Rocco Ranalli’s
1925 N. Lincoln Ave. 312-642-4700
Inside, this eatery is all old-school Italian with brick walls and checked tablecloths. Outside, the massive patio is the perfect place to devour a pizza and a few rounds of craft beer.
Corcoran’s Grill & Pub
1615 N. Wells St. 312-440-0885
During the summer at this Irish pub, beach volleyball teams from nearby North Avenue Beach vie with thirsty locals for seats on the sidewalk cafe and backyard beer garden, complete with its own coach house bar.
Crossing
2548 N. Southport Ave. 773-327-4900
Not only does this fenced-in beer garden have its own bar, but it’s also decked out with heaters when needed to extend the outdoor boozing season as long as possible. Couches tucked under the shade of the building are great for groups.
John Barleycorn
658 W. Belden Ave. 773-348-8899
Hidden behind the building and decked out with projection screens and a waterfall wall, the beer garden at this sports bar is one of the neighborhood’s best.
Mickeys
2450 N. Clark St. 773-435-0007
Just a few blocks from the lakefront, this laid-back tavern draws sports fans and warm-weather people-watchers alike. The covered patio with a view out onto busy Clark Street is a reliable hangout even on rainy days, and in the winter, it’s enclosed and heated.
Perennial Virant
1800 N. Lincoln Ave. 312-981-7070
There’s perhaps no better place to savor chef Paul Virant’s superseasonal, farm-driven fare than on this restaurant’s picturesque corner patio facing Lincoln Park.
Sarks in the Park
444 W. Fullerton Parkway 773-404-9000
The menu of pancakes, omelets and signature breakfast subs (called Lorettas) will do the job to cure last night’s hangover, but Sarks’ biggest asset is the spacious stretch of cement out front, located a flight of stairs down from street level.
O’Briens
1528 N. Wells St. 312-787-3131
Sturdy wooden chairs and a covered outdoor bar make dining al fresco at this classic old town bar and restaurant a summer tradition.
Fireplace Inn
1448 N. Wells St. 312-664-5264
The crowds at this Old Town bar and grill come for the barbecued ribs and super-sized vodka-spiked lemonades and stay for the spacious covered patio.
Zella
1983 N. Clybourn Ave. 773-549-2910
The inside of this Clybourn corridor wine bar features sofas and a fireplace, but on a warm day, the party is out back on the sprawling, tree-shaded patio.
Dinotto
215 W. North Ave. 312-202-0302
A table on the shady, plant-lined patio at this classy Italian eatery is about as close to dining in a Roman piazza as you’ll get in Old Town.
Homeslice
938 W. Webster Ave. 312-789-4600
This log cabin-themed pizzeria has two stellar outdoor options: a shady sidewalk cafe along Bissell Street and the sprawling fenced in backyard patio with twinkling lights, rocking chairs and couches for whiling away a warm afternoon or evening.
![“Let the music do the talking,” sang Phish vocalist-guitarist Trey Anastasio at the outset of the band’s concert Saturday at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Normally, hearing that advice from a well-disciplined virtuoso who seemingly never tires of the stage and worships the groove would pass without a hint of potential irony. However, given the group was not even one minute into the third of its sold-out four-night stand at the $2.3 billion dome — expressly devised to push sensory boundaries to previously uncharted limits — one couldn’t help wonder how seriously Phish would take its own instruction. Turns out […]](https://www.chicagotribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/CTC-L-ENT-PHISH-04-e1713888536637.jpg?w=620 "“Let the music do the talking,” sang Phish vocalist-guitarist Trey Anastasio at the outset of the band’s concert Saturday at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Normally, hearing that advice from a well-disciplined virtuoso who seemingly never tires of the stage and worships the groove would pass without a hint of potential irony. However, given the group was not even one minute into the third of its sold-out four-night stand at the $2.3 billion dome — expressly devised to push sensory boundaries to previously uncharted limits — one couldn’t help wonder how seriously Phish would take its own instruction. Turns out […]")
