The Best Patios in Logan Square

I am all about Fall, but at the same time, I want to soak up the last few weeks of warm weather here in Chicago. If I am going to be stuck inside for a few months, I might as well spend as much time as possible outside right now. I mentioned in my last Chicago post about Chinatown that I planned to write more about the different Chicago neighborhoods. There is no better place to talk about next than my neighborhood, Logan Square. I’ve been spending each weekend wandering from patio to patio at this point, so I wanted to share my favorite things to enjoy the outdoors in Logan Square.

My Favorite Logan Square Patios

Logan Square Farmer’s Market

Alright, so this isn’t *technically* a patio, but it is outdoors. I absolutely love the Logan Square Farmers Market. I’d argue that it’s the most popular one in the city, but I don’t think I even have to. Most people would say that hands down, Logan Square Farmers Market is the best. It’s huge and in a prime location. It is located by Logan Square near plenty of amazing restaurants like Lula Café, The Duplex and one of my favorites, Mini Mott. The farmers market actually encompasses Mini Mott’s patio so you’ll be right in the action.

The farmers market is full of produce, local goods, food trucks, restaurants (cough, cough – Mini Mott) and you may even occasionally catch some live music. Mini Mott has amazing burgers that rival Chicago-loved Small Cheval. I love getting the sliced mango on a stick with Tajin. But beware, it is messy! If I’m grabbing Mini Mott for lunch or have already eaten then I’ll typically just grab a fresh green juice or sweet treat depending on my mood.

Parson’s Chicken and Fish

Parson’s is your quintessential patio. It is down to earth with dirt gravel, games like ping pong and tables with umbrellas. It gives full picnic vibes, but add a bar. What more could you ask for it? Ah, you might say, good food? Well, it has the best. I absolutely love their spicy chicken nuggets but their shrimp basket is amazing as well. If you like pickles (read: love) then you must try their pickle cocktail. I may have ordered like 3 in one sitting. They’re known for their pickle drinks so you’ll even get a stamp card to fill out for a free drink down the line.

I’ve been impressed with Parsons Chicken and Fish time and time again. We recently stopped in for their Sunday brunch and it was just as good as their lunch/dinner options. I ordered their biscuits and gravy with absolutely zero regrets.

Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits

The biscuits and gravy leads me to my next spot – Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits. Their biscuits are to DIE for. They’re so delicious that Parson’s actually gets their biscuits from here. Their patio is pretty lowkey. It’s much more low-key than Parson’s but the food is just so good. I wouldn’t come here for the patio necessarily, but I will definitely enjoy the patio while I eat ‘melt in your mouth’ biscuits. I love their biscuits with jams like their blueberry lavender. They also have amazing grits for their shrimp and grits.

The line can get long to order, but it moves fairly fast. One of my favorite things to do while I’m at Bang Bang is to actually buy their at-home biscuit mix! It’s so easy to make and absolutely delicious. The most exciting part is I can make them right at home without needing to stand in line. If you don’t live in the Chicago area, don’t worry. You can also buy their biscuits and jam online.

Moonlighter

Some say that Moonlighter has the best burgers in Logan Square. I don’t think I’d go as far as to say that, but their burgers are good. The patio is great too. It used to be gravel (is that a Logan Square theme??), but they recently updated it to cement. It’s a great spot to have a beer and watch sports.

Moonlighter is on a block with two other patios – Outside Voices and Scofflaw. All three have patios and all three are owned by the same person! Moonlighter is known for their burgers. Outside Voices is a wine bar and Scofflaw is a gin bar.

Bungalow by Middle Brow

Middle Brow is a brewery here in Logan Square. We have a ton of breweries in this neighborhood so you’ll have to let me know if you want a blog post outlining them. This particular brewery is special because it has outdoor space AND pizza. Chicagoans love their pizza but a common misconception is that Chicagoans love deep dish pizza. I think tourist love deep dish pizza and Chicagoans actually love thin crust.

Middle Brow’s Neapolitan-style pizza will definitely hit the spot for you. They have Adirondack chairs and benches for you to hang out on and have a beer while you wait for your table. It’s a great little setup. This is one of my favorite spots in Logan Square to get pizza because the pizza is good but vibe is great.

Final Notes on Logan Square Patios

And lastly, don’t forget to stop in to The Freeze for some ice cream before they close up for the year. They have real food like burgers and polish dogs, but they’re best known for the frozen treats like the Freezee, which is just an ice cream shake with toppings mixed in. I personally love to get their dipped soft-serve cones, but you can’t go wrong with whatever you pick. There is a reason they’ve been around for 70+ years.

There are a couple of outdoor spaces that I haven’t had a chance to get to, but are at the top of my list. The first is Lonesome Rose. I’ve been to Lonesome Rose’s indoor space and the food is phenomenal. Their rooftop is where it’s at though. It’s on our list to check out, but the wait time is always a bit high. I’ve also been wanting to check out Park & Field which is the spot to go for a boozy brunch and Bixi Beer has another rooftop patio.

Well, these are my favorite outdoor Logan Square spaces. Each place has its own unique vibe and menu which is why I had to include each one. I hope to write more about Logan Square in the future so subscribe to stay in the know. Let me know in the comments what other neighborhoods you’d like to hear about in Chicago.