It’s no secret that when summer is in full swing, people will want somewhere to eat, so why not eat local? With the current COVID-19 dining restrictions limiting all restaurant dining to take-away or patio meals, it would be nice to know of a few good places to dine outside. Whether you’re going to grab a bite to eat after a long day in the sun, or you’re going for a nice sunny brunch, these places are worth checking out.
Field House Brewing
Field House Brewing is one of the top dogs when it comes to popular places to eat or even just hang out. Having recently opened a new restaurant in Chilliwack, their Abbotsford location still reigns above all. The patio at their Abbotsford location has a wide variety of comfortable areas to sit: from their covered seated patio, featuring overhead heaters (for those chilly nights), to a grassy lawn where you can bring your own chair, blanket, or whatever makes you comfortable! Recently, the Abbotsford location even widened their outdoor seating area, adding a few picnic tables and umbrellas. For the Chilliwack location, they offer a comfortable patio seating area right along Woolly Dog Alley.
Field House has always hit the nail on the head when it comes to good ambience, beer, and food. Their atmosphere is one of the best parts of their restaurants. The Abbotsford location gives the customer some serious woodsy, log cabin vibes, while the Chilliwack location is more so on the dark, industrial side. They consistently release an assortment of small-batch craft beers ranging from a classic pale ale to a colourful sour beer. My personal favorites are their Dark Sour and their Gold Sour. A recent release is their Passion Fruit Lime Sour which comes in a four pack of tall cans. As for their food, they have a lot of awesome appetizers to choose from. A favourite would definitely be their margherita pizza and spicy mac ’n’ cheese — you can never go wrong with them! So, if you haven’t gotten around to checking out Field House Brewing yet, I highly recommend you do so.
The Yellow Deli
The Yellow Deli, located in Chilliwack, is most definitely a bit of a hidden gem. If you have ever been to The Yellow Deli, then you know what I mean when I say that just the thought of eating there warms my heart. Their patio seating isn’t the absolute best; it’s kind of standard, with just a few chairs and tables, but their food is so worth it. They have a large selection of menu items to choose from and pretty much all of it is delicious. Their food does not taste like regular old restaurant-style meals — oh no, the food is prepared as if it was home-cooked, and at a pretty decent price, too. Some favourites of mine off their menu are their chilli (which includes a slice of thick-cut sourdough bread), their frothy banana milk, and their delightful honey buns. Now, when it comes to the atmosphere, it’s a shame that indoor dining is suspended for the time being because their indoor seating is something out of a fairy tale. There are intricate wood carvings throughout the restaurant and calming yellow lighting, giving a pleasant experience to customers. Just imagine a tavern from The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit and you’ve got The Yellow Deli.
Bow & Stern
If there are any seafood lovers out there, Bow & Stern is somewhere you will want to try. Currently, they have an Abbotsford and Chilliwack location and both have limited outdoor seating. For their Abbotsford location, they have set up a quaint patio using a few rolls of fake grass and some event tents, and for their Chilliwack location they have a few tables tightly squeezed parallel to the restaurant’s front entrance, as well as a new addition in a nook to the side of the restaurant. As for the atmosphere of the outdoor seating compared to the indoor seating, the best I can say is that it’s good enough. Of course, it’s not the easiest of things to have a business during COVID-19, but the contrast between the outdoor and the indoor seating is quite drastic only because of how eye-catching the décor and atmosphere is inside. In regard to the food, they have some really delicious seafood. Some dishes worth mentioning are the fish tacos and seafood linguine. They also have a pretty wide selection of appetizers and beers on tap, and their prices aren’t too bad either, especially for a seafood restaurant.
Kent’s Ice Cream Co.
Kent’s Ice Cream Co., located in Chilliwack, has the perfect outdoor area to chill out on a hot summer’s day, as they feature a large area of grass with a few picnic tables. Grabbing an ice cream cone and laying in the sun never sounded better. Kent’s has a large selection of different ice cream products and flavours to choose from. Not only do they sell cones, but they also do freshly made ice cream sandwiches, take home sundae kits, and they release a different flavoured pint of ice cream every two weeks. They have all of the classic flavours when you think of ice cream, as well as a few specialty favours. Some flavours worth mentioning are the birthday cake and Bordeaux cherry. My all time favourite ice cream flavours will always be mint chocolate chip and cookies & cream, and thankfully they have both of these. So, when you plan to go get ice cream this summer, try going for Kent’s. Just make sure to prepare for a lineup.
Image: Kathleen Clingwall/The Cascade
