With the weather finally settling in to our typical, consistently warm SoCal delightfulness, we thought it was the perfect time to share our favorite restaurant patios with you! When the weather is nice, really nothing beats sitting outside with some delicious food from your favorite OTO restaurant, soaking up some sun, and watching the comings and goings of fellow OTO residents. And you’re almost guaranteed to run into a familiar face if you spend a meal sitting out on a restaurant patio around here…or is that just us?
A patio that is a staple of Old Towne Orange is The Filling Station. Their signature fire pits make for warm toasty evenings, and during the day their umbrellas give patrons just enough shade. Chapman students know that if you sit on the patio at The Filling Station, you’re bound to see a fellow classmate stroll by…seriously…every time. Have you ever even been inside the Filling Station to eat? Is there even an inside?
The Linx/Wahoos patio is another favorite spot to enjoy a great artisan hotdog or some beachy Mexican food. Don’t be shy; mixing and mingling on this patio is welcomed! For some reason, we’ve always encountered really friendly people here.
One of the classiest patios in the Plaza has to be at Citrus City Grille. Sitting here, you know that not only are you about to be served some fabulous food, you’re right in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the Plaza. Did we mention Cafe Lucca is just a few steps away? That’s a definite plus. Another fun part of the Citrus City Grille patio is the fun mosaic tile on the walls. Have you ever looked closely at it? Next time you’re there, take a look! It always keeps us distracted during dinner, but in a good way.
Just beyond what we see as the Orange Plaza is Rutabegorz. Their outdoor patio has just as much of a homey, garden vibe as the quaintly decorated inside. You’re surrounded by flowers, rustic brick, and great food. Day or night, sitting outside at Rutabegorz is a popular option. And it’s a seat yourself deal, so grab your favorite spot and you’ll be waited on right away!
The newest patio around towne is at The Pizza Press. The bright white patio is stylish and clean. The only downside to spending time on the patio is that it means you miss out on the interior decor, which is so cute that it may be hard to pull yourself away. Nevertheless, we foresee lots of happy pizza eaters spending afternoons on The Pizza Press patio out of the way of the crowd.
Finally, one of our all-time favorite patios is at El Ranchito. We don’t have a photo of the whole patio, but if you’ve passed by the olive green building that looks like a church on the corner of Almond and Orange St., and seen a lot of happy people sitting outside chowing down on some phenomenal Mexican food, you’ll know you’ve just seen Avila’s El Ranchito. If we had to sum up in two words the best part about their patio, we’d say, “HAPPY HOUR.” Enough said.
Some of our other favorite patios include:
-Zito’s
-Haven
-Gabbi’s
-Cafe Lucca
-Bagel Me
-Coming soon…a restaurant called The Patio. This place will be right where Heavenly Hostess used to be. We’re imagining a whole new addition to local patio favorites with this one. Can’t wait to see what this upcoming place has in store!
Where’s your favorite place to sit outside on a beautiful day?
Last Updated on April 5, 2016 by IHOTO Staff