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My Yard Live, at 288 Rancheros Drive in San Marcos, is a sprawling complex providing indoor and outdoor spaces for the whole family. Photo by Bill Vanderburgh
ColumnsCraft Beer in North County

Craft Beer in North County: My Yard Live opens in San Marcos

My Yard Live is a perfect place for families to enjoy some time out together. In addition to a kid-friendly food menu modeled after a backyard barbecue, My Yard Live offers house craft beer brewed on-site plus a full bar, and it all comes in a delightful, relaxed atmosphere.

I was invited to the “friends and family” pre-opening event on the last Saturday in June. The large crowd of supporters of all ages had a great time. The grand opening for the general public took place July 1.

Located less than a mile down the street from the popular Wild Barrel Brewing and the world-famous Lost Abbey/Port Brewing, My Yard Live (288 Rancheros Drive, San Marcos) is a sprawling complex providing indoor and outdoor spaces for the whole family. The location used to be the Home Town Buffet, but you’ll hardly recognize the place now, they have done so much to it.

There is an “adult patio” with AstroTurf, Adirondack chairs, umbrellas and cornhole games; an indoor stage for live music; a large and elegant bar; a food counter; an area with long communal tables; a semi-private meeting space; arcade games; a “kids patio” with a climbing structure/tree fort; plus an area along the side of the building with bocce ball and shuffleboard for the young at heart. In total the indoor restaurant seats 220, and the venue as a whole has room for many more.

The commitment to making My Yard Live a place for families is serious. Starting July 13, they’ll be hosting PopUp Play events every Saturday. Register online to have your kids take part in free activities and crafts. And, in August, look for a Mom’s Night Out event.

My Yard Live is operated by a group with a lot of industry credibility.

Mark McLarry and Jamie Minotti, longtime partners in various local concert production companies, came up with the concept in 2017, and then sought the partners to make the dream a reality.

McLarry and Minotti attracted a team including George McKarrow, the co-founder of the Ted’s Montana Grill chain of restaurants, and Freddy Bensch, the owner and founder of SweetWater Brewing Co. in Atlanta, which was the nation’s 14th largest craft brewery by volume of production in 2018.

My Yard Live’s head brewer Benjamin “Shaggy” Blaney previously worked for five years at Lost Abbey and until recently was director of brewing operations for Mason Ale Works, where he was responsible commissioning a large new brewery, developing recipes, and running two breweries.

Given these partners and the scope of the concept, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them take the idea elsewhere in the country, too. San Diego, of course, does have a big weather advantage when it comes to indoor-outdoor spaces.

Provided that that Highway 78 is flowing, it is easy to get to My Yard Live. There is plenty of parking, too. Given the proximity of My Yard Live to Lost Abbey and Wild Barrel, this trio of breweries would make a good beer tour, with a stop for food at My Yard Live.

 

Top: My Yard Live, at 288 Rancheros Drive in San Marcos, is a sprawling complex providing indoor and outdoor spaces for the whole family. Photo by Bill Vanderburgh

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