Your Complete Guide to Outdoor Dining Options in Evanston

May 16, 2025

Many local residents have long enjoyed al fresco dining while others in the area might have discovered the joys of it more recently, but all can agree that visiting an open-air establishment can create a truly unique and relaxing change of pace.

It’s no wonder that the number of people visiting establishments with outdoor seating – and the number of places offering it – have grown in recent years. Evanston is no exception. Good news, Evanston dog lovers! A few local restaurant patios have been approved for doggie dining!

Those of you living in or near the area now have a wide choice of satisfying outdoor options, from places serving hearty breakfasts to those with desserts and perhaps a glass of wine during wind-down time as well as everything in between. You can pick from coffee shops, hamburger joints, pizzerias, and bakeries to more upscale establishments specializing in such fare as farm-to-table, seafood, steak, Thai, Italian, sushi, vegetarian, and more. And with the start of summer, now might be the perfect time to try a new place or visit a long-time favorite. Why not tonight? So let us at Jackie Mack & More be the first to wish you, “bon appétit!”

Alcove

1625 Maple Ave.

(847) 570-9821

www.alcoveevanston.com/

Bat 17

1735 Benson Ave.

(847) 733-7117

www.bat17evanston.com/

Bennison’s Bakery

1000 Davis St.

847-328-9434

bennisonscakes.com/

Beer on Central

1930 Central St.

847-905-0951

https://beeroncentral.com/

Berry Pike Café

1100 Davis St.

847-424-1006

www.berrypikecafe.com/

Blind Faith Café

525 Dempster St.

847-328-6875

www.blindfaithcafe.com/

BlueStone

1932 Central St.

(847) 424-0420

bluestoneevanston.com/

Brother’s K

500 Main St.

(847) 328-7940

www.brotherskcoffee.com/

Campagnola

815 Chicago Ave.

847-475-6100

campagnolarestaurant.com/

Celtic Knot Public House

2022 Central St.

847-425-0025

www.celticknotpub.com/

Collectivo Coffee

716 Church St.

(312) 535-3001

colectivocoffee.com/cafes/evanston

Comida

1928 Central St.

847-868-8466

www.comidaevanston.com/

Cupitol Coffee & Eatery

812 Grove St.

(847) 868-8078

https://cupitol.com/

Elephant & Vine

719 Church St.

847-586-0223

www.elephantandvine.com/

Epic Burger

1622 Sherman Ave.

847-868-8968

www.epicburger.com/

Evanston Corner Bistro

703 Church St.

(847) 492-9700

www.farmhouseevanston.com/

Firehouse Grill

*Dog-friendly patio

750 Chicago Ave.

(847) 733-1911

www.firehousegrill.net/

Five & Dime

1026 Davis St. Ste. A

(847) 869-4343

www.fiveanddimeevanston.com/

Foodstuffs

2106 Central St.

847-328-7704

www.foodstuffs.com/evanston

Frida’s Breakfast & Lunch

618 Church St.

(847) 859-6342

fridasevanston.com/

Giordano’s

1527 Chicago Ave.

847-475-5000

giordanos.com/locations/evanston-northwestern/

Good To Go

711 Howard St.

(847) 868-8226

www.goodtogorestaurant.com/

Hoosier Mama & Dollop

749 Chicago Ave.

847-868-8863

www.dollopcoffee.com/locations/evanston-location/

Kabul House

2424 Dempster St.

(847) 674-3830

www.kabulhouse.com/

Kansaku Sushi

1514 Sherman Ave.

847-864-4386

https://www.kansakusushi.com/

Kuni’s Sushi

511 Main St.

847-328-2004

kunisushi.com/

La Principal

700 Main St.

224-307-2444

www.laprincipalevanston.com/

Le Peep

827 Church St.

(847) 328-4880

lepeep.com/stores/evanston/

Leonidas

1907 Central St.

847-686-0190

www.leonidas-cafe.com/

LeTour

625 Davis St

224-999-7085

https://www.letourevanston.com/

Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria

1850 Sherman Ave.

847-328-5400

www.loumalnatis.com/evanston

Lucky Platter

514 Main St.

847-869-4064

luckyplatter.com/

Mid Kitchen

1512 Sherman Ave.

847-563-8454

www.midkitchen.com/

Mustard’s Last Stand

1613 Central St. #3

847-864-2700

mustardschicago.com/

Nakorn Kitchen

1622 Orrington Ave.

847-733-8424

nakornkitchen.com/

Newport Coffee

622 Davis St.

847-563-8322

www.newport-coffee.com/

Oceanique

505 Main St.

847-864-3435

Oceanique19@aol.com

www.oceanique.com/

Ovo Frito Café

1936 Maple Ave.

(847) 859-6966

ovofrito.com/

Patisserie Coralie

600 Davis St.

847-905-0491

www.bestfrenchpastries.com/

Peckish Pig

623 Howard St.

(847) 491-6778

www.thepeckishpig.com/

Peet’s Coffee & Tea

1622 Chicago Ave.

847-864-8413

www.peets.com/

Potbelly Sandwich Shop

630 Davis St.

(847) 328-1800

https://www.potbelly.com/

Pour

528 Dempster St.

847-859-2082

www.evanstonpour.com/

Prairie Moon

1635 Chicago Ave.

(847) 864-8328

www.prairiemoonrestaurant.com/

Ridgeville Tavern

1520 Sherman Ave.

(847) 905-0485

ridgevilletavern.com/

Sarkis

2632 Gross Point Rd.

847-328-9703

cafesarkis.com/

Shinsen

1322 Chicago Ave

847-425-0077

https://www.shinsenevanston.com/

Siam Paragon

503 Main St.

847-332-2302

https://www.siamparagonil.com/

Soul & Smoke

1601 Payne St.

847-859-2732

soulandsmoke.com/

Stacked & Folded

824 Noyes St.

(847) 328-9100

www.stackedandfoldedtogo.com/

Starbucks

1734 Sherman Ave.

847-492-0490

www.starbucks.com

Taco Diablo

1026 Davis St.

(847) 869-4343

www.tacodiablo.com/

Tapas Barcelona

1615 Chicago Ave.

(847) 866-9900

www.tapasbarcelona.com/

Ten Mile

1700 Central St.

847-905-0669

www.tmhevanston.com/

The Barn Steakhouse

Rear, 1016 Church St.

847-868-8041

www.thebarnsteakhouse.com/

The Fat Shallot

2902 Central St

224-714-2119

https://thefatshallot.com/

The Wine Goddess

702 Main St.

(847) 475-9463

www.winegoddess.com/

Trattoria D.O.C.

706 Main St.

(847) 475-1111

www.trattoria-doc.com/

Trattoria Demi

1571 Sherman Ave.

(847) 332-2330

trattoriademi.com/

Union Squared

1307 Chicago Ave.

224-714-3100

unionpizza.com/union-squared-evanston

Yasotorn Thai

809 Dempster St.

847-425-0425

https://yasotornthai.com/

Explore other media:

videos
issuu
other media

Blog Links:

Everything Evanston:

The Ultimate Insider’s Guide to Evanston Beaches (Including Details on the Expanded Program for FREE Evanston 2026 Beach Passes)

Here’s everything residents need to know to get the most out of this exclusive Evanston amenity. If you are a resident of Evanston, or have ever visited it, you already know that our city boasts some of the most picturesque beaches in Chicagoland. In fact, many find...

Stay Fit: The Comprehensive Guide to Where to Workout in Evanston

January is a time when your New Year’s resolutions get inculcated into your daily habits. If you made a resolution to stay or get in shape, lose weight, reduce stress, be more mindful, or undertake another health enhancing goal, you might want to consider joining a...

Your Guide to Evanston Dining on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

If you are staying local this holiday season and looking for restaurants or coffee shops open in Evanston on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, you are not alone. Every year, neighbors ask where they can enjoy a meal out, grab carryout, or simply pick up a great cup of...

A Dozen (Plus) Ways to Make the Holidays Even Happier in Evanston

Evanston truly becomes Heavanston during the holidays, especially with the many breathtaking displays throughout the city. But what makes Evanston even more wonderful are all the seasonal activities you can find this time of year. In fact, from shopping to...

The Evanston-based Restaurants, Coffee Shops, and Other Places Aiming to Take the Stress Out of Your Thanksgiving Celebration

How early do you get up on Thanksgiving morning to start preparing your feast? That might be too early, particularly since you can serve a great meal without all the mussing and fussing. After all, there are an array of Evanston-based businesses that can help you take...

Everything Home Selling:

How to Confidently Prepare for Your Home Inspection

A well-prepared home not only instills confidence in your potential buyer, but also ensures a smoother transaction. But it requires taking a proactive approach and attention to detail to get your home in order. By following the following nine steps, you will not only...

Important Tax Records You Should Keep When Thinking about Selling your Home

To start, let’s state the obvious: Purchasing your home is one of the largest expenses – if not the largest one – that you’ll ever incur. And with it, comes a wide array of tax implications, from potentially paying capital gains taxes if you have a profit when you...

This Storage Guide Can Help You Sell Your Home Faster

When you are looking to buy a new home, you want to walk through the house or condo and be to visualize yourself inside it. You think about where your things will go, and how you’ll decorate it. In other words, you want to see if it “feels like home.” The same goes...

Your Complete Guide to Understanding Home Warranties

Home emergencies happen, and there is no exception. Anyone who’s had their AC bust in the heart of summer knows that trouble can arrive at the worst of times. While you cannot stop bad things from happening, you can be prepared for the worst with a home warranty. From...

Is Your First Offer Really Your Best Offer?

There is a saying in real estate you may have already picked up on: Your first offer is your best offer! So, what is it? Well, just like most things in life: There’s not a clear answer, but the saying is often true. To best understand how to answer the question, we...

Everything Home Buying:

Will 2026 be the Year to Buy a New Home?

For 2026, housing market outlooks from major national and regional sources suggest continued modest improvements in affordability and activity, even though challenges remain. For instance, Zillow’s latest forecast projects that home values will rise about 1.2%...

Everything You Need to Know About Your FICO Score (Including Why You Should Know It)

It might seem small, but a simple three-digit number often determines your fate when you are seeking a home loan. That’s because your FICO score, which FICO.com claims is used by used by 90% of the top US lending institutions, indicates your risk level for the timely...

What is Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac and How Do They Work?

You may have heard of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac before. Perhaps you even have a general understanding of them or just associate these terms with owning a home. But what are they? What do they actually do? And why you, as a homebuyer, should care? According to the...

Your Comprehensive Guide to the Types of Inspections Homebuyers Might Want

If you’re buying a home, you will want to understand its true condition so there are no surprises. To find any hidden issues and to learn about and how to maintain your new home, you will need to arrange and pay for a home inspection. There are many different kinds...

Buying a Condo? You Might Want to Consider a Co-Op Instead

There are many benefits to living in a condo: They often require less maintenance than single-family homes, as the condo association often maintains the common interior and exterior areas. As a result, condos can often offer more flexibility than single family homes...

Everything Home Maintenance:

Spring into Spring Cleaning: Your Guide to Deep Cleaning Your Home

When the snow starts to melt and that first warm day brings Evanstonians out and about, it can only mean that spring is around the corner. And just as it’s instinctive for us Midwesterners to shed our winter layers, spring makes us want to dust off the cobwebs and...

Stopping Ice Dams in Their Tracks: A Guide for Homeowners

Drip, drop, plop – what’s that sound? It’s a water leak in the ceiling! Sigh, grab the buckets. As Evanston residents, like the rest of the Chicagoland area, we’re no strangers to the Midwest winter. Once the beautiful layers of white snow hit Evanston and the...

Your Last-Minute Checklist for Ensuring your Home has Been Fully Winterized

While we’re already in January – the heart of our seasonal cold, snow, and ice – it’s not too late to make sure your home has been fully winterized. It’s your key to improving your comfort while protecting your home against the harsher conditions. Winterizing your...

The Savvy Guide to Prolonging the Functionality and Beauty of Your Area Rugs

Large area rugs – and smaller decorative ones – are a tasteful, easy way to add style and warmth to your home. They come in a wide array of colors, patterns, weaves, and fabrics – so you can be sure to find the rugs that match your design esthetic. But one other thing...

How to Embrace Your Unique Design Style – From Minimalism to Maximalism to Make Your Living Space Feel Like the Home You Want

When it comes to finding the perfect style for your home, it's all about letting your personality shine through. But this might require a bit of experimentation to ensure you hit on the design formula that’s right for you. After all, you might be amazed at how just...