Diners' Choice: Great for outdoor dining restaurants in Northwest Indiana

OpenTable

Updated July 05, 2025

Looking for the best restaurants that are great for outdoor dining in Northwest Indiana? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Gamba Ristorante

4.9

4.9 (1229)

$31 to $50

Italian

Merrillville, IN

About the restaurant

The former owners of the Venezia Bar & Grill and Café Venezia, Benito and Hilda Gamba, have combined their efforts into the Gamba Ristorante. Located in Merrillville, this restaurant is housed in an architectural masterpiece, which is hard to miss with its circular design and copper roof. Modeled after upscale restaurants in exotic European locations, the menu offers classic Italian cuisine. The wine room boasts storage space for 1,000 bottles. A banquet hall holds up to 175 people and looks out onto an open courtyard.

Top review

Jim

Dined 2 days ago

Everything was excellent from the food, wine and service!

Lighthouse Restaurant

4.8

4.8 (1490)

$50 and over

American

Cedar Lake

About the restaurant

Nestled on the shores of cozy Cedar Lake, Lighthouse Restaurant welcomes residents, visitors, and boaters with its beacon of great food, fun, and friends. Surrounded by windows, diners enjoy the scenery of the water while savoring cuisine that is found nowhere else in the region.
Voted BEST IN THE REGION for Steakhouse, Seafood, Fine Dining, and Wedding Venue!

Top review

GeorgeVIP

Dined 2 days ago

Morgan our server was excellent. Also I beleive it was the manager that came by our table to make sure we had a great experience.

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4.7

4.7 (1053)

$31 to $50

Steak

Michigan City, IN

About the restaurant

Featuring Prime steaks and chops, fresh fish, and seafood. Many of Chef Farina's signature favorites, include Pork Chop Sinatra, Brick Chicken and Joe's Mama's Meatballs. Other Italian favorites like Eggplant and Chicken Parmesan, Mile High Meat Lasagna, and Linguine with Clams will be offered daily. Stop in to experience our global wine list, along with the old school cocktails, which will bring you right back to the Supper Club era!

Top review

Joseph

Dined 2 days ago

Great food and our server,Monique, was outstanding.

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4.6

4.6 (350)

$30 and under

American

Michigan City, IN

About the restaurant

The Goblin Duneside Bar & Eatery is a bar, Eatery & market built to be an inviting year-around lake retreat & respite. As hosts we are passionate about serving thoughtfully prepared, locally sourced food & drink with a unique combination of service that is knowledgeable, friendly & laid back.
We are proud of our Award Winning Bloody Mary's, Brunch with Bottomless Mimosas & Farm to Table Menu!
Dog Friendly Patio & Best Wine List this side of Texas!

Top review

Eileen

Dined on Jul 19, 2025

Fun place. Great food. Unique cocktails. Outdoor seating available which was dog friendly.

Fiori Italian

4.5

4.5 (639)

$50 and over

Italian

Munster, IN

About the restaurant

Chef Gaetano Ascione brings international flair to Indiana. A native of Italy, and fluent in five languages, Chef Gaetano Ascione brings international flair to Munster, with experience, teaching, owning restaurants, consulting, and running hotels on four continents – Asia, Europe, Africa and North America. He served both Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan as Chef de Cuisine at the Georgetown Club in Washington, D.C., and served as Executive Chef for the Inaugural Banquet for President Nelson Mandela in South Africa.

He is a member of the Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs 1248-1950, the American Culinary Federation, and the Gruppo Virtuale Cuochi Italiani. Ascione was a finalist in the “Chef of the Year” competition at the World Gourmet Summit in Singapore in 2001.

Top review

Kimberly

Dined 5 days ago

Great service and good food. Nice celebrating my birthday there.

Cafe Farina

4.5

4.5 (265)

$31 to $50

Italian

Michigan City, IN

About the restaurant

Cafe Farina - casual old-school vintage vibe, serving up authentic Italian-American specialties and classic cocktails shaking to the beat of Italian music streaming through the restaurant. Using only the finest and freshest ingredients, both local and imported, Chef Joseph Farina features specialty Italian sandwiches, fresh pasta dishes, imported meats and cheeses, hand-cut steaks, and fresh seafood. Inspired by Chicago’s neighborhood joints and renowned Italian Delis, Cafe Farina is bringing a taste of Italian culture to downtown Michigan City!

Top review

Lori

Dined on Jul 12, 2025

Food is consistently wonderful and servers are friendly and knowledgeable. Beautiful seating outside but can be a little noisy on Franklin street downtown.

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Popular dish

Spaghetti & Meatballs

Popular dish

Cacio e Pepe with Lemon

Experience

Weekend Brunch!

Windy City Social

4.5

4.5 (143)

$31 to $50

American

Munster, IN

About the restaurant

Welcome to Windy City Social, your premier destination for vibrant, open air dining and socializing. Indulge in a menu that celebrates the spirit of Chicago with locally inspired flavors, fresh ingredients, and an inviting atmosphere perfect for casual gatherings or special occasions. Whether you crave artisanal pizzas, succulent seafood, or creative appetizers, our menu is crafted to satisfy your taste buds. Experience a unique dining atmosphere where every dish is made from scratch, expertly prepared, and beautifully presented.

Windy City Social is a part of the CHC Restaurant Group -

Top review

TracyVIP

Dined 4 days ago

This was my second time at Windy City Social. We love the vibe and the staff is super friendly.

Rocco's Tavern

4.5

4.5 (48)

$31 to $50

Steakhouse

Michigan City, IN

About the restaurant

Place your reservation today and come join us as Rocco's Tavern! The French onion steak-burger will be instant favorites. An assortment of East and West Coast oysters will be available daily, raw or roasted. Rocco's will feature the best of the local markets including, Hebron Farms and East Side market. Guests will be able to take their home from the retail case.

Top review

JulieVIP

Dined 4 days ago

Love it!! Great food as always from Farinas! Filet was amazing

Culinary Misfits

4.3

4.3 (65)

$30 and under

American

Crown Point, IN

About the restaurant

We currently only offering reservations for Brunch Sunday mornings from 10:00-1:45 PM. We are operating on walk ins only for lunch and dinner with a wait list for the dining room, bar, and patio! Our passion for putting the work into our food is the cornerstone of what we do.

Top review

TomVIP

Dined on Jun 22, 2025

Went there for the first time for brunch and we will be definitely going there again.

BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse - Merrillville

3.5

3.5 (43)

$30 and under

American

Merrillville, IN

About the restaurant

Time counts at BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse. Since our humble beginnings back in 1978, we’ve continued to refine our brewhouse experience to make BJ’s a place where you can make the most of any meal. We want BJ’s to be a place where the moment you leave is the moment you plan on coming back. We pride ourselves in our craft and attention to detail. Our guests come here for our award-winning handcrafted beer. They come here for the Southern California twist we’ve put on the Chicago-style deep dish pizza. And they come here for our Pizookies®, our world-renowned dessert. But above all we know people come here to make their good times better. So in many ways we haven’t just crafted a brand, but a mindset. And our guests are the reason for this. And it’s because of them we’re continually striving to make sure every moment they choose to spend with us counts. Welcome to BJ’s, a restaurant with a Brewhouse soul.

Top review

angie

Dined on Jun 15, 2025

Our food is consistently excellent!! Pork chops, burgers and salads…and of course you can’t forget the Pazookies…

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