5 Local Places to Enjoy Great Weather and Great Food

By: Amber Ogden | May 25, 2018
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Outdoor seating at a restaurant with good food and drinks is a sure indicator that summer is here! (For real this time!)  With food trucks and sunbathing season among us, it’s time to go to our favorite outdoor restaurants and even check out some new spots.  Who doesn’t want to sit in the sun with friends enjoying a delicious dish? It reduces stress, plus food just tastes better outside. While dining outdoors is already popular, now restaurants are putting their own twist on dining and making it an even better experience. With unique dining events such as weekly art shows and dance parties, dining outdoors is in a class of its own. Check out these five metro Detroit area outdoor dining experiences.

Motor City Brewing Works (Detroit)

What goes best with summer, beer and wine? Pizza of course! For traditional brick oven style pizza, Motor City Brewing Works is the spot. I personally recommend buying multiple pizzas and sharing. The BBQ chicken and Bronx Bomber are everything needed in a pizza. They offer nice toppings to crust ratio, plus the ingredients are fresh and piled on. This place is perfect for a sunny lunch or sunset dinner on the patio that overlooks parts of midtown. At Motor City Brewing Works you get more than beer and pizza. Every Wednesday they present “This Week in Art” which is a weekly art showcase that features local metro Detroit artists.

Briggs Detroit (Detroit)

The Sky Box is open!  Customers can come and take in a breathtaking view of Detroit on the Sky Box deck while enjoying one of 24 beers on tap alongside a 100% ground beef burger. The perfect summer night is not made without throwing some music in the mix, and then you have a party. You and your friends can party until 2 a.m. on the weekends and midnight during the week. Briggs is also LGBTQ friendly and welcomes all who are game for a good time in the city of Detroit. Did I also mention they have a Trophy room? Check it out when you stop in.

Lumen Detroit (Detroit)

Lumen Detroit is perfectly placed overlooking Beacon Park near downtown Detroit and the patio stretches alongside Grand River.  Lumen is Latin for ‘Let’s Eat’ and eat customers will do in this upscale and elegant setting. Customers can sit outside and enjoy a Michigan Pork Chop on a summer evening for dinner.  Even though their name is Latin, Lumen still makes every dish with Detroit soul and spirit.

trax yoga

The Chevy Trax is the perfect partner for finding balance and exploring wherever your day leads.

Detroit Fleat (Ferndale)

Detroit Fleat is metro Detroit’s first and only operating food truck park and boozery.  So how does this work exactly? Glad you asked! Grab a seat, order from the house menu or order from a food truck directly and lastly order your beverage. With a combination of permanent food trucks and a list of rotating food trucks, this collective is serving up comfort food fit for a summer day. Take for example their house sausage bites that are battered, deep fried sausage served with a spicy mustard that sounds like summer itself!  Every weekend in May, Fleat is welcoming guest trucks to double up on the food fun. This weekend (May 25th & 26th) Crepe Day-Twah, Motor City Pasty Company, Matt & Mo’s, Grillwich Tot Stop and Chicken Coupe Chicken n’ Waffles will be the featured guests.

Mike’s on the Water (St.  Clair Shores)

Fresh lobster, not imitation, but fresh lobster! Enough said! This is a spot where you can come dock your boat or hit the upper deck and sunbathe with a koozie.  Or try the house drink called “oozie-tini” This drink includes Stoli Vodka and a lemon wedge with olives. This drink is served all day, every day and is $5.00! Customers can enjoy “the lookout” over the rooftop deck that includes a full outdoor bar. Oh, and this same rooftop deck will soon include a food truck.  

Remember to drink responsibly and plan ahead with a designated driver or take advantage of one of these local designated driving services.

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