Yards Brewery and Taproom is the place to be this holiday season

With the chill in the air, we could all use a hearty helping of comfort food, great beer and great vibes. Now that the new Yards Brewery and Taproom is open in Northern Liberties (500 Spring Garden St.), Philly has yet another hot spot for getting together with friends and family over the holiday season.

The lofty ceilings in the 70,000 foot space are refreshing for any city dweller but despite only being open for a few weeks, Yards Brewery and Taproom is consistently packed with beer enthusiasts and foodies alike. Be prepared to be patient on busy nights, especially if you want to sit at a booth, but trust us — it’s well worth the wait. 

We came hungry and the menu by chef James Burke (a three-time James Beard award semi-finalist) is chock full of so many yummy things, you’ll want to have plenty of room for food and beer, too.

To kick off the night, we went with a wildcard item: foie gras poutine with cheddar cheese curds ($14). It’s great for sharing and will fill you up fairly quickly with buttery bites of foie gras, potato and of course, lots of cheese. We also got the Bavarian pretzel to nosh on which is baked in-house and comes with Yards mustard and horseradish honey-butter ($9).

We paired our food with beer flights and feeling a bit revolutionary, I went for the Ales of the Revolution Flight ($7) which includes the following 5 oz. pours: Tavern Ale, Tavern Porter, Tavern Spruce and Love Stout. Always partial to Ben Franklin, the Tavern Spruce has always been a favorite and even after this flight, it still is, although I’m glad I did finally try the Love Stout. That’s half the fun of being in a taproom — getting to try a bunch of different brews for a pretty sweet price. 

While we could have stopped there, we ordered one more food item: the smoked cheddar bratwurst ($10), because it seems weird to not have bratwurst when you’re drinking beer. This one was delicious and came on a roll with a side of potato salad.

There’s also a dessert menu but we were just too stuffed to dive in although the Love Stout chocolate mousse ($8) is on my list to try when I return.

Overall, Yards Taproom and Brewery brings everything together under one roof: great food, great beer and great energy all at an affordable price point. You can’t go wrong if you decide to catch up with loved ones here over the holidays — as long as they’re over the age of 21.

Taproom Hours:

Sundays — 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. 
Mondays — 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Tuesdays — 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Wednesdays — 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Thursdays — 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Fridays —11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Saturdays — 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

If you go:

Yards Taproom & Brewery
500 Spring Garden St.
yardsbrewing.com