It’s finally warm enough to sit out on a patio without wearing an annoying winter jacket, so what’s a better reason to leave the library than to grab a pint? Whether you’re having a relaxing cold beer with friends or a romantic dinner date, any food venue in Waterloo with a patio is worth using.
In the summer, the evenings are mild and the sunlight lasts late, so my advice is to enjoy it before you’re stuck with another winter term! Here’s a list of some of the patio options around Waterloo, depending on what you’re looking for:
Pubcrawl Classics: Most of the Pubcrawl stops have patios, which makes more room for fun (and clearer air). This includes POETS, Mongolian Grill, The Grill, Molly Bloom’s, Front Row, Morty’s, and Chainsaw. Most of these are pretty big, so they are a good place for any type of big get-togethers like a birthday, reunion party, team dinner or post-midterm party.
Beer Me Some More: Right on campus, the Bomber patio is open with a beautiful view of the Quantum Nano Centre construction site. Barley Works in Uptown Waterloo has a gigantic patio and the usual selection of Lion Brewery beers. Their food is decent, but it’s the rooftop view of Uptown that makes this a solid stop. McMullans is also a go-to drinking establishment with a modest-sized patio (although it’s also where the smokers hang out) and plenty of room inside if it rains. The patio at Ethel’s Lounge is larger than you might expect, and the Duke of Wellington pub on Erb St. has a small patio and pretty decent food.
Good Food First: Whole Lotta Gelata in Uptown Waterloo always has a few tables outside their café, which not only serves gelato that’s better than Marble Slab, but homemade pasta, panini, salad, and typical café items. Everything is made to order and prices are very reasonable. If you’re thinking Indian, Masala Bay has a pretty large patio, and there’s always Symposium next door if that’s full. For Thai food, Thai Sun has a large patio and a standard selection of Thai dishes (I recommend Thai iced tea if you’ve never had it). Even though it’s in Kitchener, I have to give a nod to the City Café Bakery on Victoria St. for their wood-fire bagels, pizza, melts and epic brownies and butter tarts. All in all, if the weather’s nice and a restaurant has decent sidewalk space, there will probably be a couple tables and chairs out for you to enjoy.
Date Best-Bets: There are a couple of good patio date spots in Uptown–most notably Hometown Eatery, which is tucked away on William St. just past Caroline St. They’ve got a diverse range of homemade classics (build-your-own burgers, pasta, salad) with a modern twist and really great desserts! Not too far away is Gourmet Pizza behind Waterloo Town Square. They have a great variety of pizzas that they bake in a stone oven and bring to your little table outside the shop: perfect for sharing! If you and your date are into Mexican, Margarita’s (next to Symposium) has good Mexican standards, especially…margaritas! Finally, at Conestoga Mall you can go for a nice dinner and movie at either Spring Rolls or Oliver and Bonnacini.
So whether you’re looking for a party, a drink or a dinner, patios are the way to go during the lovely summer months!
Patiosclotures
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