When you hear the word “barbecue,” your mind drifts to fond backyard memories of dining on homemade brisket, or sinking your teeth into that juicy burger. You may not believe those precious moments can happen ever again, but that’s likely because you’ve never been to The Patio. Located on 9100 Harlem Ave., Bridgeview, IL, this restaurant has a fancy exterior, but will feel as familiar and friendly on the inside as your backyard. Being jammed in between a busy street and a Menards does make it rather tedious to pull into the parking lot but fear not, because there are lots of parking spaces available. In addition, the environment of this restaurant is comforting and full of life, even though it can be noisy at times. The floors and tables are clean for the most part, and the modern decor of The Patio makes it stand out from other barbecue restaurants. The service is also very decent, since orders are rarely messed up, they’re polite, and your food is always served with a smile. However, what really matters is the food, and only the food.

There are a plethora of menu options to choose from at this eatery, including ribs, sandwiches, salads, special entrees, comfort food, and more, stemming from the price range of $8 – $20. I ordered the pulled turkey BBQ tacos and those who came with me ordered different sandwiches. When the food arrived, the appearance was certainly appetizing, although certain meals looked slightly greasy. My tacos were delicious, but messy. The pulled turkey went with the barbecue sauce perfectly, and the three tacos were served with a lot of meat, cheese, and lettuce on each one, except the lettuce was a bit much, perhaps. I had lettuce falling off the taco and onto the plate, but the mess was worth it for its savory flavors. As for the sandwiches, the fish sandwich was tasty, but the skin of the fish was too crunchy. The Monterey chicken sandwich was grilled to perfection, exceeding the excellence of the taste buds. According to those who ate it, every ingredient went well together, especially the bacon, and the side of roasted vegetables even paired the barbecue sandwich well. Another source said the cheese was flavorful. There were little to no complaints from anyone I talked to.

So, in conclusion, The Patio is an amazing restaurant, that has exceeded expectations time and time again, and has actually become my family’s go-to eatery. There are tons of menu options, the food tastes remarkable, and the service is great. However, the reason I wouldn’t recommend this place to teenagers is because there is a bar section in the restaurant and that it would be a little harder for a beginner driver to successfully park in their lot. Other than that, this place was nothing short of fantastic. I would highly recommend going there with your family sometime. The prices are well worth the food. The opening hours of this restaurant stem from 10:30 AM all week to 9:30 PM on Sundays, 10 PM Mondays through Thursdays, and 11 PM on Fridays and Saturdays. Overall, you should definitely check this restaurant out sometime, especially if you have an appetite for BBQ.