28 Socially Distant Cincinnati Patios Where You Can Dine and Drink This Fall
By CityBeat Staff
In the age of COVID, Greater Cincinnati restaurants, bars and patios are putting a strong focus on their outdoor accommodations. Check out these local establishments offering socially distant patios were you can eat and drink al fresco.
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39 E. 13th St., Over-the-Rhine Over the summer, HomeMakers transformed the space behind their bar into their own outdoor drinking and dining destination — the Outpost, with a vintage Airstream trailer bar and a string-lit garden patio, and teamed up with Cincinnati Music Accelerator for entertainment.
But the vintage Airstream has packed up and moved back home, and HomeMakers has welcomed a different kind of bev bar on wheels, via a collab with Fifty West Brewery's WV beer bus. The patio is sporting a new autumnal look for the new season, thanks to the Art Academy and Urban Sites, in addition to fall cocktails and comforting new menu additions.
Photo: Savana Willhoite
27 W. Seventh St., Covington Braxton Brewing Co.'s 5,000+ square-foot seasonal patio features a living wall and some pretty neat views of Covington and downtown Cincinnati. The brewery is staying cozy this winter by transforming their rooftop into an "IGLOOBAR" of rentable private igloos that you can enjoy outside while staying warm. Now through March 2021, the patio will feature 10 igloos, which can be reserved for two-hour increments with up to eight people per group. The reservation fee for the igloos is $30, which is applied to the "overall experience bill."
Photo via Facebook.com/BraxtonBrewingCompany
1 Levee Way, Newport Bridgeview Box Park, a cluster of small food, drink and shopping vendors conglomerated where Mitchell’s Fish Market used to sit at Newport on the Levee, opened over the summer. The establishments are housed next to each other in shipping-like containers — hence “box park” — and are interspersed among a common outdoor area. The breezy space overlooks the Ohio River and city and features turf lounge areas, string lights and outdoor games like corn hole and giant Jenga.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger
208 Mill St., Milford Little Miami Brewing Co. features a patio that overlooks the scenic namesake river. Stop by the popular Milford brewery to enjoy craft beer and pizza and some breezy views.
Photo via Facebook.com/littlemiamibrewing
3301 Madison Road, Oakley MadTree’s massive 10,000-square-foot beer garden is a fun family hangout. With 32 MadTree-exclusive taps, ambient lighting and an industrial brick façade leftover from the building’s factory days, there’s more than enough space to accommodate all the beer-drinking, cornhole-playing, dog-loving humans that hang at MadTree on the regular.
Photo via Facebook.com/MadTree
3313 Riverside Drive, Riverside Eli’s has provided over 15 outdoor picnic tables for safe dining, both in the sun and the shade. Guests are required to use face coverings when entering the restaurant to pick up food and are asked to not move picnic tables and to keep parties to under 10 people.
Photo via elisbarbeque.com
1429 Walnut St., Over-the-Rhine This hip OTR hideaway is a welcoming hangout for those interested in no-frills drinking, L.A. vibes and vinyl tunes. Find the main courtyard entrance tucked away down 15th Street, and cross the big-ass gravel patio, past colorful street-art murals, a panoply of rainbow lighting and a plethora of communal seating to enter a world of hanging plants (in summer the patio is decked out in greenery). All tables have been distanced appropriately for table service only and masks are required while not seated.
Photo via Facebook.com/meccaotr
311 Pike St., Downtown Cincinnati’s new Lytle Park Hotel features a spectacular rooftop patio named the Vista at Lytle Park. The 5,000-square-foot rooftop lounge offers panoramic views of the Queen City and Ohio River. The space is equipped with an "indoor" lounge (where the bar is located) lined with windows that open up to the outdoor patio with two fireplaces, seating and tables. Choose from a selection of cocktails, wine, beer and spirits, or opt for their large-format cocktails that serve four or more. Their food offerings range from a charcuterie board to "naanchos" or peel-and-eat grilled shrimp.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger
222 W. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine The historic Queen City Radio building has been turned in to a well-manicured full-service bar and outdoor beer garden. The bar serves rotating taps of local, regional and national beer, canned and bottled brews, wine, a small cocktail program, and boozy slushies. Tables are socially distanced and heaters are placed throughout the patio. Masks required while not seated.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger
638 Madison Ave., Covington Located in Covington, this chic hotel restaurant has opened both its indoor and outdoor dining spaces. They are offering limited hours of operation (closed Monday and Tuesday) and have switched to disposable menus and single-serve condiments. In addition to other COVID-19 safety measures, staff will be wearing face masks and have their temperatures taken throughout their shifts. Guests are also required to wear masks when not seated.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger
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