Patio & Outdoor Dining in Midland, Texas: A Guide
(updated April 2024)
Whether you’re enjoying a cigar or glass of wine from The Hemingway on the patio or a big plate of Murray’s curly fries, patio season is nearly year-round in Midland, Texas. While all of these businesses have great offerings that can be enjoyed indoors, patios are a way of life.
Here’s our guide to restaurants offering patio & outdoor dining in Midland, Texas:
Did we miss a favorite patio or outdoor spot? Email us and we’ll add it ASAP!
Find what patio experience you need FAST with the buttons below:
Bars & Breweries
Enjoying an ice-cold margarita on a patio with mosquitoes eating you alive while the remains of the Midland heatwave are dripping down your back is what summer is all about around here. These Midland bars and breweries patios make for the best conversations and refreshing drinks in West Texas and aren't to be passed over.
The Hemingway | BYOB, Cigars, Live Music
Just wine & beer on this menu but you may BYOB to pair your cigar with a whiskey of your liking. Although The Hemingway does offer some small bites and charcuterie boards, you may find yourself quite hungry after a few drinks in the summer heat and wish you’d made a reservation at Venezia Restaurant - right down the street (with an awesome patio too).
Tall City Brewing Co. | Locally Brewed, Food Trucks, Dog-friendly Patio
This patio is designed for year-round enjoyment - equipped with roll-up doors to bring the patio in, heaters for the colder weather, and plenty of space for the wild children (and leashed dogs!) to roam. Enjoy food from one or more food trucks at TCBC any day of the week.
The Blue Door | Dog-Friendly Patio, Community Events, Happy Hour
When you think of a patio and craft cocktails, this Midland staple is likely one of the first to come to mind. From the Blue Door entrance, it feels a bit like a speak-easy. From the patio entrance, it feels like everything that is right about summer. Don’t forget your furry friends - paws are encouraged.
The Buffalo Nickel | Craft Cocktails & Beer, Cigars, Local Brews
The Buffalo Nickel features craft cocktails and beer, wine, cigars, and whiskey that all can be enjoyed on their patio. The patio has tons of fans to keep you cool from this West Texas heat and tons of seating too.
Champs Sports Bar | Yard, Game Night, Full Bar
Champs Sports Bar has a huge outdoor space that connects via garage door to their inside bar area. If you’re looking for a spot to catch a game, this is the place for you in Midland.
Little Woodrow’s | Friendly, Full Bar, Bar Food
Little Woodrow’s in Midland has a huge patio and attached yard filled with games, plenty of seating, and fire pits for the winter time. This full service bar has a large beer selection and cool mixed drinks on tap. Giant TV screens are on the patio so you won’t miss game nights.
Triple Threat Sports Bar | TVs, Cocktails, Fight Night
All of your favorite bar eats are here at Triple Threat but over here they are 10x better than the bar food you recall from your college days. With tons of sports entertainment every night, this is the best spot for catching the game tonight.
Riley’s Bar and Grill | Dive Bar, Live Music, Friendly
This blue collar bar in Midland has some delicious food alongside live music nights and friendly bartenders. Everyone raves about their steak and their bloody marys, in addition to the very casual atmosphere. Visit Riley’s patio or sit indoors near the open garage doors while you enjoy your drinks and burgers.
Fair to Midland | Full Bar, Fair Food, 21+
It doesn’t need to be fair season in Texas to enjoy the delicacies. Fair to Midland brings all the things you love about the fair to be enjoyed all year round. While there are indoor options at Fair to Midland to enjoy with your drink and fried food, the real party is outside on the patio. With an adult slide, more fair games, and picnic tables for the whole gang, what more could you want for patio drinking?
The Tailgate | Live Music, Family-Friendly, Food Trucks
One of Midland’s most popular live music and DJ entertainment venues is The Tailgate. If you’re hungry, there are always food trucks available. While The Tailgate is known for their parties, they also host weekly family-friendly Fun Day on Sundays.
Cerveceria 19 | Cheap, Fun, Tex-Mex
One of the most popular spots in Midland with a menu that is consistently cheaper than most other venues in town with it’s $4 cost across the board. Cerveceria 19 has music, tex-mex, and buckets of beer.
Casual Dining
These patios are great for stopping for a quick bite to eat and for all the summer vibes. Think random Tuesdays in the summer where you don’t feel like cooking dinner but fast food just won’t cut it. Here are our picks for casual outdoor dining here in Midland:
Mac’s BBQ & Catering | Playground, Live Music, Barbeque
With live music on the summer weekends, Mac’s has a lot to offer from the menu to the ambiance for the whole family. This large space is accommodating to all group sizes so you can bring everyone along for a night on the lawn at Mac’s.
Wall St. Cocina | Classic, Tex-Mex, Downtown
This spot in Downtown Midland is a go-to spot for many locals. The birria tacos are a popular menu choice for a good reason! Wall St. Cocina has umbrella covered seating outdoors and when the weather is beautiful outside, we love chowing down on Tex-Mex at one of the patio tables.
Spitz | Mediterranean, Fresh, Vegetarian Options
Spitz has a fully covered patio that is a treat to sit on when you’re chowing down on fresh Mediterranean food . They have a full service bar inside and don’t forget to order their Street Cart Fries alongside a refreshing sangria!
Ranchland Hills | Live Music, Special Meal Nights, Sunday Brunch
While the Ranchland Hills golf course itself is private, you can enjoy dining al fresco nearly any day of the week here. Once spring arrives and through the summer, you can even enjoy their patio concert series - Party on the Patio - every Friday night.
Blue Sky | Fresh-cut Fries, Burgers, Shakes
Blue Sky is a great spot to grab a juicy burger and fries with the family. Located in the Courtyard At Midland Park shopping center, it’s an easy pit stop during your weekend shopping trip off the Loop. Their outdoor patio is shaded and spacious.
Rusty Taco | Fresh, Margaritas, Family-Friendly
Rusty Taco in Midland has a welcoming vibe with a large patio in the shade with fans and misters (Thank goodness for shade in West Texas!). There are a ton of options for kiddos, vegetarians, and gluten-free guests. The margaritas are our go-to drink selection.
Hand Cafe | Coffee & Beer, Small Bites, Playground
If you haven't been to the Hand Cafe, then you wouldn't know that they offer more than just coffee and muffins. Hand Cafe offers breakfast, lunch, early dinner, craft coffee beverages, along with beer and wine 7 days a week. Did we mention their VERY child-friendly patio?
The Fuel Bar | Healthy Eats & Coffee, Pet-Friendly Patio, Work from Anywhere
Fuel Bar features a dog-friendly patio where you can enjoy a variety of healthy menu items from smoothies and espresso to wraps and salads. You may have just found your new favorite “work from anywhere” spot.
The Rusty Bucket BBQ & Tavern | Live Music, Barbecue, Beer
Your Midland destination for big names in music and the occasional game of poker also features an outside dining experience that you’ll be able to enjoy all summer long. Start out your night with a huge plate of BBQ and end it with a cold one on the patio at the Rusty Bucket.
KD’s BBQ | Smokehouse BBQ, Live Music, Sweet Tea Destination
This outdoor dining experience is unparalleled and really epitomizes the West Texas barbeque experience into one restaurant. KD’s BBQ is a classic Midland stop for your barbeque fix during the summers and can easily be enjoyed both inside or outside.
JumBurrito | Locally-Sourced Meat, Queso, Quick Bite
This local chain not only offers patio seating at select locations, but you’ll also find that they make an effort to use local ingredients, such as meat from Midland Meat Co. Whatever you decide to get, our #ProTip for JumBurrito is to get it smothered in queso. You’ll thank us for this one later!
Murray’s Deli | Curly Fries, Beer, Brick Oven Pizza
The new and improved Murray’s patio is a welcome addition to the Midland classic! Tucked away in the back of the Imperial Shopping Center is the outdoor version of Murray’s, where you can enjoy their new pizza and curly fries under market lights and a West Texas sunset.
Taco DiVino | Tacos, Frose, Frozen Sangria
This cash-only taco joint features everything from creative and delicious tacos to frosé and elote. Taco DiVino has a beautifully decorated patio that is sure to please the whole family. You’ll even find shaved ice right next door for something sweet after those savory tacos.
Full-Service Restaurants
The same full-service restaurants that you know and love have some of the best outdoor and patio seating options. Even if you’re sitting outside, you’ll still get to experience that amazing service as if you were sitting inside.
Venezia Restaurant | Extensive Wine Menu, Live Music, Seafood and Italian Finds
Venezia is known for their homemade Italian cuisine and a VERY extensive wine menu to enjoy al fresco all while feeling that you might actually be in Europe. This one tops the patio list! You can even catch live music on Friday & Saturday evenings on this patio.
Pi Social | Downtown, Neopolitan Style Pizza, Craft Cocktails
Another outdoor and downtown experience that needs to be one our your next stops this summer is Pi Social. Open 6 days a week, you can enjoy the view of the gorgeous Centennial Park from their intimate patio and outside bar.
MMC Half Acre | BBQ, Family-friendly, Outdoor Games
Midland Meat Company’s The Half Acre is a local meat market that serves amazing BBQ in Midland. In addition to the large patio space with outdoor games, this venue is family and pet friendly.
The Bar | Live Music, Homestyle Eats, Saturday Brunch
Open 6 days per week for lunch and dinner and a special Saturday Brunch, you have tons of opportunities to go enjoy their outdoor dining. With a large menu featuring some of your homestyle favorites, you’ll find a familiar favorite with a one-of-a-kind taste at The Bar.
Little Bohemian | Classy, Atmospheric, Cocktails
One of Downtown Midland’s newest spots is Little Bohemian. The laid back atmosphere still manages to give an upscale vibe, you might forget you’re in Midland! This is an excellent date night spot and everything on their cocktail menu is a must. Great music and good vibes at Little Bohemian.
The Patio Drafthouse | A Little Bit of Everything, Happy Hour, Weekend Brunch
Open for lunch and dinner all week long, they also offer brunch service on both Saturdays and Sundays. They also offer a great happy hour and one of the best opportunities to enjoy craft beer. Just like the name, The Patio Drafthouse is the perfect place to enjoy your favorite drinks or something yummy in the great outdoors.
Dessert
Sometimes the evenings are just a little too hot still here in Midland, but by the time dessert times rolls around, the weather is perfect. Here are a few of our dessert picks with outside dining options. Here’s where to enjoy some sweet treats on the patio or outside:
Amara Gelato | Authentic Gelato, Italian Espresso, Outdoor Seating
Authentic Italian gelato, crepes, and Italian espresso (and now you may be thinking affogato, and yes!), things don’t get much better than that over here in Midland. Take your Amara Gelato to go and out on the sidewalk to experience the Midland sunsets and summer weather.
Fountainville Creamery | Cold Treats, Artisian Fudge, Flavors Galore
A spacious, covered patio to enjoy your made-from-scratch, West Texas-inspired creamy ice cream or soda goodness over at Fountainville. It may even be worth trying the Black Gold flavor even if the color is a little scary at first.
Atrium Dining
You’re just here for the outdoor seating options, but natural lighting (especially when it’s unpleasant outside) might be even better. We all know how fast our West Texas weather can change. These atrium dining options are the best of both worlds.
Café at the Gardens | Koi Fish Pond, Live Music, Full Bar
Sit pond-side and enjoy the hundreds (dare we say millions) of plants inside the greenhouse at Alldredge Gardens. The Café at the Gardens often features live entertainment that pairs nicely with their lunch and dinner menus.
La Bodega | Ruedas, Frozen Sangria Swirls, Fountain Views
Let the peaceful sound of water trickling off the fountain lure you into ordering another bowl of guac. Go ahead. We won’t judge. La Bodega is a long-time Midland and Odessa favorite for its unbeatable Tex-Mex flavor. No matter what time of year it is, you’ll feel like it's summertime all over again in this atrium.
Juji's Kitchen | Jungle Paradise, Casual, Friendly
Midland doesn’t have a zoo (yet!) so the closest thing we have is the ClayDesta Atrium. Juji’s Kitchen is located inside the ClayDesta building and you can sit in the cafe or in the atrium itself. The late Clayton Williams’s personal taxidermy collection is showcased around the atrium so be prepared to go nose to nose with a zebra and even bears!
Check out our post with our guide to Sunday brunch in Midland, Texas which features a few of these outdoor dining options.