The Ultimate Patio Guide To Austin, TX

By Kelsey Kennedy | February 25, 2025

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When the weather is absolutely freaking gorgeous, everyone in Austin is going to want to drink or dine on a beautiful outdoor patio. Honestly, it’s almost easier to list places without patios than with, because nearly every restaurant and bar in Austin has outdoor seating. But where are the best patios in Austin? Use the map below to find one near you!

About me: I’m Kelsey, a bestselling travel book author and the creator of 3 Texas travel websites. As a native Texan, I spend my own time and money exploring this state to help millions of readers find the best food, things to do, places to stay in Austin and beyond. Check out my other sites: TheSanAntonioThings.com and TheWacoThings.com!

Use the map below to find one of the best Austin patios near you!

TL;DR?

No time to look through this full list? As a local AustInite, here are my 3 go-to patios in Austin when the weather is just too good to stay indoors.

1. SOUR DUCK MARKET

Legit the best place for brunch, and bonus that my kids can play nearby in the kids play area while I use a QR code to order farm-to-table brunch food and cocktails to my table.

2. Fresas Chicken

Is it even spring until you’ve dined at Fresa’s Creekside patio? It’s all the Austin vibes, I swear! Grilled chicken and veggies, yummy tacos, hearty bowls, and the best dang ice cream in Austin.

3. Holiday on 7th

When I want to grab cocktails with a girlfriend, the giant backyard patio at Holiday on 7th is absolutely where I’ll head. Bonus that their snacky plates are absolutely insane.

The Best Patio Bars and Restaurants in Austin

ABGB

AUSTIN PATIO VIBES, baby! The Austin Beer Garden Brewery (ABGB) has a Live Oak-shaded property that was named the Best Large Brewpub in America 3 years in a row. Stop by for a slice of pizza and a pint of that award-winning crisp and cold beer on the outdoor patio, and stay for live music on the indoor stage every weekend evening.

WEBSITE | 305 W Oltorf St, Austin, TX 78704, United States

The Long Goodbye

One of the best new patios in Austin, The Long Goodbye is an all-day patio in Rosewood. Stop by in the morning for a coffee at Fleet trailer and stay through lunch for tacos at La Santa Barbacha, a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand taco truck. In the afternoons and evenings the bar has drinks (frozen/casual outside, and craft cocktails at the indoor bar.) The patio is huge and it’s a fun spot to chill with friends.

WEBSITE | 2808 Manor Rd, Austin, TX 78722, United States

Whisler’s

Whisler’s is an awesome cocktail bar on the east side that has one of the best patios in Austin. In the winter they zip it up in tents to keep people cozy, but in the spring/summer months it’s wide open and a lot of fun! Food trucks parked out back.

WEBSITE | 1816 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702, United States

De Nada Cantina

When a taco and margarita restaurant is this cute and this delicious, there's a 100% chance it will be packed every weekend. Such is the case with De Nada Cantina, but if you can snag a table on a sunny day in Austin, lucky you! Craft cocktails, homemade blue corn tortillas, and exceptional chips and salsa.

WEBSITE | 4715 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702, United States

Central Machine Works

Central Machine Works is a brewery in east Austin, but they also have pizza, cocktails, and wine. It’s kind of a “everyone loves the menu” sort of place, so it’s a fun patio for a big group in Austin.

WEBSITE | 4824 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702, United States

Lazarus Brewing

Lazarus has won more beer awards than almost any other brewery in Austin, and both of their locations also have amazing outdoor patios where you can imbibe and hang out with friends.

The East Austin location has an epic outdoor patio (it’s really big, especially for east Austin standards) and it’s a fun place to bring your dog and hang out with friends.

The Airport Blvd location also has a big patio, but it also has a kids play-scape so it’s a wonderful place to bring the whole family for beer and tacos.

WEBSITE | Multiple Address

Lenoir

Looking for some fine dining on a gorgeous outdoor patio? Lenoir has been one of Austin’s best upscale restaurants for years, serving Mediterranean-inspired farm-to-table cuisine and natural wine. The indoor bungalow only seats about 20, but the GORGEOUS backyard dining space is a lot bigger and shaded by Live Oak trees. It’s the perfect Austin patio for date night.

WEBSITE | 1807 S 1st St, Austin, TX 78704, United States

The Meteor

Ok, here’s a little secret: on a pretty day when every patio on South Congress will be packed, The Meteor has a hidden backyard space that tourists don’t know about. You can get a bottle of wine inside at the bottle shop and order food at the counter, and then enjoy a relaxing evening in the back patio away from the crowds.

WEBSITE | 2110 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704, United States

Armadillo Den

Located way down in far south Austin on this amazing bar district on Menchaca Rd., Armadillo Den is a 3-acre property with multiple bars, a stage, and a bunch of food trucks. It’s the type of place where Texans like to hang out all day, watch sports, listen to live music, and just chill. Armadillo Den has some of the best patio vibes in Austin.

WEBSITE | 10106 Menchaca Rd, Austin, TX 78748, United States

Cosmic Coffee

Any of the 3 Cosmic locations is a safe bet for the best patio in Austin. They all have sprawling outdoor spaces with nature built in (waterfalls, greenery, etc.), food trucks, and coffee/beer/cocktails available at the indoor bar.

WEBSITE | Multiple Address

Flo’s Wine Bar

Swanky, sophisticated, and chill, Flo’s Wine Bar is one of the prettiest wine bars in Austin and they also happen to have a sweet outdoor patio. This is the ultimate destination for an exciting bottle + a pizza shared with a friend on an Austin summer evening.

WEBSITE | 3111 W 35th St, Austin, TX 78703, United States

Mozart’s Coffee

There aren’t many waterfront restaurants in Austin, but Mozart’s is one of the best and prettiest places to enjoy a cup of coffee and a delicious pastry on a lakefront deck.

WEBSITE | 3825 Lake Austin Blvd, Austin, TX 78703, United States

Radio EAST

All of the Radio locations are known for their outdoor spaces, but Radio EAST has one of the biggest outdoor patios in Austin! You can get food from the food trucks, coffee/beer/cocktails from the indoor bar, and sit outside to hang out or listen to live music.

WEBSITE | 3504 Montopolis Dr, Austin, TX 78744, United States

Better Half Bar

Better Half is still one of the best restaurants in downtown Austin, and they happen to have an absolutely amazing patio. And one of the best parking lots in downtown Austin. (If you’ve lived here for more than a minute you know that’s a very big deal.)

WEBSITE | 406 Walsh St, Austin, TX 78703, United States

Kinda Tropical

Kinda Tropical is a converted gas station with awesome food, killer drinks, and a uniquely Austin vibe. The back patio is seriously massive so it’s always full of groups hanging out and enjoying cold drinks.

WEBSITE | 3501 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78702, United States

Este

Suerte and Este are sister restaurants in east Austin, but Este is my top pick for best outdoor dining for upscale Mexican cuisine. The coastal seafood means you’ll get lots of fresh, zingy crudos and spreads, tacos, margaritas, and whole grilled fish.

WEBSITE | 2113 Manor Rd, Austin, TX 78722, United States

Taste on Main

This steak and seafood restaurant is technically south of Austin in the city of Buda, but as soon as I visited I knew I had to include it on my guide to the best patios near Austin because it is beyond amazing! There’s a “treehouse” in the back that was built around a 200-year-old Live Oak tree. It really feels like you’re worlds away from the city. The raw oyster, cocktails, pasta, seafood, and steaks are all phenomenal.

WEBSITE | 116 Main St, Buda, TX 78610, United States

P6 at the LINE

For some of the best rooftop patio vibes in Austin, you have to head up to P6 at The LINE Hotel. This cocktail bar overlooking the lake actually used to be the 6th floor of the parking garage (what a waste!) until they renovated it into a swanky bar.

WEBSITE | 111 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78701, United States

Nido

Nido is quite possibly the best rooftop restaurant view in Austin. Why? It’s on the top floor of a building that was built on the opposite side of the lake from downtown, which means that while you’re enjoying your martini and lobster roll on the rooftop patio, you get an unobstructed view of the Austin skyline.

WEBSITE | Rooftop, 1211 W Riverside Dr, Austin, TX 78704, United States

Loro

Loro is Aaron Franklin and Tyson Cole’s Asian-inspired smokehouse (now with two Austin locations), and it has all the Austin patio vibes with lots of space, big shareable tables, shady trees, and absolutely delicious smoked meats and boozy frozen cocktails. Be sure to check out their happy hour menu.

WEBSITE | 2115 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704, United States

Birdie’s

Birdie’s has received a lot of prestigious accolades lately for their locally-sourced, rotating menu and impressive wine list, but this tiny restaurant also has a quaint, darling patio in the backyard that deserves to be mentioned here.

WEBSITE | 2944 E 12th St Unit A, Austin, TX 78702, United States

Redbud Ice House

Redbud Ice House is a burger and beer spot from the folks behind Michelin-ranked Olamaie. It’s a very casual counter-service spot where you can get an excellent burger, an ice-cold drink, and enjoy it outdoors while the kids play on the nearby playscape.

WEBSITE | 2027 Anchor Ln, Austin, TX 78723, United States

Hank’s

Hank’s is in a corner of Austin that doesn’t have a lot of other great restaurants, so that fact alone makes it consistently popular. But even if you’re not in the northeast corner of Austin, it’s worth driving here for the contemporary decor, delicious food and drinks, and awesome front patio.

WEBSITE | 5811 Berkman Dr, Austin, TX 78723, United States

Aba

South Congress wasn’t ready for the hours-long queue that is Aba during the Sunday brunch rush! This Chicago-based Mediterranean restaurant opened in Austin in the middle of the pandemic and has been killing it ever since! It’s seriously one of the prettiest patios in Austin.

WEBSITE | 1011 S Congress Ave Bldg 2 Suite 180, Austin, TX 78704, United States

Perla’s

My personal all-time favorite patio on South Congress, Perla’s is a pretty seafood restaurant with raw oysters, coastal cocktails, grilled seafood, and amazing patio vibes. It’s a very large patio for South Congress’s standards, so it’s a fun spot to enjoy a meal with a friend, split a bottle of wine, and people watch on SOCO.

WEBSITE | 1400 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704, United States

Launderette

Launderette is a New American restaurant that used to be an actual laundromat! It obviously has undergone a massive renovation to become the cuteness it is now. The food is exceptional, and the outdoor patio is one of the best places to eat lunch in Austin on a pretty day.

WEBSITE | 2115 Holly St, Austin, TX 78702, United States

Butterfly Bar

Butterfly Bar is basically just a big backyard, but the heart of it is an Italian food truck called Patrizi’s. It’s a family-run spot that serves hand-made pasta, sauces, and absolutely everything is delicious.

WEBSITE | 2307 Manor Rd, Austin, TX 78722, United States

Matt’s El Rancho

Matt’s is probably the most popular Tex Mex in Austin. Is it the best Tex Mex? Not necessarily (go to Polvos for that), but it does have some of the best patios for enjoying their famous Mexican martinis, Bob Armstrong dip, and a sizzling plate of beef fajitas.

WEBSITE | 2613 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704, United States

Banger’s Sausage House

Rainey Street has gotten overrun with VC money and high rises, but there are still a handful of places on Rainey that are worth visiting, and Bangers is one of them. They have the largest beer tap wall in Austin, homemade sausages ,and an incredible outdoor patio with rows and rows of picnic tables. There is live music on the weekends and amazing patio vibes!

WEBSITE | 79 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701, United States

Lolo Natural Wine Bar

I know, I know…a natural wine bar that’s not pretentious? But seriously, that’s what Lolo is. This is an adorably fun wine bar on the east side with a truly interesting selection of wine, some really cool and knowledgeable people who run it, and a great outdoor patio space.

WEBSITE | 1504 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702, United States

Meanwhile Brewing Co.

One of the best family-friendly outdoor spaces in Austin, Meanwhile Brewing Co is an award-winning craft brewery in southeast Austin. Stop by with the whole family to enjoy the outdoor play space, soccer field, numerous food trucks, and (of course) delicious brews on this massive tree-shaded property.

WEBSITE | 3901 Promontory Point Dr, Austin, TX 78744, United States

Justine’s

Austin’s best French food and they also have one of the best patios for dining in Austin Justine’s doesn’t take reservations for groups smaller than 6, but they’re open really late and it’s worth putting your name on the waitlist for those French cocktails, steak frites, and amazing French onion soup.

WEBSITE | 4710 E 5th St., Austin, TX 78702, United States

Hula Hut

This Polynesian-inspired spot isn’t necessarily the best food in Austin, but they do have a really great outdoor deck overlooking Lake Austin! So if you want a cool spot to get a cocktail or a beer on a pretty day and you want a restaurant with a view in Austin, Hula Hut is one of the best options.