Soon, it will be feasible once again to comfortably sit outside for a meal. Lining The Woodlands Waterway, Lake Woodlands and golf courses around the township, The Woodlands’ dining scene offers plenty of ways to enjoy an outdoor dining experience.
As temperatures slowly retreat from the summer’s all-time highs, here are eight restaurants with the airiest patios and best views in The Woodlands:
Rose Rooftop and Restaurant
The Woodlands’ resident rooftop bar offers more than a prime Town Center view — it also boasts an upscale menu featuring flatbread pizzas, steaks, seafood and shareable snacks. As nighttime approaches, the two-story bar and restaurant’s rooftop goes full bar, offering wines, pomegranate martinis and eight other cocktails alongside upbeat music.
20 Waterway Avenue, The Woodlands. 832-341-5142, roserooftop.com. Open 5 p.m.-2 a.m.Thursday-Saturday, 8 p.m.-2 a.m. Sunday-Wednesday.
Churrascos
South American steakhouse Churrascos is situated along the main thoroughfare of the Waterway. Customers can watch swan boats and joggers pass by while enjoying empanadas, ceviches, and signature chimichurri marinated center-cut tenderloin under the expansive patio’s hanging lights.
21 Waterway Avenue, The Woodlands. 281-367-1492, churrascos.com. Open Tuesday-Sunday.
North Italia
Tables line the long canal that marks the end of The Woodlands Waterway at North Italia’s Woodlands Mall location. The restaurant’s exterior patio wraps around the entire length of the building, while an indoor/outdoor bar features wines, craft cocktails and local beers.
1201 Lake Woodlands Drive, No. 403, The Woodlands. 281-292-6935. Open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-11p.m. Friday and 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.
Landry’s Seafood House
Tucked away along a more slower-paced corner of The Woodlands Waterway, Landry’s Seafood House offers a laid-back patio with lush vegetation complemented by platters of seasonally-inspired seafood.
1212 Lake Robbins Drive, The Woodlands. 281-362-9696, landrysseafood.com. Open 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday.
Back Table Kitchen and Bar
Woodlands staple Back Table features Southern-inspired cuisine-from shrimp and grits to half-shell oysters and whiskey braised short rib. The restaurant’s airy terrace overlooks the 18th hole of The Woodlands Resort’s North golf course.
2301 N Millbend Drive, The Woodlands. Open 4-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 4-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday.
Del Frisco’s Grille
Modern American bar and grill Del Frisco’s offers quiet views of Lake Woodlands offset by Hughes Landing’s bustling Restaurant Row. Menu items range from cheesesteak egg rolls to bone-in ribeye, while its bar features 12 inspired cocktails and an extensive wine collection.
1900 Hughes Landing Blvd Suite 500, The Woodlands. 281-465-0300, delfriscosgrille.com. Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Monday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday.
Fielding’s Local
Creekside Park gem Fielding’s Local is all open: open kitchen and open-aired patio seating that overlooks Creekside Park Village Green’s wide open spaces. The locally-focused American grill cuts its own steaks, bakes its own breads and offers more than 250 wines and spirits at its Watering Hole Bar.
26400 Kuykendahl Road, The Woodlands. 281-401-9623, fieldingslocal.com. Open Monday-Sunday.
Local Pour
Local Pour’s patio overlooks Christmas light-lined trees, sculptures and fountains along Lake Woodlands’ shore.
Customers can recover from the “upscale gastro pub’s” eclectic bites and mostly-local beer menu with a walk along Hughes Landing’s Restaurant Row.
1900 Hughes Landing Blvd Suite 350, The Woodlands. 281-419-7687, localpour.com. Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11-midnight Friday-Saturday.