Yard House bar/eatery opens in Downtown Indy

Basketball fans flocking to Downtown Indianapolis for NCAA Men's Final Four will have a new restaurant and bar to try. Yard House opens Wednesday. The sleek, modern bar will offer 130 taps including 122 options, 32 locals brews and five rotating specialty beers. The pipes that run the beer from the keg room to the bar are visible above heads and are equipped to keep the beer frosty.

"We were originally slated for the end of April," said Chad Roth, director of operations. They decided to open early to capture the Final Four crowds April 4 to 6.

Roth and general manager Rich Beaucaire gave The Star a sneak peek, just moments before the staff's final training.

Yard House will employ 200 people, with more than 50 serving food and drinks in the restaurant that fills more than 13,000 square feet. It has 692 seats and 35 flat-screen TVs.

The menu lists hundreds of selections — burgers, steaks, tacos, salads, sandwiches and pizzas, plus more than a dozen vegetarian entrees that use Gardein, a meat substitute.

Beaucaire hopes the location will benefit from its close proximity to the Indiana Convention Center, Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Lucas Oil Stadium and the Circle Centre Mall. The restaurant, 15 W. Maryland St., does not have access to the mall, but the entry can be found near the corner of Maryland and Illinois Streets.

Yard House, which is based in California, will be open daily at 11 a.m. Last calls are 1 a.m. Sunday to Thursday and 1:20 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

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