Review Backyard Bistro - Raleigh

Great place to have a bite before the hockey game. Food is reasonably priced and the taste was decent enough to return. Not spectacular, but definitely better than the competition. One note that bothered me is that they charge paying customers the same rate to park for events as non-patrons. To me, I should not have to pay the entire parking fee if I am patronizing the establishment. However, the parking rate is significantly better than at PNC, plus you can come in and have a few beers before puck drop. So, if you’re looking for a place to relax before a game, check this place out. Get there early so you don’t wait, enjoy friendly and fast service, and decent enough food.

Fantastic spot for pregaming Canes or just coming to watch any sports game on TV. Plenty of TVs to watch anything you need. Brisket was everything our server promised it would be. DON'T get the fish tacos (over fried and SALTYYYY). But everything else was good. Big thanks to Sadie(?) For helping pick a great beer and helping us kill time while we waited for a table.

Always a fun place to go before going to a Carolina hurricanes game. When there is no game in town, it’s still a great place because their food is amazing from their nachos to their brisket and their wings and their great beer selection you won’t be disappointed! It’s a must place to stop by, for any occasion! The service is awesome especially if you’re being taken care of by Jessie or Sadie behind the bar!

First time here. Overall, the food was good. The fried Haddock was kind of cold. The steak was ok ,but too much fat. That's why 4 stars.

An absolute gem! I can't believe we have never eaten here. One of the best flavored burgers I have had. ( Not Bobby Flay good but real good ). My son said his smash burger was the best he has ever eaten. Also, the prices were very reasonable for the quality of food. Meagan, our server was awesome. We are looking forward to returning soon. The Canes Corner event was fun. Thanks to them for hosting.

Very nice, spacious and sports atmosphere, very friendly and attentive staff, we ordered Nachos, wow amazing delicious pulled pork and brisket nachos. Stephanie was super nice and helpful with the menu. Great hidden gem for sure!

We went to Backyard Bistro tonight for dinner since we are staying at the campgrounds nearby. From the moment we sat down, the entire wait staff was so attentive and kind. Our waiter Sean was top notch, but we were impressed that he wasn't the only one. Two waitresses stopped by and talked to us a couple of times. When we left, my husband said, "Bye friends." We were very pleased with our food... but the people made our night!

Very clean and spacious restaurant. Large selection of drinks and beers. Drink order taken within minutes of being seated. Large menu from sandwiches to full meals. Had the haddock plate with fries and hush puppies. Portions of all 3 were large. Fries were cold when food arrived. Had fresh hot fries with in minutes. Very fast service. Fish was lightly breaded and crisp, very good taste. Fries and hush puppies were also hot and tasty. Waitress was very attentive, but over attentive. Will return when in the area.

First time in Backyard Bistro. It was delicious. We had shrimp and grits, buffalo chicken sandwich, vegan burger. Could have had more shrimp. We couldn't have asked for anyone better than MeMe to assist us with our orders. She made it fun.

We were in town for the Clemson NC State football game. Obviously we were on the opposing side but the waitress was super cool and took terrific care of us while giving us a little jab here and there about our team. That's what you love to have when you take a road trip. Food was terrific. TVs everywhere.

Great place on a game day. 12 TV setup is great for watching several games at once. Waitress, food, drinks all fantastic at a good value. Deducting stars for staff not really paying attention to what's on TV, often had to request changes. At one point Judge Judy was on instead of the World Series. Also deducting a star for closing an hour earlier than the posted time. Last call was 9:30 and they closed at 10 even though 11 is the posted close time.

I had the Korean steak salad which I found to be excellent. Different kinds of lettuce, peppers, carrots, avacodo, etc, covered in a spicy sliced steak. It was filling. My wife had the redneck eggrolls which were stuffed with pulled pork and collards. Sounds like you have to be southern born and bred to enjoy it, but it was tasty. She also had wings which were so large she couldn't finish them. This is a sports bar and they have the largest screens I've ever seen, but it wasn't that noisy. Service was good and we will return next time we're in town.

We were in town for a football game and ate here both nights. Food was good Sadie was our server both nights and was excellent! So friendly and attentive. Our group had salads, ribs, the brisket, Mac and cheese and liked every thing. Very good cheese cake too!

The girl that waited on us was funtastic! She was 'the bomb'!! The food she recommended was as good as if not better than she said! Would definitely go there again! We had their sampler plus other stuff, and it was SO good. The meat just melted in your mouth. I'm totally blanking on our waitresses' name(I do that a lot), but she was so enthusiastic and happy and had the coolest dinosaur earrings! Thanks for a great experience and wonderful food. PS, the hushpuppies were so delicious! OMG, I could make a meal on them with their honey butter & sauce. It's making my mouth water now thinking about it! 😆

We stopped here for dinner before the MCR show. They were reallt busy but they were able to sit us down after a ten minute wait. I ordered the brisket mac. It was cheesy , and the brisket was tender and juicy. We also ordered the specialty drinks they created in honor of the MCR show. We both preferred the lemonade one over the fizzy red one. Service was okay. Since it was super busy, we hardly saw our waitress. Would go back again for the food!

My wife and I had a phenomenal experience at Backyard Bistro. Our waitress Kimber was super friendly took great care of us. Wait was only about 5 minutes when we arrived, and once we were seated it took maybe 10 to get food on our table! Love the vibe, love the food, love the service, love the atmosphere. We will be back!

Staying at the hotel next door and had takeout last night. That Bistro Smash burger was great! Today we stopped in and got the Master Sampler with smoked sausage, brisket, pork sliders, and St Louis ribs…. Wow! All were great and the seasoning on the fries was excellent too!

Wife and I went to back to back Hurricane games on 11/17 & 11/18. On the 17th we decided to eat dinner here due to the location. We got the wings for appetizer... at first i thought not enough sauce but they were quite tasty and nice and crisp. I got a build your own burger with mushrooms. Overall it was very good, great blend of meat for the burger. Wife got the Cubano, she liked it but it could have stood to have some mayo or something to add some moisture to it. I liked the fries but quite a few of her "chips" were overcooked. The service was spot on up until all the food was delivered. Once we had everything at the table we felt a bit forgot about. Now it was right before a Hurricanes game and the place was cram packed. Our food came out fairly quickly and we were "checked on" quite often until we gave the thumbs up when the food came out. The next night we decided to hang out in the bar prior to going to the game on 11/18. I asked for a long island tea, and I have to say it was one of the best ones i have had in quite a while. I ordered a second and it was consistent with the first. The atmosphere in the place leading up to the game was great and service in the bar was as good as it gets in a sports bar type setting. As we are season ticket holders for the Hurricanes we will definitely be coming back prior to some games this season. Ok we went back again prior to Buffalo vs Hurricanes game...First off we started with General Joes Shrimp....... (get the wings with Joe's sauce) Ok these things were AWESOME!!!!!!!! I want an option to get a whole bucket of these!!! Wife did build a burger this time, i got a french dip. Everything was spot on. Service was great from start to finish. Even with "away" fans crowding the place the atmosphere was as awesome as the shrimp. If this place were closer to home I would be hitting it once a week...... We will definitely be stopping by here for every "Canes" game we go to. Now its March 2019 and we have had many, many,many more visits ....and i posted more pics..... Mimi's chips.... if you like Blue Cheese and balsamic vinegar... get em....How the ones on the bottom under all of these toppings were still crisp amazes me. Mushroom Quesadilla..... YUP! ..Ribs...... WOW.. In our (Wife) opinion meatloaf wasn't up to the rest of menu we have had so far. Collards a bit on the salty side for me, but I'm a low to no salt person so it could be normal for most. I like the jalapeno grits flavor, but they could be creamier. Got the fish tacos 3/16.... I loved them but i ate so many of mimi's chips i could only eat 1 1/2 of them. Full disclosure.. We asked for Stephanie as she suggested to one of my early reviews. The same visit we ended up meeting chef Joe as well. We have now been here so many times the last 4 months quite a bit of the wait staff recognizes us. We eat out a lot.... everything from 5 star take a second mortgage to pay the bill spots, to hole in the wall cafeteria style places. Absolutely nowhere is perfect 100% of the time or has a menu that is 100% loved by everyone. But there are those places that stand out because the people running them just know how to do things the right way. This is a place where the owners and management have a passion for their food and service. Wings, Ribs, Cubano, French Dip, Fish Tacos, every appetizer we have tried, lots of cold beer choices, great bar tending, and a game time hang out for "Canes" fans and their opponents fans that couldn't be a better atmosphere. Back again for "Canes" opening night 2019.. More mimis chips... they are down right addictive!!

We decided to eat here before the Canes game, 3/22/18, and won’t make that mistake again. The drinks were wrong, and how the hell do you get “unsweet tea” wrong?! The food was meh, and the staff was invisible. Once we asked for replacement tea, they were done with us I will park there for the $10 parking, but I won’t darken their door again. I’d rather eat at the arena.

Stopped by after visiting the North Carolina Museum of Art. Backyard Bistro is so convenient to that area, easy on and easy off the highway. We had a big table, great view of the sports on TV and the menu at BB is really unique compared to typical bar and grill food. The food was prompt, the waitress Megan was accommodating to our larger party. I never had to ask for a refill on my beverage. Highly recommended.

Awesome venue! Atmosphere spectacular, service excellent. Food quality top notch, and the beer was excellent too! I would highly recommend!

My first visit and the menu variety was just great. Our waiter was a little overwhelmed with the crowd but he was nice. All the staff was super friendly. I order shrimp and grits and my husband had prime rib. Food was good even when I warmed up my leftovers.

Not bad. The server was very good and attentive. The boneless wings were good but undersized I thought. The loaded nachos were a little under loaded but tasty. Not #1 on my go there list but not the bottom of the list either.

My favorite restaurant with best brisket, shrimp and grits, and collards ever had served by very professional staff. Chef Joe is amazing

We were in town for a concert at the PNC center. It was the perfect place to eat, pay to park for the concert. It was a short walk to the venue. A good meal, good music... what a great night!

For the past three years we hang here before and after games when the capitals are in town. It's a crazy time but the management and staff does a stellar job of keeping things running smoothly amidst the chaos. The food is always hot, delicious, and prepared as ordered. The atmosphere is fun and the staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. Thanks for the great time and maybe the caps and canes will see each other in the playoffs!!! See y'all soon 👍🏻

The Mimi's chips were fantastic. Iur server was good as well. Polite and knew the menu well.

No beer menu was provided and the server did not know what was available. Food was mediocre at best!

I come here often and always have a great experience. The food is great and the beer is cold. Ask for Nicole and she will enhance your experience

Nice place!!!! Awesome bar & servers!! Was there last night & tonight, has that welcome feeling!! I’ve found a new home bar!!

Da best steaks ever. Hands down. The service was top notch. They're head an shoulders above da rest.