As the name suggests, Willoughby food truck park The Yard on Third offers a backyard blast

It's billed as the first food truck park on the East Side, but The Yard on 3rd is more than that. True to its name, it feels more like a friend's backyard but with food trucks. And a bigger bar than any friend I have.

Co-owners Anna Dey and Jason Beudert launched the venture in June 2022 in the former Lure Bistro spot in Downtown Willoughby. Spruced up a bit, the wraparound bar under a pavilion remains, but what used to be the dining room is now a garage-type indoor-outdoor space with a few tables and video games. A Geraci's Slice Shop is adjacent to the garage, dishing out pizza from one of the best-known names on the local pizza scene. Geraci's aims to be open year-round, although The Yard is open only in warm-weather months.

Cocky's Bagels is at The Yard on 3rd in Willoughby

Most of the property's footprint is the fenced-in patio, which is covered in soft artificial turf and has communal seating for perhaps 150 people. There are picnic tables, rails along the bar and even a couple of old pickup truck beds converted into tables. Large versions of the games "Jenga" and "Connect Four" provide a little bit of whimsy, and the vibrant, open space is dog- and kid-friendly (at least during the day).

The repurposed truck parts and other bits of décor — there's a large sign inside that proclaims "TRUCK YEAH" — are reminders that food trucks are a big part of this outdoor oasis. There are about 60 Northeast Ohio truck vendors that are on a rotating schedule, including different lunch and dinner trucks on the weekends.

On a recent Saturday visit, the dinner-time truck was Southern Thangs Grub Truck out of Copley. Its fare was a mix of Southern-inspired comfort food and bar food, a lot of it fried.

We started with Gator Bites and Pretzel Styx with cheese (both $10) from the "Side Fixins" menu. The Gator Bites came with fresh hand-cut fries, which were superb. I’ve had alligator bites before but never outside of Florida, and these were a bit chewier than others I’ve eaten. The pretzels and cheese sauce were both solid, the sticks baked to a nice crusty exterior while maintaining a soft inside.

My younger son and his uncle went the Geraci's pizza-by-the-slice route (starting at $3.50 for a cheese slice), and the slices were huge, the kind you must fold in half to manage. I didn't try a bite, but they looked delicious. Geraci's has been around for longer than I’ve been alive, and I’ve had enough of their pizza over the decades to be able to recommend it.

I got a Southern Styx burger from the truck ($16), which consisted of a fairly typical burger (lettuce, tomato, onion) but also featured fries piled on top of the patty. The cheese was a shredded white variety, which I thought was peculiar. Overall, it was a just-OK burger.

On the other hand, my sister-in-law's Chicken-N-Waffles ($15) was great. The dish consisted of three perfectly cooked tenders atop three waffle quarters, all topped with powdered sugar and served with a side of cole slaw. It's the kind of dish that foodie-leaning trucks are so often good at doing.

My wife's Fried Bologna sub ($15) with lettuce, tomato and onion was in a similar vein, an inventive take on a comfort-food sandwich.

My older son's Cowboy hot dog ($6) was piled with so much pulled pork, bacon, barbecue sauce and cheese that you couldn't even see the dog. It was a messy delight.

Of course, with a rotation of trucks providing the food, there's a risk that it could be hit-or-miss. The Yard's website has a truck schedule posted and sometimes posts menus on social media, so with some research, you can see your food choices before your visit. Also, for what it's worth, the place seems so well-thought-out and detail-oriented that it's difficult to believe they’d invite just any truck.

What IS a constant are the beverages. Signature cocktails are the primary focus, with mixes provided by Columbus-based Simple Times Mixers. They are all-natural, gluten-free and vegan-friendly, and without additives or preservatives. The signature of signatures, perhaps, is the Willbilly Punch, a backyard (of course) tub-type concoction of vodka, rum, tequila, gin and fruit punch ($10). Tequila is such an overpowering flavor in any mixed drink, so my Willbilly tasted a lot like tequila and fruit punch. It wasn't overly strong and is a solid warm-day cocktail.

My wife's Tequila Trashcan ($10), served in a cup that resembles an actual trash can, obviously also had a strong tequila flavor. It also had a refreshing citrus mixer that was more orange than lemon and a splash of Sprite. There are almost 20 signature cocktails and shooters, which can change with the seasons. There are no beers on tap but an OK selection of canned brews if that's your thing.

Also, beers and seltzers can be purchased in mix-and-match Backyard Cooler Kits, which consist of a small cooler packed with ice and your choice of canned beverages that you tote back to your table. Just as you might in someone's backyard.

I was genuinely impressed with the service at the bar. Everybody was friendly and helpful, and though it got pretty busy while we were there, the place was well-staffed and service was fast.

The Yard on 3rd is a very cool concept AND very well-executed. It's the more-fun, bells-and-whistles version of the best backyard party you’ve ever been to.

38040 Third St.

Willoughby

440-527-8070

theyardon3rd.com

Location: On the south side Third Street just west of Erie Street in Downtown Willoughby.

Type of restaurant: Food truck park.

Hours: 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Monday; 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday; 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. Thursday through Saturday; 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday.

Liquor and wine: Premade cocktails, beer, seltzers and wine.

Facilities for the handicapped: Yes.

Credit cards: All major.

Cuisine: Pizza and rotating food trucks.

Vegetarian: Depends on the food trucks; vegetarian pizza options.

Special diets: Ask about dietary preferences; gluten-free pizza.

Kid-friendliness: Kid-friendly during the day.

Dress code: Casual.

Reservations: No.

Wi-Fi: Yes.

Online ordering: Geraci's Slice Shop has online ordering.

Delivery: Third-party services for pizza.

Prices: Signature cocktails $10; signature shooters $10; canned domestic and craft beers and seltzers $3.50 to $6; pizza by the slice starting at $3.50.

Value: Very good.

Ratings (of five):

Food: 4.

Atmosphere: 5.

Service: 5.

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