Other folks are right - don't even bother attempting to come if there's anything going on at PNC or Carter-Finley.
That said, if you come at an off time, this place is quite awesome. I mean, if you're even slightly into sports, you almost get an erection (or lady wood, if you're of the vaginal persuasion) when you see the TV setup.
This is the first place I've been in quite a long time where you can actually get the TV sound broadcast at the table. Rather than suffering through no sound or vainly attempting to read closed captions, they have a speaker setup at every table (which you can tune to any of the five TVs they're displaying). Oh yeah.
Food good (which still pisses me off that that phrase doesn't rhyme, but that's a separate story). Nice big portions, pretty decent quality, and quite tasty. And the truffle fries are good enough to cause a problem in your marriage (not that my wife and I fought over them or anything... *cough*).
Service was pretty good. Not amazing, but perfectly adequate. And our waitress definitely earned a better tip when she patiently cleaned up after me after I turned full-moron and knocked over my leftovers.
Beer was decent. Nice local selection, but they happened to be out of several of the local options when I was in there. Not too many craft options, but there was just enough variety to satisfy most non-beer geeks.
Now I want more truffle fries. Stupid Yelp making me relive good food.
Well we found this a few weeks ago As we were out to PNC for a show Barry, Had a 2 for 1 coupon out of the book. So we give it a try
WOW the service was great fast!! As other has stated lots of TV/ After filled with Show goes to PNC did get loud But that ok
THE food was great I am not a big meat eater it has to be Melt in you r moth and it was was I had the Bisque sliced with 2 side !! Hubby had  a Burger NIce lot of topping .we never had a empiy glass, Would go back !!
Week later I saw the <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2FRestaurant.com&s=0aab4cbd731f3d3b0d1453050d3abc56a8c80bd214e25469c7555b750dca8a51" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://Restaurant.com</a> had a deal so we go the 50.00 deal for 10.00 wehad to have a 75.00 order If we had friends or family it would have been better
We had app..
Nacho !! great I had Load soup The best I had in any years then for dinner.
I had the Bisque again Very good just as last time
BUT my Hubby had the full rack of ribs !! They were the sweet. melt in your mouth you could want !! Â Then we each had dessert I had the hot peach cobble with Ice cream!!
He had the cheese cake dish so good !! well we still had money left over to make 75.00 so we had a to go order of the full rack NICE Great next day lunch!!
So yes will will be going back I am buying another deal from <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2FRest.com&s=882e7a87a4e5e52ab7b88c49e9aabc3e7e9a0f79c9125ce2fd50256e08f94a00" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://Rest.com</a> today we have family and friend this summer it will be a GREAT place
YES it is loud when it a event going on at PNC 'Just know what happening ,It was Friday night  of the "RUSH"
REALLY LOUD
But we will be going back!!
Service was GREAT /Food was Great
TRY them out soon!
Went for dinner at this place for the first time. Â Was welcomed by the hostess and given a place to sit pretty quickly. Â Our waiter Bryan/Brian did an excellent job providing us time to order and giving suggestions on what to eat/drink. Â We ordered the Jodie's Canastona Sausage Bread and this was a GREAT starter!! Â The rest of our meal was excellent and just the atmosphere was a great place to eat! Â I look forward to my next meal at the Backyard Bistro!
Review Source:We stopped by on a sat before a hockey game to have some drinks and snacks. Â They had some great drink specials and the food was decent. I loved the As others have mentioned, this bar is jammed backed before a game. I was concerned because there really isn't much else in the area. We showed up 2 hours before the game and was able to be sat in about 45 mins eat and make it to the game right on time.
The "mimis chips" were amazing. Thin ribbon cut chips loaded with blue cheese and drizzled with this awesome balsamic vinegar glaze. The fried pickled Okra was just okay. The breading to Okra ratio was offer. I wish they had cut the okra into slivers and then fried them.
Visited today since there wasn't a hockey game, basketball game or anything else happening at PNC so we knew we could get in the door! Â It can get pretty jammed otherwise.
Didn't know they offer Brunch on Sundays, which is quite a nice selection of breakfast items, sandwiches, burgers & salads. Â We opted for the regular menu since we had a $35.00 <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2FRestaurant.com&s=0aab4cbd731f3d3b0d1453050d3abc56a8c80bd214e25469c7555b750dca8a51" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://Restaurant.com</a> certificate & hadn't eaten anything at all and it was already past noon.
I got the half slab ribs which came clean off the bone, were tender as can be, and had a nice sweet (but not too sweet) sauce on them. Â I choose the half size portion of the house salad with their homemade blue cheese dressing as one side and the gratin potatoes as the other, which were delish with sour cream, cheese and chives on them. Â My partner had the $22.00 ,18 ounce cowboy ribeye steak, which is huge! Â It was cooked perfectly and thanks to the quick tips here for reminding us their steaks are the same ones the Angus Barn uses, only there that steak would have cost $38.00 for 5 ounces less! Â Hard to believe! Â Anyway, she took half of it home and it'll sure make a nice dinner tomorrow.
We also shared the "Lulu Bear" brownie which is homemade and full of walnuts, served warm and topped with ice cream and chocolate sauce. Â I don't know how we had the room, but we ate every bit of it!
The staff is excellent, ever friendly and ever ready to get you whatever you need. Â I love all the TV's and the little speakers at the tables. Â Just a great place to catch a game and have some really, really good food!!
Went today for lunch. It was after 1pm on a Monday and not even half full. We had to wait 10minutes for a table. They were waiting to be cleaned..I'm not sure what the cooks were doing..
This is a sports bar. Should serve good burgers and fries. Ordered medium rare burger..Got medium. Didn't complain. The fries were horrid..Warm, limp and very dark. Looked like they were cooked twice and waiting for an order. I got the fries, my friend the slaw (which was very pretty but flavorless..Isn't it supposed to have vinegar?) They put the sides on the wrong orders. When I asked for another side so we didn't have to eat off each others plate, umm..No..I got 2 empty plates so we could move our food around ourselves..
Ended up we really didn't eat either. Why waste the calories?
If you've got to go there (PNC) be warned the food is mediocre at best..
The only reason that I gave this two stars, would be if you were going there to drink or watch a game, the Bar was nice, and there was plenty of tables there. Went in , expecting it to be crowded because it was right before a concert, were planning on ordering the sausage bread, but we were told in was not available, fair enough but still disappointing considering it was early in the evening, ordered the onion soup, which was inedible, bread was soggy and just tasted terrible, also ordered a burger which i created, ordered the burger medium well, it came to the table charred and tasted terrible, also had fries with the burger and they were not very good either, service was good for the most part,
recommend for drinks, watching sporting events, other than that run as fast as you can
Backyard bistro is a local gem. The staff if friendly, and the food is spectacular. I recommend the bbq sandwich or the Buffalo wings. Lots of tv's that keep sports fans satisfied. They do bingo on mondays with appetizer prizes. They also host special events like the tom obrian show and have NHL guests periodically. Don't miss a chance to go to backyard bistro, especially on sundays during football season.
Review Source:When we walked out of this place we all stopped and looked at each other with the same look. Â It was a look that I can best describe as, "I pray to god that doesn't give me food poisoning so I don't have to taste it again." Â I ordered possibly the hardest foods to mess up in the world and they butchered nearly everything (actually, from the taste of it, the meat was probably butchered in some sweatshop in Indonesia). Â We ordered buffalo wings, a burger with sweet potato fries, and a club sandwich with potato salad. Â The sweet potato fries and the potato salad were the only part of the order that we finished. Â I understand that there are possibly some decent things on the menu and I've only been once, which is why I am not giving it 1 star. Â It may have been a fluke but we had the worst waitress ever, too. Â It took me asking 4 times to get a water (or drink at all) and until I was almost done with my entree to bring to me. Â She also messed up our orders in about 5 different ways but was never around enough for it to be worth our while to ask her to fix it. Â The wings had this bizarre sauce on them that they claimed was buffalo sauce but tasted like a toxic waste spill mixed with soy sauce. Â I had their burger with pulled pork on top. Â I asked for it "as rare as they will give it to me" and I figured for an $11 burger they should make it however I wanted it. Â It came beyond well done. Â The bbq on top was spongy and possibly worse than the burger meat and the tomato on top was still green and so unripe that I thought it might break a tooth on it. Â I poured the sauce they gave me with it on my bun before tasting it which may have been my biggest mistake. Â Their bbq sauce tasted like grain alcohol mixed with corn starch and pre-ground black pepper. Â The club sandwich wasn't awful but it's a bbq place, why not smoke some turkey instead of using really processed deli meat. Â The buns on both sandwiches were stale. Â I'm getting angry just writing this and thinking about how awful this place was and the fact that I am giving them 2 stars.
Good- Only restaurant in the immediate area
Awful- All the food I ordered, our waitress, the entire place just has this indescribable "Cary" feeling that everyone I went with immediately picked up on.
Oh boy does this place have TVs galore. Â A great location next to RBC arena and Carter-Finley Stadium within walking distance. Â And if you need to there is a hotel next door to spend the night. Â The menu has the usual burgers, sandwiches, salads, soups, wings but they do feature pork BBQ and St. Louis style pork ribs. Â I got the ribs and they were really good with a nice smokiness to them. Â The BBQ baked beans were good too. Â I would order the ribs again. Â They can cater your event.
Food B
Staff B
Decor A
Location A
Health Inspection Grade 95.5
My review is for the catering - We had them cater our rehearsal dinner of about 50 people.
Even from speaking to the coordinator for the first time - they were so friendly and nice. We got to pick everything we wanted..added more sides, subbed out desserts, and picked exactly what entrees we wanted.
They were on time and had set up under control. Â The grill master was so nice and friendly.
They provided everything! Everyone raved about how good the food was. Most of our families are from the north and we really wanted to introduce them to southern cooking.
I really cant say enough how good the food tasted. With a buffet, it's easy to have crappy food - so I was very impressed with everything.
The sides were amazing but not heavy. Clean up went just as smoothly as set up.
Prices were VERY reasonable when comparing to other BBQ places we checked out.
Would not hesitate at all to go to them for catering needs again.
The place was packed when a friend an I went on a Saturday night, but the wait to get seated was not bad at all.
And that's when everything stopped being good.
The server took 15 minutes to get us our drinks (we ordered sodas) and the food took another 25 minutes to arrive at our table. We were seated outside under a tent, which had a heater, but somehow the room started to get really cold. Others were pulling on sweaters.
I got the Bison burger, but it was so bland it could have been anything. Absolutely no flavor. The chips were okay, but not special. My friend got fries with his meal and told me they were not very good and he ended up not eating half of them.
Overall, the place seemed very generic and the food bland. You can find better places to eat in Raleigh.
"Backyard Bistro" conjures an image in my head: a little girl setting up her kitchen set and tea set on plastic patio furniture in the backyard, serving up Play-Doh foods to Teddy bears and Barbie dolls. This Backyard Bistro however, is none of that.
Sit within walking distance from the RBC, Backyard Bistro is probably the premiere spot to grab a bite, or maybe a drink or two, before the game or any performances in the arena stadium, or on any given days, serves as a quick lunch spot for the office buildings across.
From the interior setup, with wooden panels everywhere and a wall of giant TVs, undoubtedly this is passing as a sports bar for folks to be "closer to the action." There are plenty bar food stable here; you get your burgers and nachos and hot wings. But what cater to the "Bistro" side is probably the Tamale and grilled Ahi Tuna and Zucchini Parmigiana on the menu.
Personally, I've tried the Bison Burger--try to get it medium rare because bison meat is lean, the Backyard BBQ burger were very flavorful with sauce on the side, the Fried Cheese are essentially mozzarella sticks (in very good size actually) with panko breading, and Chicken and Dumplings (what??) looked very good, but I wasn't able to get a bite in before it was devoured by my table mates.
WARNING: Be careful during Hurricanes (hockey not weather condition) season or any major events at the RBC, or give yourself at least an hour extra, because this place WILL BE PACKED!
When it comes to Classic Rocks burgers, I'm on the record as favoring the flat-grill over the open-flame grill. A flat grill imparts a pure charred flavor without the smokiness of an open flame. I could consume a good flat-grill Classic Rocks burger of at least a 4.0 rating every day of my life without tiring of it. I am occasionally in the mood for a good, smoky open-grill burger once in a while, but wouldn't choose to partake more than once a week. Backyard Bistro's patty is particularly strong on the open-grill smoky char, so perhaps no more than every two weeks on that one. Add to it the fact that it comes on another God-forsaken Kaiser roll and it's perhaps every two and a half weeks. That said, when I am due for one, I will enjoy it, thanks to that quality patty, fresh vegetables, and a good job by the Grill Master in the back.
Review Source:Read the reviews to this restaurant which at the time were average at best but went in anyway. It was the worst meal I have eaten in a long time. I ordered a full rack of ribs. The rub was awful, and the sauce was even worse. The meat was greasy and fatty  the potato salad was room temp and tasted like it came right out of the container.  the only reason I gave two stars and not just one was the very friendly service by our waiter.
You have been warned.
When my husband told me that he had had the best burger ever at this place, I was
cynical, but a few weeks later there was a game we couldn't watch at home and
wanted to watch, so we went. At the time my son was about 16 months old and my
meals out were usually so focused on him that I barely registered what I was eating.
This experience was different. The $3 local beer special is awesome, and when my
burger came and I took a few bites I though "OK, this is definitely servicable" but I
still didn't get the impression that it was the best. Then all of sudden, 5 minutes had
passed without me being aware of anything going on around me. I don't know what my
son was doing, what our dinner companions were saying, or what the score of the game
was. All I knew is that I was eating the tastiest, juiciest, most flavorful burger I had ever
had.
Last night I went for the second time, and had the second best burger I've ever had.
Along with good beer, a very attentive and friendly waiter despite the fact that it was
game night and crazy busy even at 5:30PM. I told my husband that I was sad it was
almost over and I didn't want to take the last bite. I also told him I regretted letting him
have a precious bite of MY burger, because it was a bite I didn't get to have.
I've never had anything but burgers, beer, and fries (both sweet and regular potatoes)
but that's really all I need. I've found the best burger in Raleigh.
I've been eating at the Bistro for a few years now and their menu was getting a little old so I stopped going as much. Â However, just recently returned over there and man let me tell you, the new menu looks great! Â Before there wasn't much on there different from a regular old sports bar except the occasional barbecue classic. Â Now they've added a lot of things that are unique to the area and still kept the same rustic barbecue favorites! Â They've also taken on a new idea of having great sandwiches on their menu for the sports fans as well! Â All and All I think they are heading in the right direction!
Review Source:I think what I like most about this place probably just has to do with the people I'm with and the events I go to. Â It's so close to the RBC center and hotel, so you can just walk. Â The food is yummy. Â The two missing stars are simply because it's always been packed and loud and we usually walk out of there with a higher bill even if we only have one drink a piece. Â The service seems to be a little slow because it's so busy all the time. Â There aren't any other choices if you stay at the hotel after a game. Â Don't let my review sway you from going. Â Just wanted to be honest.
Review Source:I frequent this place on football Sunday to watch my Browns.
Even when busy, the service here is always really good. Â The staff are motivated and thrive to do a good job. Â They are friendly too.
They offer a decent enough craft beer selection and seem to feature local brews (a good thing in my mind). Â I would love to see at least one more IPA on tap, but I can't complain with Lagunitas being available each week.
The food here is always just okay to me. Â I have tried lots of different items here (Appetizers, to gridiron menu items, to sanwiches, to ribs, etc) but not one item has ever wowed me. Â To their defense, the hotdogs were the only item I ever had that I would consider bad.
Now for the other half of the equation. Â I am highly frustrated with the speakers (at each table) that do not work consistently. Â I have had to watch many games without sound unless I get there early enough to test various tables before I sit down. Â Equally as frustrating is displaying a 16:9 HD feed onto a 4:3 screen. Â It throws off the proportions of everything! Â Please, set it so that there ARE the black bars at the top and bottom. Displaying a feed in the correct aspect ratio/proportions is much more important than filling the entire screen.
With a few tweaks I could see this place earning 5 stars.
My husband and I went to BB for the second time two nights ago. Â The first time we went was three nights ago but ended up walking out because of the crappy hostess and sitting a long the 'rail' what a joke! Â The only reason to sit along the rail is to drink beer.. that's all there is room for. Â
So we tried again the next night and got seated right away. Â We started with an order of mild wings... get them grilled.. they were delic! Â We also had some onion soup which I thought was way too salty for my taste.
My husband had the brisket which was a complete joke, so gross. Â And I had the Mikie, which wasn't bad actually. Â
All in all we'd probably go back and definitely try different entrees. Â
If you are thinking about going, I would call first to make sure they don't have any events going on... parking can get tight.
My husband and I came here on a Saturday night because we had to use up our Groupon voucher. We got seated right away and I was really impressed by the huuuge TVs in the restaurant - plus each table had its own little speaker so guests can turn to which ever game they want and listen. That was pretty awesome and something I've never really seen elsewhere.
Service was good. Our server was friendly and attentive, plus domestic beer was on special for just $2... great start.
It's just really unfortunate that the food was crappy. We ordered an appetizer sampler and full rack of ribs with sides of mashed potato gratin and hush puppies. Out of all that, only the mashed potato gratin, hush puppies and hot wings were good. The ribs were fatty and pretty salty. The pulled pork sliders from the appetizer was a joke. One pet peeve I have is when restaurants use dinner rolls as slider buns. BB committed that sin... plus the bottom side of the dinner roll was super soggy. And the pulled pork itself was pretty bad!
As a place to hang out during game nights, this place is awesome. Maybe next time I come, I'll come already eaten (elsewhere). Good thing we didn't pay full price, or else I'd be a lot grumpier.
Been to the Backyard a few times this summer and fall....went for the first time with a groupon, been back three times since then. Â Great selection of food...Chicken nachos as an appetizer is surely to please. Â I have had good salads as well as burgers and pulled pork. Â great game and beer selection. Â Its much better than some other sports bars nearby on Edwards Mill. Â Staff has always been friendly and attentive.
Review Source:Not sure what I expected but I was pleasantly surprised. Â Went on a Monday night around 830 and it was pretty dead. Â The first thing you notice are the 5 huge projection screen T.V.s in the main dining area. Â So we were able to watch Monday night football and the MLB play game. Â Several beers were on special for $2 which is always a good thing. Â Ordered the backyard bbq sandwich(shredded pork). Â The sandwich was nothing special. Â The dipping bbq sauce on the other hand was one of the best I have had in a while. Â I dipped m fries and poured some on my sandwich. Â
With the beer specials, the T.V.s and that bbq sauce I will be going back.
I usually go to the Backyard Bistro for the Canes Corner events. The staff definitely knows how to handle a crowd! Â The service is always great no matter how packed and loud the place gets. This is a great place to catch a sporting event because they have several large screens and you have a control at your table to get the audio from the screen of your choosing. They have drink specials every night and they always have interesting dishes on special. Â As for the food, I highly recommend the pulled chicken quesadillas.
Review Source:Went to Backyard Bistro for the first time yesterday with the family. We were all starving after a long day of tax-free shopping, and this was the closest place to where we were going next.
We were seated quickly, and our orders were taken just as fast. We were all very impressed with the layout- five huge TV screens, and each table is facing them in one way or another. Each table is also equipped with a box that lets you choose which TV station you want to listen to, we definitely had a lot of fun playing with that.
The food itself took a very long time to get out. I ordered chicken tenders (for my inner child), my sister ordered the (if I'm not mistaken) shrimp salad wrap, my mom the Backyard Roadkill, and my dad the Backyard Burger. The only item off of that list that seemed to be the one that was worth ordering was the shrimp salad wrap. The Backyard Burger was good, but not phenomenal. I was dissappointed in the chicken tenders, most of it was just the hand-breaded crust, there was barely any chicken to eat inside. I will admit, I did thoroughly enjoy the fries!
The waitress and staff were friendly, but I was disappointed in their slow delivery, since there was almost no one in the entire restaurant. It must get popular during the local hockey and college football seasons, but in times like this, not so much.
For those burger/meat-lovers, this place has a variety of choices. But for those of us who just enjoy select items and a good salad from time to time, this is NOT the place to go.
I'm on the fence about whether or not I actually want to go back. The atmosphere was awesome, but the food has to sell ya, too, doesn't it?
Backyard Bistro is probably one of the closest restaurants to us, so when it popped up on Groupon, I jumped at the chance to get a good deal and finally check it out.
We used the Groupon within days of purchasing it, a feat in and of itself, and headed over. Â It...was...PACKED. It was probably 5 or so on a Saturday night. Apparently, there were several events happening nearby, including Sesame Street Live. Â Backyard Bistro is basically the only restaurant on Trinity Road, except for Wendy's, so they are in a good spot! Just have to watch out for major events at the RBC Center, etc.
It was about a 10 minute wait for the two of us, so I took some of the decor and surroundings in while I waited. It's definitely a sports bar kind of place, but really, really big.  There were table options that were not next to the gigantic TV screens, but we opted to sit in the sort of  "theater"-type area, anyway. They also have a back patio. Seating at the large bar is an option, as well.
We were seated and one of the best features, I thought, was that they put hand sanitizer on the tables! Great idea. You also can listen, or not listen, to what's on TV via a speaker system.
Our server was awesome and sooo friendly. Our food did take forever, but we were content. She, however, was mortified and kept offering us free things! We tried to say no, but she kept insisting. We could tell the restaurant was completely overwhelmed with so many guests.
We started with the poutine, and it was amazing!! We devoured the huge plate of fries, gravy and cheese curds. Unbelievable. Â I also had the burger for my entree and a side salad. The burger was so good - they use Angus Barn beef and La Farm buns, so how can you go wrong? All the dressings are house-made and the Italian I chose was really good.
You can tell the owner/chef really loves his restaurant and takes pride in what he does. I even got a free dessert to take home. I chose the banana pudding and it did not disappoint. Really delicious.
We will definitely be back, even though all in all, we were there close to 1.5 hours. Our server made up for it though, and she really kept her cool throughout everything, and that made up for any waiting we had to do.
I went here after watching the Cane's beat the Sabres at the RBC.  It is in a prime spot to take advantage of the leaving sports crowd and probably the  best reason to go here.
Atmosphere - Fancier sports bar (but not super nice, like say the Tobacco Road Sports Cafe in Durham), separate dining and bar area, lots of oak wood, TVs (near bar area), large inside to accomodate the masses
Food - Nothing on the menu really stood out. Â The lack of interesting menu items was evident by my taking 10 minutes to decide to order a grilled Buffalo chicken sandwich w/ sweet potato fries. Â The chicken on the sandwich was ok. Â The bread/bun tasted generic, the lettuce was shredded iceberg, and the fries tasted like Costco Alexia brand.
Service - Being that this was after a game; the bartender did her best to accommodate but at times seemed overwhelmed.
Overall - It was not a bad or good place...it was just a place to go after the game.
I agree with the reviews of my fellow yelpers, so I won't bother about the temperature of the dining room or the meh food. It would definitely be helpful if they took the bistro off their name, as it's a little misleading. I too went there with a Groupon coupon and ordered the brisket special. It was on a night when a Canes player was there, so it was packed...but they were all leaving. Â It took a while to clear a table for 2, but I was O.K. with a wait. Â
Now, back to the brisket. It was not good. One of the owners must have been watching my sad face because he came to our table and asked how everything was. I was honest. Long story short, he made me brisket the way brisket should be made and offered just compensation. Me likey. I will go back to use the gift card before an event at the RBC center...on beer. Their hushpuppies were good though...
It's all about location. They are in a great spot! I really want to like BB.
Another sports bar review. Â This can get old.
The food here is better than the average sports bar, but they never can seem to get the heat balanced in the dining room.
Even the last operator couldn't. Â I hate being cold and if you eat early, which we do with kids, you can bet it's not going to be 70 degrees in the winter here.
I wanted to like it, I really did. The location next to the RBC Center is great, and its proximity to my work makes it even better. I had stopped in one time before with my wife, but we just could not find anything on the menu that interested us. We had heard a lot about Backyard Bistro, since then, so I decided to give it a try for a business lunch.
I ordered the Monterrey Chicken Sandwich that was supposed to come with sliced avocados, tomatoes, pepper jack and organic bib lettuce. The sandwich did not have avocados - but a small dollop of old/grayish guacamole, a single tomato, and the bun was smathered in butter, and the chicken breast was more like a chicken feather it was so thin. The food was just really forgettable, and they made a healthy dish, unhealthy.
A friend told me not to bother trying this place & I should have listened! I stopped by for a sandwich & a beer & found out she was right - the prices are high, the service is SLOW, & the food is nothing to write home about!
If you're looking for a laid-back, sports themed restaurant, check out the Backyard Bistro! Â While the name sounds sort of fancy, the Backyard Bistro focuses on tasty bar food and American classics. Â It's a huge space and if it looks like a chain, that's because it used to be a Damon's Restaurant. Â The location is tucked away off of Trinity Road, across from RBC Center. Â
Backyard Bistro's layout is similar to Blinco's up on Glenwood: bar in the center and a dining room on each side... Â The main room has got some serious big screen TV's that have good picture quality for all the big games. Â You've got speaker boxes at the tables so you can hear the play by play for any screen. Â Triangle Red Sox Nation meets here for a lot of events and they often have live music here. Â
Food-wise we're talking ribs, steak, burgers, sandwiches and wings. Â The hush puppies I got were really good, a large basket of warm puppies. Â And the garlic-parmesan wings were tasty without being saucy. Â Service at the Backyard Bistro was sweet and attentive, great for a sports bar. Â So if you are headed over to RBC for an event, stop on by for some pre or post-gaming at Backyard Bistro!
This was our second time visiting BB. Â Since very little was going on at the RBC arena during the lunch hour, BB wasn't busy. Â We had very good service, although they mixed up the wait staff when we were first seated. Â If you like watching sports on huge tv's with your friends, this place may be heaven for you. Â Four humongous televisions sit on one wall, and you can see them from practically every table in the restaurant. Â The food today was average. Â My burger with blue cheese crumbles was good, but not fantastic. Â The fries were too soft for my taste. Â Good selection of different types of food on their menu. Â Definitely for the sports bar lover.
Review Source:When Damon's (thus the look of the "big box suburban chain") closed down and that building sat vacant for months on end, I started to wonder if anything would open up there again. Â Finally, the grand opening of Backyard Bistro came along and it seems to have gone strong for about a year now.
Lunch or Dinner, a pretty good place to go. Â Not overly expensive but not particularly cheap either. Â I went with bbq for lunch and it was almost as good as I make at home ;o)~
Service has improved dramatically since it first opened. Â Servers are prompt and they know the menu inside and out, as well as what personal favorites to recommend.
The big screen TV's lining the walls are a real plus if I want to catch the news or some sports action. Â My daughter kept asking about kids channels but that didn't appear to be an immediate option and I don't know if the staff would have accommodated because I didn't ask (the news was on).
I avoid the place, however, if there are tailgate parties going on in the area because it will be jam packed and busy with partiers and revellers preparing for a local game (across the street).
Looks like a great big chain, but isn't. Even the tri-fold laminated menus don't feel special, until you see the little blurb that says they're a local restaurant that does their best to source mostly local ingredients -- including beef from Angus Barn. That said, the food is going to be mostly sports bar par. I suggest sticking with the burgers and sandwiches. I decided to go with one of their monthly features, the Rasta Pasta (great name! poor execution!). The shrimp was way overcooked and took about ten chews per each side of the mouth. And the chicken -- though supposedly marinated in jerk spices -- tasted just plain grilled. Disappointment in the entree aside, I knocked out a bunch of their trademark mini tacos and some Wisconsin-style cheese curds and couldn't have been more pleased with that calorific cuisine (fried cheese is a rare splurge!). And, thank you yelpers, for pointing me in the direction of the Backyard Brew -- a light easy beer with a pretzel and a cheese cube garnish. An app with your ale? Awesome.
Brilliant place for watching the game, or before actually going to the game -- as was evidenced by the many Canes fans around. As others have mentioned, you can dial into your channel of choice and watch any number of the big screens adorning the walls. There's a notch on the dial for music. But it's a lie. We found sports there as well.
Backyard looks really cheesy from the outside with it's big box suburban chain look. Sorta sits all by itself making it inconvenient for anything except events at Carter Finley or RBC.
That being said, this place it PERFECT for Canes and Pack fans. Last night we both had the barbeque which was pretty damn good. For ten bucks this meal was fantastic. I mean it. Everyone there was obviously on their way to the canes game (as were we) which made for an awesome atmosphere. Loved the local sports stuff.
It ain't fancy nor expensive. You won't be blown away by hospitality and the menu is nothing unusual. But for what it is I must give five stars. There is no better place for canes an pack fans.
One of the best sports bars in Raleigh.
The Backyard Bistro is a great pit stop before heading to a Canes or NC State Game. It's also a great place to catch the game if you can't get tickets. The restaurant used to be called Damon's Grill. When you walk in, you'll see the dining room area, a huge bar, and the rest of the restaurant is stadium seating that overlooks several giant screens. The latter is where you want to sit. Each table has a speaker and you can pick which screen you want to hear the audio from. The speakers don't really work very well since there's a lot of noise in the restaurant that competes with it. I'm sure it's fine if there are small crowds though.
The front area near the screen is reserved for large groups. I've sat there before with the Triangle Red Sox Nation watching a playoff game. I wouldn't want to sit in the very front tables though, since that's kind of like getting the first row of seats in a movie theater.
The menu is great. I'm a big fan of their BBQ and their burgers--especially their Backyard Burger. "8-oz. of fresh ground beef, grilled to order then topped with our pulled pork, slaw and the sweet "Q" sauce." If you're going to order that, come hungry.
They have their own lager on tap here that's called "The Backyard Brew". It's served with a pretzel and a cheese cube on a straw. It's a nice, light beer that goes well with the menu. It's on special on Sundays for $2.50.
I haven't had any issues with the service or food and I've been here a handful of times. Recommended.
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