Eight Winter-Friendly Patios at North Shore Restaurants
Bundle up for bites at a pasta pavilion, a dog-friendly tavern, and a waterfront resort with heated igloos.
Photo courtesy of Tuscan Sea Grill & Bar
The problem: You need a break from yet another meal at your kitchen table (or, let’s be real, your couch), but you still feel more comfortable dining outside. Oh, and you’re on the North Shore—not in Boston, where there are plenty of patios planning to operate through winter. The solution: Check out our handy list of similarly winter-ready patios in Ipswich, Salem, Beverly, and elsewhere, offering everything from sunset views (with tasty fish tacos) to warm, snow globe-like setups by the sea.
The outdoor fireplace-bearing patio at the Burlington location of Fogo de Chão can be enclosed when more wintry weather arrives. / Photo courtesy of Fogo de Chão
Fogo de Chão
If you want to grab dinner while doing some holiday shopping in the ‘burbs (or while treating yourself to a present as a pick-me-up later this winter) head to the new Burlington Mall outpost of this Brazilian-steakhouse chain. Unlike the Copley Place location, this one boasts an enclosable patio with fire pits for warming up with all the bacon-wrapped steak and other meats you can eat, all hand-carved table-side. And since every shopper loves a deal, here’s one: $4 happy hour bites, like braised beef sliders and yucca fries, served on the patio and at the bar from 4:30-6:30 pm daily.
75 Middlesex Turnpike Ste. 1630 (Burlington Mall), Burlington, 781-382-0222, fogodechao.com.
Fox Creek Tavern
This Ipswich dining destination has comfort food on lock. And there’s only one thing more comforting than cozying up to the outdoor fireplace under the patio’s pergola: Cozying up to them while gobbling a dreamy grilled mac ‘n’ cheese sandwich on sourdough, the house-made shepherd’s pie with brown gravy, or shareable snacks, such as Buffalo cauliflower florets that are spicy enough to beat back the wind chill.
141 High St., Ipswich, 978-312-1088, foxcreektavern.com.
Igloos at Mile Marker One. / Photo courtesy Mile Marker One
Mile Marker One
Dining out in winter weather is infinitely more bearable from the inside of your own heated igloo (with a hot toddy in hand, naturally). Thankfully, this seafood and steak eatery at Gloucester’s Cape Ann Marina Resort can accommodate up to six diners in each of its custom escapes for full, on-call service. Even when it’s freezing outside, your group will stay toasty in a private, snow globe-like getaway, grazing on surf and turf pairings such as tender ribeye with trap-to-table lobster that’s fresh-caught daily in local waters.
75 Essex Ave., Gloucester, 978-283-2116, capeannmarina.com/dining.
Rossetti. / Photo courtesy Assembly Design Studio
Rossetti
Though this eatery serving modern-meets-classic Italian-American cuisine only opened last fall, it’s already wise beyond its single year. Case in point: The team knew to bet big on four-season open-air dining. Rossetti’s pavilion is no mere, humble patio—rather, it’s an entire outdoor room with motorized windows, a retractable roof, and an infrared heating system. Bask under those heat lamps while savoring Mistral alum chef Jason Maynard’s menu of lamb osso bucco with Parmigiano polenta, scratch-made tagliatelle with truffle butter and wild mushrooms, and crispy grilled soppressata pizza. You’ll also get a warm flush from the signature cocktails, such as the tequila-based Jimador Harvest with Mezcal, cranberry cordial, and cinnamon.
142 Brimbal Ave., Beverly, 978-969-0080, rossettibeverly.com.
Photo by Pat Piasecki
Sunset Club
You can still soak up the stunning sunsets over the Great Marsh in Newburyport’s Plum Island at this outdoor oasis that opened over the summer. The Starlite Management Company—the group behind Somerville’s legendary Trina’s Starlite Lounge et al.—teamed up with North Shore developers to reimagine a former auto service shop as a 130-seat outdoor lounge. The spot showcases a grand gas fire pit, with a host of picnic tables, Adirondack chairs, and an open-air bar that slings a mean colada with caramelized coconut cream. (You can nosh on duck and chorizo empanadas, fish tacos, and a handful of other bites while you’re at it.) Be sure to call ahead before heading over, though, as the crew behind Sunset Club is still figuring out how deep into the winter they’ll continue to operate before calling it a night.
4 Old Point Rd, Newbury, sunsetclubpi.com.
Temazcal patio fireplace. / Photo courtesy of MarketStreet Lynnfield
Temazcal Tequila Cantina
Sure, there’s something undoubtedly summery about diving into a tall margarita while you scarf down a plate of fish tacos with pico de gallo. But the heated patio at the MarketStreet Lynnfield location of this local Mexican restaurant—set amid the retail neighborhood’s many shops and restaurants, and near its seasonal ice skating rink—invites you to tuck into a sizzling plate of achiote-rubbed skirt steak fajitas, or a hearty bowl of chicken tortilla, all winter long. And even if a trip to Mexico isn’t in on your itinerary any time soon, a tequila flight will absolutely have you feeling those warmer climes.
500 Market St., Lynnfield, 781-334-2500, temazcalcantina.com/locations/lynnfield.
Tuscan Sea Grill & Bar
From the mouth of the Merrimack River in Newburyport, Tuscan tempts guests with coastal Italian cuisine: fresh seafood, house-made pastas, and fitting tweaks on New England favorites, such as a sublime chowder with crispy pancetta. A member of the growing Tuscan Kitchen family of restaurants and markets, this Sea Grill-style iteration boasts an extensive raw bar of crudo and shellfish platters teeming with oysters, little necks, and other delights from the deep. And that Merrimack-side location? It features a four-season patio, where the hanging heaters help you soak up wonderful water views.
38 Rear Merrimac St., Newburyport, 978-465-2211, tuscanseagrillbar.com.
Village Tavern
Want to dine out(side) with your dog? The heater-equipped patio at Salem’s Village Tavern offers a doggie menu with cage-free chicken jerky treats, bison- and venison-flavored dry dog food, even house-made unsalted peanut butter treats for dessert. You, meanwhile, can savor a bacon brie burger with whisky bacon jam, perhaps—or maybe something from the five-plate-strong mac ‘n’ cheese menu, where the baked beauties are topped with Buffalo chicken, Sriracha-drizzled steak tips, and more. Plus, with portions this huge, there will be plenty to take home in a doggie bag.
168 Essex St., Salem, 978-744-2858, villagetavernsalem.com.
