I've heard a lot of talk recently about outdoor patios and the effort being made to make the city a more walkable community.
Well, this week, I decided to talk about what outdoor locations we already have available to enjoy in our city. Many people have asked if there is a list of outdoor patios on the Thunder Bay Dining Facebook page and I always try to keep the list up-to-date to show how many great outdoor patios we have scattered throughout our city.
Let’s start with some of the smaller outdoor patios and work our way up to the larger ones.
The Bean Fiend is located at 194 Algoma Street and has a beautiful outdoor area where you can enjoy your morning coffee and food. It’s fenced-in and decked-out with small tables that are perfect to sit at and bask in the sunshine. They are open Monday to Friday from 8 am - 5 pm and from 9 am - 5 pm on weekends.
Merla Mae has always been a family favourite. They have picnic tables, as well as some outdoor booths, where you can sit and enjoy your take-out food or, of course, that delicious ice cream! Merla Mae is open daily from noon until 9 p.m. and is located at 346 Memorial Avenue.
The Prospector Burger Barn is a south-side take-out burger and fry place. They have some picnic tables where you can enjoy your food as you sit and relax with friends. The Burger Barn is located at 701 South Syndicate Avenue and is open from Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. - 7 pm. On Sunday they are open from noon to 7 p.m.
Lumberjacks is an amazing small burger and fry place located at 16 St. Paul Street. They offer some seating indoors that are expanded once the warm weather comes to include a few patio tables outside where you can enjoy the summer sun. They are open weekdays from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm and on Saturday from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
The Growing Season Juice Collective is a healthy place to grab lunch or dinner and is located at 201 South Algoma Street. They provide a small outdoor area for their guests to enjoy their lunch from Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. and are closed on Sundays.
Rooster’s Bistro is a breakfast and lunch place and is located at 32 St. Paul Street. They provide outdoor patio tables equipped with umbrellas. They are open weekdays from 7:00 am - 4:00 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Paulucci's Wayland Bar & Grill is a family-owned bar, serving up great burgers and other dishes. They are located at 1019 Gore Street and feature a beautiful, outdoor, fenced-in seating area that is equipped with an outdoor grill during the summer months. Their hours are Monday and Tuesday from 11 a.m. - 1 a.m., Wednesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. - 2 a.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Galaxy Lanes is a bowling alley with a restaurant and bar inside and is located at 636 Arthur Street. They provide a nice patio lounge where you can sit and enjoy some alcoholic beverages and food outdoors. They are open Monday and Tuesday from 9 am - 11 pm, Wednesday and Thursday from 9 am - 12 am, Friday and Saturday from 9 am - 1 am, and Sunday from 9 am - 6: pm.
La Casa Nostra Ristorante is an Italian restaurant located at 230 Bay Street. They feature a small outdoor area where their customers can get some fresh air as they enjoy dinner or drinks. They are open from 5 pm - 11 pm and, weather permitting, will soon be opening for lunch hours. Please call to confirm if they have started lunch at 767-2013.
Deluca's Family Restaurant is an Italian restaurant located downtown at 55 Cumberland Street South. They provide a beautiful outdoor seating area complete with a nice garden link fence that enables you to see out to the street and over some of the downtown area. Their hours are Tuesday from 4:30 pm - 8:30 pm, Wednesday to Friday from 11:30 am - 10 pm, Saturday from 4:15 pm - 10 pm, and Sunday from 4:15 pm - 8 pm. On Friday they offer a buffet lunch for $15.
Naxos is located at 610 West Arthur Street and they feature a delightful outdoor seating area. They are open from Monday to Wednesday from 8 am - 11 pm, Thursday to Saturday from 8 am - 12 am, and Sunday from 8:00 am - 10 pm. They serve some of the best Greek food in town, as well as many other Canadian dishes.
Bight is a high-end restaurant that is located down at the Marina. They offer both lunch and dinner and have a small outdoor seating area where you can enjoy some beverages as you gaze out at the lake on a hot sunny day. Their hours are Sunday and Monday from 11:30 am - 10 pm, Tuesday and Wednesday from 11:30 am - 11 pm, Thursday from 11:30 am - 12 am, and Friday and Saturday from 11:30 am - 1 am.
Masala Grill is an East Indian, Pakistani, and Thai restaurant located at 170 Algoma Street North. They have a beautiful outdoor patio area where you relax as you enjoy lunch or dinner. Their hours are Sunday and Monday from 5 pm - 9 pm and Tuesday to Saturday from 11:30 am - 2 pm for lunch and 5 pm - 9 pm for dinner.
Beaux Daddy's is located at 1575 Hwy 61 -- just a few minutes past the Thunder Bay International Airport. With seating on their outdoor deck, they serve up some of the best steak and seafood in town. They are closed on Monday, but open at 4:30 pm from Tuesday to Sunday. If you go on your birthday, your age is your discount. So, if you’re turning 60, you get 60% off your bill (excluding alcohol).
The Neebing Roadhouse is located at 2121 Hwy 61 and they have a beautiful outdoor patio area where you can relax and enjoy your food. Their hours are Monday to Friday 11 am - 1 am, Saturday from Noon - 1:00 am, and Sunday from Noon - 11 pm.
5 Forks is located at 1072 Oliver Road where it meets Golf Links Road. They have one of my favourite patio areas with an amazing outdoor fireplace, as well as bug zappers for those little pests in the evening. It’s all closed in with a nice metal fence so you have a nice view of the outdoor scenery. 5 Forks serves up some amazing burgers, appetizers and, of course, steaks. Their hours are Monday to Wednesday from 11 a.m. - midnight, Thursday and Friday from 11:30 a.m. - 1 a.m., Saturday 12 p.m. - 1 a.m., and Sunday from 4:30 pm - 10 p.m.
Kelsey’s is located at 805 Memorial Avenue and has an outdoor patio area. They serve up burgers, salads, and of course many different dinner options. Kelsey’s is open daily from 11 a.m.
Mongo's Bar & Grill located at 1075 Memorial Avenue and they also offer an outdoor seating area. Mongo's is a stir fry restaurant where guests pick and choose their own food and sauces and then watch as it is cooked on a grill for them. They are open Sunday to Thursday from 11:00 am - 9:00 pm and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. If you go on your birthday, your meal is free with proof of birth date.
Nor’westor Best Western’s Cliffhanger Restaurant also has an amazing outdoor seating area with a stunning view of the Nor’westor Mountains. They are located at 2080 Hwy 61, and are open Monday to Saturday from 7 a.m. - 11 p.m. and Sunday from 7 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Whitewater Golf Course located at 1961 King George’s Park Drive and they feature a beautiful outdoor patio with views that over-look the golf course. They are open Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 am - 7:30 pm and Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
The only Asian restaurant in town that will be offering an outdoor patio is Mr. Chinese. They are in the final stages of finishing their outdoor seating area. Mr. Chinese is located at 615 West Arthur Street and is open Monday to Saturday from 11:00 am - 12:00 am and Sundays from 3 p.m. - 10 p.m. Their holiday hours are from 3 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Before we wrap up this extensive list, I want to tell you about two new restaurants that will be opening in the next month or so that will also have outdoor patios. ExCuria is located at 135 North Archibald Street and will be a gastro-pub that offers up some amazing food. Nook, the Italian-inspired restaurant opening at 271 Bay Street, will also have an outdoor patio area. Neither of these two places are open yet, so the hours are not yet available.
Finally, don’t forget that most Tim Horton's now offer outdoor patio seating, as do some Robin's Donuts.
So, with this list of outdoor patio areas, I am sure that you will find one or two places this season to enjoy that outdoor feeling while dining and relaxing under the summer sun.
As always, try something new today and enjoy our Thunder Bay foodie scene!
The Dining Lady
