The Best Patios in Dallas

Cold or hot, it doesn't matter: Dallas restaurants come equipped with climate-controlled outdoor seating, and while there’s no wrong way to patio, some spots around the city are doing it exceptionally well. We have chosen 20 of Dallas' finest patios, even though there are so many more worthy of mention. This is a mix of new and old, and if you can't find one of your favorites, check out our rooftop dining list before you throw hands.

Alamo Club

1919 Greenville Ave.

The Alamo Club is a great two-way player: it's a great bar with an exceptional kitchen. It's on our Top 100 Bars list, but could easily be on the Top 100 Restaurants. Now here it is on the best patio list too. There's a small patio out front but that's just a decoy; head to the larger patio in the back. Get a bowl of the braised short rib pappardelle or the Bolognese made with Jimmy's sausage. Happy hour runs until 7 p.m. during the week and there's trivia every Wednesday. There are house cocktails, buckets, shots and boilermakers, plus a decent tap selection.

Cafe Madrid

4501 Travis St.

Cafe Madrid somehow captures an old-world charm that is impossible to invent and hard to find in these parts. If you can't book a trip to Spain, come here for authentic Spanish tapas while sipping sangria on the patio. This is not a patio to be "seen" but a place to absorb and relax. Check out the flamenco dances every first Friday.

Chelsea Corner

4830 McKinney Ave.

Chelsea Corner has a large climate-controlled patio, with plenty of TVs, astroturf and lounge-ish seating made comfy by plenty of fans and misters (or heaters, when needed). The menus are all seasonal and the energy is always good. Happy hour (Monday – Thursday, 4–6:30 p.m., and Friday, 11 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.) includes a variety of craft beer for $6 and cocktails for under $9.

Cold Beer Company

3600 Main St.

Cold Beer Company just outside of Deep Ellum recently celebrated its 10th anniversary and we consider it one of the most under-the-radar patios in the city. The beer list is large (24 on draft, 36 cans), and a grilled pimento cheese sandwich helps soak it up. It's no frills here. Just come hang out, have a drink and enjoy yourself. Maybe watch a game. End of Tweet.

Dot's Hop House & Cocktail Courtyard

2645 Commerce St.

This 10,000-square-foot, pooch-friendly place is one of the premier spots in Deep Ellum to enjoy a well-crafted cocktail or a cold brew from the 99-tap menu. The owners of Dot's Hop House rescued the grill from the old Club Schmitz near Love Field after it closed in 2014, giving the burgers extra grit and character. Get a side of duck-fat cheese fries to go with that burger. Service is consistently on point and the music (which is a mesh of genres, but generally crowd-pleasing) is loud enough to hear, but not loud enough to drown out the riveting conversation from your tablemates — the Goldilocks belt of noise. They host trivia on Mondays, which is nice because Mondays can be so lame.

Escondido TexMex Patio

5950 Royal Lane

Patio is part of the name here, so they really lean into it. You can get large plates of gratifying Tex-Mex and strong drinks, all propped up with the signature spot-on service that all of owner John Alexis' restaurants offer. Escondido has two patio spaces; the one with bar seating is the real sweet spot. Get a frozen mango margarita and let the day drift by. They take reservations (you can specify the patio) but also leave tables for walk-ins.

Ferris Wheelers Backyard & BBQ

1950 Market Center Blvd.

Don't sleep on the barbecue at Ferris Wheelers; it's legitimate despite any other hokey-ish features — e.g., a Ferris wheel. The large outdoor space fits almost 1,500 of your closest friends, but it gets that busy only when there's live music. During lunch and dinner, dozens gather at the picnic tables and bar for tender slices of brisket and cold drinks. They also host sports watching parties, sound on.

Goodfriend Beer Garden & Burger House

1154 Peavy Road

Not only does Goodfriend in East Dallas have one of the best burgers in the city (Anthony Bourdain-inspired with house-ground beef), it also has a great dog-friendly patio. The service is no-nonsense and fast. It's a little bit divey but also a touch hipster. (Dipster?) The music is more than an afterthought, with some surprising deep cuts.

The Grapevine Bar

2213 Butler St.

The patio at the freshly resurrected Grapevine Bar is the platonic ideal of a neighborhood hangout spot, almost like a sitcom set that's come to life. The area is spacious, with plenty of tables so that you and your core friend group don’t have to hear the background characters’ conversations. There’s both a stage and a basketball court, for endless antics. And finally, the unmistakable neon sign bearing the bar’s name is a perfect marker for your audience to immediately know where you are so you don’t have to work it into your dialogue unnaturally. Central Perk from Friends and McLaren’s Pub from How I Met Your Mother should be afraid.

Henry's Majestic

2303 Pittman St.

The new-and-improved Henry's Majestic has a massive outdoor seating area with all the patio fixin's you can think of. There's an abundance of seating, including lawn chairs and dining tables, cooling fans for hot days, fire pits for the cooler nights and a stage for live music. Happy hour, Tuesday – Friday, 4–7 p.m., gets you $3 off cocktails, $4 drafts, $6 house wine and $2 off the shared plates. Ultimately, a great patio has to be the kind of place you want to come to with friends again and again, and Henry's is just that.

Ida Claire

5001 Belt Line Road, Addison

We recently wrote about Ida Claire's delta-8 cocktails, which we highly recommend. Pair one of those with the easy-breezy patio on a sunny day plus live music on Friday nights, and you've got a 5 outta 5 star experience. You can even snag reservations in the Air Stream trailer parked out back; it's cozy and great for your knitting group. The menu is full of Southern staples like chicken and waffles, hot honey chicken, biscuits, shrimp and grits, and ribs.

The Ivy Tavern

5334 Lemmon Ave.

Maybe this is just our nature-deprived city person bias, but there’s something about an outdoor seating area with fully-grown trees that makes the dining experience more whimsical. At Ivy Tavern, you can take in the fresh-ish air even in the middle of summer thanks to the fans, misters and, of course, shade from the trees, which are lit up by fairy lights after dark. There’s even an outdoor bar, a pool table and TVs playing whatever your favorite sport is. It would take an act of God (namely rain) to compel you to go back inside.

Katy Trail Ice House

3127 Routh St.

The Katy Trail Ice House is a massive tree-shaded beirgarten along the Katy Trail, which means you can sit there and sip a beer and think about that time you tried jogging. (Coulda thrown a rock further.) A bad time is just not to be had here. Service is so good for such a large space; each section, even on the patio, has its own dedicated server who's always hanging around while runners (the fun kind) bring food and drinks out. Summer and winter, and every space in between, is fun out there. Got get some fresh air and think about that time you almost ran.

Libertine

2101 Greenville Ave.

This restaurant and bar along Lower Greenville is a snug dark pub inside, but a few years ago they cleared out the parking spaces in front and built a long patio. There's no place better to sip a dark bar with a little nip in the air and take in the vibe. Did you know Tuesday is steak night at The Libertine? Sure'nuff. Get a steak or burger with a cocktail for $20. Sold! The beer selection is full of local, Texan and European options. Check out the robust scotch and whiskey selections too. We're fans of the Muenster fries.

The Old Monk

2847 N. Henderson Ave.

This small but mighty patio in the Knox-Henderson neighborhood has old bones; it's been around for more than 25 years. If you prefer to sip on a draught European or Belgian beer while enjoying a formidable burger, The Old Monk is your home. Also here: some of the best fish and chips in the city. It's within walking distance of two sister pubs: Skellig and Spider Murphy's, each with its own good patio scene.

Ozona Grill & Bar

4615 Greenville Ave.

Ozona's massive patios are a quintessential Dallas scene. From fans and misters to fireplaces, every season is covered. On the weekends, the bloody mary bar is lush with options. The burgers are great, and don't miss the house-made onion rings. There's a massive new 14-foot LED screen outdoors that we think you might be able to see from an airplane. Happy Hour runs Sunday (not a typo) through Friday, 4–7 p.m.

Tequila Social

3100 McKinnon St.

The Katy Trail has a new boozy tenant. Tequila Social is in the McKinnon Building in the Harwood District; park in the garage and look for signs to the restaurant. The indoor dining room has a full bar, and beyond that is a 10,000-square-foot, West Texas-inspired patio with seating for 200 people and plenty of misters and fans to keep things cool in the warmer months (and surely heaters for the winter). Check out happy hour (like we did), Monday – Friday, 3–6 p.m.

click to enlarge

Truck Yard upgraded its patio last year.

Kathy Tran

Truck Yard

5624 Sears St.

After a $2 million nip and tuck job last year, the Truck Yard is better than ever: additional weather-friendly patio space, fire pits and new bathrooms. Here you can enjoy a beer from Second Rodeo Brewing, whose brew boss, Dennis Wehrmann, comes from a long line of German brewers. The menu keeps things simple with hot dogs and cheesesteaks (some of the best, mind you) and nachos. There are also some food trucks on-site. One thing about this spot: no TVs. Here they prefer you interact with humans.

Two Mules Cantina

501 W. Las Colinas Blvd.

This restaurant is connected to the boutique hotel Texican Court in Irving and has the best courtyard you've never heard of. We stumbled on this gem after a movie at the nearby Alamo Drafthouse and are smitten with the large Santa-Fe-esque courtyard, live music and fire pits. It's a large, quiet space — serene almost. Grab anything off the grill from the menu at Two Mules; we're still stuck on the brisket tacos we had recently. And we can vouch for the gimlet as well. Head here if you're looking for a little more intimate scene.

Uptown Pub

3605 McKinney Ave.

If you're driving up McKinney Avenue on a nice day and see the patio crowd at Uptown Pub, you'll get big FOMO. They're always out there having fun in the sun, while you're trying to adult. But don't adult. Stop and have a drink. The vibe at this 100-year-old-house-turned-pub is always chill, the beer is cold and the service is friendly. Start your tab at the bar.