The Backyard

The Backyard is gorgeous! The moment you walk down the stairs from the casino, you feel like you’re in an oasis. The palm trees are perfectly manicured and the architecture is modern and chic. Water cascades down dark blue walls surrounding the pool and supplies a very calming sound. The music was mellow as well.
I reserved a daybed for myself, my friend, and her 14 month-​old daughter. It was a Tuesday and just $ 50 with a $ 50 F&B minimum. We arrived when they opened at 9 am and we were able to choose the daybed closest to the pool and in the corner where it was shaded in the morning. The daybeds and lounge chairs are covered with a plush «velvet» in bright colors like cerulean and orange. The daybed is round and features two corners that prop up and down like a lounge chair, so you can lie down or sit up. It comes with a few fluffy outdoor pillows and two side tables. There are also large white umbrellas everywhere for those not interested in sunbathing or for sun breaks. They were kind enough to bring us two umbrellas since we wanted full coverage on the bed. It was very nice.
The pool was great. We really enjoyed the shallow area under the bridge that featured multiple lounge chairs. It was also the perfect place for my friend’s young daughter to play. I liked that this area was also shaded for most of the day. It also had easy access to the rest of the pool (4′ depth). The other end of the pool is a «white sand beach» and it was surprisingly pleasant. Overall, nice pool, but a little small so it’s a good thing it wasn’t busy.
I had the Poolside Burger ($ 14) made with ground ribeye, choice of cheese, and veggies, and it was pretty good. The side of fries were delicious! For a cocktail, I ordered the Rum Runner (Bacardi Superior Rum, Captain Morgan Spiced Rum, Hiram Walker blackberry brandy, Hiram Walker crème de banana, pineapple juice, and grenadine) — really yummy. It’s usually served in a coconut ($ 20), but they only had pineapples available. You can order the cocktails sans fruit containers for $ 13. I really enjoyed the novelty of drinking out of a pineapple! It was fun carrying it in the pool. I also had a Pineapple Mojito that was just okay.
Our server was very kind and accommodating. She even went the extra mile and retrieved milk for my friend’s daughter! The service was just fabulous. We were there for six hours and we truly had a blast! We would absolutely love to return.

Came here on a Saturday afternoon with my bf and his family, we were starving so we decided to order food from the bar at the far end of the place. I ordered the turkey club and everyone else ordered sandwiches and whatnot. I ate one piece of my turkey sandwich and when I went to grab my second piece I notices there was MOLD on the bread! MOLD! !! I can’t believe the bread had mold… that means I ate a hold quarter or a sandwich with mold on it! I was unhappy. The turkey club was mediocre and after finding out there was mold on the bread I knew better than to eat the replacement turkey club they gave me after confronting them. I would NOT recommend ordering food here! The health inspectors ought to check this place out. And for those of you who decide to order food. you’ve been warned. I would thoroughly inspect the food before eating it!

This review is specifically for The Backyard at Green Valley Ranch (GVR), the outdoor sand bottom pool and social area where they hold concerts at night — not the casino itself.
On a trip to Las Vegas, I noticed that Tears for Fears was playing at GVR and on a whim, I decided it was worth going to the show (they’d never play in Texas).
The Backyard isn’t well described on the GVR website, but it’s their main pool area which is converted to a concert area after dark (after being purged of the poolies). It has a VIP area with proper seats (couches — how did I miss that?) and the regular viewing area is by the main sand bottom pool, or on a slight incline perpendicular to the stage.
It was a slightly windy night in July when I saw the show, which helped dramatically, since the drink service (3 bar kiosks and a permanent bar at the back) was extraordinarily slow. In fact, the place to stand during the shows is over by the whirlpool, where you are slightly at an angle to the stage, but near the permanent bar and restrooms. Most of the people (older crowd for TFF) were sitting along the sloped area, so it was actually less crowded closer to the stage than along the entrance path (and the drink lines were shorter). Beers were $ 6, which could have been much more for a captive audience.
If you are from out of town, don’t forget to get a view of the Strip from just left of the main bar/​restrooms. If you are staying on the strip, be advised that it is about a $ 35-​$ 40 taxi ride each way to GVR. Not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things, but a deterrent for those on a budget. After the show, taxis are hard to come by, so do yourself a favor and do a little gambling while you are there.
All in all a nice property and I’m glad I had a chance to visit something off the beaten path. The games looked good and the limits looked very low for a Saturday night (maybe the deciding factor for the budget crowd).
I wouldn’t make a specific trip to come back to GVR, but I can’t take any points away from a genuinely good experience.