By Audrey Keefe | akeefe@alextimes.com and James Matheson | jmatheson@alextimes.com

Summer is finally here and what better way to spend these warm days than sitting outside at Alexandria’s eateries? Here are some of the places where you can enjoy outdoor dining and a refreshing meal this summer, all around the city.

Old Town

Daniel O’Connell’s Irish Restaurant & Bar

Daniel O’Connell’s is located at 112 King St. in Old Town in an 1800s-era building that has been home to many different restaurants throughout the years. This rustic Irish restaurant and bar boasts two outdoor seating spaces; a visit to either of O’Connell’s patios – on King Street or on their roof – is sure to deliver some of their summer classics.

General manager Kate Brennan said diners can’t go wrong with entrees like fish and chips and fish tacos, which pair well with signature cocktails like the Irish Crush or King Street Paloma.

“The ambience of the 100 block of King Street brings lots of fun and great people watching from both of our patios,” Brennan said.

Guests are welcome to bring their dogs to the restaurant’s King Street patio to enjoy O’Connell’s 275 years of Alexandria celebration on July 13 with a rooftop performance from Mike Richards and soon-to-be-announced O’Connell’s 20th anniversary events.

Ada’s on the River

Named after Ada Lovelace, a mathematician from the 19th century known as the first computer programmer, Ada’s has been serving seafood, wood-fired and custom-aged meats with classic cocktails since 2021. Ada’s won the prestigious “Best Outdoor Dining” award from OpenTable in 2023, which featured the 100 most popular restaurants for outdoor dining in the United States; it was the only Alexandria restaurant to win the award that year.

Located at 3 Pioneer Mill Way, visitors can enjoy portraits of prominent women like Ada herself, Jane Austen and Mary Shelley inside the naturally-lit dining room as you wait for Ada’s famous chocolate souffle, or enjoy views of the Potomac River from their covered patio.

Taverna Cretekou

Taverna Cretekou is a Greek restaurant with weekly bouzouki music and an outdoor garden dining area, perfect for summer afternoons and evenings. Owned by Christos and Denise Papaloizou, Taverna Cretekou is recognized as one of the region’s top Greek restaurants, according to a Zagat survey.

Opened in 1973, this highly regarded Alexandria restaurant – located at 818 King St. – and its outdoor garden is a staple because of its commitment to traditional Greek fare, welcoming environment and serenity.

Old House Cosmopolitan Grill

The Svalina family has been serving German dishes to the Alexandria community for more than 10 years at 1024 Cameron St. The all-day eatery and bar uses locally sourced, organic ingredients to create authentic German and Bosnian dishes right here in Alexandria. Visitors can view the chef’s daily specials on Instagram at @oldhousecosmopolitan.

Del Ray

Lena’s Wood-Fire Pizza & Tap

Lena’s Wood-Fire Pizza & Tap, located at 401 E Braddock Road, is serving Neapolitan-style pizzas, local beers, frozen cocktails and all of the deals this summer. Guests can find an Italian restaurant serving wood-fired pizza in a beautiful beer garden.

This dog-friendly institution hosts live-music every Tuesday night, happy hour on Wednesdays and Fridays and extended happy hours on Monday and Tuesday. Director of Communications and Marketing Heidi Hess said to arrive early on Tuesdays because between live music and extended happy hour, the space in Lena’s Beer Garden fills up quickly.

“Not only do we have our extended happy hour, but we also have live music. So that’s a popular day,” Hess said. “Wednesday is also really popular, because of the half price bottle of wine.”

Lena’s offers half-off bottles of wine on “Wine Down Wednesday.” The restaurant has created a “For the Pooch” menu consisting of cold, hot-weather items to cool down your pup. A summer favorite, according to Hess, for those holding the leashes at Lena’s is the Frosé: a frozen combination of Rosé, strawberry vodka, strawberry puree and fresh lime juice.

Hi/Fi Tex Mex and Evening Star Cafe

Alexandria diners are getting two restaurants for the price of one at 2000 Mt. Vernon Ave. Hi/Fi Tex Mex, which opened in 2023, is located in the backyard of Evening Star Cafe. Head Chef Nate Anda first introduced the now brick and mortar concept of Hi/Fi through a food truck.

Anda serves classic Tex- Mex and soulful southern barbecue that combines Texas and Carolina-style meats, all carefully slow-cooked and transformed into Tex-Mex offerings like nachos and tacos.

Meanwhile, Evening Star Cafe has been combining their hospitality with a seasonal American menu featuring produce grown on the rooftop garden and by local farmers for 27 years.

Del Ray Café

Del Ray Café provides the Washington, D.C.-area with French American cuisine from a quaint Del Ray house built in 1925. Serving breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner, every day, visitors can try a variety of crepes croissants and for the more adventurous palate, the natural burgundy snails in garlic parsley butter.

The cafe, located at 205 E. Howell Ave., offers outdoor dining on a quiet screened porch in addition to its quaint dining room.

The West End

Taqueria Picoso

Childhood friends and chefs, Elio Gomez and Isaac Ramirez are serving “a taste of Mexico City in the heart of Alexandria,” at their street-inspired Taqueria Picoso.

Located at the Shops at Mark Center, 1472 N. Beauregard St., the taqueria offers a patio with five picnic tables, creating a small-town, family-owned taqueria feeling – all while serving modern style mexican like their fried-cod fish tacos. To further bring that Mexico City flavor to the Port City, owner Tom Voskuil is featuring the menu of a Michelin Star Taqueria, El Califa de Leon, during Summer Restaurant Week in August.

The “very dog friendly” patio space, according to Voskuil, is first come, first served and does not take reservations. But the restaurant’s seasonal offerings present a combination of summer flavors whether inside or outside on the patio. Voskuil said the restaurant is considering implementing music bingo or trivia nights to the event rotation in addition to live music on the patio throughout the summer.

“Currently we have soft shell crabs, an awesome, verde verde salad and too many margaritas to mention, including three frozen flavors,” Voskuil said. “My favorite Mexican beer Monopolio is also on tap.”

Carlyle/Eisenhower

Tequila & Taco

At 540 John Carlyle St., Tequila & Taco sticks to what they know best: simple tacos using fresh ingredients and hand mixed margaritas.

With happy hours, brunch and outdoor dining available, the contemporary vibe offered through refined alterations made on freshly squeezed margaritas and tacos, Tex-Mex fajitas and a wide variety of curated tequilas, this Carlyle restaurant is great for summer.