Published by Jeremy. Last Updated on June 27, 2023.
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The grilled cheese trend has not been one we've been particularly excited about, so when a few friends asked us to meet up at The Yard for late night grilled cheese, our hopes were not high.
Luckily, The Yard came through with many unique offerings, an incredible dessert menu, and for those who aren't into grilled cheese as much, a fantastic bar.
Unique Grilled Cheeses at The Yard
Considering the bulk of The Yard's menu consists of unique grilled cheese combinations, you naturally have to try one.
On our first visit we tried the Poppin My Collar, made with provolone cheese, sauteed shrimp, jalapenos, chipotle mayo, and mushrooms- making for a spicy grilled cheese offering that worked out quite well with their tangy tomato sauce that comes as a side.
We were hopeful in our first visit to try the Flawless Victory, a dessert grilled cheeese (sans cheese) made out of a homemade doughnut, white chocolate creme brulee, chocolate ganache, coffee rum sauce, and powdered sugar. How can you say no with an ingredient list like that, right? Unfortunately, on our first visit they were out and we had to return in order to make it happen.
After dreaming of the dessert for a few months, we returned to The Yard for a second visit purely to try the dessert- and, being the foodies we are, ended up ordering a grilled cheese while we were at it (I swear it was completely unplanned!).Â
On this visit the grilled cheese of choice was the Smack Yo Mama, consisting of beer cheese, bbq pulled chicken, and onion straws. Unfortunately this one lost us because overall sandwich was more barbecue than it was cheese, defeating the grilled cheese concept altogether.
Luckily, the dessert more than made up for it.
The Flawless Victory is one of those desserts worth traveling for, and although the portion size is small when compared to other desserts on the menu that we saw go by, the flavors work and the creation is truly something worthy of its name. It is light, decadent, and is an incredible creme brulee donut through and through.
The Bar and Happy Hour Specials Are Excellent
I'm not going to lie, ignoring the Flawless Victory, the grilled cheeses we tried (as well as what our friends ordered) were pushing to the extreme of what you would generally accept as a grilled cheese sandwich.
That being said, there is a time and a place for visiting The Yard, and to us that would be if you want to drink.
The bar at The Yard consists of 42 rotating taps, featuring a robust selection of local beers as well as imports from around the world. Each day of the week comes with a different special (varying by location) with a nice draft beer discount most nights as well.
We may not be visiting The Yard purely to eat a grilled cheese sandwich, but if we are there for a round of drinks, you can be certain that we'll be ordering one every time.
The Yard has three locations, one at 736 Bellefonte Avenue in Shadyside (featured in this review), one at 100 Fifth Avenue in Market Square downtown, and one at 1500 Washington Rd. in Mt. Lebanon.
Looking for more delicious food in Shadyside? Check out Casbah or Noodlehead, and then have dessert at Millie's Ice Cream. Before you go home, be sure to stop at Roslyn Place– one of the last wooden streets in the country.
