The dog days of summer are here.

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Bringing a four-legged friend along for dinner or drinks has never been easier. District officials once cracked down on restaurants and bars that hosted pets on patios, but in 2017 D.C. City Council members unanimously approved a bill allowing venues to custom tailor policies about welcoming animals.

These restaurants, bars, and hotel hangouts have patios that openly welcome dogs. Many of these venues also host regular “yappy hours” and offer snacks or full menus specifically geared toward pets. The city is full of outdoor patios, and while every single one isn’t dog-friendly, this list is just the tip of the iceberg of those that are.

This fall, the D.C. area welcomes two new pup-obsessed bars: Snouts & Stouts near Shirlington dog park and Dog Daze Social Club in Logan Circle.

Don’t see a personal favorite on the list? Sound off in the comments or shoot us an email (dc@eater.com).

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These patios are perfect for keeping it cool.

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Dustyn Zenner

Houston’s weather may be unpredictable, but there is no denying that the city boasts a pretty solid patio season when the climate is pleasantly cool and less humid. Though the weather will only cooperate for so long (hint: the time is now!), sitting outside with snacks and a cocktail can still be enjoyable.

Luckily, Houston’s patios in different pockets of the city offer a vibe for everyone, and Eater Houston is doing its best to keep track of the best.

Whether in search of sweeping skyline views or a no-frills hideaway with picnic tables to gather around and down beer and tacos, here are 21 options for perfect Houston patios to dine and drink al fresco.

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After a brutal winter and the “will it or won’t it” continual cliffhanger of spring, there is nothing like the reward of Chicago in the summertime. So naturally, every day it’s nice out, you’re going to want to be outside. Here’s our list of the quintessential places for you to do that.

NEW FOR 2023:

photo credit: Allison Gallese

ratings guide

This Japanese restaurant is on the rooftop of the $700-a-night St. Regis Hotel in Lakeshore East. The view of the skyline is incredible, and the service is even better. Miru’s food isn’t amazing (the long menu ranges from just-OK sushi to not-very-good entrees like burnt miso cod), but great food isn’t why you’re here. It’s to admire the view, have a bunch of drinks or dessert, and feel like you can afford to throw money off said rooftop.

Tetto is a rooftop from the Recess team, who’ve proven they know what’s required of a fun outdoor space: lots of places to sit, a great sound system, and strong drinks. That all applies here, including little cabanas with couches and the option to buy bottle service. But what makes this West Loop rooftop someplace we want to be is that it serves food from Professor Pizza. The (former) takeout-only spot is now operating out of Tetto, which means you can eat some of the best tavern and New York-style pizza in Chicago with an incredible view of the city and an $85 cocktail tower.

photo credit: Kim Kovacik

After a three-year hiatus, Best Intentions quietly reopened this year, simply writing “we back” on a teeny note posted outside their building. This also included this Logan Square bar’s secluded back patio. And that cute outdoor space happens to be an ideal place to drink $10 cocktails (which are way better than they have a right to be) and eat $6 smashburgers—you can even get a baker’s dozen for $72.

photo credit: Hugh Galdones

ratings guide

If you’re familiar with Big Star, then you pretty much know what to expect from Big Star Mariscos in West Town: wooden booths, a large patio, and a menu full of margaritas and tacos. But as the name suggests, this iteration of Big Star is more seafood-focused, with a selection of ceviche, aguachile, and coctels. The food is about on par with the original (kind of average) but the service is good and it’s a lovely outdoor space to grab some cocktails and share lime-marinated corvina.

photo credit: Kristen Mendiola

Pizza Lobo’s original Logan Square location has great pizza-by-the-slice, pitchers of beer, and a large outdoor patio. And their new Andersonville location is the same, including an enormous back patio that has firepits, astroturf, and (probably) a bunch of cute dogs. They serve thin crust (for Chicago at least) pies, and have solid red sauce options like the “amatrice yo-self” (roasted tomato, pancetta, and Calabrian chile), and white pies. Plus, they’re open until midnight.

photo credit: Kim Kovacik

ratings guide

RPM Seafood checks all the boxes. It has great seafood, solid cocktails, a lively crowd, and a large riverfront patio with umbrellas to protect you from the elements. And because it’s at street level, it doesn’t suffer from the smell of sewage wafting from the underside of the Clark Street bridge. Instead, you’re treated to an elevated river view surrounded by beautiful architecture and high rises reflecting the water. Go for a golden hour dinner, and watch the sunset shining in the glassy buildings melt into a twinkly backdrop.

THE SPOTS

The inside of Middle Brow in Logan Square is decorated like a DIY wedding—with tea lights, reclaimed wooden tables, and decorative plants in birdcages. And this brewpub/pizza spot’s huge patio has the same charming instead-of-wedding-cake-let’s-make-s’mores aesthetic. It’s a partially covered mish mash of picnic tables and rustic outdoor furniture with a cute wooden bar and fire pits. It’s perfect for small groups of friends, or anytime you feel sad that you don’t have a giant backyard of your own. Order anything that involves the housemade bread (like the toasts and spreads), plus the pepperoni pizza, and plenty of their light, hoppy beers.

This iconic Lincoln Park spot that’s famous for its take-no-shit staff and wild late-night atmosphere now has a spacious back patio, and it’s wonderful. The partially-covered backyard has tons of tables, a full bar, mini basketball court, ping pong table, TVs, and heaters. Just know that you can’t order food from the bar, so hit up the regular ol’ Wiener Circle line for a char dog and some good-natured verbal abuse—then head towards that great patio.

photo credit: Andrea Zelen

ratings guide

The Lardon is a salumeria, so the menu is full of salumi, cheese, and various meats they cure in-house. Basically a bunch of fun, snack foods that are perfect for a solo meal while getting some work done, or a casual date. Sit out on their patio, order a meat and cheese spread (which come with housemade accouterments like onion jam), some wine, and wave a cornichon around to emphasize a hilarious-yet-charmingly-relatable point you’re making.

Rose Mary is a great Croatian spot in the West Loop and reservations are hard to get. But now they’re a little bit easier thanks to extra seating on their outdoor patio. Those new outdoor tables are all covered with large umbrellas to protect you from the sun, and decorated with string lights to distract you from noticing all the construction cranes swinging around the neighborhood. The menu has dishes like a tomato, farro, and asparagus salad, delicious crni rizot topped with grilled squid, and incredible pastas. And the service here is great—both inside and outside..

photo credit: Kim Kovacik

ratings guide

Every summer we tell people to go hang out at the outdoor space at Green Street Smoked Meats. You should still do that, but now you should also check out Trivoli Tavern. It’s owned by the same team and they’re also a part of Gin Alley. This means they have a twinkly lit cobblestoned patio that’s very cute for a date. Trivoli serves upscale bar food like fish and chips (they have a very good steak frites) and dinner here just might take the sting out of your canceled European vacation.

If you just want to sit with friends outside, drink some cocktails, and eat delicious pizza, Pizzeria Lobo in Logan Square is where you can do this. They serve thin-crust pies, and you’ll find excellent red sauce options like the “amatrice yo-self” (roasted tomato, pancetta, and Calabrian chile), and white pies like the castello bianco—with meatballs, ramps, and parm. Plus, their large patio is heated and partially covered, and you’ll never need to worry about your breadsticks getting soggy because of rain.

Fiya in Andersonville is a wonderful Israeli restaurant. From the pillowy pita to the tahini-rich hummus that’s slick with olive oil to a khachapuri filled with shakshuka—it’s all delicious. And you can’t see it from the street, but they have a large, quiet, courtyard behind the restaurant that’s filled with strings lights and trees. It’s exactly the kind of relaxing spot that’s perfect for a low-key summer dinner.

Recess in the West Loop is a theme bar, and the theme is basically “adult playground.” The outdoor space is huge (14,500 square feet), and includes tables situated inside repurposed shipping containers, giant games of things like Connect Four, and it even has an outpost of Bob’s Pizza. In conclusion, come here, get drunk, order pizza, and repeat all summer long.

Parson’s is another spot that has an outdoor area more memorable than its food. We’re not saying the food is bad—the fried chicken and fish here are pretty good. But as with Big Star, we’re mostly here for the patio, which is big and enclosed so you don’t feel like you’re sitting on the street. Plus, there’s an outdoor bar serving negroni slushies. The large picnic tables make it perfect for groups, and there are big umbrellas to shade you from the sun. Basically, if there is an inside to this restaurant, we don’t want to know about it.

Bistro Campagne’s courtyard is charming, with brick walls, ivy, and lots of plants and trees. It’s one of our favorite summertime spots, and it happens to also be one of the best-kept secrets in Lincoln Square. This means the crowd (to the extent that there is one) seems to be filled with mostly regulars. Stick with French classics like escargot and boeuf bourguignon, and plan on ordering a second bottle of wine as an excuse to spend more time here. Who knows, maybe you’ll become a regular, too.

This Filipino restaurant in Wicker Park works well for date night, dinner with a friend, or even just having some chicken adobo by yourself. The charm factor increases even more when you can sit on their small, tree-lined back patio. It feels like the kind of tiny urban backyard you’re certain exists but have never experienced for yourself, like exact change or a runner’s high. Don’t skip out on dessert while you’re here—the pastries are fantastic and the halo halo is some of the best we’ve had in Chicago.

One of our favorite summertime spots is the enclosed backyard patio at The Duck Inn in Bridgeport—it’s easy to forget you’re in the city. Order anything involving duck (including the whole rotisserie duck, which needs to be arranged ahead of time), or the duck-inn dog (a hot dog cooked in duck fat). Just make sure you have enough time to hang out after dinner and have drinks. The space has fire pits and comfortable chairs that will make you want to stay a while.

We like the Asian fusion food at Mott Street in Logan Square more and more every time we eat here. And we enjoy this place the most when we get to sit on the outdoor patio. It’s large enough for a group, but still calm enough for date night. Plus, if you come for brunch, you can eat the delicious burger outside (normally it’s reserved for those sitting at the bar).

As the name suggests, this place has a theme—it’s decorated like a cabin from the 1800s, and there’s a lot of game on the menu. The all-weather outdoor area at Frontier in West Town will protect you from the elements, which is more than we can say about the poor pioneers who lived on the actual frontier. And while you will find things like antelope and elk on the menu, thankfully their commitment to the theme stops there since pioneers didn’t have hand sanitizer. Or air conditioning.

photo credit: Adam Sokolowski

ratings guide

Adalina can be a bit of a sh*tshow. This upscale Italian spot is busy and loud, walks the line between fancy and overly formal (you’ll find servers in jackets), and gets pretty chaotic after 9pm. But the vibe on the sidewalk patio is much calmer and you’ll still have friendly service. Plus, the food is good. The patio menu has dishes like gnocco fritto with prosciutto, whipped ricotta, and honey (a fantastic starter) salads, and a $165 shellfish tower. So if you’re looking for a celebratory meal but don’t want to make conversation with the drunk people at the table next to you, sit outside.

photo credit: Sandy Noto

ratings guide

This Edgewater classic has been around since 1959, and while we weren’t regulars back then, it feels like it probably hasn’t changed a lot. The menu is short, focusing on drinks and a small selection of sandwiches and burgers, all of which are solid. But what makes Moody’s particularly special is its outdoor area. The patio, surrounded by large trees and decorated with twinkly lights, is huge—so come with a group and camp out.

For an easy romantic Italian meal outside, the answer is Piccolo Sogno every time. The patio here is covered with string-lit trees, sequestered from the street, and large enough to accommodate a lot of people without feeling too crowded. As mentioned, it’s great for dates, but it also works for dinner with just about anyone else—parents, colleagues, friends, time-share salespeople, etc.

Parlor is Big Star’s college freshman brother home for the weekend. This spot has two patios (guaranteeing you won’t have to wait too long to snag a seat) and plenty of shade, so basically, you can hang out here for as long as the beer and food last. While the pizza isn’t going to win any awards, it’s tasty, and the long menu of solid bar food makes this spot a crowd-pleaser. It works even if you’re not rushing a fraternity.

Do a few sets of tables and chairs outside a seafood shack count as outdoor dining? We vote yes. And those tables and chairs are the best place to enjoy the smoked fish at Calumet Fisheries on the 95th Street Bridge. Also valid: eating while leaning against your car, or sitting in the trunk with the back door open (don’t eat it with the windows closed unless you want your whole car to smell like fish). Get the smoked salmon and fried shrimp.

You go to Azul Mariscos when you’re in the mood for the kind of spot that has a live DJ, bottle service, a rooftop and patio on the water, and gives you the option to order cocktails for the table in a $150 clay pot. This seafood restaurant recently opened along the Chicago River in Goose Island, and the food is Latin-inspired. This means the menu is full of things like lobster empanadas, tacos, shrimp aguachile, and seafood towers. Is it Miami? No, but it doesn’t feel like Chicago either.

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A fire pit and outdoor dining at Assembly Rooftop Lounge.

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Assembly Rooftop Lounge.

The arrival of colder months would typically mark the end of the outdoor dining season, but the normalization of social distancing has warmed us up to the idea of dining al fresco. By extension, more restaurants are stepping up their winterized patio game more than ever. Philly restaurants and bars have come up with creative solutions for eating and drinking outside in the cold, including warming additions like fire pits, tented terraces, overhead heat lamps, and more. Just don’t forget to bundle up, no matter how decked out the tent may be: Winter in Philly is no joke.

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Shower curtains aren’t just for bathrooms anymore. Some people use them to warm their homes in winter, as well as their patios. To execute this particular hack, use a measuring tape to find the length of each open side that you plan on enclosing, as well as the height of the ceiling to the floor. These measurements will tell you exactly the size and amount of shower curtains you need to purchase, along with how much cord you will need. Then head to your local hardware store and purchase your shower curtains, spool of cord, and heavy-duty screw eye hooks. While dependent on the size of your space, the cost should be rather affordable; you might be able to complete the job for under $20.

Once you have your materials, secure the screw eyes to the inside corner of your patio’s overhang, adding more along the perimeter for extra support. Next, cut your cable a foot longer than the perimeter of your patio, thread it through each eye screw, and tie the two ends securely where they meet at the first screw. Add your shower curtains to the line, and your patio is ready for winter. If you’re looking for a bit more weather protection, you can attach Velcro strips to the bottoms and sides of each curtain and connect them to corner posts, the floor, and one another. Once spring rolls around, simply remove the curtains from the line, rinse them off, and store them in a dry place until next winter.

Originally Appeared Here

‘We’re trying to create an opportunity, but not endless opportunity,’ mayor says as town updates its policy to allow up to six parking lot patios, remains firm on banning patios in traffic laneways

Newmarket’s downtown could see more restaurant patios next year as the town updates its policy.

Town council gave tentative approval to an update to its downtown patio policy that could allow for two more restaurants to utilize parking spaces for patios within the BIA. The town is also making changes to policy, such as allowing for multi-year applications. 

Councillor Bob Kwapis proposed expanding allowed parking space patios from four to six within the BIA. 

“I would have a very hard time saying “here’s four” and have friction between who is the favourite, who isn’t, and maybe there’s a little bit of bad blood,” Kwapis said. “I would like to see the flexibility of six.”

The town has typically limited patios that extend into parking spaces to four at a time since implementing the program in 2015. Staff sought direction as to whether to keep the cap in place, with council opting for an increase.

The program allows for three patio types, including small frontage patios where alcohol is not permitted, sidewalk patios and parking space patios.

A staff report said the program has remained popular, including among non-restaurant locations that see the benefit of increased foot traffic. But staff addressed feedback to improve the program, including a change to the application period to give businesses more time to ready patios for the summer, plus multi-year approvals so that businesses can invest in their patios. 

Acting manager of regulatory services John Comeau said that given the high demand for the program, policy is needed to guide staff on how to administer it. 

A couple of restaurant owners were upset last summer after the town dialled back some pandemic-specific measures that allowed restaurants to build patios in laneways. Comeau said the municipality is not budging on that matter.

“We got a little creative with some of the spaces,” Comeau said. “Now, as we return to normal, we aren’t permitted to approve patios that are in live traffic laneways.” 

But anyone can apply for the program under the parameters laid out by the town, Comeau added. 

The town is keeping fees mostly the same, with a licence fee of $389 and $0.5 per square foot monthly for patios on town property. The fee is increasing to $0.7 per square foot monthly for the parking space patios.

Newmarket Mayor John Taylor said patios add to the downtown, but parking space is at a premium. He added that there could be conflict with any cap. 

“I worry about even trying to put a reasonable cap like six on it,” Taylor said. “We’re trying to create an opportunity, but not endless opportunity.”

But Kwapis said a cap would be a good balance, and the town could revisit the issue.

Council proceeded with the cap of six parking lot patios and is due to finalize the decision at its next meeting Dec. 14.

Editor’s Note, Dec. 6, 2023: This article and headline has been altered to correct and clarify that the proposed changes to the town’s patio program will not increase the size of parking lot patios, but will increase the potential number of parking lots patios from four to six. 

 

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For eateries still struggling to recover from the pandemic, the additional cost would spell doom, city committee hears

Burlington’s downtown restaurants are taking a financial blow when it comes to funding their outdoor patios.

On Tuesday, they pleaded with councillors for funding help or changes to the city’s recommended seasonal outdoor patio program. They are asking that there be no fees for the outdoor patio program in 2024.

Council’s community planning, regulation and mobility committee heard from several downtown restaurant owners about the City’s proposal.

Some fear their restaurants will be forced to close if they have to pay some of the suggested fees and stipulated liability insurance coverage included in the city’s 600-page document provided to them.

The Martini House, Pepperwood Bistro and Downtown Bistro were among the popular hot spots criticizing the city’s report, which also includes design guidelines and patron patio-to-restaurant ratios. It stipulates that the patio makes up 50 per cent of the clientele.

Restaurant operators spent a few hours explaining their circumstances, forcing the committee to send the report back to have staff incorporate some of the feedback.

In 2020 council approved a temporary patio program to support local eateries in response to COVID-19 restrictions. Since then, the city has enacted bylaws each season so the program could continue. In 2021, there were participants in the program, while last year, there were 27.

During last year’s patio season, some 17 parking spaces in the downtown were occupied by patios. At $2,982 per space, 17 occupied parking spaces resulted in an estimated total loss of $50,694. Staff say costs for the installation and removal of safety barriers was $10,000 last year.

The city is now trying to establish a permanent, city-wide program for 2024 for patios on both private and public lands – both will have different bylaws and different associated costs.

Staff recommended the following fees: $40 per square metre for occupancy of public lands and $33.25 per linear metre where city-provided safety barriers/signage is required.

They also recommended resumption of a $5-million insurance liability limit for the 2024 patio season.

For patios on private property, the city recommended: applicants be subject to the existing fee for minor site plan approval – set at $1,820 for 2024. Patios on public lands would cost applicants $1,500.

“For us, it would probably kill us. It would do us in,” said Mike Lorinczi, of Downtown Bistro. “If we went to 50 per cent (on the patios) we would lose out on that back patio and we’d end up losing five staff members.”

He said it would be like stepping back 10 years in terms of building a business.

“Customers want to sit on the patio,” otherwise, they move on, he added.

Lorinczi said if Bistro reducing the patio by 50 per cent would mean the 30-seat restaurant would only be able to seat 15 people on the patio. He created a patio in the back parking lot that seats 42 people at a cost of $30,000, when wood was at a premium.

Brian Dean, from the city’s Downtown Business Association, and Craig Kowalchuk, representing Burlington Restaurant Association, told the committee that they have spent more than $100,000 in new infrastructure for a permanent patio program in the downtown.

“We wanted to deliver a superior style,” he said. “It wasn’t managed behind a desk. We worked hand-in-hand with operators. We got out there and made it happen.” 

Dean said the program added almost 200 new outdoor patio seating spaces, along with six part-time employees. It also resulted in 310 square meters of new pedestrian infrastructure on five downtown streets.

“We are on the cusp of approving a program with a funding model that downloads all of the cost onto the applicants,” said Dean. This is not the leadership we were expecting from this report and from the committee of council. We want to be part of a program that incentivizes innovation, not one that penalizes it.”

Dean said costs would balloon by some 21 per cent for restaurant owners.

“Our friends in Toronto have figured it out,” he said, pointing to numerous financial programs and matching grants available to restaurant owners under the ‘CafeTO’ program that are nowhere to be found in Burlington’s report.

Kowalchuk said the hospitality industry is taking years to recover from the pandemic.

He suggested that in a struggling economy, the city needs a vibrant downtown and it needs to eliminate barriers. He said they are struggling in every way possible, including work-staff shortages. Furthermore, he said, insurance at the city’s $5 million liability stipulation could cost $10,000 to $40,000 alone.

Pepperwood’s Stephen Bell and the Martini House’s Barry Glazier agreed that the costs associated with the city’s proposal wouldn’t make it feasible to have any outdoor patio.

“This program, the way it stands right now, for an average operator could be anywhere from $130,00 and $230,000 in sales that we’d have to do, just to recover the costs on this,” said Bell. “Based on what we had last summer, with the rain and the smoke, myself and Pepperwood… wouldn’t participate in the program. It wouldn’t be viable. I mean, for 20 extra seats or 24 extra seats, you’re never going to recover your costs.”

Staff will report back to committee in the new year with updates.

Originally Appeared Here

Planning to dine outside throughout the cold days of New England’s fall and winter? Below, find some of the best all-weather outdoor dining in and around Boston. Note that while these options are heated, most restaurants still encourage diners to dress warmly, and some of these still close in case of extreme weather. It’s best to check with a restaurant directly before heading over, and most of these require or at least encourage reservations.

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Ready for chili by the patio fire, but waiting until it’s legal again

Published 2:59 pm Wednesday, November 8, 2023

By Felder Rushing
Gardening Columnist

It’s time again for home-made chili around that patio fire, and I’m ready. When it becomes legal again, that is.

I was almost an unwitting miscreant; while planning a quiet evening of sitting around a cozy fire with family over bowls of my trophy chili, a little nagging thought gave me pause. Unlike my old self that would have just gotten down to it, the older, tad more cautious me went to the Mississippi Forestry Commission website to check on burn bans.

Sure enough, my county is under one in which even backyard fire pits are expressly forbidden. Doesn’t matter that this old Eagle Scout knows fire safety, keeps surroundings clear, uses well- seasoned hardwood that doesn’t pop embers everywhere, and always has a water hose bucket; I  would have still been liable for a hefty fine had someone smelled their way to the scene of my transgression.

But I am ready for the minute the ban is lifted. I have a half a cord of split hardwood (mostly oak, a bit of hickory and maple) that burns steadily for a long time, gives off plenty of warmth, and smells sweetly. It has been stacked for four months, drying for more efficient heat with less smoke. I also keep a small stack of pine for faster starting and more vibrant flames; sometimes I chuck on a cedar log for its spicy aroma.

Rather than use treated fire starter sticks, I usually adhere to a simple, almost sacramental ceremony for lighting the flames by making a teepee of dry wood shavings topped with small, dried twigs and slightly larger branches. This calming ritual harks back to scout camp days of trying to use just one wooden match; pardon this little side trip, but I rarely cheat with a Bic lighter, preferring old school wood matches. Love how that pop of bright spark off a match box’s red phosphorous strip ignites the sulfur and potassium in the match head. Makes me feel as though I am holding a bit of the universe’s original Big Bang.

Anyway, I do love my evening fires; along with having a splashy little water fall nearby, I seem to be hardwired for it. In fact, I strongly suspect that one of the reasons we are so easily glued to the TV is how those flickering electronic colors tap into our thousands of years of staring at dancing flames of a warm, protective fire. I was once accused of being unable to leave a TV remote control alone because of so many years of my using a fire poker to move burning logs around…

Back to the practicalities of the fire pit. I have seen so many gardens, both home gardens and in flower shows, that include some sort of entertainment fire feature. While one friend of mine loves his patio’s gas fire feature (which is legal, even during a burn ban) and how the colorful glass beads reflect the flames, and lots of folks fuss with their little upright potbellied chiminea, most entertainment fires are simple clearings in nonflammable areas of the garden or flagstone patio, with a small circle of stones or a hardened metal bowl.

We use movable chairs to adjust our exposure to the warmth and avoid wafting smoke making my guests’ clothes and hair smell like backwoodsmen, we use a nearby small fan which also cuts down on mosquitoes.

Got my secret chili ingredients ready, now just waiting for the official go-ahead to fire up my favorite Autumn ceremony, ready to warm up while staring into the flickering past and musing about Life.

Felder Rushing is a Mississippi author, columnist and host of the “Gestalt Gardener” on MPB Think Radio. Email gardening questions to rushingfelder@yahoo.com.

 

Originally Appeared Here

The Best Outdoor Pizza Ovens for Crispy CrustsTrevor Raab

“Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links.”

While we love tending to the grill and gathering around a fire pit, theres something we (and your party guests) may love more: Pizza. Baking your pie in the oven can yield good results, but there’s nothing like the crunchy crust and smoky flavor of a pizza made in a proper hearth. If you’re hoping to replicate your favorite restaurant’s pies, an outdoor pizza oven can take your homemade slices from decent to genuinely artisan.

Outdoor pizza ovens reach much higher temperatures than regular ovens, and in less time. That high heat is exactly what you need for a perfectly cooked pizza crust, and our tests found that many of our recommended models can cook up your pie in as little as 60 seconds—a genuine game-changer for frequent party-throwers or big family pizza nights.

Plus, many of the outdoor pizza ovens we recommend are suited for other tasty foods, just like a real hearth. You can make fish, meat, roasted vegetables, and even bread in these countertop and standalone ovens—excellent for anyone who loves entertaining on the patio.

The Best Outdoor Pizza Ovens

What to Consider

How Outdoor Pizza Ovens Work

Outdoor pizza ovens use gas or wood to create flames across the top that radiate intense heat downwards, heating the pizza stone. Once the stone hits cooking temperature, throw your pizza in the oven—because the stone is as hot as the “roof” of the hearth, the pizza cooks evenly and quickly from both the top and bottom. While it cooks, those flames up top produce a golden crust that’s crispy on the outside and soft and airy on the inside. Because the pizza only takes a minute or so to cook, you can make a few with different toppings one after another.

Size and Temperature

The oven’s size dictates the maximum temperature the unit can reach, as well as the size pie you can cook in it. Many outdoor pizza ovens are designed for 12-inch pies. Our Best Overall pick, though, can accommodate pizzas up to 16 inches for big, restaurant-like slices.

Pizzas are typically cooked at a minimum of 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Classic Neapolitan pizza requires temperatures over 900 degrees (these are the ones with golden crusts, mottled with dark leopard spots, that you often see on Instagram).

The pizza ovens we recommend have max temperatures that far exceed 500 degrees, but note that an oven with a relatively low maximum temperature will still give you a delicious, cooked-through pie—it just may not look quite as picture perfect.

Fuel Type

Wood is the traditional fuel of choice for pizza ovens, favored for the smoky flavor it imparts in the crust and toppings. However, wood (or charcoal) fires take longer to heat up and require more attention to maintain the right temperature. That may not be an issue if you’re only making a couple of pies, but it can become a hassle if you’re cooking multiple pies for a large group, or entertaining a party while you cook.

Propane fuel can heat a pizza oven up quickly with just the turn of a knob. The convenience of firing up the oven on high and being ready to cook a pie within 15 minutes is hard to deny, as is the ease of clean-up when there’s no ashy firebox to empty. However, propane ovens won’t give you the wood-fired flavor.

Luckily, you don’t have to pick just one: Many of the brands we recommend offer extra accessories you can buy to accommodate a different fuel type. There are even some options with combined fuel, so you can heat up your oven fast with the propane and imbue the pizza with wood-fired flavor, too.

How We Selected

To find the best pizza ovens, we looked at models with good features and designs and called in a handful to try ourselves. We selected pizza ovens that use a variety of fuels, including gas, charcoal, and wood. We tested several, too, including the Ooni Karu 16, Ooni Karu 12, Gozney Roccbox, Bertello, Bertello Grande, Alfa Nano, Solo Stove Pi Prime, and Cuisinart 3-in-1 pizza ovens.

For testing, we heated each oven for 30 minutes to season them and burn off any oils or contaminants from manufacturing, then let them cool completely. Fifteen minutes after firing up each oven on high using propane burners, we measured the temperatures on the pizza stones with an infrared thermometer.

Then, we made pizza, using the same dough each time, with propane and oak firewood as our fuel. During cooking, we noted how well each oven performed, different features, and their ease of use. Finally (and most enjoyably), we assessed, a.k.a., ate, the pizza. We recommend these ovens based on our experience and, for the ovens we haven’t gotten our hands on yet, we evaluated specs, features, and user reviews to ensure their quality.

Karu 16 Multi-Fuel Outdoor Pizza Oven

Over a decade ago, Ooni built its first portable pizza oven with a design that many have mimicked. The Karu 16 is capable of making 16-inch pizzas fired either with propane or wood. In testing, we liked the new version’s locking door with a glass window, which kept temperature in the oven consistent and allowed us to keep an eye on our pizza while it cooked.

Ooni also added a digital thermometer that monitors air temperature in the oven. Using the propane burner is super easy and will get the job done, but we appreciate the large firebox for wood, which provides a lot more flame across the top of the oven.

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Karu 16 Multi-Fuel Outdoor Pizza Oven

amazon.com

$749.99

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Karu 16 Multi-Fuel Outdoor Pizza Oven

amazon.com

$749.99

Pizza Oven

This outdoor pizza oven looks like the Ooni Karu, and it’s a fraction of the price. The stainless-steel oven is fueled by wood pellets, which conveniently load in a trap door at the back—though unlike the Karu, wood is your only fuel option for this oven.

It preheats in roughly 18 minutes, can cook pizza in 2 minutes or less, and reaches a maximum temperature of 860 degrees. It’s also easy to store, weighing a reasonable 25 pounds with folding legs. The only drawback—though likely not a dealbreaker—is that there’s no integrated temperature gauge.

Pi Prime Pizza Oven

A pizza oven from the smokeless fire pit folks? Yup—and it comes in a wood-fired oven option, or a dual fuel model with a propane burner. We’ve used it both ways and prefer the ease of burning propane.

As with most portable wood fired ovens, this one took longer to reach operating temperatures when burning wood, and we needed to keep an eye on the fire to add more when it burned down. Still, it’s nice to have the option if you’re into the authenticity of wood fired pizza.

It took us about 20 minutes to get the oven up to temperature with propane, but you can expect longer times when it’s cooler outside and shorter when it’s hotter. In testing, the average cook time was about 90 seconds and required turning the pie every 20 seconds or so.

We found that managing oven and stone temperatures didn’t take too much time, although like other ovens without a door, breezy or windy days could make it more challenging. The oven opening on the Pi is 13 inches wide, so 12-inch pies are about as big as this oven can handle.

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Pi Prime Pizza Oven

www.amazon.com

$300.00

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Pi Prime Pizza Oven

www.amazon.com

$300.00

Karu 12 Outdoor Pizza Oven

The Karu 12 multi-fuel pizza oven lets you cook with wood or charcoal, or an optional gas burner for propane, which is what we used in testing. We were as impressed with its ability to cook a delicious pizza in 60 seconds as we were with its design and construction. Made from stainless steel and riveted with tight seams, the sleek oven is compact and easy to set up.

We easily reached temperatures over 900 degrees using propane, although it took a little longer using wood on top of charcoal in the firebox. The flames in the Karu licked across the roof of the oven, radiating intense heat down and heating the stone before we put a pizza in. This resulted in an evenly cooked pizza from top to bottom in no time.

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Karu 12 Outdoor Pizza Oven

amazon.com

$395.95

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Karu 12 Outdoor Pizza Oven

amazon.com

$395.95

Grande Outdoor Pizza Oven

Bertello’s Grande, 16-inch outdoor pizza oven is considerably bigger than its original model, which we tested. It works in much the same way, though—it can burn wood, propane, or both at the same time. We like the flexibility this offers, allowing us to heat the oven quickly and start cooking before worrying about how much wood we had on hand.

We did need to keep an eye on the temperature as the pizza stone got so hot the bottom of the pie cooked a lot faster than the top. This is partly due to the burner being located under the back half of the pizza stone. We got the best results warming the oven up with the burner on high, then turning it down and adding wood just before we put the pizza in. This resulted in flames across the roof of the oven, radiating down to cook the top while the pizza stone took care of the bottom.

Once we had the process dialed, we cooked a bunch of Neapolitan-style pizza in the Grande and were very pleased with the results, as were our guests.

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Grande Outdoor Pizza Oven

amazon.com

$439.99

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Grande Outdoor Pizza Oven

amazon.com

$439.99

Initially, we had to be cautious pitching the pizza into the Bertello (above) through the narrow door in front.

Trevor Raab

Roccbox Pizza Oven

Though the Roccbox is different in shape, it still functions similarly to other ovens designed to make Neapolitan pizza. It uses propane, although a wood burner is available as an accessory. Heating up the oven, we easily reached temperatures over 900 degrees on the pizza stone in 15 minutes. Although inside the oven gets very hot, we were happy to find that outside body did not. You can actually touch the green oven body—on the silicone—without getting burned.

Functionally, the Roccbox performed well and we were able to make outstanding pizza in it. The one drawback we noted was that the propane burner left a fair amount of soot on the front of the oven, above the door. While harmless, it did take us some time to clean it off when it came time to store it away.

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Roccbox Pizza Oven

amazon.com

$499.00

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Roccbox Pizza Oven

amazon.com

$499.00

When pizza takes about 60 seconds in the Roccbox oven (above), you have to check and turn it every 15-20 seconds.

Trevor Raab

Nano Outdoor Pizza Oven

Made in Italy, the Alfa Nano has authenticity both in pizza-making and design flair. The shiny enamel finish seems a little precious and luxurious at first, but we found it durable and easy to clean. While the Nano is portable, it does weigh about 65 pounds and is a little awkward to move. We suggest setting it up on an outdoor, built-in counter or table. We used the optional color-matched cart in testing which made the Nano easy to move from the porch to patio thanks to the large, rubber-wheeled, locking casters.

Unlike most models we tested with pizza stones, the Nano has thick fire bricks lining the floor of the oven with a heavy layer of insulation below them. We noted the fire brick and thick, insulated oven walls effectively held heat and kept temperatures stable. The Nano took between 15 and 20 minutes to warm up and was capable of oven temps over 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit; Temps on the fire bricks hit the high 900’s. Cook time was about a minute at around 900 degrees, and a little over two minutes in the 700’s. We made Neapolitan pizzas with perfectly crisped crusts.

The Nano is a premium oven if you’re invested in pizza making and want to get an appliance you’ll have for years. The unit we tested had a propane burner but it’s also available as a wood-burning oven.

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Nano Outdoor Pizza Oven

amazon.com

$1999.00

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Nano Outdoor Pizza Oven

amazon.com

$1999.00

Volt 12 Electric Pizza Oven

The Volt 12 is Ooni’s first electric pizza oven made for both indoor and outdoor use. While there are plenty of electric pizza ovens, there are precious few that can cook a pizza on par with a propane- or wood-fired oven—this is one of them.

We used an infrared thermometer to check temps on the pizza stone, confirming the Volt 12’s ability to hit temperatures well above 800 degrees Fahrenheit. It took just around 20 minutes to get up to cooking temps and weren’t surprised when we were able to quickly cook pizzas. Our results had beautiful, mottled leoparding on the crust—just like an outdoor oven.

The Volt 12 has three controls on front: A timer can be set up to 20 minutes; a thermostat goes up to 850 degrees; and a balance control to adjust the upper and lower heating elements separately. The balance control is a useful option, but it can only be used once the oven hits the set temperature. The Volt fits on a standard depth countertop and is relatively easy to move thanks to handles on each side.

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Volt 12 Electric Pizza Oven

amazon.com

$899.00

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Volt 12 Electric Pizza Oven

amazon.com

$899.00

3-in-1 Pizza Oven Griddle and Grill

Cuisinart’s 3-in-1 comes with three cooking surfaces to meet all your outdoor cooking needs with one appliance. You can make pizza, grill, or use the griddle to make a hearty breakfast. We primarily tested its pizza-making capabilities.

With the lid closed, using the small pizza door, we measured a temperature of 641 degrees on the pizza stone. We found 12-inch pizzas were an ideal size for the stone; We risked sliding some of the pizza over the edge with bigger pies.

Since the propane burner is in the bottom of the oven, the stone is heated from below. Therefore, the pizza is cooked more from the bottom with ambient oven air temperature cooking the top. Cook time was about 6 to 8 minutes for each pizza. The heat wasn’t quite high enough to give the crust a dark golden color so we had to judge doneness by lifting the edge of the pie with the peel. It still produced tasty results that were evenly cooked.

The Cuisinart 3-in-1 Pizza Oven is versatile, and a good option if you don’t have a lot of room and want only one outdoor cooking appliance.

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3-in-1 Pizza Oven Griddle and Grill

amazon.com

$197.00

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3-in-1 Pizza Oven Griddle and Grill

amazon.com

$197.00

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