Michigan beer bar chain HopCat recently expanded to a three-floored complex in Royal Oak, improving on its former occupant Woody’s rooftop patio. The three-season deck overlooks the downtown district and has its own dedicated bar tucked underneath an awning.

Located in a quieter section of Ferndale, this new beer hall from Axle Brewing Co. features a sprawling outdoor biergarten with long picnic tables and a fireplace. The bar food here is a few steps above average with dishes like spicy chicken paprikash and mussels. Save room for an ice cream beer float.

Chef Matt Baldridge took over this notoriously small Nine Mile restaurant space last fall serving a limited, seasonal menu with dishes like za’atar grilled octopus and confit fried chicken wings. In warm weather, service expands outdoors to the roadside patio, perfect for sipping a chilled cocktail.

The 23-seat patio at Hazel Park hotspot Joebar is situated along the busy John R Road and tucked beneath an awning for indirect sun exposure. The full menu filled with dipped sandwiches, frozen cocktails, and pie is available outside.

Southwest Detroit music venue El Club features a comfortable patio complete with a fireplace, grassy lawns, and an outdoor airstream trailer bar. Pick up a slice or a full pie from in-house pizza slinger Pepe Z and dine al fresco.

While service is still ramping up, the Trumbull & Porter Hotel’s restaurant Red Dunn is angling to be one of the hotter outdoor dining spots in Corktown. The courtyard patio features a stage area for live music, a fireplace, and its own dedicated bar serving cocktails and beer. Chef Jay Gundy’s full menu is also available outside.

This Hamtramck coffee newcomer offers an underrated patio experience. Grab a coffee and a macron, before ducking out to the backdoor to the small outdoor seating area draped in fabric and surrounded by greenery.

A set of retractable windows opens off the entryway to this Brush Park eatery and out to the small Watson Street patio area. Patio heaters allow the space to stay open on chilly days well into the fall.

New to Detroit last summer, casual watering hole Queens Bar boasts a mid-sized patio on a shady corner of downtown. Queens serves a selection of affordable mixed drinks and beers alongside simple bar snacks. Pick up a board game and play outside.

Belt Alley bar The Skip was by far one of the hottest spots to drink outdoors last summer. The outdoor cocktail lounge returned this spring with some upgrades including garage doors for all-season service. On the menu find a selection of progressive, inexpensive cocktails such as frozen Irish coffee alongside boilermakers and tiki-style mixed drinks.

It’s tough to beat The Fountain Detroit’s location. New last summer, this seasonal shipping container bar and grill in Campus Martius Park features a mixture of colorful metal chairs and wood tables, cushioned patio furniture, and big orange umbrellas for shade. Choose from affordable frozen drinks, beers, and cocktails as well as items like reuben french fries, and cheeseburgers. For something a little more up market, check out sister restaurant Parc.