3 new heated patios for outdoor dining and drinking in the Milwaukee area this winter

Milwaukee's patio season is hard to replicate, with people filling outdoor spaces at bars and restaurants to enjoy the few warm months the city has.

But patio season isn't relegated to the summer months anymore, as many spots have extended their seasons with outdoor heaters, temporary outdoor walls and more.

Outdoor heaters became popular during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to allow people to eat and drink outside to avoid spreading germs inside. The trend has stuck and new places are catching on, too.

With temperatures dropping, here are three new places to dine and drink outdoors this winter in the Milwaukee area.

The Edison

One of Third Ward's newest restaurants, The Edison, 322 N. Broadway, has a partially enclosed patio with heaters. The restaurant will offer full outdoor service throughout the winter season.

The Edison, which opened in June, is a "sophisticated neighborhood grill" with a "speakeasy-inspired" bar.

The restaurant serves brunch, lunch and dinner with offerings such as The Benny, with shaved prime rib, caramelized onions, poached eggs and horseradish sabayon on an English muffin ($23); cacio e pepe, with American Grana, white wine, truffle cream, thyme, lemon, peppercorn and house-made rigatoni ($22); and lamb ragu, with pappardelle, rosemary and American Grana ($24).

It is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.

Il Cervo

Milwaukee's newest rooftop restaurant will have outdoor fire tables and heaters to enjoy cocktails outside of the restaurant on the ninth floor of The Trade Hotel this winter.

Il Cervo, 420 W. Juneau Ave., is an upscale modern-Italian restaurant that opened in May. Its name means “the deer” in Italian, a play on the food served there and a nod to the team that plays across the street at Fiserv Forum. 

While the patio with views of the city is not open for dining in the winter, patrons can have drinks outside. The restaurant's cocktail menu includes offerings such as Photo Romance, made with Buffalo Trace bourbon, Giffard Peche de Vigne, Luxardo Amaro, lemon and mint ($15); and Scorch the Earth, with Banhez Mezcal, Amaro Montenegro, Domaine de Canton ginger, Bittermens Hellfire Shrub, carrot, lime and smoked salt ($16).

The restaurant is open 4 p.m. to midnight daily, plus 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday for brunch.

Winter Dining:Milwaukee-area bars and restaurants with heated outdoor seating, patios

Lion's Tail Brewing Co.

Lion's Tail Brewing Co., 8520 W. North Ave., Wauwatosa, has a partially enclosed beer garden with walls that are up from November through April. The patio is heated with 30-foot infrared radiant heaters. The beer garden also is pet friendly.

The Neenah-based brewery expanded to Wauwatosa at the end of 2022.

It has brews like Juice Cloud, a New England IPA; 90 Red, a Vienna lager; Bourbon Trail, an imperial stout series; and a variety of hard seltzers. Food trucks often park at the brewery on weekends.

Lion's Tail is open 3 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 3 to 11 p.m. Friday, noon to 11 p.m. Saturday and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday.

Wauwatosa Breweries:4 breweries have opened in Wauwatosa in the past 4 years. What's fueling the brewery boom?

Hannah Kirby and Rachel Bernhard of the Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.