Time to Dine Al Fresco

10 new Houston restaurants with spectacular patios for outdoor dining

If you manage to find fabulous food, terrific drinks and a spectacular outdoor setting all in one place this time of year, you've scored a major trifecta. The restaurants below pull off all three. From a contemporary Italian eatery near Minute Maid Park to a gastropub with fun games from cornhole to foosball, here are 10 new patios to hit up now.

Nobie’s
Look no further than newcomer hotspot Nobie’s in Montrose for delicious seasonal fare from land and sea, doting service, and an intimate 250 square-foot patio, with seating for 20, that offers a respite from the hustle and bustle of the city.
2048 Colquitt St.; 346-319-5919

Field & Tides
Heights bistro Field & Tides offers Southern comfort cuisine, from pimento cheese fritters to pan-seared scallops with seafood risotto, and outdoor seating for 32. Come summer, the owners are set to launch a bar and lounge next door, where you can enjoy sips, and snacks from the restaurant’s kitchen.
705 East 11th St.; 713-861-6143

Osso & Kristalla
Downtown’s Osso & Kristalla from Houston Astros owner Jim Crane has plenty of patio game, thanks to outdoor seating for 60, plus two flatscreen TV’s, a state-of-the-art sound system, and a prime location near Minute Maid Park.
1515 Texas Ave.; 713-221-6666

State Fare
Dig into drool-worthy Southern eats, including a smoked double pork chop, hot fried chicken, and fresh shucked cream corn, on the 24-seat patio at Gateway Memorial City restaurant State Fare, which CultureMap readers voted as Best New Restaurant at the recent Tastemaker Awards.
947 Gessner; 832-831-0950

Xochi
Chef Hugo Ortega’s (Hugo's, Backstreet, Caracol) latest concept, Xochi, is a prime destination standout for traditional Oaxacan cuisine paired with an extensive roster of mezcals, tequilas and Mexican craft beers. Indulge on the 775 square-foot veranda located on a prime corner of the new Marriott Marquis Hotel near Discovery Green. The patio has 60 seats, complete with large ceiling fans and a roof outfitted with slats that open and close, so it's a sure thing no matter the weather.
1777 Walker St.; 713-400-3330

Beaver's Westheimer
Up your your bar game when you dine alfresco at Beaver's Westheimer. The outdoor space at Briargrove/Tanglewood gastropub with Southern fare and tasty ‘cue boasts a 5,000 square-foot deck, a fire pit, a bar housed in a repurposed trailer, and games from Jenga to foosball.
6025 Westheimer Rd.; 713-714-4111

Grotto Ristorante Downtown
Enter the downtown locale of Grotto Ristorante at the George R. Brown Convention Center and you can’t miss the front 1,430 square-foot, 40-seat rustic dining space. Two propane fire pits, along with portable heaters and comfy couches, set the mood for a cozy good time if the weather gets chilly. Multiple TV's throughout make every seat the best in the house.
1001 Avenida de las Americas, Suite A; 713-658-0752

Bebidas
Two massive oak trees provide shelter from the sun on the 1,500 square-foot patio at Bebidas Juice, Coffee & Bites near River Oaks. Breakfast and lunch treats are available every day — the avocado toast is popular — and on Wednesdays, load up with fare from a revolving lineup of food trucks (6-8:30 pm). Once a month, get your workout on as various fitness spots (think Big Yoga to Define Body and Mind) host a class.
2606 Edloe St.; 713-554-0023

Hopdoddy Rice Village
Inventive burgers, frothy milkshakes, and ice-cold brews may be the hallmarks of Hopdoddy, but the spacious 4,000-square-foot patio, with a cornhole and seating for 100, at the Rice Village locale is also worth noting.
5510 Morningside Dr., Ste. 100; 281-557-2337

Brasserie du Parc
The terrace at downtown French eatery Brasserie du Parc makes an impression from the moment you walk in. The eye-catching 1,500 square-foot space, climate-controlled with sliding glass doors, features marble tables with wicker bistro chairs, providing seating for 100. What’s more, it’s also the home of a crêperie concept within the restaurant, Crêperie du Parc, which serves up delectable sweet and savory crêpes.
1440 Lamar St.; 832-879-2802

The eye-catching 1,500 square-foot patio at Brasserie du Parc is climate-controlled with sliding glass doors.

Houston, new patios, March 2017, Brasserie du Parc

Photo by Mauricio Hernandez

The eye-catching 1,500 square-foot patio at Brasserie du Parc is climate-controlled with sliding glass doors.

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What's Eric Eating Episode 590

Aaron Bludorn dishes on his new neighborhood tavern in The Woodlands

Photo by Claudia Casbarian

Bar Bludorn is now open in The Woodlands.

On this week’s episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” chef and restaurateur Aaron Bludorn joins CultureMap editor Eric Sandler to discuss the new location of Bar Bludorn in The Woodlands. Announced last year, the restaurant officially opened to the public this Friday, October 2.

It’s the fifth restaurant for Bludorn Hospitality Group, the company Bludorn operates with his wife, Victoria Pappas Bludorn, and their business partner, operations specialist Cherif Mbodji. It joins the company’s flagship, French-inspired fine dining restaurant Bludorn; Navy Blue, a seafood restaurant in Rice Village; Perseid, a French-influenced restaurant at the Hotel Saint Augustine; and Bar Bludon’s original location that opened in the Memorial Villages in 2023. Bludorn, Perseid, and Bar Bludorn all hold Recommended designations in the Michelin Guide.

As Bludorn explains, one primary factor drew the company to The Woodlands.

“We noticed a lot of people from The Woodlands come to Bludorn and even Bar Bludorn,” Bludorn says. “Having enough people tell you that over and over again, you feel so grateful they’d travel for a great meal. I wanted to give them a way they wouldn’t have to travel so far for a great meal.”

As a music fan, Bludorn has attended several concerts at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. He likes that Bar Bludorn’s location in The Woodlands Waterway allows diners to have dinner at the restaurant prior to making a five minute walk to the venue to see the performance.

While the interior in The Woodlands looks similar to the Memorial original, it does offer a couple of key improvements. First, the bar is larger, allowing more people to walk in for a burger or steak. Second, it offers a 50-seat private dining room (Memorial doesn’t have a private room at all).

Photo by Claudia Casbarian

Bar Bludorn is now open in The Woodlands.

The menu has some notable changes, too. The beignets are topped with lobster instead of the country ham served at Memorial, and the pasta selections includes pappadelle with lamb ragu and a take on carbonara made with duck confit and duck egg yolk. The short rib pastrami has been replaced with a Cuban sandwich. Bar Bludorn's signature fried chicken is joined by a roast chicken — both are served are served as whole or half birds with a choice of two sides and three sauces.

“When you have a restaurant that’s a neighborhood restaurant, there’s a desire to have a healthy component,” Bludon notes. “We’re launching a roast chicken. Now, you can get a half fried/half roasted chicken with a ton of different sauces, and you can pick your own sides. I’m told we do chicken really well, and I wanted to double down on that here.”

Leading the kitchen is chef Adolfo Lopez, while Malik McLemore, a veteran of both Bludorn and Navy Blue, heads north to serve as general manager.

“Bar Bludorn is meant to be a neighborhood restaurant. It’s meant to sink into the community and be part of everyone’s dining habits. It’s a place you can become a regular very easily. We’re excited about that opportunity here, for guests to take ownership of this restaurant,” Bludorn adds.

Notably, Bar Bludorn isn’t the company’s only opening for 2026. A still-unnamed project in San Antonio will debut before the end of the year, Bludorn shares, although he declined to reveal any details about its menu. He adds that BHG is seeking more opportunities beyond the Bayou City and its suburbs.

“For now, until we come up with a concept that’s different, we’re happy where we’re at in Houston, he says. “As we look to where we’re at today, we’ve got a really strong foundation as a group. We’re looking take more opportunities like we have in San Antonio and other places throughout the state, but they’re just conversations at this point.”

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