I usually visit EI a couple times a year and bring along my LVA and AGC coupons. On Tuesday I headed to EI to visit the newly opened Front Yard.

EI looks a lot different now and Front Yard is a different experience. I'll first note that they have expanded their beer selection. They've added a Rauchbier at 5.5% and 22IBUs, Coffee Stout at 5.8% and 40IBUs, Helles Bock at 7% and 30 IBUs, Belgian Trippel at 7.9% and 25 IBU's, Belgian IPA at 6.8% and 65 IBUs, Koval Pilsner at 5.6% and 34 IBU's, and a California Common at 5.5% and 35 IBUs. I tried the first 5 and they were all decent beers. I normally drank The IPA here, but that has changed. While I don't expect any of these to win GABF medals, they have definitely upped their game. When you combine these with their normal line up, you have an incredible amount of choices for a casino brewery.
I'm a fan of the Belgian IPA and drank 3 of them. I also drank a Trippel and a couple of Rauchbiers. I had intended on having a Bock, but misordered my last round. I spent a lot more time there than I intended. The Belgians and Helles Bock are served in snifters, the others were in their regular glasses that looked to be around 22oz.
Front Yard is only semi enclosed. The temp was fine for me, but they had fired up the heaters in the eating area. Apparently because there is an outdoor kitchen, no smoking was allowed at the bar. Don't know whether tables are also non smoking. I couldn't use my 50% coupon there, so didn't eat the food. The menu is different than the cafe's.
This is a VP Bar that comps all the beer with play. Free beer coupons only comped some of them, mostly their standard line up.
VP pay tables were worse than I normally play. The best game I found for quarters was 80/40/25/7/5 ACES BP. The pay tables improved at $2 bets. ACES became FP, but the other games were still a notch down from FP.



So I've