St. Louis, MOPatios

Cheryl Baehr counts two covered outdoor spaces here, one a reservable beer garden with retractable umbrellas, which makes it the rare downtown patio that still works in a drizzle. Live music plays nightly. Order the charbroiled oysters, then jambalaya or catfish. Baehr's line is that the music makes les bons temps rouler and the food does not hurt, which is a fair summary of an evening in the yard.

St. Louis Magazine calls the building-length, west-facing patio here among the most enjoyable in town, with windows behind it opening onto skyline views. The kitchen works in unusual combinations of texture and taste, so order the bison short rib pasta and a plate of jerk-dusted fries. Baehr's patio guide and George Mahe's romantic list both single out this terrace, which is unusual for a room this young.

The patio here sits partially hidden and below grade, which Baehr calls a grand way to begin the day, and dogs are permitted and reportedly give it five bones. Breakfast is the lavish meal to come for. Order it on the terrace, keep the sandwiches in mind for later in the day, and do not skip dessert, which her guide singles out as the unbelievable part of the menu.

Louisiana native Travis Parfait and restaurant veteran Pamela Melton link the Gateway City to the Crescent City with a menu that sets barbecue beside New Orleans comfort cooking. St. Louis Magazine points to the partly covered back patio, which spills onto a large fenced greenspace, as the bonus here. Order across both halves of that menu and take a table on the grass side while the weather holds.

St. Louis Magazine's patio guide points to the spacious back patio here, shared with Tamm Ave Bar: partially covered, dog friendly, and fitted with its own bar so nobody has to go inside for a drink. The guide calls it the spot to enjoy a cold beer while tackling a boneless fried chicken thigh sandwich laced with Nashville hot spice, which is the order to place. The chicken counter sits on Tamm Avenue in Dogtown.