display boards filled with lists of information: of many multiple variations of mixings, toppings, swirlings, shapings, etc available for the ice cream(s) you’ve chosen. Plus other info are on the lists about milkshakes, etc many i only got a passing glance at .

The printing is relatively small (because there’s SO MUCH info packed on these boards- so much that it’s hard to easily decipher - PLUS, at least one of the boards randomly flips around with even more info..

it’s too much to quickly digest & decide while so near the area just before the checkout - especially if you’re standing with a large packed line of people all waiting behind you.

And you probably WILL BE part of a long line, cause “The Yard” is popular.

However, despite all this the line moves along at a very decent pace.

I actually had gotten out of the line when I entered the store; I circled around to near the end to try to get some understanding (from the large boards at the end)of what all was offered. But for me, as a first time customer it was just too much to take in.

Not sure what a better alternative might be, especially for the new customers, but possibly having available paper handouts up at/ near the start of the line - or even some available at the store entry, these providing all the info that’s on the large boards - and adding some explanations (like “what” IS “swirling”?)

Basically it comes down to that you have the options to select a number of ice cream choices, & then select from an array, some a bit exotic, of choices of what you want done to the ice cream you have picked. I saw customers sitting eating concoctions I couldn’t begin to name, but they looked fantastic in varying shapes, sizes and coverings.

Or, you can simply chose an ice cream flavor or so, and go traditional: some icecream in a cone or bowl.

The amounts of icecream you receive is generous, It seems like there’s almost double the amount given that a container would seem to hold.

And it’s Blue Bell ice cream folks! That’s truly some fine ice cream eating.

Do I want to go back and explore...

I'm not a boy, but the milkshakes sure did bring me out to The Yard! It's too bad there aren't many gourmet ice cream restaurants in Newport News... Anyway, I was in VA Beach, so I decided to pay this place a visit. The physical location of this establishment isn't the best. It's off VA Beach Blvd, so there are plenty of other restaurants in the vicinity, but of course there aren't many like this one. This milkshake shop is located on a small strip with a few other businesses. The parking is terrible. Considering how popular this shop is, there isn't enough seating or space inside to accommodate all the patrons. The two times I've been here, there was literally a line out the door. The first time I visited, I turned around and left because the line was out the door and down the pavement (AND it was raining outside!). No thank you. Went back the second time, the line was still out the door, but it was a wee bit shorter than the first time, so I stood in line. Made it to the inside of the shop and was taken aback seeing how crowded it was. Anyway, they have a variety of flavors and creations. Very few options for lactose intolerant persons, but at least they have options. I ordered the Berry Key'd Up milkshake. My 2 friends ordered the Peanut Butter Finger Waffle Sundae and the Edible Cookie Dough in 3 flavors. There was no room to sit inside the shop, so we went outside. I like that they have seating available outside on the side of the building, but it smells horrible out there. It was already hot and humid, but adding on the smell of dirty mop water and flies buzzing all around - that was the worst. The staff brought our orders to us outside. My milkshake was delicious - VERY VERY sweet - but then again, what else would you expect from a milkshake that's piled with sugary topping after sugary topping after sugary topping? And if I hadn't already eaten a whole calzone minutes before ordering this dessert, I probably could've eaten/drank the whole thing! There's a small area inside the shop where 2 sinks stand. You're able to rinse out the jars (hot and cold water available), dry them with paper towels, and place the jars in a plastic bag to take home. I love that idea. Anyway, I took off a star for the location, parking, overcrowding inside, and horrible smell outside. Positive rating goes to the staff, the dessert options, the presentation, and the flavor! I'll definitely visit again (whenever I'm on that side of the water and in that area again, and feel like waiting in a long...

Problem resolved perfectly! This happened in February but wanted to update as I know how important a good review is and like to give credit where credit is due instead of always complaining.

Here are some snippets of the issue that I emailed to corporate: They didn't have the size requested (L) in shirts for my daughter so she chose a Medium which is ok, but a bit tight so not preferred. I was told they were "out of hot chocolate". There was no sign up stating that and the cashier wasn't aware of that at time of purchase. I was told to get in the BACK OF THE LINE to order something else, waited for the 7 ORDERS in front of me to be placed. The cashier (same person as the cashier earlier) said I'm sorry I didn't know we were out and proceeded to charge me the full price of the Build your own milkshake of my choosing. I thought "wow, not even a discount for my inconvenience and time?" Then I sat down to watch my kids eat their beautiful creations, then they had to wait for me once I finally got mine. Went to wash out the souvenir mason jars and noticed they were for the Alabama location. I stopped one of the servers and asked her why the jars said Alabama instead of VA beach and she said "I don't know, that's just what we have" and kept walking. That wasn't an answer plus she kept walking... really?? The store was clean, well-lit and decorated very well. But really expected a better customer service experience than what was had.

I received correspondence via email with a company rep, they asked about shirt size and a few other questions. Bottom line is I was just disappointed with the customer service side of things at the store overall. Soon after I received a box of items that more than made up for the issues. Included were the mason jars with the correct location which we're still using and appreciating!

Thanks so much for trying to make things right! We'll definitely be back for a visit when in the area again. Glad to see a company who cares about...