Yolo - Great Hospitality but Falls Short on Taste

 

Yolo - 22-55 31st street, Astoria NY 11106 

718.777.1177
N/W Train to Ditmars Blvd (last stop)

www.yolothincrustpizza.com

My curiosity has certainly been piqued by Astoria's newest sports bar, YOLO, as people either seem to really like it or hate it.  Dan and I found ourselves there last Saturday night, spending a comfortable albeit slightly unsatisfying evening during the big NY snow storm.

Atmosphere:
I loved what YOLO has done with the space--although narrow, the owners have made it modern and very conducive to watching sports.  There's a big screen TV on the left side, as you come in and several other HD TVs all around.  On Saturday night, they were showing football, which is now the draw, and especially on weekends, as they carry the NFL Sunday Ticket.

Seating is plentiful for small and large parties alike--I especially love the comfy silver booths with convenient foot rests.  There's a bar up front but at the moment, they're not serving alcohol, as they seem to be waiting for their permanent liquor license.  So for now...(drumroll), this bar is BYOB!

Food:
Since we couldn't get beer, we ordered food while watching the game.  YOLO is known for thin crust pizza and homemade meatballs, so we tried to order both but sadly, they were out of the meatballs so I got soup instead.

Tomato Soup - Woah, I was a little put off when I first saw this, as it looked like thick marinara sauce.  Dan agreed, as I picked up my spoon with caution and tasted this orangy-red concotion.  Although it wasn't as thick as marinara sauce, it was just as acidy and a couple of spoonfuls warranted a long break.  Dan tried it too and wasn't impressed - I won't say more except that I do not recommend getting it.

Thin Rust Pizza - Dan ordered a Greek personal thin crust pizza with olives, red onions and regular mozzarella cheese.  Just like the soup, we were underwhelmed, as this dish looked like an ordinary pita pizza that we often make at  home when we're tired.  After taking a couple of bites, Dan pronounced it "meh." I agree "eh, meh..."

Service and Cost:

For all the disappointment with the food, the service was stellar.  We loved our server who was so cordial and apologetic about the lack of liquor (hey, we didn't mind the BYOB).  He was considerate in that he gave us enough time with the menu, and when we were done, he just let us relax instead of rushing us out of there.  I wish I knew his name because I'd praise him more.

Costs are inexpensive - soup was $5 and the pizza was $8.  Other dishes fall into the following range:

Appetizers: $8-$14

Entrees: Around $14
Pizza: $8-$18

Burgers and Sandwiches: Around $9

1.5 Mmmms

Yolo (You Only Live Once) Opens in Astoria

Yolo - 22-55 31st street, Astoria NY 11106
718.777.1177
N/W Train to Ditmars Blvd (last stop)
www.yolothincrustpizza.com

Yolo, yolo, yolo (aka You Only Live Once)...has been the latest buzz in the nabe about a new modern bar that opened up just weeks ago right under the Ditmars Blvd train tracks. Right next to O'Hanlon's Irish pub, Yolo offers a newer, sleeker vibe without the pretension.

The menu consists of simple bar food such as wings, sliders, and their specialty, thin crust pizza, which comes in ten interesting varieties. If you're willing and excited to check it out, the weekend might be a good idea, especially when they have all the games on, especially football. They boast a full bar with 14 beers on draft and plenty of daily specials. Sounds fun and promising.

Here's a sampling of their menu and prices:

Appetizers
Yolo's famous meatball - topped with marinara sauce with ricotta cheese...$8
Buffalo wings - tossed in hot sauce and blue cheese dressing...$8 (small), $14 (large)
Cheeseburger sliders - mini cheese burgers with sauteed onions...$8 (four)...$14 (eight)

Entrees
Penne ala Vodka with Chicken - in a pink vodka sauce with parmesan cheese...$14
Fettucicine Carbonara - prosciutto, pine nuts and fresh parmesan, finished in a light cream sauce...$14
Lobster Ravioli - in a tomato cream sauce...$14

Thin Crust Pizza
Meatball - marinara sauce and mozzarella with homemade meatballs...$9 (9"), $18 (16")
Ditmars Express - with bbq pulled pork, red onion and baby spinach...$9 (9"), $18 (16")
Yolo Infusion - topped with pesto and garlic with BBQ chicken, spinach, fresh basil and goat cheese...$9 (9"), $18 (16")
Absolut Flyin Hawaiian - marinara sauce, prosciutto, pineapple, fresh basil and mozzarella...$8 (9"), $16 (16")

Salads
Yolo Signature Salad - crisp mesculin tossed with sliced pear, walnuts, red onion and gorgonzola cheese with balsamic dressing...$10
Arugula and Bacon Salad - bacon, sliced mushroom, green pepper, cucumber, tomato and sun dried tomato with honey dijon dressing...$9
Mediterranean Salad - Crisp greens, olives, sun dried tomato, red onion, roasted red pepper and feta cheese with olive oil and vinegar...$10

Burgers and Sandwiches (served with French fries or salad)
Italian Burger - made with homemade meatball recipe...$9
Grilled Chicken Hero - with lettuce, tomato and provolone cheese...$9
Classic Burger - char-grilled 10 oz Angus burger on a sesame bun...$9 Add cheese, bacon, sauteed onions or mushrooms for $1/topping