Igloos, Domes, Tents: Dining Outside In Libertyville, Lake Co.

Amie Schaenzer
Updated ·8 min read

LIBERTYVILLE, IL — As the temperatures go down, restaurants across the suburbs are finding ways to heat up their outdoor spaces with the hopes of safely serving area residents over the winter amid this pandemic.

We've been checking in with local restaurants as well as officials with Visit Lake County regarding creative ways to keep diners warm in outdoor spaces. We suggest checking with the restaurant — most require reservations ahead of time — before heading out since conditions and offerings may change.

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In addition, those wanting to protect themselves from the virus should review the latest state health department guidelines, which require tents to have two open walls and igloos and domes to keep doors or windows open to provide adequate air circulation. We've included more information on this below, and you can also review the full Illinois Department of Public Health guidance online.

So, for those wanting to dine out, depending on their comfort level, here is a look at five Libertyville restaurants offering heated patios or tents:

Casa Bonita Mexican Restaurant & Tequila Bar: It's chilly outside, but the outdoor patio at Casa Bonita is set to comfortable 72 degrees. Casa Bonita Mexican Restaurant & Tequila Bar, 633 North Milwaukee Avenue, is keeping its outdoor patio open throughout the winter, according to Josh Schonfeld, director of operations for Casa Bonita. There are twelve tables outside that seat four to six people each.

"We have a bunch of heaters to keep it warm. Two for every table," Schonfeld told Patch in a response over Facebook.

You can reserve a spot for the patio online or order carryout or delivery.

Mickey Finn's Brewery, 345 N. Milwaukee Avenue, typically has two beer gardens but has moved all its heaters to the garden on the north side of its building, owner Brian Grano told Patch in a response over Facebook. The spacious outdoor area, which has a fire pit, propane heaters and infrared heaters, can seat about 65 people.

"It's pretty comfortable as long as the weather is 45 or above," Grano said. Reservations are "always a good idea" and can be made here.

"We’ve been fairly lucky with the weather but now that it’s cooling off we’re expecting a fairly large drop off for outdoor dining," Grano told Patch this week. The business will rely on "to-go" sales, and may put up "outdoor igloos," but is waiting to hear if those spaces are allowed under the local health department guidance.

All employees at Mickey Finn's wear masks and gloves, restaurant touchpoints are sanitized every day, and the business offers touchless payment. In addition, the business has partnered with Eco-Lab to help find improvements to its general cleanliness, sanitation and sterilization, and also replaced its old dishwasher and bar glass cleaner with new "state of the art equipment" that has higher temps and better sanitizing chemicals.

In addition to dining on the patio, Mickey Finn's offers curbside pickup and local delivery of its food, beer, wine and spirits.

O'Toole's Libertyville, 412 N. Milwaukee Avenue, is offering seating on its heated patio, and your dog is welcome, too. The pup-friendly space has limited seating with reservations, which can be made online. The restaurant is offering delivery through the UberEats and DoorDash platforms. Curbside pickup of food is available here or by calling 847-984-2599.

Cafe Pomigliano, 160 East Cook Street, opens its outdoor heated covered patio daily at 5 p.m. Reservations are required for patio dining and can be made by calling 847-247-2208. The patio is open from 5 to 8 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday and from 5 to 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Main Street Social, 608 N. Milwaukee Avenue, has a large heated outdoor tent that recently "upped its ambience" by adding Christmas trees to its decor. The heat inside is typically set to above 70 degrees.

"We’re continuing to do everything we can to keep you safe and comfortable for in-person dining. We appreciate this amazing community SO much," according to a recent post on the Main Street Social Facebook page.

Reservations can be made online, and the restaurant is also offering carryout and delivery.

Other Lake County Restaurants Offering Outdoor Seating

Outside Libertyville, restaurants and bars have been upping their outdoor offerings as they vie to keep their businesses competitive, and in business, through the winter months. We reached out to Visit Lake County to see if they could provide us with a list of businesses across the county that were offering outdoor seating.

Below is a list of businesses they provided to us in late November — we encourage readers to double-check with the business before heading out on their offerings as that may change due to the pandemic or weather conditions.

Visit Lake County offers a list of restaurants open for business on its website. This includes restaurants that are closed for in-person service but offering curbside pickup and delivery.

“We’re here to support our communities and businesses throughout the year,” said Visit Lake County's business and community development manager John Maguire in a statement last month. “Now, it’s even more crucial. These places are part of the fabric of what we call ‘home.’ They provide needed revenue and sharable moments like so many other small businesses. They’re also our friends and neighbors.”

What Do Health Officials Say About Dining In Tents, Igloos?

Just because a restaurant is open, or offering tent or igloo service, does not mean they be up-to-speed with or following guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health. Several businesses throughout the Chicago area have been openly defying Gov. J.B. Pritzker's mandates surrounding Tier 3 mitigations, especially the indoor-dining ban.

In addition, while tents and igloos are allowed as an option for outdoor dining and drinking in the winter, but there are some caveats, according to guidance updated by the Illinois Department of Public Health on Nov. 29.

In particular, tents and other temporary outdoor structures must have at least two of the sides open to provide adequate air flow, according to IDPH. As for the igloos or domes, they must be meant for a "single party," and the structure must also provide air circulation at all times, for example via an open door, two opposing window/side openings or an open roof panel or panels," according to IDPH.

In addition, "Interactions with waitstaff should be brief and all parties must have masks on during these exchanges."

The full IDPH guidance can be found here.

COVID-19 is thought to spread mainly through close contact from person to person, including between people who are physically near each other within about 6 feet, according to the Center for Disease Control. People who are infected but do not show symptoms can also spread the virus to others.

Some infections can be spread by exposure to virus in small droplets and particles that can linger in the air for minutes to hours, according to the CDC. These viruses may be able to infect people who are further than 6 feet away from the person who is infected or after that person has left the space.

Here is what the CDC currently has to say about the chance for airborne transmission:

There is evidence that under certain conditions, people with COVID-19 seem to have infected others who were more than 6 feet away. These transmissions occurred within enclosed spaces that had inadequate ventilation. Sometimes the infected person was breathing heavily, for example while singing or exercising.Under these circumstances, scientists believe that the amount of infectious smaller droplet and particles produced by the people with COVID-19 became concentrated enough to spread the virus to other people. The people who were infected were in the same space during the same time or shortly after the person with COVID-19 had left.Available data indicate that it is much more common for the virus that causes COVID-19 to spread through close contact with a person who has COVID-19 than through airborne transmission

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This article originally appeared on the Libertyville Patch