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Where to Find Patio Dining in Fresno & Clovis

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Natali Carrera
Natali Carrera is a devoted coffee addict who also loves her teenage son, her husband of 19 years and shopping small & local. She is the founder & CEO of parent support non-profit Success Together, Inc. and has been a freelance content creator for FresYes.com for 7 years. Natali is an unrelenting cheerleader for and lifelong resident of Fresno, as well as a Fresno State grad.
Latest posts by Natali Carrera (see all)

Some of our favorite places for great food with patio dining

Does the latest sequel in the horror movie that is Covid have you worried about eating out? That’s fair. Omicron is airborne and highly contagious so many are making alterations to their lifestyle during the latest big wave of the pandemic. (The good news is experts believe Spring and Summer will bring significant relief this year, so better days are on the horizon – take heart!)

If going out to eat is something that brings you joy and that you don’t want to give up right now but you’d still like to be somewhat Covid cautious, consider choosing restaurants that offer outdoor dining and even better, outdoor heaters to help you stay comfortable through our colder months.

Thanks to some help from great folks on social, I have a fabulous list of places where you can enjoy outdoor dining right now.

Fantastic Fresno/Clovis Restaurants with Patio Dining

(* heaters present)

Annesso Pizzeria – Fresno & Friant

Newer to the Fresno restaurant scene but one of our favorites! Did you catch our review? The patio is spacious and a fantastic location for some meatballs and a cold craft beer.

  • Hand-crafted, rustic pizza & artisan cocktails
  • Open for lunch & dinner daily
  • Reservations available

Colton’s Social House @ Sierra Vista Mall* – Clovis

Wow! It just occurred to me that we haven’t written about Colton’s since 2016, eek! We will have to revisit soon. Their outdoor patio is easily the biggest in all of Fresno and Clovis. Although it’s been the subject of some controversy with permits, I can assure you… if it’s open, it’s fantastic.

  • New American/Steaks/Burgers/Craft Beer
  • Over 40 outdoor heaters
  • Appointment dining available for parties of 10+

The Elbow Room – Figarden Village/Shaw & Palm

You’ve likely visited this go-to patio and restaurant many times. If you haven’t, let’s get you there. Misters during the summer, and heaters and a fire pit during the winter.

  • New American/Steak/Cocktails/Fine wine
  • Semi-enclosed patio
  • Lots of screens for viewing sporting events

Eureka Burger

small intimate patio with a large screen tv for sporting events. Heaters are there as well, you can’t go wrong with the burgers at locally owned Eureka Burger

  • Specializing in burgers, craft beer & cocktails
  • Low-contact ordering via Smart phone available with no app download required
  • Relaxed atmosphere, consistent food, and drink quality

Heirloom* – Fresno & Friant

Have you had their tri-tip salad? I don’t care if it was pick up only (it’s not, they have great setting and a patio) I would still frequent them once a week

  • Farm to table, but served fast casual style
  • Season menu options featuring local, ingredients
  • Soft serve Greek yogurt desserts and craft cocktails

Lime & Basil – Bullard & West

  • Vietnamese & Pho restaurant with attached Boba Tea Shop
  • Highly-rated on Yelp
  • Known for flavorful broth and consistently tasty food!

Mad Duck* – Multiple Locations

  • Pub style menu, craft beer made in house
  • Three locations – Campus Pointe* by Fresno State, Clovis, & NW Fresno*
  • Virtual waitlist available for faster seating

Livingstones – Tower District

  • Classic American comfort food and cocktails
  • Brunch is available on weekends until 3pm
  • A true Tower District institution, recently recovered from a devastating fire – back in action!

Patio Café – Figarden Village/Shaw & Palm

This is a fantastic breakfast location, seriously one of, if not the best in town – food and service.

  • Specializing in breakfast/brunch
  • Many fresh, locally sourced ingredients
  • Vegan/vegetarian options

The Point Bar & Bistro – Willow & Nees/Clovis

Make sure you don’t miss the patio here, many I hear don’t know they have one, yet it’s huge and has it’s own bar and unique ambiance

  • American Cuisine & Cocktails, Lunch, Dinner & Sunday Brunch
  • Heaters, water & lighting features make for pleasant atmosphere
  • Lots of screens for viewing sporting events

Spicy J’s in Riverpark* – Blackstone and El Paso

  • Located in the former Dai Bai Dang location
  • Comfy patio features plenty of heaters
  • Asian fusion menu with lots of choices with focus on Szechuan dishes

Trelio – Old Town Clovis/Clovis Ave.

You need more Patio Café in your life

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Natali Carrera
Natali Carrera is a devoted coffee addict who also loves her teenage son, her husband of 19 years and shopping small & local. She is the founder & CEO of parent support non-profit Success Together, Inc. and has been a freelance content creator for FresYes.com for 7 years. Natali is an unrelenting cheerleader for and lifelong resident of Fresno, as well as a Fresno State grad.
Latest posts by Natali Carrera (see all)

 

As a lifelong Fresno resident, there are some local businesses that I consider to be institutions. Staples. Givens. These are the places we “all” know about, hold dear in our hearts, and visit as often as we’re able. For me, Patio Café is one of those places.

I’ve enjoyed eating breakfast there for as long as I can remember. Given this personal perspective, I was surprised when I recently planned a brunch to celebrate a friend’s birthday, and 75% of the guests had never been there! We’ve written about Patio Café before on FresYes, but it’s time to highlight this local gem once again.

Patio Café

The recently refreshed interior of Patio Café is inviting and pleasant

Great food, great service, great atmosphere

Patio Café has been located in Fig Garden Village for twenty years. Robyn Richardson is the café’s owner, and her care for her patrons’ happiness shows in all that she does. Though our recent brunch group was large, and dined at a very busy time for the restaurant, the service was attentive and the dishes came out as much a feast for the eyes as the body.

If you haven’t been to Patio Café, its name makes perfect sense when you drive up and see the outdoor seating under a canopy of colorful umbrellas. The indoor seating area has recently undergone a makeover with added bench seating, new artwork, flower boxes, and string lighting, which brings the patio feel indoors.

Patio Café’s mission is to serve fresh, local, healthy, and organic food that tastes great. In my opinion, they do a tremendous job of it. Produce from Valley-based KMK, Harvest Fields, Naylor Farms, and Wilgenburg Greenhouses grace each plate with colors so vibrant you’ll struggle to recall the last time you ate something so colorful and at its peak. 

What to eat

Patio Café serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Some of the most famous dishes include the Benedicts, French toast, Mexican breakfasts, and loaded, fluffy omelets. At lunch time, fresh salads with unique ingredients, wraps, and roasted vegetable enchiladas steal the spotlight. The dinner menu includes seafood and pasta classics as well as a small plates selection great for sharing and pairing with a favorite glass of wine. To view the complete menu (minus daily specials), click here.

Patio Café

French Toast

Patio Café

Breakfast Enchiladas

Patio Café

The Baja Omelet

Patio Café

Lollipop Salmon and Baby Kale Salad

Patio Café

Chilaquilles

Patio Café is a great place to go if you have specific dietary restrictions but would still like a nice meal out. At all meals, there are lighter options, gluten-free choices, vegetarian dishes, and low-carb meals.

Live music on the patio can be enjoyed by dinner guests when the weather is nice. This begins at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights.

Even those unable to get out as often as they like can enjoy Patio Café’s fresh fare. The restaurant offers Uber Eats delivery.

If you’ve never been to Patio Café, make a date with your significant other, your favorite friends or your family members today, and get there! And if it’s been awhile since you’ve enjoyed the food, make plans to go back—you’ll be glad you did!

Details

Patio Café is located at 5138 N. Palm Ave. in Fresno. It’s open Sunday-Wednesday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursday-Saturday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Breakfast is served all day.

Visit Patio Café online or follow them on Instagram.

El Patio is the best Mexican restaurant you haven’t tried yet

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Natali Carrera
Natali Carrera is a devoted coffee addict who also loves her teenage son, her husband of 19 years and shopping small & local. She is the founder & CEO of parent support non-profit Success Together, Inc. and has been a freelance content creator for FresYes.com for 7 years. Natali is an unrelenting cheerleader for and lifelong resident of Fresno, as well as a Fresno State grad.
Latest posts by Natali Carrera (see all)

Living in Fresno, there’s no shortage of delicious Mexican restaurants to be enjoyed. Often, when out-of-state guests visit, we ask, “Where would you like to eat?” and a common request is to go somewhere with great Mexican food, since so many other places in the country aren’t as lucky as we are.

Sometimes, however, it can be hard for a restaurant to differentiate itself from the crowd. When choices are this plentiful, restaurant owners have to do something a bit different, or a bit better, to establish themselves as a destination for Fresno restaurant-goers. This week, my coworkers and I stumbled across a place that does just that.

El Patio: perfectly named

Set back from the street in the former Meze Grill location on Olive Ave., El Patio‘s colorful flags beckon you in towards the entry. The restaurant looks small from the street, but once inside the courtyard, a large, colorful and shady patio instantly entices you to take a seat, and take in the scenery. I think my coworkers and I all audibly “wowed” when we walked in.

El Patio

The colorful and amazing patio at the perfectly named El Patio.

El Patio

El Patio

We stepped inside and were greeted quickly and told we could sit wherever we liked; of course, we selected a table in the center of the patio.

Our server was friendly and helpful, and shared with us that the owner, Benjamin Torralva, is a successful local entrepreneur who also owns Passions Boutiques and Jalisco Jewelers. Passions Boutiques is known for stylish interiors and a selection of clothing that is on-trend, which makes perfect sense, as the interior and exterior of El Patio is clearly designed down to the smallest details to be visually attractive and enjoyable.

El Patio

The small but perfectly color coordinated interior of El Patio is also meticulously designed and decorated.

El Patio

Gorgeous and inviting colors are everywhere at El Patio.

The patio covering is lined with rows and rows of colorful flags and the fence is adorned with beautiful, vibrant Mexican art pieces and historical photographs. The brightly hued table cloths and hanging fabrics make you feel as though you’re on a vacation rather than a lunch break.

The food is the star here

As fantastic as the atmosphere at El Patio is, it can’t steal the spotlight from the food, which was also stellar. The menu had traditional Mexican cuisine, some lightened up and healthier dishes, and some really neat family-favorite items that my coworkers thought were truly special, like Café de Olla con Piloncillo y Panela (a delicious coffee sweetened with a deep, brown sugar) and Bionico with cream (seasonal fruit with house sweet cream, yogurt, and sweetened grains). Our table enjoyed multiple glasses of a refreshing house-made Agua Fresca made with mango and pineapple.

When it came to the main course, I ordered the Red Enchiladas Estila Tonala with cheese and they were delicious queso fresco, hand-rolled enchiladas topped with potatoes and an amazing, smoky red sauce. I enjoyed them more than any enchilada I’ve had in years.

My coworkers tried a torta and the flautas, and both hit the nail on the head for both freshness and flavor. The house-made salsa served with chips for the table was really good, too—spicy, but not too spicy, just right.

El Patio

My amazing enchiladas in red sauce.

El Patio

My coworker’s torta. His review: “Tortas are all about the bread, and this bread is awesome.”

El Patio

The flautas at El Patio are delicious.

Throughout lunch, the service was very attentive and friendly, the food was fantastic, and the atmosphere was just perfect.

If you don’t have a current favorite Mexican restaurant, I highly encourage you to check out El Patio in the Tower District. And—even if you do have a tried-and true-favorite—I still suggest you give El Patio a try. It’s been one of my favorite Fresno dining experiences to date!

More information

El Patio Mexican Restaurant is located at 552 E. Olive Ave. in Fresno. It’s open Mon-Thurs from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Fri-Sat from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Follow the restaurant on Facebook or call (559) 721-7757 for details.

Why we love Piazza del Pane (and think you should, too!)

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FresYes Writing Team
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On any given weekend night, when my husband and I are lucky enough to have a sitter and the opportunity to enjoy a date night out together, there comes an inevitable conversation that goes something like this:

“Where do you want to go?”

“I don’t care, I’m just happy to go out, what sounds good to you?”

“Honestly, I don’t care either – pick something?”

“I don’t want to pick, you pick!”

And so on, and so forth.

I’m fairly sure this conversation occurs for about 90% of couples who’ve been together for some time. When this happens to us, we have a “fall back” place that makes us both happy – and that, is Piazza del Pane.

Piazza del Pane

What surprises me, is how often Piazza del Pane is relatively quiet on a Friday or Saturday night, which is what prompted me to write about them this week. While I don’t want them to suddenly become too packed for us to easily get in, I also want to see them do well so that they’ll be around for years to come!

Piazza del Pane started with its original location on Cedar and Nees, offering counter-order lunches and full-service dinners in a beautiful yet cozy and comfortable atmosphere, complete with see-through fireplace and relaxing patio seating. Their paninis, pastas, gelato and espresso drinks were always well-made and delivered by attentive, polite, yet unobtrusive servers.

Upon the completion of Pane’s second location at Palm and Herndon (“Palmdon Drive”), my husband and I found ourselves visiting more often for dinner, as it was closer to home for us. The dinner menu expanded, offering selections beyond contemporary California-Italian choices and adding comfort-food classics like wine-braised ribs and an exceptional Pane burger. (I know, your instinct wouldn’t be to go to Piazza del Pane and order a burger, but trust me – you should! It’s my favorite entrée on their menu! And I’m not even a big burger-eater/ordered typically.)

More recently, the restaurants added full bars and enclosed patios with heaters and fireplaces. This additional upgrade is what made Piazza del Pane my husband and my favorite date night spot. The patio on Palm and Herndon offers pleasant outdoor seating in an uncovered patio that is almost always uncrowded, in addition to the covered patio seating. The new addition of a happy hour appetizer and drink menu makes gourmet apps incredibly affordable, yet luxurious to enjoy. This past Saturday night, we ordered their Fried Brie (cheat day, don’t judge!) and it was served with olive oil and herb-brushed crostini, sliced fresh strawberries, apples and grapes as well as a side of honey for drizzling. I’m pretty sure I could enjoy eating this combination of foods every day and never tire of it!

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The service we enjoy on the patio is always attentive, even when we sit away from the rest of the crowd we’re not forgotten and our drinks are always refilled. Beyond the Fried Brie appetizer, some of my other favorite foods to enjoy from the Pane menu include their house salad (the balsamic dressing is absolutely fantastic!), their lightly tempura-battered sweet potato fries with aioli dipping sauce (my favorite sweet potato fries in town), and if it’s on the menu when you go – you should try the Gemelli Pasta with Fresh Mozzarella and Tomato Basil Cream Sauce – so good! (I make a wannabe copy-cat version at home using Trader Joe’s Tomato Cream Sauce. Good in a pinch, but Piazza del Pane’s version still wins for sure.)

The bread served with dinner is soft, freshly baked and lightly herbed and comes with an herb and garlic whipped butter spread. (Ok, I’m drooling on my keyboard now, dangit!) and my favorite cocktail at Piazza del Pane, is their Cherry Limonata. Since we’re already talking fried cheese and sweet potato fries, we may as well go all out and say you need to try their exceptional crème brûlée. It’s a wonderful dessert to share, and a great way to end a delicious meal.

Piazza del Pane has hosted holiday luncheons for the company I work for, for the past two years (and has done an exceptional job) and both locations are wonderful for bridal or baby showers and other private party events, as you can reserve the whole patio. Additionally, both locations offer a tasty and reasonably priced Sunday brunch, so if you’re into brunching with friends and family, so be sure to give that a try as well.

Now that I’ve shouted from the rooftops (err… webtops?) about how wonderful Piazza del Pane is, please make it a point to go enjoy eating their soon, especially during the spring and summer when you can enjoy eating in the uncovered patio area at the Palm location – you’ll love it! Oh, but just don’t all go at once, because the lack of excessive crowds is one of the greatest things about the restaurant – visit in a steady stream, kthanks! 😉

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