Been there, done that, got the membership. This place has everything. Dogs, drinks, and food. Staff is amazing and we have meta ton of cool folks here. Buy the membership, it's worth it. read more

Never having been here before, I was pleasantly surprised! Initially I was hesitant about it being a dog park/outdoor bar/restaurant, but all of the dogs (and owners) were well behaved. Do not underestimate the food. The fully loaded hush puppies w/ spicy mayo were delicious. Since it was just two of us, the half dozen was perfect. We ordered the Hummingbird salad which was really fresh and the dressing was crisp and flavorful. We also ordered the Yard Bird sandwich, the chicken was juicy and the sandwich didn't fall apart (very critical). Overall, perfect place for dog lovers, beer drinkers, and foodies alike. read more

Ummmm.... dogs everywhere. You fall in love with many. Open yard---- bar as the name suggests. A true Austin original and kind of place; a agreat place for dogs and their human owner alike to socialize. There are bars on both the unleashed dog area and human leashed area (JK- I didn't see any humans on leashes... boooo), there is food, there are staff to help keep an eye on all of the pups. If you have a dog there is an entrance fee, also the possibility of a monthly or annual membership. Austin is super dog friendly already but this place embodies that sentiment to the max. Food truck+dogs+bar+some cool humans= ATX. The girls behind the bar (and the rest of the staff really) were all super laid back and friendly and funny. Great lighting and cool jams... AND ALL OF THE PUPS! Can't believe it too me that long to hang out there. Mad dog crushin'... read more

Love it!! We rode up on my motorcycle, and Griff jumped in there with 30 to 50 dogs on a Tuesday night. The bark rangers broke up a little scuffle late in the eve. very efficiently. Hey cool spot for the dog to socialize and I had a beer, next time will try the food. I can imagine it gets crowded on a FRI. or SAT. night, will have to give it a try. That place made me start an Instagram page for Griff my wonder dog. instagram = austinurbanlegend read more

This place is great for the pups and I would bring my dog back but I will not order food here again. I ordered a burger with cheese and pickles only. I received a burger with cheese cucumbers and onions. I went and let them know and the lady up front shouted to the back she needs a cheeseburger with pickles only. I thought ok I will eat it soon. No problem. Ok so I go sit down on the movie night for "love actually" after waiting in line the second time for their error and I wait fifteen minutes and still no burger. So I then went up front and just asked for a refund (as I'm waiting in line for the third time) there is only one way to talk to the people in there making food and working and that's through the line. They refunded my money but never mentioned the burger at all. So when the manager came out I said were they even making my burger? They never mentioned it at all. She replied with yes, it's done now. And I told her ok I was just wondering bc they never mentioned it or said sorry. Then she just walked away without offering to give the burger to me. Which I'm not about getting things for free but to me when I asked for the refund in the first place they should have said I'm so sorry for the wait, your burger is ready, would you like it still? It's about customer service and to me, this does not live up to my standards. If your customer had to waist time out of the movie she came to see at your business and had to miss out and wait in line 3 times then you should offer to give your customer the burger they paid for and a refund if they demand it from irritability. Simply bc you messed up. read more

Great food! Large portions for the app. The drinks were very good. Best Moscow mule I've had! And of course my dogs throughly enjoyed themselves read more

The food is okay, not that special for the "rocket" price. We mainly come to check this place out because of the dog park thing. Ours was only 5 months and it is bad to neuter at that young of age. They stressed that no unneutered dog can come in the park. Alright, I guess there is no reason for me to come back here. Also charge 5$ for going to the dog park? I rather go to Zilker park where it is an open space and FREE to come in. read more

After reading all these amazing yelp reviews, I took my pup there with some decent expectations (if not high). Not even 10 minutes of us being there, we were treated rudely by their staff member. The staff member tried to catch hold of my 11 months old pup (who was playing with other dogs) so roughly that it scared the hell out of my pup and ever since then he has been afraid of socializing with any dog. We reported the staff's behavior to the lady at the check in register and she was totally indifferent to everything. The staff definitely doesn't know how to handle dogs (especially pups). My honest suggestion - if you really want to socialize your dog with other dogs, you better drive up a few miles and take them to proper dog park (like Walnut Creek) which is free for all instead of paying $$ here and deal with their rude and indifferent staff. read more

So awesome idea for a bar and dog park... but this place Is AWEFUL save your $11 and go to zilker with your own beer. The "rangers" were terrible, and not by any means dog behavior experts. They wouldn't let dogs be dogs. No dog fight or aggression happened. But, apparently if the dogs were running around and playing it must be broken up. They would pull dogs by the collar and break up dogs just playing (non aggressively). The staff acted miserable and rude. We chugged our beer and left. read more

Nice place other than the rude "bark rangers". Will let dogs they know bite and bark at a dog but when a dog they don't know comes around they aren't allowed to run and play. Needs better employees with a better attitude. Im not going to pay 5 a day or 150 a year to have someone yanking my dog around for playing. They should direct their attention to the aggressive dogs. read more

I love Yard Bar way more than my dog does. I only brought him once and he wasn't comfortable with the enormous dog party. He prefers smaller groups. Anyway I go frequently and leave him home. This idea is awesome. A dog park with beer! It's almost always crowded if the weather is nice so if your dog is like mine maybe try bringing them on a non-peak time like during the day. They have free wifi so you could even work from here (if you don't get distracted by cute dogs that is). Dogs can be serious about food which is why the food area is totally separate from the park. And I get that but it's still a little awkward. I usually only get drinks and hang out at a picnic table and pet stranger's dogs. If this isn't right then nothing is. Love it here! read more

First let me say I love the idea behind Yard Bar. When I found this place on Yelp it went to the top of my "To Try" list. After a long, hot day of walking around the city with my girlfriend and pup, we decided to take a trip north and try out Yard Bar. When we pulled up there were several dogs and owners playing and fighting in the enclosed area (to be clear - the dogs were playing and fighting, their owners were drinking). We approached the entrance to find a "screener" sitting behind a glass window; a dog-bouncer of sorts. He informed us there is a list of requirements for entrance with our pup - and this is where things went south. First, we were standing at the window speaking with the employee when a woman, who is apparently a member, brushed past us to check-in to the bar. Rather than asking her to "wait her turn" he asked us to step aside and allow the member to check-in. Rude. Either have an easier way for members to check-in or have them wait in line like everyone else. Or, have another staff member checking people in. Second, you should make it very clear to potential visitors that **This bar/dog-park is not for people with purebreed dogs** Maybe include it in your bar's name? "Yard Bar, for fixed pets and rescues only." I say this because unless your dog is fixed you will not be allowed to enter. I have a 4 month old female puppy. She has all her shots, is well behaved, plays well with people and dogs of all ages and sizes and she isn't physically capable of getting pregnant. It would be impossible. Nevertheless, we were not allowed to bring her in because she hasn't been spay. She isn't even old enough for the procedure. Maybe put a sign up that says "You Must Be 21 to enter & your dog must be at least 1 to enter with you." The fact is, my dog is a show dog that won't be fixed. Ever. But let me worry about that. Only an irresponsible dog owner would let their dog get knocked up at a park and I can almost guarantee a purebred/show dog owner would never let it happen. I find this policy highly discriminatory. I understand the owners might want to encourage fixing pets - but this is not a one-size fits all solution. I completely support the owner's policy - it's their bar and they can do what they want - just don't waist my time. Make it clear to people looking this place up that dogs less than 1 year old or unfixed shouldn't come. Third, there is an outdoor area for people with dogs either too young or not fixed. This area is not enclosed and is more like an extension of the parking lot than a place I'd want to hangout. Why bring your dog if you're just going to have to leash him/her up to have a drink and hangout. There are no redeeming qualities to the outdoor (consolation) area. It was completely empty when we were there (around 5pm on a Saturday afternoon). There were two waitresses in that area however. Maybe have one of them help the front door guy. One of them could have checked in the pushy woman who blew past us and started our letdown visit off a bit smoother. No, I would not recommend this place to any of my friends - fixed dog or not. I didn't like the attitude of the employee we encountered or the first customer/member we encountered. There are plenty of dog friendly spots in this city, I recommend trying one of those out. #notformydog #puppystuff read more

We LOVE yard bar! It's in such a great location, parking is easy and best of all we can completely relax while our fur-baby Jaxon plays with his friends. They run specials on mimosas Sunday too! read more

Used to be awesome but now it's overcrowded and unpleasant. The bark rangers are significantly less friendly and competent than the rangers they had their first year. We had a year membership but chose not to renew primarily because the park is filthy and often feels unsafe due to inattentive dog parents or poorly socialized dogs (on the weekends especially). read more

How have I not reviewed Yard Bar?? I basically live here - Drinks and Food are always delicious and my pup loves the play dates!

I love Yard Bar. The bark rangers are what separates this wonderful place from other dog parks. Yard Bar prides itself on quality food, great customer service, and delivering a one of a kind experience for dogs and dog owners. My pup Lucy is so grateful for the friends she's made here and the tasty meatballs. read more

This is probably my favorite spot in Austin. It's atmosphere is come-as-you-are and there are dogs galore. Happy Hour is 4-6, which is my pup's fave time to visit. read more

I liked the concept and the atmosphere of this place but my dog, who is normally very playful and sociable, refused to play due to the mulch that was used to cover the ground. Mulch is actually used to deter pets from digging in gardens so I'm not sure why someone thought it was a good idea to use it for a dog park? You could tell by watching other dogs that it was uncomfortable on their paws. Maybe my dog is just picky but I can't give a good review when he stayed on the concrete part the whole time. I doubt I will bring him back which is a bummer because I really thought this would be somewhere fun to take him to socialize with other dogs. read more

Great reviews on this place. Maybe caught it on an off night. Dogs' anxiety as a group was too high. I'm a dog person and know scuffles will happen, but 7 or 8 in 30 minutes suggests too many dogs (and owners not paying attention). I'm sure it's great when it's less busy, but I wouldn't go back. $5 cover and $6 beers? Value just isn't there for me, even if there were fewer dog scrums. Zilker is bigger and free. read more

Never got the chance to get in. WARNING: maximum two dogs. I've got three little 12 pounders. Kristi said it wasn't the size. "It's hard enough to watch 2 dogs. Three is nearly impossible." Do you realize that's a big insult to a good, seasoned handler with a good pac who has never had a PROBLEM watching 3 dogs? I've had these three together for 4 years -- they stay together and I wouldn't dream of leaving one of them home. We have been to many, many dog parks -- it's not the number of dogs. It's the owner. I've seen two owners with one dog completely ignore their dog. I could go on. If I'm found not watching my 3, then kick me out. But don't stereotype me or my well behaved dogs because you or some idiot doesn't know how to deal with multiple dogs. If Austin is to be committed to getting more dogs out of shelters, dog parks and other places like apartments have to eliminate this insane "no more than two dogs" rule. read more

Yard bar is a great idea and is executed pretty well. The drink selection is solid and we haven't tried the food yet. The space is big and there are a few heaters out there for the colder nights. Not too many chairs to sit on but most people are just standing around chatting anyways while their dogs enjoy playtime. The bark rangers seem to be on top of it but intervene a little too much in scenarios that aren't remotely concerning...some dogs bark wen they play and they break it up. We do wish it was a little more of a "natural" environment with trees and such like the cedar park version but understand the location isn't really made for that. All in all a fun place to take the pup and grab a drink. Oh yeah, $5 to get in or can get various memberships. read more

There's a cartoon of a dog having a drink while its house is on fire all around it and it says, "It's fine." YardBar is this and I hope it gets better. The more time goes by, this place is operating at a "meh" level. It's a great concept but it's executed in such a way by the owner that if something similar (like Easy Tiger's future location near Highland ACC) opened, YB would really feel the heat. 1. They treat and pay their staff so badly and it breaks my heart I've been coming here for a year and I have made so many friends from staff and other customers and my dog of course likes this place a lot. I have a month to month membership of $15 which allows you to go in infinite amounts of times per month. I've had some food and drink items here that have been good. For that alone I can offer YB 3.5 stars. But the thing that made this place great were the Bark Rangers that had lasted up till mid-summer. I really felt better and safer with them watching over the dogs because they just knew dog behaviors and tells you wouldn't know otherwise and never hesitated to breakup a fight. The job of Bark Rangers is to pick up poop before opening, (the customers are actually obligated to pick up their dog's poop btw and leaving it to the BRs constantly takes away from monitoring troublemaking dogs), they put out and put away chairs, put out mulch if necessary, fill water dishes for dogs to drink, take out trash, tell owners if their dogs have worms squirming out of their butts, clean off and sweep the concrete if it gets muddy or covered in mulch, throw away drinks left by people, ask negligent owners to leave, keep dogs from getting out of the park, tell people it's last call, all while doing this in heat and cold with NO covering, and they SAVE-YOUR-DOG'S-LIFE. That's it. And they get paid $8-$12 to do that. And they don't get tipped well. I've seen Rangers with wounds on their hands, legs, and faces. Yet they have to take care of themselves out of pocket. No worker's comp. I've seen Rangers wince at the pain of bending down just one more time because their lower lumber pain has gotten worse. 2. They barred dogs from entering the park because of a commonly transmitted virus that causes temporary warts to appear on dogs' tongues and mouths. This wart is benign and falls off in days with a specific cedar essential oil or a few weeks or months with time. My dog and about 3-5 dogs got such a wart. At first I googled for a diagnosis and got a check up at two vets and got FACTS. YB just googled "wart on tongue" and asked some of their staff that had been vet techs their opinion and the owner thought that was legit enough to tell me. Vets have degrees and some vet techs have a hourly wage and a passion for pets; vast difference in expertise determines who I want to listen to. Another dog owner took their dog to their cousin who's a vet in town and offered the owner of YB the opportunity to talk to the vet in order to be informed about this wart and how harmless it is. The owner sharted and tried to deflect the correct info given and avoided the convo. My dog and I were barred from YB for 2 months (the time wart took to pass), previous to that our account was deactivated for those two months which is fair however the deactivation was done without my consent or any consultation about the wart issue. Not cool or professional and very sketch. I felt like it was done in a way that was not very bright. I mean telling your staff to single out dogs with warts that could have always been there, isn't a good look. It was a poor cover up because regulars talk to each other. I understand not wanting your business labeled as a hub for disease but you don't single people out based on your baseless, fact-free assumptions. Good things that have happened recently: *An employee appreciation day happened and the owner took the staff out to mini golf. *A tip jar for Bark Rangers is at check-in now. *Some window signage now draws attention the main tip jar far away from the main bar window. That's it. I don't personally know the trials of owning or managing a business but I do know what you do not do. *You don't have your entire staff turn over in a year. *You don't ignore new and old staff when they tell you the same consistent problems or their needs over and over again. *You don't make your staff attend mandatory UNPAID meetings with your personal life couch that's telling your staff they do not know how to communicate with each other, when you don't care to listen to or communicate with your staff professionally to begin with. So blaming your staff, not cool. *You don't ask your customers to take down negative Yelp reviews and buy their silence with things like drinks. (Many people have had this happen and have given in.) Btw, do not come up to me or message me about this review. Give me an apology and steps for how you're improving yourselves for your business. Listen to your staff and customers and do better. read more

Let me begin by saying that I was anticipating the arrival of Yard Bar for some time, the idea is fantastic and as soon as it opened we brought our furry kids to check it out My two dogs are well socialized and I've never seen any aggression from either of them The first few times were pretty fun but chaotic, the bark rangers are overwhelmed by the sheer number of dogs running around, I think the dog owners misunderstand that this is a dog park not a day care for dogs you still need to supervise your dogs behavior This brings me to the unfortunate reason why I wont return. Our last visit about a week ago, went terribly wrong. My sheep dog Molly initiated play with another dog and that dog attacked her, I am thankful I was within arm distance of the fight and pulled that dog off immediately, Molly cried for a minute after she was terrified. Nothing like this has ever happened to us at any park, day care or open play establishment. She literally as a 80lb dog crawled into my husbands lap to comfort herself The bark rangers did respond but the owner of the dog who knows where they were, they never came up to check on our girl or say sorry for there dogs poor behavior Sadly the agressive dogs that frequent this bar are given a time out but arent asked to leave, because afterall its a business and asking your customers to leave is bad for business. I just wont put my dogs in harms way. Fun concept just not for me and my dogs read more

Awesome bar to bring your dogs to. My pup was happy to run and play and I was happy to drink. Never get the food - worst food I've ever had (and I've had a lot of bar food). read more

I've been to Yard Bar at least a dozen times now, if not more, since I purchased a membership back in October. Every time I visit, I'm always impressed by the upkeep of the facilities, the staff, and even the people who visit on a regular basis! The place can get busy on a nice, sunny weekend afternoon. Even when there are 80 dogs running around, the Bark Rangers help keep the peace. For the most part, owners are responsible, attentive, and pay attention to their pup. I always seem to strike up a conversation with someone, and the free wifi is nice if you're on your own surfing the web! read more

Great place for four footed friends. The dogs are friendly and love to romp. Their dog owners are an upscale bunch and converse easily. Brew and mixed drinks are reasonable and adequate. Food less so. The most fun is to watch the converting happy canines. Probably an hour or two amusement for owners and their pets and then it is time to go. Bark Rangers (handlers) are a great help to corral unruly dogs. read more

My pup and I have been members paying the monthly rate and contributing close to $300/month from food, drinks, etc. We have been paying members for 2 years. This review is to highlight the poor behavior of the bark rangers not doing their job. It's rare that they are even paying attention to half of the dogs in the park and when they do they make poor rash decisions. My dog got humped by multiple dogs which I want to highlight is a normal dog behavior. I was asked to leave after my dog was being patronized repeatedly, as a paying member and someone who spends hundreds of dollars there per month. If they actually did their job and weren't out of shape they may have caught what was really going on and not asked a paying monthly member to leave. I do not recommend this facility to anyone after the way we have been treated. You're better off going somewhere free range where your pup can be an actual dog. read more

I do love the place, the concept, and everything about it, but I went for the first time this past Tuesday and both of my dogs have been pretty sick ever since with severe diarrhea and loss of appetite. I'm finally taking them to the vet tomorrow because I thought it'd pass, but there's been no change unfortunately. I'm thinking it must've been from drinking from a contaminated bowl or something, but not really sure. I noticed a really strong smell when I got there, and while that's to be expected from a dog-friendly place, I'm wondering what is done to make sure it's clean and safe and how often..? I genuinely enjoyed this place, but wanted to put it out there that more may need to be done to ensure dogs don't get sick (since both of mine did). :( read more

Need a lot better service in the tents. Waiting 20 min for food and bev is ridic. Also, when frustrated with the wait time, attempting to order from the window doesn't work, you will just be turned away and told to wait on your server. Done with this place. Update: Downgrading to one star. Still waiting on the check after another 20 min. read more

Dog lover heaven at yard bar! We kept the pup on the leash in the food patio first and can definitely recommend their yard bird sandwich. Though we were sad to hear there was no longer an antonellis cheese plate option. The pup had an amazing time too! read more

This is usually my go-to place in Austin because the atmosphere is nice and the "bark rangers" are usually amazing! I recently moved to Dallas and came back to visit and yard bar was a must on my to-do my list for Cooper. The bark rangers were usually the same faces but this time they had a new guy who was clearly not able to attend to situations quickly (for obvious reasons) who ruined the experience and left a bad taste in my mouth about ever going back. I haven't been there in about 2 months so it's recently changed. First thing I noticed when we walked in was that the bark rangers were just chatting with each other and not paying attention to the dogs whatsoever (i.e. doing their job) which irritated me...I didn't pay $7.50 for the bark rangers to chat, be alert. My dog cooper is 1 1/2 years old and has a happy, playful demeanor, curious about the world...however, he can get a little ball aggressive, he hasn't learned how to share just yet and we're working on that. He got in a vocal scuffle once and after about 30 minutes got in another scuffle (balls involved both times) however had the bark rangers been paying attention (and been physically able to get there quickly) it would have been a 3 second scuffle. No dogs got hurt, feel like that needs to be said. It was all vocal but since Cooper (along with several other dogs) was involved in both scuffles the guy immediately said your dog needs to go. I was so pissed because I met friends there to hit 2-birds-1-stone with socializing and doing something for Cooper and when I said it was just vocal, and he has a little ball aggression from time to time so maybe it's not the best idea to have balls in the park if you're not paying attention the bark patrol guy said balls are normal at a dog park so what did you expect.......and this is when I decided I'm never going back and def suggesting my friends don't either. MAYBE IF YOU WERE DOING YOUR JOB &/OR PHYSICALLY ABLE TO MOVE THERE QUICKLY TO BREAK IT UP THERE WOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM. If your dog is ball aggressive at all I wouldn't recommend it, bad place to go as they have several balls out. Also, if you see a gentleman there on the bark patrol who looks like it would be tough for him to get to situations quickly just turn around and leave, save yourself the money. The idea behind this place is genius, and Ive heard nothing but great thing about the owner, but he needs to make wiser decisions about his staff because his staff aren't doing their job. Needless to say my friends and I aren't going back till he's gone...or ever (thank god for the place in cedar park, yes I'll drive that far for Cooper). Such a bummer. If your dog is super chill or good with balls, you should check it out! I recommend they remove all balls to minimize scuffles UNLESS their staff is paying attention. read more

Awesome place! Perfect setting to take your dog or meet with friends that do. We live in the neighborhood and really enjoyed going there for the first time today. Very clean and well-maintained for a big, busy dog park. Great, caring staff as well. read more

I was waiting patiently for The Yard Bar to open and it exceeded my expectations. My dog enjoyed the fenced in well designed play area and I relaxed with a cold one. There was a helpful 'park ranger' supervising the dog play for safety. There is plenty of shade from the building on the south, and swamp coolers keep the park comfortable. I will be returning often. read more

Yardbar is a gift to North Austin! all dog people, great staff, nice cocktails, classic food. Definitely a great date spot for the puppy parents. Don't listen to the complainers, they're looking for a reason to do so. If your dog is friendly and social (and if you are the same) just go! My dog has a blast on the big and little sides. read more

We just have one thing to add that was not apparent to us for the last two years somehow. You have to be 21 or over to take your dog into the play area. I think that's mainly because of the serving of alcohol and they don't want young 18-year-old to be drinking the beer that a 21-year-old had just purchased. That also means that the yard bar is not family-friendly, not that they don't specifically like families. So essentially this place caters to the college crowd with dogs but without children. If you want to take your dog somewhere in town that allows children, then we recommend going to Mueller Park in Austin and enjoying the local restaurants with drinks. It will cost you nothing to have your dog frolic with other for the dogs, spayed, neutered, or not. read more

I think my dog got kennel cough from going there on 4/23/17. He has his bordatella vaccine too. Apparently he isn't the only one: https://www.reddit.com/r/Austin/comments/68fmff/potential_kennel_cough_issue_at_yard_bar/ Also when I went, I only saw one staff member working to monitor potential dog fights. This last visit had so many scuffles happening, much more than prior visits to Yard Bar. read more

We took our dog here and the dog enjoyed a lot. It's a Fun place to take your dog and chill, food is good too. read more

Yard Bar - Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

Nice place to bring your dog. Even with bark Rangers my husband still managed to step on dog poop... while picking up our dog's poop :( and that was on our first visit... I understand that they can't catch it all but if we are going to pay for the park it should be kept up way better. Drinks are good but limited and so are the food choices. Hush puppies is mediocre well all there food is ok... nothing great but decent and I think the food is a little pricey. It would be nice if there was a special item whether it be food or drink special of the moment to jazz the menu up. read more

I'm not sure it gets much better than a dog park with a bar and Austin has two! However, Yard Bar is, by far, my favorite! I arrived at their cozy little dog park after a long car ride from Dallas and was greeted with lots of friendly faces and a warm beverage. I ordered a hot toddy and the bartender suggested several other warm cocktails from their menu which all looked yummy. There was a large variety of people and dogs at their park and everyone was very nice to us and told us lots of cool spots to visit in Austin. The menu is also very impressive and I loved that they even have a few things for dogs to order too. We tried the deviled eggs (in a separate space where our dog had to remain on a leash) and they were incredible! We will definitely come back here when stopping through Austin again! read more

I love this place, my dog loves this and anyone in their right mind will love the Yard Bar. I cannot believe I didn't come up with the concept of a bar and a dog park combo already, they incorporate two of my favorite things!!! I have now been to the Yard Bar twice, I came on a Saturday afternoon for drinks, lunch and puppy play time. Last Friday I enjoyed a happy hour while my pup Cooper enjoyed a "Yappy Hour". Drink prices are good and the $5 cover for the dog is well worth it. I have a feeling I might become a regular at this spot :) read more