Dinner, beer and Jenga at the Backyard Beer Garden

The moment I opened the menu, everything clicked. 

Ribs, canned beers, slices of watermelon soaked in booze — all served under strings of lights in canvas-cushioned lounge chairs made from wood pallets. 

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Jean Le Boeuf, or JLB, is the pseudonym used by the restaurant critic for The News-Press and Naples Daily News.

Backyard Beer Garden is just that. 

And you can take the kids.

There are giant Jenga sets, corn hole and a bocce court, cocktails infused with blueberries and mangoes, servers in jeans and tank tops. This young Cape Coral restaurant is a backyard party that never stops. It’s a concept so finely tuned that it takes a few visits to soak it all in (I just saw the basketball hoop). 

Chris Ilardi and Gabe Ferraro are the guys who brought this party to the old Two Amigos space on Cape Coral Parkway East, turning what was once a generically Tex-Mex joint into a place for cold beers and hot s’mores (more on those in a few). These two have worked in the industry for decades, opening hundreds of restaurants, from coffee shops to fine-dining spots, in airports across the country.

But Backyard Beer Garden is the first place that’s all their own — and a place of your own is a different kind of beast. 

To their credit, they do so much so right. 

The sense-of-place they’ve created is remarkable, and it’s only reinforced by their menu, which is more of an homage to the backyard party than an exact replica of one. 

Spare ribs, for example, tug lightly from the bone. But they’re not smoky and covered in barbecue sauce; they’re juicy and slicked in a Korean-style chili sauce that’s spicy and faintly sweet. While there’s booze-soaked watermelon, there’s also the watermelon-infused Other Side of the Pillow cocktail, which classes the fruit up a bit with vodka, cucumber and a hint of fresh mint. 

Rashers of thick-cut bacon dangling from a clothes line seem gimmicky, till you bite into that first sticky, salty-sweet slice. 

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Special to The News-Press/SWFL Parent & Child

Sticky rashers of thick-cut, apple-smoked bacon get a Backyard Beer Garden twist dangling from a miniature clothesline. My only question: How do you clean those clothespins?

Ferraro pays tribute to his Philly roots with a fine cheesesteak and an even finer “The Cutlet,” a lightly breaded and fried chicken breast loaded on a sesame roll with sharp provolone and sautéed broccoli rabe that adds a bitter, verdant kick. 

Backyard’s missteps were slight. 

On a busy lunch, when a party of 20-some preceded me, food took forever — as did refills, the check and everything else. On a quieter dinner visit, food came out quickly and smoothly.

Special to The News-Press/SWFL Parent & Child

Campfire style s'mores capture the essence of Backyard Beer Garden in Cape Coral.

Including that tray of campfire-style s’mores. The server lit the Sterno so it flamed blue and hot, then handed over skewers for the marshmallows. There were peanut-butter cups and chocolate bars, a pile of Graham crackers to be snapped in half at their perforated middles.

I couldn’t stop smiling. 

There are kinks to be worked out here, sure. But I hope this Backyard party doesn’t stop any time soon. 

— Jean Le Boeuf is the pseudonym used by a local food lover who dines at restaurants anonymously and without warning, with meals paid for by The News-Press. Jean Le Boeuf recommends this restaurant for families. Follow the critic at facebook.com/jeanleboeufswfl or @JeanLeBoeuf on Twitter and Instagram.