Yardarm Bar & Grill

The best place in Racine to get Seafood and other, try the tiger ace and love the sand dollars

We went there on Friday, since we hadn’t been there in a few years, I thought we’d try it again. Now I remember why… we both ordered the fish platter. It was ok to say the least. I wasn’t happy with the seating, we literally had people seated next to us facing right at us as we ate. That was kinda awkward ! We ordered the fish platter for an extra dollar you get to choose two kinds of seafood. I chose the walleye and shrimp. Very small portion for the price. One small walleye and six small over fried shrimp. They over piled the chips so the plate can look full. I went for the seafood, we were never offered a glass of water. We had to ask for some. My wife and I are constantly trying new foods and restaurants, but I can assure you that yardarm will not be one that we will be returning to. Thanks anyways.

A group of us came to Racine to do a little holiday shopping and we were looking for a place to have lunch. We checked Unilocal and decided to try Yardarm. Boy am I glad we did. It’s a cozy boating themed restaurant right on the water that is vintag-​ey without looking out of date. One of the reviews boasted «best hamburger» and after reading that we fully intended to order hamburgers. Well the menu is full of fried delicacies like fried shrimp, which I ordered and fried cod which one friend ordered and my other friend was tickled to see fried bluegill on the menu. Well none of us ordered the hamburger but we were all pleased with what we did get. One of the owners (two sisters) stopped by our table and asked if everything was alright. We were very pleased that our «regular place» was closed and we discovered Yardarm. We’ll be back next time we’re in Racine!

Not being a local, we came with some locals who were able to steer us in the right direction with our selections. It is on the lake so there is a ship theme. Unfortunately with all the boats in dry dock, our view was obstructed. Menu is not extensive, but everything on it has been ordered by our friends, at some point, and told us we could not go wrong. Burgers, sandwiches, and most entrees come with one side dish. Two would have made it a whole lot better. We ordered the pasta salad as an extra side, and it was really tasty. Décor is simple, there is a nice room where the bar is located, and, of course, the Sunday football game was on. Fortunately, it was not crowded and we did not have to wait for a table. Our server was attentive and we did not have to wait an exceptionally long time for our food. If I could find it, I would certainly return.

It is a great place to go early. It is small and packs up way too much. Especially if they have music which the venue is not really set up for. I had the fish fry one time and I’m certain the fires were tossed right in with the fish. Lots of fried food on the menu. Not really my thing.

Every time we come in here, the staff is friendly, courteous, and attentive. The food is always fresh and flavorful. And, you just have to get the Sand Dollars with… well… everything.

Neat little restaurant. While the menu is limited, the food has never failed to deliver of taste and quality. Off the beaten track in Racine, but a must visited if you enjoy fish. Service is always fantastic and very friendly. The owners make an effort to chat with the guests to insure everything is to their liking. Make the effort to get off the Hwy 11 chain restaurant circus and give the Yardarm a try. You’ll be very pleased.

I was between a 3 & 4 stars for this place. You have to know going into this place that the décor and food is classic Wisconsin– dark atmosphere with lots of knick knacks all around, with lots of fried food options on the menu. The owners and servers were very kind. I had a really fun time eating here because of the people and the atmosphere. The food was good too! The sand dollar chips are the best!!!

The walleye was some of the best I’ve ever had. Perch was delish also. Breading was light and oil was obviously clean (yes I pay attention to that).
Beautiful night for outdoor seating. Service was attentive. The only downside is drinking beer out of a plastic cup. It’s just wrong.

We have always loved this place but we are now sitting here waiting for over an hour for our food, after waiting over 20 minutes for drinks. They need to figure that out. Sorry they did not warn us.

Yardarm Bar and Grill is appropriate for this bar and grill tucked into a space besides a marina. The night we came (Wed.) has live music, but we were a bit early for that. The night we came was not a night when any clam chowder was served … that’s a Friday soup. It’s too bad since we were looking forward to the chowder. We did order the perch platters. The perch/​batter are made just right … good batter, good perch. The meal comes with «sand dollars.» Different. Good. Popular. I heard someone order sand dollars at the next table … nothing else … except for may the drink. The service was friendly, good and the prices reasonable.

I was at the Yardarm to see the musician that was playing there on a Wednesday night. Service was great, everyone was super friendly. My favorite drink is a chocolate martini and this place made the best one I have ever had, hands down. And the sand dollars… YUM!

A hometown favorite, and the single most popular fried fish joint in Racine, the yardarm is a one of a kind. The signature item is their version of fries, called «sand dollars.» They’re like half way between a potato chip and a cottage fry, and then covered in grated Parmesan while hot.
I live for the chilli and the clam chowder. Both are smashes out of the park! I used to always order the Jay’s steak sandwich (Swiss/​pepperoncini/​& enough garlic to a vampire and his breath) — now I’m always a toss up between the perch and the catfish — or I just get both.
*WARNING* this place can be a nightmare zoo — especially on Fridays **ESPECIALLY IN LENT**
That said love the place, great staff, sometimes there’s live music. It’s probably the closest Racine comes to having a Diners DriveIns & Dives — someone call Guy!!!

I found the food was good but just the same old bar food nothing special and a bit pricey for what you get OK but but much better places in Racine

As a Racine native, I always make sure to stop by Yardarm when I come home. Usually I am very pleased when I come in — definitely recommend the sand dollars and the tiger sauce. I was disappointed this time when I came in recently. The restaurant was not very busy and the service was so slow. We were not given our drinks until almost 10 minutes after ordering them and we did not get a refill for a long time. Some people also ordered mixed drinks and complained that they were too weak. We were unable to give the drinks back and order new ones because our waitress was gone for 15 minutes. By that point we were so thirsty we just drank them. The food took forever as well — over 45 minutes to get our meals.
It was a very unusual experience, not sure if anything has changed recently but I sure hope this most recent experience was an exception to the rule.

A small bar with fish food that has the grill right in the bar where the cook can be watched at all times. This is a small tranquil place with booths hidden and tucked away and small ceilings that I like and is the total opposite of why you find nowadays in crony capitalist Dupage County. This place is not at all like BWW and it has a loyal customer base that prefers the small town environment and establishment. It can be crowded and if you don’t like eating in a small comfy setting then tis place is to for you. Great fish dishes and swell service

My first time here left a pretty good impression on me. Went there to catch up with an old friend and ended up staying til close. We were seated by a cute electric fire place away from the live music in the other room, per our request. Our waitress was phenomenal at attending to us although the place was packed. The food was… meh, but the atmosphere and beers made up for the over cooked Mahi Mahi and tough tenderloin steak sandwich. The meals were not wprth the price (that and the blandness gives this plave 3 stars). Our entrees came with BLT flavored pasta and sand dollars (potato circles.) I was plesantly surprised to have our waitress say she left our tab at the bar so we didn’t feel rushed to exit after our meals were done. My friend and I kept chatting away and she kept our beers nice and full. When we had our fill, we went to the bar, quickly found our tab and paid a pretty reasonable amount for dinner and drinks for two.
Attire is casual. They take cash and credit. Parking lot in back. Live music most nights. Table and bar seating. Clean, rustic log cabin look. Friendly staff.
Great little bar. Not so great kitchen.

Its a real «slice of Wisconsin» as one reviewer put it — good Canadian Fish choices (walleye and perch) as well as catfish and some sea fish (tuna salmon)
Solid offering — nothing amazing — good Service — looks like a good local choice

We were visiting the zoo and looking for someplace to eat… so as any good Unilocaler would do, pulled out the smart phone and opened up Unilocal and started browsing and came across the Yardarm and with the writ ups we knew it was a safe bet.
As soon as you enter the place you know you are in a neighborhood establishment which is well used. As the name suggests, the theme is nautical and if you didn’t know any better you could very easily feel like you are in Main or on Cape Cod right by the ocean.
The bar is very inviting and I made a mental note that someday my wife and I are going to try it out, but for this visit we kept to a family day mentality.
The wait staff was very friendly and helpful with several items on the menu. The appetizers and main meal all came out in good time and the most important part, every meal was really good.
Truly a great place to come and relax while enjoying good food… at a great pice to boot!

OMG, I love Racine and love Yardarm! We were visiting for the first time from Chicago and Yardarm was recommended by our hotel.
Not exactly a foodie desination, it’s typical Wisconsin fish fry (every day of the week!) It’s the people that make this place great. The hostess was literally the nicest, most sincere person I’ve ever met. The bartender was so accommodating. I requested a honey beer and he said «why don’t you have a taste first, people either like it or hate it». Indeed, I didn’t care for it. Every time I ordered a beer, they let me have a taste, first rate service.
We didn’t realize it was live music night, and there happened to be a great blues band (Charles Walker Band) there, who were really talented and interactive with the crowd. We also met the nicest older ladies who talked up Racine.
By the time we left, we had eaten two hearty meals, drank several beers and bought a onesie for my friend’s baby (that’s how much she liked this place!) and our bill was under $ 100. God bless Yardarm!