Yard And Coop, Leeds – Restaurant Review

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Yard and Coop Leeds

By @Steve Crabtree

Yard and Coop has opened in Leeds, and after paying visit to their restaurant on Merrion Street, the Colonel has got plenty to worry about.

With gourmet everything now on every street corner, Yard and Coop have nailed the first gourmet chicken restaurant in the city with style and taste.

Yard And Coop

“A real touch”

My friend and I checked the place out just after it opened, and the exciting options on a vast menu meant we didn’t know where to start. We’d nibbled on the Gunpowder Chicken (£4.00) as we decided on our main and they were a real touch. Especially with the minty buttermilk sauce.

Our eyes jumped everywhere across the page when trying to fathom out just what we wanted. And when we saw the dishes coming out to other tables we broke the world record for saying “look at that!”. Your options here are quite the eye-catchers.

And it’s not just the food that pleases the eye. Yard and Coop have got the balance of broken down industrial with retro feel down to an art. Fridges from the 50s, TVs from the 60s and lamps from the 70s mean the environment is as much a talking point as the menu.

Yard And Coop Buff Daddy Burger

“A whole new dimension to the ‘dirty’ chicken scene”

But we needed to order, and I was keen on the sound of the £14 Buff Daddy burger. A buttermilk fried chicken breast burger, with iceberg lettuce, celery and pickles. Piled high with pulled chicken and drenched in Buffalo and Ranch sauces. Topped with a whole chargrilled red chilli.  I plumped for Salt and Pepper fries alongside it, and had a pint of the Yard Pilsner to wash it all down with.

My friend went for the Coop Kebab (£12). Two buttermilk fried chicken thighs, with a pomegranate and cherry tomato salad on a warm naan bread. Served with minty buttermilk sour cream and their own kebab sauce.

And this is the difference between fried chicken and the gourmet options. Buttermilk fried chicken brings a whole new dimension to the ‘dirty’ chicken scene. And Yard and Coop make sure you get fresh – with the meat being less than two days old when you devour it.

Yard And Coop

“A good amount of food for your money”

When our dishes came, we were delighted.  The plates were large, and you get a good amount of food for your money.

My first bite of my burger was delightful. Quite truly, the tenderness of the two chicken breasts was something I hadn’t had before. That freshness I was talking about was there. The pulled chicken and sauces complemented the dish nicely and the salt and pepper fries rounded the meal off perfectly.  Rich in flavour, the cliched melt-in-the-mouth texture… I couldn’t be more impressed. Happy? Definitely.

The Coop Kebab looked great too, and my friend enjoyed the flavours that came with it. It was massive too – you couldn’t see the plate for the food.

Yard and Coop had filled us up. Two huge dishes.  We couldn’t fit in a dessert but we didn’t really care – we’d been fulfilled. But what we did do was immediately plan our next visit. There’s a big, exciting menu to explore here, along with brilliant service. And when Merrion Street is fast becoming a popular area of the city again, it’s a must-visit place to begin our next evening out. They take care of the drinks you want on a night out as well.

Thanks Yard and Coop. We’ll see you again soon…

Yard and Coop
6-8 Merrion Street, Leeds, LS1 6PQ

Opening Times:
Mon – Sun 12 noon til late

Tel: 0113 430 0285
yardandcoop.com

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