**Disclosure: I was invited in by The Yard on 3rd and Geraci’s Slice Shop. As always my opinions are 100% my own.***
The Yard on 3rd in Willoughby, Ohio just opened in June and has quickly become the place to be. The owners really wanted to come out with a creation that you couldn’t find anywhere else. Yes, there are other food truck parks in the Cleveland area but nothing like The Yard. It’s not just a bar, or a restaurant or a food truck park but it’s so much more. It’s an amazing hangout spot with games, specialty drinks, different food truck options, has two bars with some amazing specialty drinks and Geraci’s pizza. It’s family friendly, and not just for the kiddos but for our 4 legged friends as well.
The area has artificial grass throughout it. You walk in through an area that has tables made out of truck beds, community tables and games. Straight ahead is the main bar, which is covered even if there is some rain or really hot weather you can still sit at the bar. We were there on one of our 90 degree days and with the fans on it was not hot at all. One of the small touches I just love is the addition of a truck bed above the bar with coolers on the truck bed. There is also a building with another bar and some tables. This area has a garage door that in the summer is opened all day and night but can be closed in the chilly months. The bathrooms are located in the back of this building and the building is attached to the Geraci’s Slice Shop. The food trucks and vendors park to the side of the yard area.
Drinks
Let’s talk drinks! The Yard on 3rd has so many unique drinks and I feel like that’s what they are going to be known for. I have tried about half of the menu and all of them have been fabulous. It just all depends on what your taste is on what your drink of choice will be. I like that they have such a variety. It’s hard to pick just one specialty drink to start with but we will start with the most popular the Willbilly Punch. This is a take on a Long Island Ice Tea but with Fruit Punch. It has Tito’s Vodka, Sauza Blanco, Bacardi Silver, Tanqueray, the fruit punch, Swedish Fish floaters and cherry garnish. This drink is big enough that you can share or just drink it all to yourself. I did try a little bit of this drink and I did like it better than a long island. The other thing I really love about the Willybilly Punch is you always get rubber duckies in it and they have specialty duckies for the holidays. They are just so cute!!!
The next popular drink is the All-Day Frose, which has Peach Puree mixed with Rose wine and Tito’s vodka and garnished with a piece of mint. The Peach Puree cuts the Rose wine and just mixes so well together. It’s not too sweet but sweet enough that it is super refreshing. I am in love with this drink it is the perfect summer chill on the patio drink and has been a go to for me on those hot summer days.
I have also tried the Arnold Palmer’s Got the Blues which is Tito’s, blueberry lemonade, organic black tea, and garnished with blueberries. I felt like you really couldn’t taste the vodka in this drink making it really dangerous but it’s so good. Arnold Palmer’s are such popular drinks and this little twist of the blueberry lemonade with the tea and vodka is such a good addition. The last drink I tried was the Strawberry Basil Smash. This drink originally came with Bulleit Bourbon and was my favorite drink on their menu. They now have change this drink and it now has Bacardi Silver instead of the Bullet Bourbon. This drink also has cold pressed strawberries, basil-infused syrup, fresh squeezed lemon, and is garnished with a piece of basil. I really enjoyed that you got the bourbon flavor but it is not overpowering, as there is the right about of strawberries and syrup. It was still good with the Bacardi I just prefer bourbon.
They also carry multiple varieties of beer and seltzers, wines and bubbles and a variety of Bloody Mary’s. They have signature shooters like Green Tea or Waterfall. I like this idea because instead of someone struggling to pick a shot they can be directed to the signature shooters. The other unique item on their drink menu is their cooler kits. You get a real cooler with your choice of beers, or seltzers. You can mix and match up to 6 cans. They also have cooler Mosas which you can get with either Champagne or Blue Moon beer. I haven’t gotten one of these yet but they are on my list for my next Sunday Funday.
Food
The other amazing thing about The Yard on 3rd is that they have Geraci’s Slice Shop built right in and different food trucks everyday. This is a new concept as the hospitality trends have changed in recent years. Instead of being a sit down Italian restaurant it’s a smaller quicker slice shop. I happened to stop in the night of Geraci’s soft open and was fortunate enough to not only meet Bucky, the owner of Geraci’s Slice Shop but some of the Geraci family. For me this was a highlight, as I love small businesses in Cleveland and they have been in business 66 years. It was such an honor to get to chat with the family and hear all about their restaurants. They are just wonderful people.
Geraci’s has a table or two and a couple seats but it is mostly pick up and take out into the yard. Make sure to check out the art work all over. These are popular photos with pizzas added in. My favorite was of LeBron from the 2016 Championship but they are all unique.
You can order whole pizzas or they have a couple different types of pizzas to choose from for slices. Another first for Geraci’s beside having a slice shop is that they have square slices and it seems to be a hit. They have a couple other choices like a pasta, a salad and sub or two. I have always loved Geraci’s pizza. Their mushroom was my go to before the slice shop. The night I was there I tried the deluxe which had tons of meat and veggies on it, the perfect amount of sauce and the crust was cooked to the perfect amount of crispiness. On another visit I tried a slice of the Honey Pie and this pizza is probably in my top 10 of pizzas. Of course I didn’t get a picture because I was so excited to try it. It has red sauce, mozzarella, Romano, pepperoni, sausage, and what makes the pizza is the Akron Honey Habanero Hot Honey. It is amazing!! I can’t say enough great things about this pizza. They don’t always have it so you just have to check in and when they do and your there try it.
The Yard on 3rd just brings something so different to Willoughby. I love all the little details from the truck bed and coolers above the bar, to the decor around the bar and the cool signs through out the building. I enjoy going during the day for a drink and to listen to some music and I also enjoy going at night to grab pizza, a drink and play some giant Jenga. What they did with this space was unique and they have provided a space for families with kids, or dogs, young adults, middle age adults looking for a date night or a night out with friends. It’s a space that is great for everyone. I hangout there often now but I really can’t wait for fall afternoons, watching football and just enjoying the atmosphere.