If you want to eat outside or enjoy a few drinks on a warm evening, you may be looking for the best restaurants with outdoor bars in Houston. Luckily, there are a lot of options to choose from!
Whether you want to grab drinks and a few small bites with friends on a Friday night, or you’re celebrating a special occasion and want to eat somewhere with an incredible view: there should be something for you. Check out the Houston outdoor bars / Patio bars in this post.
Best Restaurants With Outdoor Bars in Houston
Here are 7 of the best restaurants out there with outdoor seating areas. We’ll give you the key details and a rundown of the kind of food and drinks you can find in each one, as well as more details about the bar if you want to sit outside.
1. La Griglia
| Address | 2002 W Gray St Houston, TX 77019 |
| Website | https://www.lagrigliarestaurant.com/ |
| Type of Food | Italian |
| Our Recommendation | Frutti Di Mare |
La Griglia is a classy restaurant if you want to get dressed up and go out for a special occasion. It has a comfortable outdoor patio bar with a fountain so that you can enjoy a few drinks before your meal.
In terms of food, you can expect classic Italian dishes. They have some delicious meat and fish dishes, including Rotisserie Maple Leaf Farm’s Duck (with Minnesota wild rice, crisp sage, Marcona almonds, and raspberry puree) and the Grilled Atlantic Salmon (with wild mushrooms, lobster risotto, shrimp, and lemon-tarragon essence).
If you want to go for a classic pasta dish, you could try the Frutti Di Mare, linguine with shrimp, mussels, clams, crabmeat, white wine, calamari, garlic, tomatoes, and herbs. Or you could go for a pizza, like the classic Margherita.
You can pick up some nice wine here, as well as some specialty drinks like a Wild Berry Mojito, or the La Griglia’s Famous Peach Bellini. You can also grab some bar bites, like sliders, and a Chef’s Board with two types of meat, two kinds of cheese, and honey.
They have on-site parking, valet parking, bike parking, and free wi-fi. They also offer takeout and delivery.
Bonus Read: 7 Best Italian Restaurants in Houston, TX
2. Brenner’s On the Bayou
| Address | 1 Birdsall St Houston, TX 77007 |
| Website | brennerssteakhouse.com |
| Type of Food | Steak & Seafood |
| Our Recommendation | Gulf Red Snapper |
Brenner’s On the Bayou is a romantic restaurant and makes a great choice for a fancy date night. It has a patio bar and dining area with views of the Bayou.
The bar itself, the Blue Bar, was included in Houston’s Top 10 Patios by Rest of the Best in 2014. It’s a stylish bar with helpful, professional staff.
They have a few options in terms of food, mostly based on meat and seafood. The selection of steaks is pretty good, from a 6 oz. center-cut filet mignon through to a 22 oz. USDA prime bone-in ribeye.
If you prefer chicken, you could go for the Renaissance Farms Roasted Chicken with lemon pepper, rosemary, and mashed potatoes. The Wild Boar Rack, with caramelized onion marmalade, raclette, and marbled potatoes, is also worth a try.
If you prefer seafood, the Gulf Red Snapper is a good call. It comes with a jumbo lump of crab, roasted cauliflower, French green beans, tomatoes, and lemon butter. Or you could go for Alaskan King Crab Legs (with butter and lemon). They have a range of delicious desserts, too.
You can get drinks in the Blue Bar, with a huge selection of wines (and a sommelier to help you choose). Happy Hour selections include The Alchemy G&T, craft beer, and small plates of food (Monday-Friday, 4 PM – 7 PM).
There is on-site parking and valet parking available, and you can go for takeout or delivery if you don’t want to eat out.
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3. Pinkerton’s BBQ
| Address | 1504 Airline Dr. Houston, TX 77009 |
| Website | https://pinkertonsbarbecue.com/location/houston |
| Type of Food | BBQ |
| Our Recommendation | Pulled Pork |
Pinkerton’s is a welcoming, friendly place to go for all ages. It’s busy and vibrant, and there is a patio where you can eat or enjoy a few drinks with friends on a warm evening.
You can expect classic BBQ food here. The pulled pork is amazing, but you can also go for beef ribs, prime brisket, smoked sausage, turkey breast, and boudin. Sides include potato salad, cole slaw, Jalapeno cheese rice, South Texas beans, mac & cheese, and smoked duck & sausage Jumbalaya (which is delicious, and worth trying).
They have a few puddings, too, including a delicious blueberry cobbler, a smoked bread pudding, and a banana pudding. It’s a good place to go for kids, too.
You can grab a drink and sit down on the patio. They have wine, beer, and cocktails to choose from, as well as soft drinks.
Pinkerton’s BBQ has on-site parking. It also offers takeout if you’d rather order online and eat at home.
4. Xochi Houston
| Address | 1777 Walker St Ste A Houston, TX 77010 |
| Website | https://www.xochihouston.com/ |
| Type of Food | Mexican |
| Our Recommendation | Hongos Tlayudas |
If you’re into Mexican food, you’ve got to give Xochi a try. With a small outdoor patio, you can enjoy a happy hour here with cocktails and some amazing food, or you can eat indoors and enjoy a full meal.
The food is incredible. The Tlayudas are a great lunchtime treat. They’re thin Oaxacan tortillas, cooked over wood, with various fillings. The Hongos Tlayudas has roasted mushrooms, fresh huitlacoche, goats cheese, beans, hoja santa, and mole Amarillo.
For dinner, you could try a larger plate. The Barbacoa de Res de Zaachila (grilled rolled steak, hoja santa, guajillo puya, and Costeno pepper broth with potato, carrots, and masa dumplings) is worth a try. They have some delicious chocolate-based desserts, too.
You can enjoy Happy Hour in the bar, with plenty of beer and Sangria to choose from. They have a wide range of cocktails, from the Mezcalini #1 ( sorbet, lime, mezcal, and gusano salt) to the Thorny Ranch Water (El Tesoro Silver, prickly pear, lime, Topo Chico).
They have street parking, on-site parking, and valet parking. They offer takeout and delivery if you’d rather eat at home.
Keep Reading: 6 Best Mexican Food in Houston, TX
5. Etoile Cusine Et Bar Houston
| Address | 1101 Uptown Park Blvd Ste 11 Houston, TX 77056 |
| Website | https://etoilecuisine.com/ |
| Type of Food | French |
| Our Recommendation | Cuisse De Canard Confit |
If you want to enjoy some French food and incredible wine, Etoile Cusine Et Bar Houston is the place to go. It’s an upmarket restaurant, so go here if you enjoy dressing up, or if you want to celebrate a special occasion.
The food is amazing. The Cuisse De Canard Confit (duck leg confit, fingerling potatoes, caramelized onions, salad, and Cabernet reduction) is great for lunch, or you can go for the Saint-Jacques Du Maine (seared scallops, saffron vegetable paella, and garlic aioli emulsion) for dinner.
They have some incredible desserts as well, from a classic creme brulee to profiteroles.
You can enjoy some good wine here, with bottles from 2009 upwards. The staff members are helpful, so if you’re not sure which wine to go for, they’ll be able to give you some recommendations. They have a decent range of beers and whiskeys, and some cocktails like the Scarlet Bramble (Botanist gin, fresh lemon, simple, and raspberry cordial).
They have on-site parking and valet parking, and you can pick up takeout or get home delivery too.
6. Caracol Houston
| Address | 2200 Post Oak Blvd Ste 160 Houston, TX 77056 |
| Website | https://www.caracol.net/ |
| Type of Food | Mexican |
| Our Recommendation | Langosta Puerto Nuevo |
Another great pick if you love Mexican food, Caracol Houston has an outdoor bar and eating area, so you can enjoy brunch or happy hour with your friends.
The food is great. They offer light brunch options every day, and a brunch buffet on a Saturday between 10 AM – 2.30 PM, with live music from 11 AM – 2 PM. If you want to go out for dinner, there are some amazing dishes. The Langosta Puerto Nuevo (fire-roasted lobster, flour tortillas, playa la ropa beans, and Arroz Mexicano) is a great special occasion dish.
They have some great fish dishes too, including the Ceviche De Coco (lime-cured red snapper, coconut, roasted pineapple, tangerine, habanero, red onion, and cilantro) is delicious. Plus, if you’re eating here at happy hour, you can pick from their Bar Bites, which include mini hamburgers, wood-roasted pork ribs, breaded oysters, and quesadillas.
You can pick up some nice drinks here. They offer sangria, bottled beer, and some cocktails like margaritas, the Spicy Pineapple Paloma, and mojitos.
They have a few parking options, including garage parking, validated parking, on-site parking, and valet parking. You can get takeout or delivery if you prefer to eat at home.
7. Rainbow Lodge Houston
| Address | 2011 Ella Blvd Houston, TX 77008 |
| Website | https://www.rainbow-lodge.com/ |
| Type of Food | American |
| Our Recommendation | Grilled North American Elk Chop |
Caracol Houston offers classic American food in a beautiful setting. They have a large outdoor seating area surrounded by trees wrapped in fairy lights. It’s a gorgeous spot to eat on a date night or for a special occasion.
You can enjoy some good dishes here, like the Grilled North American Elk Chop (with green chile, potato, and cheese enchiladas, New Mexico-style roasted green chile sauce, toasted pepitas, and queso fresco), or you can go for a vegetarian option like the Roasted Hen-of-the-Woods mushrooms.
They have a kids’ menu too, including classics like grilled chicken, crispy chicken breast strips, and chicken-fried steak fingers with fries, mac & cheese, or mashed potatoes and green beans. Kids and adults can enjoy desserts like Lemon Ice Box Pie or Warm Croissant Bread Pudding.
The drinks menu is solid, with a decent wine list and an incredible range of cocktails. Go for a classic like the Rusty Nail (single malt scotch and Drambuie) or a Lodge Special like the Friesling (frozen Riesling wine, honeysuckle liquor, and lime).
There’s on-site parking and valet parking, and you can grab takeout or delivery too.
Keep Reading: 6 Best Restaurants With a View in Houston
Our Final Thoughts
Hopefully, this has helped you to find the best restaurant for you! There are some amazing places to choose from in Houston, from French to Mexican to Italian to classic American food.
If you want to keep finding out more about Houston, check out our guides, like 8 Fun Places to Go With Kids in Houston, 12 Awesome Places to Go in Houston at Night, and the 6 Best Houston Spas for Massages, Facials, Treatments, and More.