Drake's Yoke — Restaurant in Willow Park

My wife and I decided on Drake's Yoke for date night as we had been before and really enjoyed the food and atmosphere. We love patio dining when the weather is as nice as it was on that late April evening.

When we arrived we were told there would be a short wait. I asked if any outdoor tables were available and the hostess stated that there were not. I went to the restroom to wash my hands and as I walked past the patio I noticed a large number of open tables . On my way back I counted 8 tables ranging from large to small 2 top cafe tables.

When I returned a group of six was taken to their table on the patio. The hostess had not taken any names when guests began waiting and was forced to rely on the "Who was next?" method when seating guests. The next group ahead of us was soon seated and offered the option of dining outside. When our turn came up, we began walking toward the patio entrance, but stopped short. I again asked the hostess about dining outside but was again informed that no tables were available. We took our seats at what I can only describe as the most awkward seating arrangement on the planet. A 4 top table with two chairs on one side and a built in bench on the other is no unusual sight in any restaurant, but one that has a height variance between chairs and bench the likes of this one has to be rare! The chairs sat far below the table top, while the bench allowed just enough room between the table top and the bench cushion to slide your legs in from the side. My wife and I chose to sit on the bench and stoop down to eat our food rather than have the table at chest level while sitting in the chairs.

I was surprised when we received the self printed menus on copy paper. I seem to remember a more upscale presentation on previous visits and the offerings appear to have been pared down. After what felt like a longer than normal wait, we ordered our meals. I ordered the Smoked Plate with brisket and ribs and Macaroni and Cheese on the side. My wife ordered the brisket sandwich with potato chips.

The wait for our food was long and uncomfortable as the sun made its way in front of one of the large skylight windows in the center of the restaurant. The sun aligned perfectly with our seats and beamed its blinding rays directly in our faces for about ten minutes causing us to have to lean and shift in order to remain sighted. (This still wasn't enough to make us switch to the tiny chairs.)

When our food arrived, we were both somewhat disappointed. My wife said that her sandwich was very dry. I didn't doubt her as she used both her own, as well as my, portion of barbecue sauce before finishing it. She did not eat her potato chips, though this was less a factor of taste and freshness, than just not being a big fan of kettle cooked chips.

I was initially very happy with my plate. The first rack of ribs was tender, tasty and peeled right of the bone. However the second was burned on one side. Not simply the charring that comes with barbecuing this was a 1/4 inch crust of char that left every bite tasting like charcoal. The brisket was dry. I rarely ever use sauce on my barbecue, but the brisket had me wishing I hadn't offered my sauce to my wife to help with her dry sandwich. The macaroni and cheese had a wonderful flavor. The pasta was a little gummy, but overall it was a really good side dish that unfortunately made up the bulk of my meal. I left a lot of meat on my plate when I handed it back to the waitress.

Overall, we were pretty disappointed in our trip. We will be back and hope that this was a one time bad visit and not the sign of the downward trajectory it...

My experience here yesterday was appalling and totally unacceptable as I showed up to meet a group of 15 after we had attended a close friends funeral who had been there 20 minutes prior to me and my friend showing up. they had ordered drinks when they arrived and still had not gotten them by the time we had arrived. Me and my friend ordered drinks and food and about 15 minutes later the food came out but still no drinks for the whole table It is almost been 40 minutes now and still no drinks but the food has arrived... My wife is a Bartender and agrees this is totally unacceptable and would not hold up to the standards of her place of business. After been there for now almost 40 mins and no drinks The rest of the table was getting anxious and wanting to leave, Right as they were all getting up to leave The drinks came out so people sit back down and drink them. Some people opted out not to drink them because they were not served in a timely manner and we're just ready to leave. As my buddy goes inside to pay the tab for his meal and my drinks I guess whoever does the transaction doesn't comprehend to merge the two tickets after my buddy told them to. And as I'm walking to the parking lot to our car, we are met by the police who is saying that people did not pay for drinks I am confused as I assumed that my drinks had gotten paid for by my friend but apparently they had not along with the couple other people who didn't even drink their drinks and left them on the table. I paid my drink tab and all was well but As to my understanding, this business charged the other two people with criminal trespassing for their own lack of attention and service. I just SMH This situation was totally unacceptable and you wasted my time on a situation that could have been avoided. The owners or management should really review the cameras when we were there The wait time. Totally unacceptable. The situation. Totally unacceptable. Such a let down for a first time experience that I will never be back and nor will I refer anybody to this place except for...

Gf, her sister and I decided to go a lovely brunch at a spot here at Drake's Yoke. It was delicious. Service was quick and the staff was very friendly. We were seated without much wait. Her sister did ask for a baby sling for her child, but we never got it. Not entirely sure what happened there, however the patio chair was big enough for the carrier. So mildly moot point. Still a point to mention.

Onto the food. My girlfriend and her sister both got Avacado toast. I ordered the Smoked salmon bene and the Drake's Hash. Of course we had a round of $1 mimosas!! Food came out fairly quick. Average time of 12-15 mins The brisket on the toast was delicious. Juicy and tender. The poached egg was a bit overcooked, but not by much. Overall, clean plates all around for my gf and her sister.

For myself, the Salmon bene was very tasty. Eggs were cooked perfectly on my order. Unfortunately there were a few shortcomings. The piece of salmon was so small. You barely notice there was any at all. The hollandaise sauce was also far too thick. It was more of a paste and had a more sour taste to it. I think it was overworked just a tad. I wound up scrapping a lot of it off to the side. That said, the asparagus was cooked well, and the biscuit was fluffy and very moist. All around it had good flavor (when all combined) but the salmon was lacking a bit for the price (imo)

The Drake's hash, was absolutely fantastic. I could probably eat 2 or 3 orders without getting tired of it. 10/10 would recommend. Fantastic mix of meats, perfectly cooked potatoes, peppers, and the runny egg was excellent. We all shared this (I probably should've gotten my own order from how much I liked this one)

Mimosas were good. Oj had a bit too much pulp for my liking. (Personal preference) however at $1 I'm not really complaining here. It was good.

Will absolutely return for brunch again. Will order the Hash and try some new things out.

Perfect weekend brunch spot. I would definitely like to try more of their menu, not only brunch but also their regular menu...