The Yard House is in The River Complex in Rancho Mirage. It's got a pretty good location, pretty much in the center of things, but has good parking spaces to its side.

The Yard House is great looking. It's big, fresh and modern. You will be impressed as you approach. Being in the River Complex, you have the faux river running by its front door. When you enter you have a large cavernous room with a huge bar that dominates the space. It's a bit noisy, crowded and lots of fun.

It bills itself as American/Asian fusion. It does have several Asian items on the menu, but for the most part it's pretty much an American pub.

The hardest part of the day is choosing a beer. They offer over 130 varieties of beers on tap. Okay, don't let that scare you. The staff knows their beers and will be happy to direct you to the beer that best fits your taste. Then order a yard of it! That's right you can order a yard of beer in a large yard long glass (thus the name - THE YARD HOUSE).

However now that you have your beer, don't forget your food. Our favorite way to go here is to order a lot of appetizers and everyone shares and digs in. They have a lot of pick from and several unusual ones. My favorite is the California Roll. Okay, you have had plenty of California Rolls in your life, but never one like this. It's more of a cake than a sushi roll. It has to be seen to be believed! Also the onion rings on a stick are pretty unique.

If you are not into sharing your food, I highly recommend the Classic Cheese Burger. It's truly a burger to write home about.

The Yard House has great food and beer and really is a fun night out. We love to make it our pre or post movie spot as it's near the theaters. I am sure Yard Houses will continue to pop up and this is one chain I will welcome with open arms!