When the weather is finally warm, a seat on a restaurant’s patio becomes one of the most coveted spots in the city. From casual lunch spots in Pilsen and Logan Square to swanky sidewalk cafes in the Loop and River North, here are 20 places to park it, feed your face, and bask in the sun this summer. See our full list of outdoor dining spots for even more options.
804 Davis, Evanston, 847-859-2880, boltwoodevanston.com. Lunch: Tue-Fri; dinner: Sun, Tue-Sat.
Dusek’s Board & Beer | Pilsen | $$$
Pilsen’s Thalia Hall is home to this beer-centric tavern helmed by chef Jared Wentworth of Longman & Eagle, and no doubt there are some obvious similarities between the two (organs and off cuts, for one), but it’s more than just Longman South. The significantly seafood-oriented menu is available from the roughly 20-seat patio—not to mention the two-dozen craft beers on draft.
925 W. Randolph, 312-690-7295, formentos.com. Lunch: Mon-Fri, dinner: daily. Open late: Fri & Sat till 11.
Kaiser Tiger | Near West Side | $$
This beer, bacon, and sausage emporium is not as refined or as interesting as its Randolph Row neighbors. And it’s definitely not as popular—which bodes well for diners who want to snag a seat and sip a craft beer at a picnic table on the patio. Foodwise, the safest bet here is anything with bacon, which shows up on a bacon board (four “gourmet” cuts), in bacon-wrapped dates, in bacon-wrapped shrimp, and in the form of bacon “grenades” (spicy meatballs wrapped in bacon, beer battered, and deep-fried—OK, maybe that’s not so safe).
217 W. Huron, 312-643-2427, oakandchar.com. Lunch: Mon-Fri; dinner: daily. Sat & Sun brunch. Open late: Thu-Sat till midnight.
