This is my go to bar on the weekends, partly because it does a lot of things well, and partly because downtown (believe it or not) is lacking in this type of scene. The positives of BYAH: fanstastic selection of craft/micro brews. The bottle list is HUGE and they usually have approx 20 or so beers on tap; I can't remember the last time they've charged a cover; it's not a "dance club" type of place so the nonsense is kept to a minimum; the "backyard" part of the bar is awesome during the warmer months and there is a heated tent up during the cold; the inside part of the bar has enough tables if you get there early enough; the service is generally speedy and has knowledge of the beers they serve. The biggest negative I can find is that BYAH still allows smoking in the backyard part of the bar. This is not really a problem in the summer, but it is absolutely unbearable for a non-smoker when the tent is up. You need to shower immediately upon leaving and possibly throw your clothes away. I've had smoke hangovers the day after going, it's that bad. I understand the business aspect of allowing smoking, but if that doesn't appeal to you, plan on getting there early on the weekends so you can get a spot in the inside bar. The only other small complaint is that, while they do a good job rotating their drafts, the draft selection is usually dominated by ales. I'm not big on bitter beers and they rarely have many lagers available. Not the biggest deal in the world, but something to know if you plan on going for the beer. read more

This place is the go-to bar for my friends and me. As graduate students, we like the relaxed yet fun atmosphere here without the overwhelming craziness of a typical college bar. They always have a crazy number of beers available. Tuesday nights they feature five 4oz beer samples for $5 which is a great way to try new beers without paying a lot. I've only have food here once, but it was very good. Their macaroni and cheese was delicious. They have indoor tables and an outdoor patio that is beautiful in the summer. In the winter they put up a large tent so you can still enjoy the bar and seating available without freezing. I recommend this place if you are looking for a fun bar atmosphere! read more

I love this place. The staff is very knowledgeable of a very large beer list . Always a friendly atmosphere.

This was our second time at the backyard alehouse. They have an amazing selection of craft beer. And the food was also really good -- great environment great waitstaff all-around good experience! read more

I've been here more times than I can count and I always enjoy myself. My friends are really into beer and the selection here is outstanding. I had a "root beer" beer and a ginger beer. I enjoyed them both and I don't think I would be able to find those particular beers in a lot of bars. I then had two bottles of Strongbow which is always a hit for me. We didn't have any food but we had lots of beers and the bartender was fast and friendly and they were great about taking the empties off the table. I know we'll be back. Great place to meet up with friends. read more

Great atmosphere, especially on the back patio when the weather is nice. Good beer selection. Food is good, but the limited menu gets old after a few visits. read more

Boneless bites are awful. Came out room temp, and more than half of the pieces were inedible fat bites. Writing a review both to warn y'all seeking advice and because the bartender never asked how things were (not busy). Blah! :-P nice atmosphere though, and fat tire is my fav read more

Good draft selection but a few too many harder-core specialty beers on tap. Need a regular selection of pilsners and a few more lower alcohol ales, IPAs on tap - all year. (I'll drink more, eat more and stay longer.) One note on the beer list... Odd that you list beers by inside bar, outside bar and growlers. I don't care where you're pouring it from. If it's on tap, just bring it to me if we order one. Food is pretty darn good. Would like a few more healthy options though. And why no sweet potato fries? Front room could use a little lightening up and softening of the decor. Rear patio is a great downtown sanctuary when it becomes open-air in the warmer months. Servers always seem to be very pleasant and efficient. All in all, a go-to place. read more

Good beer selection but not ideal atmosphere for a young crowd. Older crowd is gathers here.

I went to Backyard Ale House during college and really enjoyed myself. During my Thanksgiving break I returned to Scranton to visit some college friends who still live in the area. We started our night at Levels, then moved over to Backyard Ale House later in the night. I was with two other friends who easily got into the bar before me. After checking my ID, the bouncer refused to let me in the bar. My friends had PA licenses, and I had a NH license. My friends and I were all 24 or 25 at the time. We only had a few drinks at Levels before going to Backyard. My friends immediately went to the bathroom when they got in and didn't realize I wasn't allowed in. The bouncer refused to let me grab my friends so that we could go to a different bar. I had to wait outside in the freezing cold without a jacket until one of them answered their phones. I would never return to this bar. The bouncer was extremely rude. read more

Excellent service and great food. Welcoming staff make this family-friendly restaurant a must. This is our second visit and we'll definitely be back. Special shout out to Catherine and Tim for exceptional service! read more

First time eating here and I must say the food was excellent! We ordered a few different appetizers and let's just say there was nothing left! The are very attentive and I will definitely take the ride from the Poconos to eat here again! read more

Went to lunch with a coworker. We waited for over an hour for our food. Our waitress avoided us the entire time, never stopping to check in on us, apologize for the wait or refresh our drinks. Finally we had to flag another waitress down to get our bill. Being on a lunch break from work, our time was limited. The manager eventually apologized and comped the bill. read more

Scranton is a city mixed with the best and the worst. My family came to visit my son at TCMC last weekend and we had the most God awful meal of my life at a seafood restaurant (unnamed but with an octopus on top) that sickened us and ruined our Friday night. We love B&B's and stayed at the most charming one ever called the Cleland House and they recommended the Backyard Ale House and did say the owners are related. My son also said the place is great so we went. On Saturday night, still quesy from the bad seafood meal of the night before, we walked the few blocks to the Ale House and I have to say it was one of the best times we ever had. We were blown away by the pages and pages of beer selections and were even more shocked when the very sweet and stunningly beautiful bartender entered into a knowledgeable conversation with us about the intricacies of many of their offerings. If I wore a hat it would be off to the management for training their staff so thoroughly. This isn't a negative but I did pick up a hint of disinfectant from the obvious deep cleaning that the place must have had. I swear we didn't call to warn them about the disgusting seafood experience from the night before. The place was as spotless as any I have ever been too. It was a fun atmosphere and my husband was thrilled he could actually smoke his pipe on the outside patio. The atmosphere was great, we loved the beer selection and time and time again we were asked if there was anything we needed. The service could not have possibly been better. The only negative was that we couldn't get any food but our bartender said that the kitchen will be opening within a few weeks and the owners were working on perfecting the menu before they were ready to open. If the food is half as good as the rest of the place than it will indeed be perfect. Highly, highly recommended. read more

Any traveler making his/her way through the Scranton-Wilkes Barre area would do well to visit here. The company is true and the serving girls are pretty. The beer is off the highest quality and the brewmaster, a true genius, always has a special selection of day brews available. For example, the day we visited the brewmaster had Coal King Porter, a brilliant beer on it's own, that had aged over sweet cherries, fresh vanilla beans, and Costa Rican coffee beans. Truly a work of art. And finally, a big shout out to Susan who provided incredible service and have some truly interesting insights about the area. Cheers! read more

My favorite bar for weekends. You will enjoy light music and inexpensive drinks in a friendly environment. If you visit Scranton, it is a Must See place. read more

I understand it is for a younger, college crowd, but going early before student's want to party - or when I go for their fundraisers, it's always so loud. There's no reason for the music to be pushed way up when there are only a few people there before 5:00. Also, oddly, they have tons of beer, but last four times I was there - the one I select was "just out". Strange.... Food is 'meh'. Presentation looks good, until you dive in - then all very greasy! read more

Always a cool spot to hang out , great list of beers , and awesome chili. Burgers are also delish

This is by far my favorite place to go for a drink. They have tons of craft beers on tap and about 500 in bottles. Prices are pretty good. They just did some renovations and added a kitchen but I haven't been able to get back to Scranton to try out their food yet. Pretty mellow, chill place on summer weeknights. Love the outdoor patio too - open year round! read more

We came up for a short ski trip and found this place on yelp. Thank goodness for yelp!! This place is fantastic. Everything we ordered was top notch (chips and dip, pretzels, pulled pork, buffalo chicken nuggets.... Not to mention the fabulous beer!!). Our waitress Jackie was so attentive and even picked up on the fact it was our sons bday and put candles in his dessert! Would recommend this place to anyone who visits the area!! read more

Best bar in Scranton. Wide selection of beers and ever changing draft list. Food is delicious, and I've never had a bad meal here. Weekends can get crowded, but always a good time. Brunch specials can be pricey for an omelet but you also get a mimosa or a draft beer with it, so it's worth it. read more

Your typical bar establishment with a decent food menu. Atmosphere a 3, probably closer to a 4 when the back patio is open. Beer selection a 5, draft menu was impressive. Food menu a 3, your usual bar fare nothing that really stands out. However, place was packed, bartenders were friendly and social. Great place to grab a beer and basic bite. read more

I recently moved to Houston and I can say I miss going to Backyard already! I love going there and experimenting with new beers. I'm always going to miss the Cucumber Cream Ale I had there once haha that has been forever burned into my memory! read more

Didn't have a great experience here, sadly. The beer list is impressive but our waitress was kind of rude to us. I asked her what beer she would recommend for me and told her the beer my husband had suggested. She named a beer that we don't care for and when I said that she got upset with us and snapped that maybe we should just go with the beer he suggested. The whole exchange up a sour taste in my mouth and spoiled our visit. read more

Stopped for dinner while traveling on vacation. Food is great. Atmosphere is relaxed and casual. Prices are reasonable. We would definitely come back. read more

Best Bar in Scranton! Great crowd, awesome beer list, and outdoor area is awesome.

Went here for brunch on saturday and sat out back at the upper deck bar - lots of room and a great space. Staff was friendly and attentive, and the beer selection is GREAT! they updated their draft list while we were there, and have a good variety of all styles of craft beer, plus the mass market stuff. My husband had the breakfast sandwich with a coffee stout and I had the Hawaii Five-O sandwich with an IPA - OUTSTANDING!!! They have a lot of drink specials with brunch, and the best part was that our 3 beers and 2 sandwiches came to an amazing $26 - can't beat it. Highly recommend it, ad I am sure it is even better when it is really warm. read more

Beers and scenery at this place is great and bar service is usually good but dining here is a different story. Warning ...I LOVE brunch! Bloody Mary and breakfast for $10 sucks me in every time but the service... Or lack thereof is such a disappointment. Once you finally place an order and get a drink... 20+ mins after seating .... Food takes a while and then you're still waiting on toast or something else that forgot .... And then you don't see your server again....ever. Now big Part of the brunch appeal for me is getting drunk accidentally and forgetting that you have work tomorrow.... This is best achieved by enjoying the leisurely attention of someone willing to seduce me with champagne and pastries.... that zen place is hard to find when you have to go on an expedition to get a refill and no one is offering up alternatives to rejoining a productive life. Upside is the bill is always low because no one waited on you so you don't order much..... Which is a shame because the quality of food and booze is great.... Just not easily acquired or enjoyed. read more

Amazing happy hour! Great food for the price and love the constantly changing beer list!

Terrible service to many people to be able to be taken care of properly and not enough bartenders. Bartenders are rude and just plain a**holes 85% of the time but they do have hell or high watermelon so that's why I gave it three stars. read more

Bartender was VERY rude to my friend. She's not an American citizen and she tried to use her passport to order a drink but the bartender refused to take it and got very angry with my friend when she tried to ask why. Such a shame, I usually enjoy Backyard but I don't think I'll be returning after the terrible way this bartender treated my friend. read more

Excellent beer selection, it's ridiculous. Beer tastings on Tuesdays are a great way to sample out-of-the-ordinary beers and find new favorites. Staff is always friendly and attentive. Saturdays are packed with a mixed crowd. Definitely an area favorite! read more

Great outdoor option in Scranton, the patio in the back is very spacious with a lot of seating. The beer selection is huge, but the 21-35 crowd is drinking mostly Miller lites and Vodka cranberrys. Music can always be better and never put money in the juke box, it's never on. 4/5 on a relative scale. Great atmosphere, awesome patio and always a good well dressed crowd. read more

Went to backyard for brunch for the third and what is sure to be final time. The service was painfully slow. I'm still not even sure who our waiter/waitress is. Backyard is nice in warm weather but it resembles a warehouse in the colder months. read more

I love the ale house. I go there frequently. But unfortunately being a regular there (unless you're another local bar owner) makes you low priority. I tip well. I'm a loyal customer. & I'm often neglected. Excellent beer selection. Nice, but neglectful staff. I would stop in if it's your first time. But don't make it a habit. read more

We had brunch at Backyard Ale House for Father's Day. What a treat it was, from the outside patio, to the food, which was fantastic, to the Bloody Mary's. The staff really hustles, everything is clean, people are friendly. Great place for Brunch read more

Tonight I had a taste for a hamburger, which I rarely eat. So I called Backyard Ale House and ordered a Cowboy Burger medium-well and french fries to go. I immediately exited out of my HILTON hotel room and walked two blocks, less than 5 minutes, to get my burger. When I walked in the door, someone was bringing my food to the bar. I thought to myself, that was fast. So I paid and walked back to my hotel room. I sat down to eat my food. The french fries and the burger were room temperature. Even the onion rings and cheese on the burger were room temperature. What was even more disappointing was that the burger was cooked well done instead of medium-well. The food had to have been cooked before I called to order it. I have gotten food from McDonalds and drove miles to get home and my food was still hot. I had my mind set for a good burger and had to settle for a less than subpar burger. This is unacceptable!! read more

Solid Food. Beer menu is exceptional. Service was good. Atmosphere is what you would expect in a Ale house, lots of TV's with Sports.

Pretty cool spot...I'm from New York so I was skeptical when a friend suggested this place....it's actually very popular and they have so many beers that I was lost on what to order. Def a spot to check out if you're in the area. And there's a club right next door which everyone seemed to go to when it got later. They also have an outside bar . read more

Came here with two teens prior to an indoor soccer tournament. Very good burgers and beer. Friendly staff. College scene but accommodating. It's a locals bar so snobs shouldn't bother.... read more