I think that publication in the Sun immediately cancels "well-kept secret" status.

You have more faith in my popularity than I do. :-) EL

The Dogfish Head Alehouse in Gaithersburg has two outdoor seating areas on opposite sides of the buildings. One is smoking the other is non smoking. A great idea.

John Stevens in Fells is a great place to eat outdoors as well-they have a wonderful enclosed patio.

Take Sullivan's off the list for a while. The city just started tearing up the road right in front of the restaurant this week. Definitely NOT the place to eat outside right now.

Bummer. Thanks for letting us know. EL

EEL - I remember when that was Pat and Mikes way back when. That was thee place to take your prom date back in the day. Oh the memories.

i've always liked the patio at Rams Head Annapolis. It is nothing special, and has no view, but I think it was one of the first places around here to have those heaters that made outdoor dining possible outside of the regular season.

Of course I have faith in you, Elizabeth. You created my favourite sandbox .

My eating outside favourite is to get a sub from Isabella's then catch the water taxi to Fort McHenry.

Dogfish is looking a location in either Howard or Baltimore county. I hope they find one soon. This is my second favorite place to eat in Maryland.

What? No Sander's Corner porch? It was your review that got it put on the list.

It was on my last list, wasn't it? It can't be on both. EL

How about Koopers/Slanties new out door patio... finest view in fells point!!! Over looking the harbor and right in front of the water taxi... To top it off what about Woodys Rum bar on top of fells point? Its an open view with a breeze like the ocean hon....

Paolo's in Towson.. oh wait.

Drat.

The outdoor area is not Reynold's Tavern. It's Sly Fox Pub. It's a separate menu. But still very nice.

Great idea, Lissa, and one which belongs on the "Things to Awe Visiting Guests to Baltimore With" list.

Karma's Cafe up in Charles Village has something that's surprisingly rare in Baltimore -- a northern exposure. So the outdoor tables are nearly always in shade

Not a secret, but a reminder that Fells Point's One Eyed Mike's has a patio out back, and it's been renovated since last year.

Two others in Fells worth knowing about:

1) Miss Irene's now has outdoor seating on the picturesque (really) corner of Ann & Thames. It looks like thoughtfully arranged and substantial outdoor furniture, not that plastic stuff your elbows always stick to.

2) Walking by the Riptide, I saw that their breezeway seating (do you call it a breezeway?) is now dog-friendly. (There are posted rules for dog behavior.)

McCormick and Schmick's @ Pier 5...they have great outdoor seating.

Have to say, I think the Kooper's/Slainte "patio" takes up way too much sidewalk space on Thames St. They should at least rotate the tables 90 degrees.

EEL, Could you further break it down to list the best/any waterfront dining? Outside is best, boat acess even better, live entertainment puts the iceing on the cake!!! Baltimore, Baltimore county, Ann Arundel, etc... great waterfront is worth the drive.
Thanks!!!!

The Sly Fox Pub has the best outdoor seating in Annapolis.

Has Pizzazz at Pier V Hotel opened up yet with their outdoor patio? It's the old Peacock Cafe.

City Cafe in Mount Vernon has a nice outside dining area.

One-Eyed Mike's back patio is somewhat hidden (i.e., not visible from the street) making it the only place people from the neighborhood can go to sit outside on glorious weekend days when people from the suburbs flood Fells Point and Canton to drink outside ... then they drive home. After drinking in the sun all day. How safe is that?
At any rate, please do not go to One-Eyed Mike's. :-)

We had a great meal in the front patio at Kali's Court. Its fenced in off the sidewalk and has lots of flowers and greenery surrounding the tables.

What about some of those upscale eateries in Essex? Kevlar is optional.

The Black Olive has a garden area...had a meal there a few weeks ago...still a bit too chilly. With the proper temperature/humidity it would be lovely.

Upscale eateries in Essex?

Best spot for a picnic is Ft McHenry. As for outdoor dining in my neighborhood, One Eyed Mikes' is great. Best place to spend too much for diner-quality food would be the Black Olive. Best place to people watch is now Murphys' on Aliceanna St.

Second to John Stevens and a plug for Ale Mary's on Fleet Street.

I love eating outside. I grew up in DC, so was very accustomed to it, and found myself extremely disappointed when I moved to Baltimore and discovered a serious lack of places. Anyway, some of my favorites are Kali's Court, which was mentioned above, as well as Mezze. Chameleon Cafe in Lauraville has a nice little space. Really, any restaurant with a table outside is just perfect for me!

Cacao Lane in Ellicott City offers a neat rooftop view, altho from what I remember, the seats/tables are kinda rudimentary.

we tried eating outside at mccormick and schmicks last weekend. not recoommended until the algae blooms in the harbor that are killing all the fish are gone. ugh did the area stink.

Crossroads - also in the Village Square at Cross Keys... and live music on Thursdays!

This is an odd one, but, the kid and I enjoy eating outside at Paneras in Hunt Valley. Except when they're blaring Light Jazz. Ick.

I think their live music night is on Fridays but I'm not sure.

A friend and I had a delightful dinner last evening at the Wine Market on Fort Avenue. Outside the window by our table was a charming courtyard with outside seating. Had it been less humid, I would have asked to be seated there.

Duda's has some nice tables on Bond street complete with harbor view

The Lodge, a recent addition to the Bel Air/Hickory area has a beautiful outdoor dining area. My wife and I had dinner this past Saturday up there, and it was great.

Having spent a lot of time in the Bel Air/Hickory area in my youth, I was quite surprised going through there a few years ago to find that there's actually a Hickory bybass. Back in the day, if you blinked you'd miss Hickory.

Where is The Lodge?

Duda's has some nice tables on Bond street complete with harbor view

Have they upgraded the tables since I was last there? I remember them being white plastic yard furniture.

This is not meant as a slight of Duda's...I like Duda's a lot.

Wegman's in Hunt Valley has a large area to eat outside.

Wegman's in Hunt Valley has a large area to eat outside.

With a view of the parking lot?

The tables outside at Duda's are wrought iron, not white plastic. It's nice patio furniture.

Do all of these places allow smoking in the outdoor area? I would often like to sit outside but can't if there is smoking.

The tables outside at Duda's are wrought iron, not white plastic. It's nice patio furniture.

Wow! That's a change since I last ate outside there! I'm glad to hear it!

austin grill in canton...

filling station on falls....i know its a coffee shop...

susky grill on the water in port deposit.

Hal,
Yes, parking lot and all.

Tabrizi's next to the Harborview tower off Key Highway has a wonderful large outdoor patio area, with it's own bar, and a great view of the Domino sugar plant and Harbor East on the other side.

I remember when they put the Wawa in at Hickory. That was the catalyst for subburban sprawl. It wasn't soon after the appearance of the shorti hoagie that a bypass was in design.

Duda's allows smoking. Actually, I'm hard-pressed to think of a place that doesn't allow smoking at the outdoor area. I'm sure there are some places, but not in Fells Point. Miss Irene's has nice outdoor seating now, too, come to think of it. They used to have a million hightops lining the front sidewalk, but now it's just four or five larger, low tables around the corner.

Village Square Cafe is a yummy treat, and the service is excellent. Don't miss out on the cappuccinos!

I noticed, on the first warm spring day , a lot of places in Highlandtown and Canton have outside tables. But they have tables on their sidewalk, not private decks or patios. Also, I noticed little dining and most with beverages. Could this be the result of the bar smoking ban?

Nouveau set up seating for outdoor dining at Crush at Belvedere Square. I was at Nouveau this week and it looked like diners were really enjoying themselves at Crush. It might be a great place to dine outdoors during the Friday evening Summer Sounds concerts!

I was happy to see that Cafe Mocha, across St. Paul St. from Penn Station has tables outside now. It will help their visibility. I think it's a sweet set-up for coffee-and-newspaper. I enjoyed it.

Perfect for the hundreds of people who board the Hopkins shuttle right across the street.

The garden at 4 E. Madison Inn is a lovely place for lunch. I haven't been there for dinner but have heard it's very good.

I think Tabrizi's in Harborview is excellent for the food, service and view. They have a great happy hour, $5 wine, $2.50 beer (decent beer), and half price appetizers. Believe it or not their wings are some of the best I have ever had!