March 2021 THE TOP OUTDOOR RESTAURANTS

Usually our dining guide is a listing of the finest restaurants Coral Gables has to offer, sorted by types of cuisine. Once the coronavirus forced dining rooms to shut down, we switched to listing restaurants that were offering takeout options, then those with outdoors dining. Even though indoor dining is allowed again, we’re sticking with our listing of outdoor dining, which feels like a safer bet when venturing out. We list the best establishments that have al fresco dining in some form or another.

$ ............ Under $25

$$ .......... $25-$40

$$$ ........ $35-$75

$$$$ ...... $70-$100+ Prices are per person for appetizer and entrée, no tax, tip or drinks. Prices are approximate.

American

Bachour

Known for their pastries, Bachour also serves innovative breakfast and lunch items in their expansive courtyard, which has plenty of outdoor seating options and a constant breeze circulating fresh air throughout. $ - $$ 2020 Salzedo St. 305.203.0552

Burger Bob’s

Great burgers and chili for 1950s prices, along with tuna wraps and BLTs. They’ve set up a few tables outside, so you can eat your classic burger while enjoying a view of the Granada Golf Course. $ 2001 Granada Blvd. 305.567.3100

Cheesecake Factory

We still don’t know how they can deliver a menu with over 250 menu items. But they do, with something for everyone, including a covered outdoor patio with a fire pit on Andalusia Avenue. $$ 2418 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.529.0703

Clutch Burger

Being on a pedestrian walkway, outdoor dining is plentiful for this home of gourmet burgers that requires you to unhinge your jaws. Fans for when there isn’t a breeze. $$ 146 Giralda Ave. 305.400.8242

Copper 29

The outdoor dining setting is more or less the same as before the pandemic, with a handful of high-top tables on the sidewalk, now just farther apart. Great setting for brunch, happy hour and people watching on the Mile. $$ 206 Miracle Mile 786.580.4689

Doc B’s

With some of the nicest outdoor seating on the Mile, this American eatery has the best fried chicken in the Gables, along with wok bowls and a popular shredded brussels sprout salad –not to mention cinnamon swirl pancakes. $$ 301 Miracle Mile 786.864.1220

Eating House

Pre-coronavirus, Eating House didn’t have any outdoor seating, so they made their own. Now there are tables on Ponce and under a tent where two parking spots used to be. An A for effort. $$ 804 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.448.6524

Seasons 52

The restaurant itself is massive –especially for a space on Miracle Mile – which means they have plenty of sidewalk real estate. Their desserts alone are worth the visit. $$ 321 Miracle Mile 305.442.8552

Sports Grill

Their special grilled wings are still the best in the Gables, and now you can enjoy them without the fear of catching COVID. Outdoor seating both in front and along the alleyway. $ 1559 Sunset Dr. 305.668.0396

Tap 42

The outdoor scene at Tap 42 hasn’t changed a whole lot, with open seating along Salzedo Street. We’re just happy that the brunch scene is alive and well. $$ 301 Giralda Ave. 786.391.1566

The Globe

Plenty of tables on Alhambra Circle, and wide, open doors, so you can sit inside and enjoy the cooler air while munching on incomparable conch fritters and their famous Globe salad. $ - $$ 377 Alhambra Circle 305.455.3555

Titanic Restaurant and Brewery

The venerable brewery/restaurant next to the University of Miami has teamed up with the university to create outdoor seating on picnic tables in a big yard behind the restaurant. $ - $$ 5813 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.667.2537

Yard House

Plenty of outdoor patio seating under umbrellas in the courtyard of The Shops at Merrick Park lets you enjoy their extensive American menu with lots of Asian twists (garlic noodles, Korean ribs, etc.) $-$$ 320 San Lorenzo Ave. 305.447.9273

Asian

Canton Chinese

The only sit-down Chinese restaurant in the Gables now has outdoor seating on Ponce. Their fried rice, lo mein and sweet and sour chicken is just the comfort food we need right now. $$ 2614 Ponce de Leon Blvd. 305.448.3736

Izakaya

Across from the Colonnade hotel on Aragon, Izakaya is a must for lunch, with lots of excellent specials and the best bento box around. Now they have a few outdoor tables, too. $ 159 Aragon Ave. 305.445.2584

Kao Sushi & Grill

This Miracle Mile eatery has a plethora of tables outside, from tables out on the sidewalk to the entrance-way alcove. Amazing deals on rolls and their Peruvian chaufa fried rice. $$ 127 Miracle Mile 786.864.1212

Khaosan Road

Formerly Bangkok, Bangkok, this Giralda Plaza mainstay – with plenty of outdoor tables – has reinvented itself as the new home for Thai street food. Think you know Thai food? Be prepared for new and delicious tastes. $$ 157 Giralda Plaza 305.444.2397

Lotus Garden

Traditional Thai food at a great price. They now have outdoor dining options on the expanded sidewalk of Miracle Mile. $ 318 Miracle Mile 305.446.2360

Malakor Thai Isaan

Malakor prides itself on authentic, tasty Thai food (pork skewers with sticky rice, great pad Thai and Thai curries). Now they have tables on the Mile. $$ 90 Miracle Mile 786.558.4862

Miss Saigon

Being on Giralda Plaza, Miss Saigon has plenty of seating for excellent, healthy Vietnamese fare. You can’t beat their special pho or