Relish Outdoor Eating No Matter What the Weather

by Sarah Stiles

Eating out in Austin is a year-round event, and restaurants cater to Austinites’ love of the outdoors with features that beckon patrons no matter what the weather.

Since it’s warm in Austin for the majority of the year, most Austin restaurants put a lot of time into developing their outdoor areas. At a strip of restaurants along Barton Springs Road, customers can enjoy a burger in a courtyard beneath giant pecan trees, enjoy acoustic guitar music and a cup of joe while sitting at umbrella-shaded tables, sip a frosty margarita beneath a canopy of red chile-shaped lights, or slurp a hot cup of chai tea while watching the cars pass by from a second-story deck. Nearby, during the months of summer, sweaty Austinites line up in the asphalt parking lot of a gas station on South Lamar for their turn to purchase one of the best snow cones in the region.

Walking downtown, one can’t miss the plethora of rooftop decks and open-air eateries lining the streets of the entertainment districts and near office buildings. Any day of the week, you’ll find men in business suits relaxing over their lunch break on a patio. At night, the roofs come to life with strings of white lights and people enjoying casual dinners while looking out to the skyline.

Although barbecue is definitely a year-round culinary treat in Austin, most barbecue joints have expansive patios to be most enjoyed during warmer months. After all, what better place to get rib sauce up to your elbows than the great outdoors?

Don’t forget how much Central Texans love their lakes; several restaurants around town claim to have the best lakefront property. Friday happy hours during the summer take place on decks overlooking Lake Austin, Town Lake, or Lake Travis, and boaters can dock just feet away from where lucky patrons are enjoying a cool drink.

Even when the temperatures drop and native Texans scurry to cover up beneath layers of sweaters, coats, scarves, and gloves, outdoor eating abounds. Restaurant-goers are greeted by roaring fireplaces burning aromatic mesquite logs. Outdoors, patrons huddle around giant heat lamps and chimineas.

Restaurants serve heartier entrees during the cold months, and nothing is better in freezing temperatures than a hot bowl of Texas chili, served with spicy jalapeno cornbread and a tall glass of iced tea.

Whatever food genre you seek to satisfy your appetite, you’ll find Austin restaurants that serve it outdoors. When you’re in a city that gets 300 days of sunshine a year and many clear, starry nights, there’s no better way to enjoy food than in its natural element.

Our favorite patio dining in Austin, TX:

• Garrido's Austin (pictured above) has an amazing patio to enjoy at happy hour. Right along the creek, with a lovely view of downtown, conveniently located on 3rd Street and featuring infusions of Mexican cuisine you won't believe! 
  
• The OASIS- perhaps the most dynamic patio in Texas! Overlooking Lake Travis on a cliff 500 feet above the water, one of the most amazing and breathtaking views around. (Let's not forget the great margaritas too!) 
• The County Line BBQ has quaint picnic tables that run alongside the lake, and the best part is- they let you feed the red-eared sliders that swim along the shore!
• Iron Cactus in downtown Austin has fun rooftop dining that adds a whole new dimension to outdoor eating. 
• Casino el Camino has one of the more unique patios in downtown Austin, TX. Check them out for their burgers and fun decor.