After a long day hiking the mountains, sometimes you just need to have some comfort food and a place to relax. A place that can feel familiar and have everything you need with no frills.
“The Backyard” in Castle Rock can be just such a place. The setup is exactly what it says it is. It is very much like a backyard and cookout, but with a better beer selection.
The first thing you will notice is a major difference from most restaurants you have been to. The whole thing is open seating. After selecting you picnic table, you scan a QR Code, and order what ever you want.
This is an excellent concept. You don’t have to wait for a member of the staff to take your order. The main drawback is the descriptions on the electronic menu is lacking.
We ordered the “Buffalo Chicken Dip” based on the title alone. While we waited for our food, we saw a plate go by that looked way better than what we ordered. It had vegetables on it, and all kinds of things. We could not find that anywhere on the menu.
It turns out that is exactly what we ordered, and it was great. The mix of veggies was outstanding, and the dip itself was a great blend of spicy and sweet. It hit the spot for a needed snack.
The rest of the menu fits perfectly with the Backyard theme. Basically, burgers and hotdogs.
There is a mismatch with the service. The beer service is excellent, it takes mere minutes from hitting the order button in your phone, to the beer being in your hand. However, the food service is significantly slower. It can be worth the wait, depend on how hungry you are, and your ability to wait for the food. Patience is key.
Overall we rate “The Backyard” 80 beers out of 100!