It’s that time of year again: patio season! Milwaukeeans are hearty folks, but when the weather’s warm and the sun is out, we take advantage of it every second we can. If you’re one of those people who decides where to eat or drink based solely on the presence of a patio—no judgment here—then check out these 12 Milwaukee-area patios that don’t often make other lists of most popular patios.
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1
Café Corazon (Milwaukee)
The patio at the Riverwest location of Café Corazón feels like a natural extension of the quaint, colorful restaurant interior. It’s not huge, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in character. The tiered space is located alongside the Beerline Trail, lending a natural backdrop for the restaurant’s bright, fresh Mexican-inspired food. If the patio is full, simply ask to sit in the back room which has large patio doors that open out onto the trail as well, making the room its own secluded patio spot.
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2
Café at the Plaza (Plaza Hotel)
You may not think about patio dining for spots that serve only breakfast and lunch, but Café at the Plaza has one of the best patios around. The secluded courtyard is like a secret garden, with a completely different vibe than the busy diner counter inside. Vines and flowers grow up the walls of the surrounding building, enclosing the narrow space in a sea of green. It’s a simple pleasure to enjoy a hot coffee and muffin under the patio heaters in the early hours of the morning.
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3
Camino
Camino specializes in elevated bar food and American craft beers, with 20 rotating selections on tap. You can find customary bar fare such as burgers and wings, but the Camino staff hold these dishes to the highest standard. The beef for the burgers is brought in fresh four times a week and is ground in house. They also took their time in creating interesting menu items like the Beet Reuben that comes with everything you would find on a traditional Reuben, except the meat is replaced with roasted beets.
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4
Capri di Nuovo
8340 W. Beloit Rd., West Allis, Wisconsin 53219Capri, a decades-old Italian restaurant in West Allis, was recently purchased and lovingly rehabbed after closing down. That total renovation includes a brick-walled patio jutting into the large parking lot. While it’s not huge, the walls make it feel secluded from the street and the fireplace keeps it cozy at night. Go with a group so you can all share a big antipasti salad, deep-dish pizza, cheesy baked lasagna and plenty of their well-known butter-drenched garlic bread.
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5
Carini's Southern Italian Restaurant
The patio at Carini’s Southern Italian restaurant (formerly Carini’s La Conca d’Oro) comes seemingly out of nowhere: large windows that front the restaurant are actually doors. In summer, they fold back accordion-style to expose the front dining rooms to the sidewalk. A metal fence that looks purely decorative when the doors are closed then becomes the boundary of the patio. Murals of an Italian lake are painted on the interior walls of the patio room, which, along with the genuine Neapolitan pizzas, could almost convince you you’re in Europe.
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6
Explorium Brewpub (Southridge)
Don’t let the Southridge Mall location of Explorium Brewpub fool you: This is a seriously great brewery and restaurant. The outdoor patio takes up a large space adjacent to a mall entrance that was dead space before. Now, it’s full of energy with a full outdoor bar, roaring fire pit and beer garden-style seating. Lights strung up above the space give it a warm glow and games of bags are sometimes played. It’s become a central Greendale meeting spot to enjoy a freshly brewed beer and a meal.
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7
Jackson's Blue Ribbon Pub
The patio at Jackson’s Blue Ribbon Pub matches its interior: Both spaces are voluminous. Inside, the soaring ceilings give the space a grand feel, while outside, the sheer size of the patio space makes it airy and seemingly never too crowded. There are dining areas, conversation areas with comfortable upholstered couches, and a big tent to provide shelter from sun or stray rain drops. There’s a lot going on in this patio area, including occasional live music performances and friendly games of bags in the grassy area.
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8
Paulie's Pub & Eatery
Paulie’s, located directly across from State Fair Park on Greenfield Avenue, offers customers a prime people watching spot from their patio. It’s easy to imagine sipping a beer on the elevated, wrap-around patio while State Fair crowds stream by in summer. Despite being on such a busy corner, the fenced patio serves as a respite for those munching on a fish fry or order of wings. Pregame on the patio before hopping on Paulie’s shuttle to Miller Park for a no-fuss tailgate plan.
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9
Red Lion Pub
The Red Lion Pub, in the space formerly housing Brocach Irish Pub, is styled as a British soccer (I mean, of course, football!) pub. Red Lion’s menu includes pub favorites like sausage rolls, meat pies, bangers and mash, pasties, and fish and chips. Brunch is also served, featuring Scotch eggs, corned beef hash and a chip butty. Red Lion Pub features a splendidly spacious roof-top patio.
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10
Stilt House
The Stilt House has been serving upscale casual small plates, sandwiches, wine and craft beer in an historic building in Downtown Cedarburg for about five years now. The restaurant’s patio runs alongside the building and balloons out into a large seating area in the back. That back area is surrounded by trees and greenery, making it feel more like someone’s well-landscaped backyard instead of a busy main street. Climbing vines, strings of lights and shade canopies make it a cozy spot for summer evenings.
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11
Toast
A new breakfast, brunch and lunch spot graced Walker’s Point earlier this year. Toast is one of the key spots where you can eat breakfast al fresco and let the sunshine warm the start of your day. Located between two buildings, the patio feels industrial but secluded, and gets full sun. Enjoy a substantial cube of the maple bacon cinnamon roll pull-apart bread, covered in a sticky maple bacon glaze, while you watch the traffic breeze by on Second Street.
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12
Vitucci's
Vitucci’s is well known as a late-night party spot, but they also have a more mellow hangout. The patio, located along the sidewalk on Cramer Street, is a great place to observe the chaos of North Avenue on a Saturday night without actually being in the midst of it. Patio heaters make an appearance when they need to, or just use the patio for day drinking purposes when sitting in a dim lounge would be an affront to summer.
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