Like the weather, outdoor dining season is heating up. While patios and al fresco restaurant experiences are de rigueur in southern climates where it’s warm enough to do it year-round, the experience is all the sweeter in the Midwest where we’re driven indoors half the time. With more restaurants adding outdoor dining after the pandemic, there is no shortage of choices when it comes to restaurants with patios in the suburbs.
Here are a handful of options to get you started. 64 S. Grove Ave.
, Elgin, (224) 238-3153, . When your name is El Patio you better have a good outdoor dining space, which this Mexican eatery does. Located on the Fox River in Elgin, the patio features furnishings and accessories selected from Mexico.
Bring some friends, drink some margs and fill up on the marranada, a mixed grill dish of meats, seafood and vegetables served on a terra cotta grill shaped like a pig, which is brought to the table with charcoal embers that keep the food warm. 31 S. 1st St.
, St. Charles, (630) 415-0770, . Though they have numerous locations, the St.
Charles Gia Mia benefits from the recently developed First Street Plaza with a large patio on which you can enjoy their Neapolitan-style wood-fired pizzas, creative small plates, fresh pasta, craft beers and cocktails. 614 Rawson Bridge Road, Port Barrington, (847) 639-9468, . A bar and restaurant that is also a marina? Sounds perfect for al fresco dining.
Their outdoor menu is loaded with salads, burgers, sandwiches and nightl.