WILLOUGHBY, Ohio — The seasons are quickly changing here in Northeast Ohio, and as we soak up these last beautiful days of fall, many of us are still enjoying being outside.
I decided to head over to Willoughby to enjoy some al fresco drinks and dining at The Yard on 3rd, where I met up with owner Anna Dey who explained that they’ve had busy season since first opening in June.
“We tried to create a backyard experience. We got our cool turf in here, picnic tables, string lights. It's been a really fun place for people to come feel like they're hanging out in their own backyard.”
And that exactly how it feels here, and being from South Mississippi, I truly felt right at home. When I see turf or grass, I admit that I just want to take my shoes off and just sit out and enjoy it. Anna told me, that's exactly what the team was going for - the casual comfort of being in your own yard.
“It's funny, we do have patrons that literally take off their shoes,” Anna told me. “They're like truly embracing it as their own backyard. We're very family friendly during the day. It's a really fun and unique environment.”
The Yard on 3rd features some of Northeast Ohio’s best food trucks, a large outdoor & indoor bar, and Geraci’s Slice Shop.
“The idea is for it to be very fluid… walk to the bar, grab a cocktail, walk to Geraci’s [Slice Shop] grab a slice. You know, we really want you to come and feel like there's a lot to do outside of just sitting at a traditional restaurant,” Anna said.
Putting on my meteorologist hat, I couldn’t help but think about the impending temperature drops and changing seasons….but don’t worry – they’re prepared for that too.
“We have six big screens for the football season and we will always be playing the Browns and Ohio State games on our speaker system. When we hit our cold, cold season, we will close. So we will be seasonal in that regard. However, we have a really cool party room. We are renting that for private events up to 40 people.”
When it comes to menu items, The Yard on 3rd has quickly become known for their specialty cocktails, including their house drink – The Will Billy Punch, a sharable cocktail that serves up to four, made with a concoction of liquors and their house fruit punch. General Manager Alex Fogle whipped one up for me to try, and all I can say is wow – I will definitely be back (with friends) to enjoy more delicious drinks, sample the incredible food truck menus and of course, stop by the selfie wall.
So definitely check out The Yard on 3rd while you can this fall – and already get excited for what’s on tap when they open back up next spring.
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