Yardarm Riverfront Bar and Grill
Tues: 11AM – 9PM
Wed: 11AM – 9PM
Thurs: 11AM – 10PM
Fri: 11AM – 2AM
Sat: 11AM – 2AM
Sun: 11AM – 9PM
Yardarm: A Waterfront Oasis
I just happened to be in Dubuque today with Keith Paulson. Some of you might remember him from the video at the Hilltop in East Dubuque. He’s the president of the Red Knights Motorcycle Club and a big motorcycle enthusiast himself. That first meeting was just a random coincidence since I was just driving to Galena when I saw his group parked at the Hilltop and decided to stop to check it out.
Today, we were taking his kids to the Harley store in Dubuque to do a video, and I just happened to remember that the Yardarm was close by. My first time at the Yardarm was last year. I was there to play in a band. Before we set up for our show, I got hungry and had to try their food. I remember hearing that they had really great burgers and fries, so I wanted to do a proper review.
Mouthwatering Menu Options
Having two small kids with us gave me the perfect opportunity to get some pictures from the kid’s menu. One kid got the grilled cheese and the other got the chicken nuggets. The grilled cheese looked like something I would want for myself.
Keith got the River Philly, which is sliced prime rib, peppers, onions, and queso dip poured on top of the meat. It looked so good, I really regret not giving it a try. I’m sure I will go back to rectify that situation at some point. I just know how good the burgers are, and it’s hard to say no to a good burger.
Entertainment at Every Turn
The great thing about the Yardarm is that it’s a one-stop shop for entertainment. You could spend all day here if you wanted to. There are RVs lined up on one side of the building, and boats in the water on the other side. You will also find some motorcycles scattered around the parking lot in between the boat docks and RV pads.
Live Local Music
The live music is also a big draw, and Keith commented on how much he liked the band. Like I said before, I have personally played here in the past, and it was a fun time just being on stage. The stage has an old boat in the background, so you can tell that this place went all out on having the proper décor.
Relaxing Waterfront Theme
Judging from the scenery and décor, you would think this is the kind of place where Jimmy Buffet would want to hang out. Bikers are welcome too, and it looks like everybody was having fun and enjoying the good food and live music. Tiki-themed bars are just hard to find in Iowa, so I come here as often as I can.
I really love being near the water. Thankfully this place is a short drive from Cedar Rapids and so its close enough for me to visit whenever I want to.
I find the change of scenery to be very refreshing after being stuck in the same place all week long.
Having some great food available to me just adds to the enjoyment of my trip. I can definitely understand why there was a line of RVs parked outside this establishment.
A Must Have Experience
In my opinion, this is one of the best places in the area to visit if you are planning a road trip on your bike. As I have said in the past, there’s just something about the combination of bikes and boats that thrills my soul. Whenever I find both of those things in the same place, I know I’m going to have a good time.
Add live music and good food to that equation, and you would have to be nuts not to want to try the place out at least once.
The Dubuque area in general is just a great place to be on a bike. The scenery, with the mixture of water and hills, is just the best you are going to find on this side of the state. One of the great advantages of riding a motorcycle is not having a car door or window between you and nature, so make the best of it while the weather is favorable for this type of road trip.
A note from Will Carter, The Ambassador of Flavors:
“This is one of many biker bar motorcycle-friendly restaurant reviews I do on a weekly basis. The goal is to promote local bars as destinations for motorcycle enthusiasts. These reviews are part of an online resource created to help bikers find bars with good food and entertainment.”
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