Patios and outdoor dining in Fort Myers: downtown and the river

Last checked Oct. 9, 2026. Refreshed every three months.

Outdoor dining in Fort Myers is mostly downtown in the River District: an open-air food truck yard on Bay Street, a pizzeria patio on Hendry Street, a breakfast patio on Altamont Avenue and a dockside bar and grill on the Caloosahatchee. Away from downtown, two places on Cleveland Avenue and Dani Drive list patios too.

How we made this list. We started with OpenStreetMap records inside Fort Myers’s city limits, the same data behind our local directory, and kept only places whose own website says they have a patio, outdoor seating or dockside dining, checked on Oct. 9, 2026. Many downtown restaurants have tables on the sidewalk without saying so on their sites, so this list is not everyone with a chair outside. The list is alphabetical. It is not a ranking or a recommendation, and nobody paid to be on it. Have a patio we missed? Write to us with the page on your site that mentions it.

The list

The places

Bay Street Yard on Bay Street downtown is an open-air bar with a covered stage, a large LED screen, lawn games such as cornhole, bocce and ping pong, and food trucks: Bay Street Butcher for barbecue, burgers and hot dogs and Rick’s Taco Cartel for tacos and nachos. The trucks keep slightly shorter hours than the bar. Seating is first come, first served, and it is 21 and older after 9 p.m.

Downtown House of Pizza on Hendry Street says diners can sit at a window seat on Hendry Street or in the shade on the patio out back.

First Watch says both of its restaurants inside the city, downtown on Altamont Avenue and the Colonial location on Dani Drive, have an outdoor patio for breakfast, brunch and lunch.

Hooters on Cleveland Avenue lists patio seating among its location features.

Oxbow Bar & Grill at the edge of downtown, at the Luminary Hotel, describes itself as casual dockside dining with panoramic views of the Caloosahatchee, serving coastal food for lunch and dinner. Its second floor is an event space.

Starbucks at First Street and Broadway downtown lists outdoor seating at the cafe. The chain’s Fowler Street, Forum Boulevard and Dani Drive stores list outdoor seating too; they are on our breakfast and coffee list.

Related lists: wings, pizza, Mexican and Tex-Mex, breakfast and coffee, burgers, sushi and Asian, ice cream and desserts, bakeries and every list by category. Also: brunch, date night, live music and nightlife, the business directory and restaurant inspections.

Frequently asked questions

Where is there outdoor seating in Fort Myers?

Downtown: Bay Street Yard on Bay Street, Downtown House of Pizza’s back patio on Hendry Street, the First Watch patio on Altamont Avenue, Oxbow Bar & Grill on the river and the Starbucks at First Street and Broadway. Hooters on Cleveland Avenue and the First Watch on Dani Drive also list patios.

Where can I eat by the river in Fort Myers?

Oxbow Bar & Grill, 1300 Hendry St., at the Luminary Hotel, calls itself casual dockside dining with views of the Caloosahatchee. It lists 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

What is Bay Street Yard?

An open-air bar and food truck park at 2136 Bay St. downtown, with a covered stage, lawn games and food trucks. It is closed Tuesday and is 21 and older after 9 p.m.