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Photo courtesy of SoDel Concepts
Don’t let winter weather keep you from enjoying delicious dishes! Make the most of the season with an al fresco meal at these eateries.
Neither gray skies nor a stiff breeze can keep Parisians from sitting outside at their favorite café. Now Delawareans are developing the same savoir vivre. Since the pandemic, diners have bundled up to gather around a heater with friends and family.
“Every night, people are sitting outside,” says Dan Butler, owner of Piccolina Toscana in Trolley Square. “Sometimes, it’s actually quite chilly, but they still prefer to do that.”
Area restaurants are catering to these cold-weather consumers. “We will be doing outside dining as long as the guests want it,” says Joe Van Horn, owner of Chelsea Tavern in Wilmington’s downtown district.
Here are some local establishments offering outdoor dining this winter—if the weather isn’t too extreme and there is adequate staffing.
Upstate
BBC Tavern
Owner David Dietz has upped his game for the outdoor dining trend. The Greenville hot spot’s patio has expanded several times and offers firepits and heaters. It’s so cozy, you can enjoy a frothy cold beer in comfort.
4019 Kennett Pike, Greenville; 655-3785
Buckley’s Tavern
With heaters, the back patio will remain open if it’s comfortable. The front porch has heaters and can be enclosed with plastic sides that have openings for fresh air.
5812 Kennett Pike, Centreville; 656-9776
Keep cozy at Wilmington’s Corner Bistro, which warms the patio’s ambiance with a pergola and space heaters./Photo courtesy of Corner Bistro
Corner Bistro
Located in Talleyville, Corner Bistro now has a patio section that can seat 20. Defined by a pergola, the space boasts French-style tables and heaters.
3604 Silverside Road, Wilmington; 477-1778
Snuff Mill Butchery & Wine Bar
Diners like to sit outside partly because it’s so difficult to land a dining room reservation. Heaters and red-and-black plaid blankets add to the appeal, and if you squint at the clock in Independence Mall, you can pretend you’re in Philly.
1601 Concord Pike, Wilmington; 691-7149
Tonic Seafood & Steak offers heated outdoor dining with a street view, perfect for people watching./Photo by Tonic Seafood & Steak
Piccolina Toscana
The hanging ferns may have succumbed to a cold snap, but the outdoor dining space is still open for business. The heated patio is semi-enclosed, and diminutive Edison-style bulbs twinkle at night.
1412 N. Dupont St., Wilmington; 654-8001
Chelsea Tavern
Last year, the downtown Wilmington restaurant expanded into what was once an alleyway, and the alfresco addition is a hit, especially for brunch. The heaters will keep you toasty.
821 N. Market St., Wilmington; 482-3333
Tonic Seafood & Steak
Tonic has outside seating for 20 on the restaurant’s bar side and 24 on the dining room side. Both covered areas have heaters.
111 W. 11th St., Wilmington; 777-2040
Park Café
The Wawaset Park-area eatery has a pergola-covered patio with pyramid-shaped heaters. Order inside; dine outside.
2510 W. 5th St., Wilmington; 543-2233
Caffe Gelato
Owner Ryan German has led the charge when it comes to alfresco dining. He’s leveraged sidewalks, parking spots, and the front and back of the restaurant. He even lets guests dine inside when they’re outside; in 2020, the eatery added greenhouse-like structures for private dining with a view.
90 E. Main St., Newark; 738-5811
Snag a blanket and enjoy the view at GrainH20./Photo courtesy of Grain H2O
Klondike Kate’s Restaurant & Saloon
Front porch dining space features heaters and a street view.
158 E. Main St., Newark; 737-6100
Grain H20
Located on the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal, this location has firepits embedded in outdoor tables, perfect for staying toasty from appetizer to apéritif.
3006 Summit Harbour Place, Bear; 440-4404
Crooked Hammock Brewery
The backyard is the charm for this brewpub, so the crew will keep the party going outside as long as possible.
316 Auto Park Drive, Middletown; 601-7837
Downstate
Crooked Hammock Brewery
Enjoy an expansive outdoor area with games, seating and a beachy firepit.
36707 Crooked Hammock Way, Lewes; 644-7837
Grain on the Rocks
Like its sibling on the canal, the Cape May-Lewes Ferry terminal location has tablelike firepits—and a water view.
43 Cape Henlopen Drive, Lewes; 291-3900
Bramble & Brine at the Buttery
This new restaurant, expected to open last month, retained the covered porch (minus the plastic sides), and is heated.
102 Second St., Lewes
Enjoy Dough Bar creations from your own bubble in Milton./Photo by Rachel Swick Mavity
Dough Bar
Enjoy rustic comfort food and hand-tossed pizzas at Dough Bar in Milton. The outdoor bubble seating is great for small parties.
109 Union St., Milton; 386-7432
Thompson Island Brewing Co.
The beer garden of the Route 1 brewpub is tented and heated. The restaurant is part of SoDel Concepts, which offers outdoor seating and firepits at most locations. Visit sodelconcepts.com for a list of restaurants.
The Blue Hen
The downtown Rehoboth restaurant featured a firepit long before they went mainstream. It will quickly warm your feathers.
33 Wilmington Ave., Rehoboth Beach; 278-7842
SoDel Concepts offers several outdoor dining options with firepits at its locations, including this cozy spot at Fish On in Lewes./Photo courtesy of SoDel Concepts
In Maryland
Chesapeake Inn Restaurant & Marina
Situated on the C&D Canal, the restaurant has a heated tent that affixes to the building for extra seating.
605 Second St., Chesapeake City, Md.; 410-885-2040
Related: Where to Eat Outside at the Delaware Beaches This Fall