I came here with my boyfriend for dinner on Valentine's Day, after family recommended we dine here after their recent visit.
We weren't familiar with its location, besides that it was down Transit Road in East Amherst. Â Upon arrival, we were a little surprised to find it's location in a strip plaza with other businesses varying from clothing stores to beauty salons. Â We were told this place was more modern and upscale, I kind of expected something different I guess. Â After entering, our predictions were further contradicted. Â The overall feel and atmosphere was not anticipated. Â It was very open, cold, and reminded me of a gymnasium the way it was painted and because of the ceiling. Â It was one large room, which was divided into a bar and a dining area by a single half wall, running the restaurant's entire length. Â It just felt like they were trying to be modern and ultra chic, but couldn't properly deliver that vibe to its guests. Â
Trying not to focus on the ambiance anymore, we sat at the bar for a drink prior to being seated for our dining reservation.  Both bartenders we encountered were very friendly and accommodating.  We were seated shortly after and greeted by our waitress.  We already viewed the menu at the bar and knew what we wanted to order.  We started off with the Calamari Diavolo, which was "lightly breaded and seasoned fresh calamari, sprinkled with parmesan cheese and served with a spicy marinara sauce".  We are both avid calamari fans, and this dish definitely topped my list for one of the best calamari appetizers I have had around town.  For dinner, I had the chicken Caesar salad because I can never eat much of an entrée after indulging in an appetizer.  The salad was up to par with a chicken Caesar salad that I would expect from this type of restaurant....nothing over the top, but still good.  My boyfriend had the Black and Blue Angus Burger.  I don't eat hamburgers so I didn't try this, but he seemed to be quite pleased.  What I did try of his though was the sweet potato fries, and those were delicious!!!
We were both very pleased with the food and the service; however I am big on making sure I love the mood and the ambiance of where I wine and dine, and this place just didn't cut it. Â I particularly like to take my dining travels mostly throughout various neighborhoods in the city; so to get me to come to the suburbs I have to really like a place. Â I wouldn't go out of my way to return to YOLO, but if in the area I may stop in for a quick drink and enjoy some calamari at the bar, as opposed to dining in the dining room.
Came here for Restaurant Week with some life long lady friends, mom, & sister. Made a reservation hours before for 5:30pm and got right in. YAY! At 5:30, there were only a few other tables occupied. Perfect time to go, in my opinion. I'm the early bird special type. Can't eat dinner at 8pm because I go to bed early! By the time we were leaving, the place was packed!
The atmosphere is nice and chic inside. Our round table was roomy but not so huge that the 5 of us couldn't chat. Big plus!
I ordered the strip loin $20.12 meal. Came with a garden salad to start (with REALLY good ranch dressing!), green beans and roasted potatoes on the side. The steak was honestly some of the best I've ever had out. It was prepared PERFECTLY and tasted fresh, not like old, tough cow! BIG plus! Of course, I wouldn't expect less from the grandson of Russell Salvatore (owns YOLO)- that guy has the hook up on beef (or so I hear from Russell's patrons). The dinner was finished with a DELICIOUS little scoop of pumpkin gelato. Tasted like pumpkin pie filling! YUM YUM YUM.
I honestly have no complaints about YOLO. I really liked it, the service was good, food was great, we all left fat & happy! Give this place a shot, you won't regret it!
Our party decided to try YOLO on a Friday night. We were politely greeted. Despite having made reservations and the place quite empty, we were led to seating in a less desirable area, overlooking the parking lot, on that rainy night. We asked to be seated in the main area and were obliged.
The server was pleasant and knowledgeable although didn't take cues about not wanting more drinks or any appetizers, coffee or dessert. Heavy on the sales and opinions.
The food was OK, nicely presented, but did not quite match the snooty atmosphere. The grilled chicken pesto sandwich was all right, but lacking in pesto! (It may have even been spinach.) The grilled chicken was rather dry, the homemade mashed potatoes had a very interesting flavor, intense peppering, but the presentation was lacking, a pile of gloppy, discolored spuds with no potato texture, spoon worthy even. I just couldn't bring myself to eat something so, well, ugly.
The house drink, YOLO cocktail, was quite refreshing, the wine ordinary, the beer selection interesting.
The chicken dumpling soup was unexpectedly cream-based, not served piping hot, although flavorful and filling. It was more like a stoop (that's a combination of stew and soup!), something you could eat with a fork. It came with a sliver of julianne-sliced white bread and a small bowl of butter.
The fish had an interesting flavor, in fact, I'd say all the dishes had an interesting flavor. But I was surprised that in a place like this, the fish came with "seasoned" fries (just like you'd get at a burger joint) AND macaroni salad. The sandwiches also came with seasoned fries, although the server pushed for substituting - for an additional charge - with other sides instead...kind of odd, just offer the other sides.
As for the atmosphere, it's just blah, kind of cold (as in not warm and cozy) and dark, and rather moody feeling. The air of pretentiousness was significant. Â The crowd was of mixed ages, mainly the "mature" audience, not a particularly youthful place.
Although it was not a bad experience, I wouldn't choose to return; if I wanted an elegant place with awesome everything, I'd go to Rick's on Main or any number of other restaurants. This place, YOLO, just didn't do it for me or my party.
I went to YOLO with a group of wonderful, professional women. When the waiter went around the table explaining that the fish came with three sides and, you can substitute  out, we liked that. He never mentioned that all those substitutes came at an extra price. When we received the bill and saw all the extra cost we called over the waiter. He prompltly said, "It's written right on the menu".  We also told the owner who said, "Oh, I apologize". That's it. Guess what? Those nine women will tell their friends, their friends will tell their friends, etc. They made a big mistake that night. A simple comment like, "you can substitute for an extra cost", would have been appreciated.
Review Source:Oh boy.
We were there on a Wednesday night for a b-day party. September 26th. The girl who made the reservations booked the front room months in advance. When we got there it was obvious that our room had been taken. No one really seemed to care except to set us up in the back of the restaurant with the 13 of us pushed together with tables.
It was loud, we couldn't talk or see each other. How sad, after the girl tried her best to throw a nice dinner party together.
I'm not really sure what went down, but after leaving we did see a gentleman at the table(our table), that the staff seemed to fawn after when he walked in. Bumped for a "better" party..seems like it to me. Pathetic really.
The food was so so..the Caprese salad was a joke. The steaks were sooo undercooked..and we like rare meat. Meh..the best part was the gentleman bartender who really seemed to know his wine and beer and was very nice.
Our waiter started out as a very nice African American gentleman who seemed to be doing a fine job. A blonde woman with short hair came over to help him and made the whole dining experience very tense....let him do his job! He was doing OK!!!
The manager seemed like he wanted to help, but no one ever explained what really happened. Too bad..I won't be back. Not that the food is worth going back for anyways.
I am always looking for new and exciting locations to take my fiancee out to dinner in the Burbs on our date night. Â I insist upon a well stocked full bar (beer and wine does not cut it...Sorry Aroma on Main), really good food (Sorry Black and Blue Steakhouse), and a place where my lady friend friend can wear (and be seen) in some of her sexier dressy outfits (Sorry Brennans). Â YOLO could potentially fit the bill, but the menu was very lack lustre so I avoided it. Â And lets face it the name really sucks...You Only Live Once...in Amherst...really?? However, tired of the same ole places we branched out and gave it a shot. Â I should have known I was in a bit of trouble when I saw an overwhelming wave of 60 somethings rocking their Tommy Bahamas when I walked in. Â Of course, the mass exodus at 7:30, i.e. bedtime, certainly cleared up some space at the bar.
The restaurant does have some potential. Â It is a large cavernous space, painted in dark rich blues giving it a modern look. Â To call it a lounge though is certainly a misnomer. Â The bar is nice and well stocked, with a list of specialty cocktails (it does not even compare though to places like Vera or Aroma on Bryant). Â My beautiful lady friend started with the Raspberry Mojito, which was made with muddled raspberries. Â It was tasty but waaaay too much pulp...it should have been strained. Â However, I went with the "Green with Envy" on the rocks...because Martini glasses are ridiculous. Â It was made with vodka, muddled cucumbers, lime juice and simple syrup. Â This cocktail was very good, and is highly recommended. Â Â We enjoyed many more after that initial sampling.
We started with the spinach and artichoke dip which was very good. Â It was made with a hint of gorgonzola cheese which was a unique twist to this ubiquitous dip.
For dinner we decided to stray from the main courses because there was NOTHING exciting. Â Filet Mignon, Salmon Neptune, Pasta Primavera...what is this 1985?? Â Instead we went for the sandwiches and were pleasantly surprised. Â Lady friend went for the turkey reuben. Â Overall it was very tasty, not too greasy but a bit light on the sauerkraut for my taste. Â I went with a sandwich I have not had since Bennigans left town...the MONTE CRISTO!! Â That's right a deep fried, turkey, ham and swiss sandwich served with strawberry jelly. Â Whomever came up with that gem must have been smoking some sticky icky. Â While Bennigans was the local king for the Monte Cristo being totally deep fried and crunchy, YOLO's was not bad. Â It was more of a French Toast than a completely submerged in boiling oil kind of sandwich. Â I think the chef spent a bit too much time griddling the ham and turkey though and they became tough and stringy. Â The sandwich was quite tasty though.
Do not goto YOLO expecting a modern lounge catering to sexy 30 somethings with great food, which was what I was hoping for and I believe what they were also hoping for. Â The crowd is older, the food is bar food at best and the cocktails are decent. Â Not bad for a date night, but certainly not my top choice.
I went here for dinner during Restaurant Week. I got the strawberry pecan salad and fish tacos. The salad was very good. Beautiful strawberries with pecans, chunks of bleu cheese, and onions in a poppyseed dressing. I think next time I go I will ask that the onions be taken off. The entree came with 3 different fish tacos that I thought were very inconsistent. One was more blackened than the others, and had more spices. I wouldn't get them again.
I thought the atmosphere here was great and so was the wait staff. Our waitress was very nice and helpful when we were asking about the menu.
Pros: Service, Cesar Salad, Lava Cake
Not so con: Tuscan Steak Roulad
Is it a good restaurant for kids? No
Is it good choice for big groups? No
Is the parking lot enough to accommodate the customers? Yes
Today, we were looking to go to a restaurant that we never visited to celebrate my wife's birthday. It was around 7:00pm on a restaurant week and I was expecting for a line, but thanks God we didn't get one. The hosts were very nice people and direct us very quickly to the table.
The waitress service was very good too and the food did not take so much time to arrive to us. Even to refill the drinks, she was very efficient too. Because it was a restaurant week, I tried the special menu that they prepared for these days. I asked for a Cesar salad, Tuscan Steak Roulad and a Lava Cake.
Overall, the quality of the food was very good with the exception of the vegetables and the mashed potatoes. The vegetables presentation was not very good and the mashed potatoes were blend. But I am willing to try again the restaurant because it I liked the experience at all.
Very good food and atmosphere. Had two specials, rack of lamb and poached salmon and both were excellent. Daughter and her friend had Caesar salad and chicken pesto sandwich, with Mac n cheese substituted for the fries; they both liked it. Waiter, Derik, was excellent; pleasant and good suggestions. Reduced one star from 5 bec calamari app too salty, no prices shown for specials so have to ask (they were reasonable so why not just show price?), and coffee was $3.50, wich was the only item that seemed overpriced. Recommend it and hope they take this constructive criticism as it is intended-to make YOLO even better.
Review Source:We've been twice now, once right after opening and once since. Each time the food was great, the prices are AMAZING - especially considering the freshness and quality of the food, and the service was friendly and knowledgeable. Management came twice to make sure we were enjoying our experience. We tried a few of the specialty drinks and loved them all - especially the cucumber one.
I had a caprese salad, the presentation was adorable and it was seasoned really well. 2 others ordered burgers which were big and juicy, and our 4th ordered the monte cristo and was pleased, saying that "it's not like bennigan's... it's a real one."
The fries? So good! Wings are saucy so keep that in mind if you like them drier. We also split the stuffed mushrooms which were cooked really well and tasted great.
We finished with one order of the crustless cheesecake, I was very impressed - excellent flavor, creamy yet somehow light.
We're looking forward to going back to try dinner sometime soon! I'll update my review once we do :-)
Checked out this newly opened restaurant while back in my husband's hometown for Christmas. YOLO stands for You Only Live Once, and doubles as a lounge after the kitchen closes, so I was a bit dubious as to how well it would go over with our dining companions, my mother-in-law and her friend, fearing it might be too youthful or trendy for them. I was mistaken-- both the dining and bar areas boast simple yet modern decor, making it classy yet still comfortable & inviting for all age ranges. The same goes for the food-- a wide range of of choices (some with more of a twist than others), sittin' pretty on clean white dinnerware. Â
Onto the food! My raspberry mojito was yumness-- it was freshly muddled and not made from a mix. The salads are HUGE (easily could be gotten as an entree as 2 of us splitting it had heaping mounds of it) and looked beautiful in the bowls they were brought out in. Stuffed mushroom appetizer was solid. The standout dish was my maple pecan chicken entree-- sooooo good. My husband's sausage ravioli with Alfredo was rich but delish, though he said he would we getting the chicken the next time. (Told you it was good!) I thought prices were incredibly reasonable for what we got.
I could easily see how the bar/lounge area could make for a fun evening-- it's quite large. And they do have a more traditional late night/bar food (wings, quesadillas, etc) over there. We were also told that their more fancy schmancy drinks will be $5 on Wednesdays and that they will be doing a Monday through Friday happy hour. My mother-in-law thinks it would be a great place to do happy hour and will definitely be coming back for dinner, as she said it's rare to find a nice restaurant like this outside of downtown.
To sum it up, YOLO offers traditional (delicious!) American food with a touch of class & refinement that appeals to all. Check it out!
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,916 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
