Detroit’s Guide to Fire Pits and Heated Patios

Story by Marquette Nicole

Perfect spots for cozy hangs, great food, and winter-friendly vibes

Nothing’s like the feeling of fresh air under the open sky. Winter is quickly approaching and I am just not ready to say goodbye to my days in the sun and my nights underneath the stars. Luckily, there are bars and restaurants scattered all around Detroit that have fire pits and heated patios so that we Detroiters and our visitors don’t have to sacrifice our valued outdoor time.

Credit: Charles Falsetti

Lumen

I know I’ve made it Downtown when I reach the intersection of Grand River Avenue and Cass Avenue. I’ll see Lumen to my left, sitting in Beacon Park. They have a healthy sized drink menu, with extensive options for wines, beers, cocktails and mocktails. Their food menu is just as impressive, with starters, main courses, salads and several desserts I’m personally interested in. Lumen’s outdoor seating offers a stunning street view of Grand River Ave. There are two large fire pits surrounded by chairs that, when empty, invite guests to pop a squat and cozy up to the heat.

Father Forgive Me

On Jefferson Avenue, a little ways east of Downtown, Father Forgive Me is a quirky wine and cocktail bar. The bar is on the grounds of The Shepherd, a cultural and performing arts center formerly existing as a church. The building is a century old and its Romanesque architecture takes you on a journey back in time to the early 1900’s. The property creates a fluid indoor to outdoor experience with their patio. The patio includes an outdoor bar cart and multiple seating options that surround a large fire pit. You can spend your afternoon strolling through the gallery at The Shepherd, then spend your evening at Father Forgive Me sipping your drink of choice by the fire.

The Congregation

Coffee shop meets bar, bar meets venue, and venue meets one of the best places in the city to congregate with your friends and loved ones. The Congregation, similar to Father Forgive Me, is a renovated church house, remodeled into a meeting, event and work space that people of all kinds utilize for reasons of all kinds. With three floors on the inside and an outdoor deck and green space, the venue offers a variety of different settings for your work flow as well as distinct aesthetics for shows and concerts. There are firepits on the patio to keep their green space usable even in the cold months. They’ve even hosted community bonfires to give folks a chance to connect and bond with one another outdoors, even with warm days behind us.

The Yard at Corktown

When looking for a place to bond with your loved ones, The Yard at Corktown is the perfect place to go let loose and have a good time. They are an indoor and outdoor space, sporting a back yard barbecue aesthetic with games like darts and giant cup pong. If you’re feeling more whimsical than that, you can spend $25 and finally pick up your hobby of Axe Throwing at Detroit Axe, which is located inside. Outside, on their turf lawn, it isn’t just the fire of competition that keeps you warm. The Yard has two outdoor fire pits for keeping warm and coverage to protect from precipitation in more inclement weather. To complete the barbecue vibe, they have a bomb menu with items like their Detroit style pizza and their hot honey chicken sandwich. The Yard will keep you warm, entertained and fueled even through the cold months.

Imperial

Imperial is a cute, rustic feeling bar and restaurant in Ferndale off of Woodward. 20 minutes from Detroit’s city center, imperial has a menu packed with tacos, sonoran hot dogs and other items. I enjoyed their Carne Asada taco as well as their Barbacoa Taco and they were amazing but for those with sensitive palettes, I must issue a heat warning on the Barbacoa. Imperial takes their drink game seriously, and that includes their mocktails. I tried their “Fool’s Gold”
which is Tenneyson Non-Alcoholic Whiskey with Ginger Honey and lemon and let me tell you; one of the best mocktails I’ve ever had. Their outdoor patio is consistent with their interior design, with large wooden picnic style tables that sit underneath electric outdoor heaters to keep you toasty on milder fall evenings. A good friend of mine, who happens to be a Ferndale resident and a regular at Imperial, credits it as a good 4th or 5th date location, based on anecdotal experience as well as trial and error. But don’t take their word for it, plan your next date, romantic or otherwise at Imperial and see for yourself.

The Old Miami

Comedy shows, yoga sessions, dance nights, watch parties and the list goes on and on and on at The Old Miami. The Old Miami is a dive bar great for kicking it with your friends, and even better for meeting new ones. The bar maintains a social atmosphere, supported by the fire pit on their backyard patio. Nothing invites connection and socialization like an open fire on a brisk evening. And of course, it wouldn’t be a dive bar without a pool table for those who cannot live without a little bit of competition. The Old Miami is a classic bar for Midtowners to get out and blow off some steam.

Detroit Shipping Co.

Also located in Midtown, Detroit Shipping Co. is a multidimensional building made of shipping containers, filled with shops, restaurants, art galleries, a beer garden, and entertainment spaces. Their outdoor space in the back has a gas fire pit, surrounded by various seating options. The seating area is an extension of the beer garden and the food court, giving folks the choice to enjoy their food and drinks in the open air. Consistent with Detroit’s industrial culture, the building is literally crafted from refurbished shipping containers, letting visitors and Detroiters alike sit in the aesthetic of hustle and bustle, without necessarily being part of it.

Stadt Garten

Imagine: one moment you’re in Midtown, then you step through a door and suddenly you’re in a German food and beverage simulation. Stadt Garten is an urban wine and beer garden with a German inspired menu, serving European drinks and snacks to give you a taste of a palette that you may not get on your average day in the city. The garden hosts movie nights, where your snacks can be accompanied by entertainment. Stadt Garten’s twist on dinner and a movie makes them another example of a solid date location, whether it be romantic, platonic, or even a solo date.

SPOTLITE

Spotlite is a favorite in the local nightlife scene. From large, electrifying shows, to small intimate events, the venue draws Detroiters in with its huge dance floor and record shop aesthetic. In the warmer months, Spotlite utilizes the alley to the side of their building as an extra outdoor stage
and dance floor. The alley features 2 separate, partially enclosed seating areas that have electric heaters, making the outdoors habitable for party goers and danceaholics all year round. Grab a table with your crew, send someone to the bar to ask for the heater to be turned on, then enjoy your break from the dance floor cozied up under the heat.

El Club

There is a lot to experience in Southwest Detroit when it comes to art, culture and food. That includes El Club, a concert venue with immaculate vibes, welcoming staff and dope shows all year round. The club has an outdoor patio space that can be used as a second dance floor in the summer and features a second bar for certain events. The patio even has a fire pit that they keep on in the cold months to keep their guests warm while they enjoy the open air. El Club is my favorite venue to catch big acts like Leon Thomas, Moonchild and D Smoke in an intimate setting and I cherish my little moments on the patio by the fire between openers and headliners.

Before it gets too cold to leave the house, check out as many of these open air bars as you can! Whether it’s a romantic night, a solo date or a get together with friends, you deserve to enjoy the outdoor air as long as it’s habitable.

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Marquette Nicole