Yard House, with its expansive menu of fusion dishes and impressive craft beer selection, has become a popular dining destination with over 80 locations across the United States. While known for its burgers, sandwiches, and street tacos, Yard House also caters to those following a ketogenic (keto) diet. This article will guide you through the keto-friendly options available at Yard House, ensuring you can enjoy a meal out without compromising your dietary goals.
Switching to a low-carb diet, such as keto, can be challenging initially, as many people are unaware of the carbohydrate content in their food. The keto diet involves significantly reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fats, prompting the body to enter a metabolic state called ketosis, where it burns fat for energy instead of glucose. Before making any significant dietary changes, it's always recommended to consult with a healthcare professional. Fortunately, an increasing number of restaurants, including Yard House, are offering options that align with low-carb eating.
Navigating the Yard House Menu on Keto
Yard House's large and varied menu makes it a favorite among keto dieters, primarily due to the flexibility of substituting bread in burgers and other dishes. While Yard House does not specifically advertise keto options, there are a lot of choices that can be modified to fit the keto diet. Burgers, salads, and hard-carved plates can all be customized to reduce the net carb count in your meal.
Keto-Friendly Menu Choices
Burgers and Sandwiches: Yard House offers several burger and sandwich options, but many include buns which are sources of carbohydrates. Consider the following tips to lower the carbohydrates in these dishes:
- Order without the bun: Request your burger or sandwich to be served without the bun or wrapped in lettuce.
- Customize toppings: Be mindful of toppings and sauces that may contain added sugars or carbohydrates. Opt for low-carb options like cheese, avocado, bacon, and mayonnaise.
- Substitute sides: Replace high-carb sides like fries or onion rings with keto-friendly choices such as steamed vegetables or a side salad with a low-carb dressing.
Yard House has 6 burger and sandwich options, namely GS BBQ Bacon Cheddar Burger, GS Classic Cheeseburger, GS Roasted Turkey Club, GS Pepper Jack Burger, and GS Grilled & Avocado Sandwich.
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Street Tacos: Yard House offers a variety of street tacos, including Baja Fish Taco, Baja Shrimp Taco, Vampire Taco, Blackened Shrimp Taco, and Carne Asada Taco. To make these keto-friendly, order them without the tortillas and ask for extra toppings like cheese, sour cream, and guacamole.
Appetizers and Snacks: For lighter meals or snacks, Yard House has Buffalo Wings, Lemon Pepper Wings, GS Tomato Bisque, and Grilled Chicken with BBQ Sauce. Be cautious of sauces, as many contain added sugars. Opt for dry rubs or sauces with minimal sugar content.
Hard-Carved Plates
Four of Yard House’s five hard-carved plates contain 25 grams of carbs or less, offering a selection of pulled pork, chicken, steak, and salmon. These plates provide a substantial and protein-rich meal, with the flexibility to choose your preferred meat.
Modifying Other Dishes
- Salads: Yard House offers several salads that can be modified to be keto-friendly. Choose salads with a base of leafy greens and add protein sources like grilled chicken, shrimp, or steak. Be mindful of dressings, as many contain added sugars. Opt for oil-based dressings or ask for a side of olive oil and vinegar.
- Soups: While some soups may contain hidden carbohydrates, broth-based soups with added vegetables and protein can be a good option. Check the nutritional information to determine the carbohydrate content of the soup.
General Tips for Eating Keto at Yard House
- Plan Ahead: Before heading to Yard House, review the menu online and identify potential keto-friendly options. This will help you make informed decisions and avoid impulsive choices.
- Communicate with Your Server: Inform your server about your dietary restrictions and ask for assistance in customizing your meal. They can provide valuable information about ingredients and preparation methods.
- Check Nutritional Information: If available, review the nutritional information for menu items to determine the carbohydrate content. This will help you stay within your daily carbohydrate limit.
- Be Mindful of Sauces and Dressings: Sauces and dressings can be hidden sources of carbohydrates and added sugars. Opt for low-carb options or ask for them on the side so you can control the amount you consume.
Other Keto-Friendly Restaurant Options
While Yard House offers a variety of keto-friendly options, it's also worth exploring other restaurants that cater to low-carb diets. Here are a few examples:
- Chipotle: Chipotle is a popular choice for keto dieters due to its customizable burrito bowls. Order a salad bowl with your choice of protein, cheese, guacamole, and other low-carb toppings.
- Qdoba: Similar to Chipotle, Qdoba offers customizable burrito bowls with a variety of protein and topping options. They also offer a smoked brisket keto bowl with shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, salsa verde, cheese, and guacamole.
- First Watch: Known for its all-day breakfast menu, First Watch offers several keto-friendly options, including egg and protein dishes like the Southwest Scramble, Big 3-Egg Breakfast, and Sirloin Tip and Eggs.
- Outback Steakhouse: Steak is naturally low in carbohydrates, making steakhouses a good option for keto dieters. Outback Steakhouse offers chargrilled ribeye served with low-carb sides like green beans, asparagus, Caesar salad, or steamed broccoli.
- Subway: Subway offers a variety of chopped salads with low-carb options like the Chicken & Bacon Ranch salad.
- Red Lobster: While Red Lobster has many carb-heavy options, you can stick with unbreaded seafood dishes like Garlic Shrimp Scampi, wood-grilled sirloin, Salmon New Orleans, or wild-caught snow crab legs.
- Buffalo Wild Wings (BWW): BWW offers traditional bone-in wings with low-sugar sauces or rubs like buffalo sauce, spicy garlic sauce, or salt and vinegar dry rub.
- Red Robin: Red Robin allows you to order burgers with half a bun, no bun, or wrapped in lettuce, with sauce on the side and low-carb sides like a salad or steamed broccoli.
- Jersey Mike's Subs: Jersey Mike's Subs lets you order a "sub in a tub," which is a sub without the bread.
- Jimmy John's: Jimmy John's offers "unwiched" sandwiches, which are lettuce wraps.
- Blaze Pizza: Blaze Pizza offers a keto crust and a "Life Mode Pizza" with keto crust, spicy red sauce, mozzarella, bacon, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, and spinach.
- California Pizza Kitchen (CPK): CPK offers cauliflower crust for their pizzas.
- BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse: BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse offers appetizers like Spinach-Stuffed Mushrooms or a Twisted BLT Salad, and entrees like a Derby Cobb Salad, bunless burger, BJ’s Classic Rib-Eye, or Blackened Chicken or Salmon.
- Noodles & Company: Noodles & Company offers dishes with zoodles (zucchini noodles) and caulifloodles (cauliflower noodles).
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