Outdoor dining: Share plates al fresco all summer at these Taunton area restaurants

Tis the season for al fresco dining.

For folks who love to spend the bulk of their time outside during the summer, sharing a meal out in the fresh air is just the ticket.

And there are lots of options around Greater Taunton when it comes to outdoor dining.

There are patios with a view, drive-ins, courtyards, and so many dishes to share together.

So if you’re planning a night out, we put together a list of restaurants from around the Taunton area that offer outdoor dining, and shareable plates that will ensure you and your fellow diners enjoy your al fresco summer evening.

Riverhouse, Taunton

260 W. Water St.

Hours: Monday and Tuesday, from 4:30 to 10 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday, from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Outdoor dining: Before it transforms into a miniature winter wonderland with its heated igloos, the patio at Riverhouse offers al fresco dining with a great view of the Taunton River. Enjoy a beverage flight on the patio, like their adult iced tea flight. Complete your visit with some shareable plates, like buffalo chicken dip, served with grilled chicken and scoop fries. Or a plate of nachos: housemade corn tortilla chips, Mexican cheese blend, tomato, lettuce, and black olives. Choose from regular nachos, buffalo chicken, or the Mac Attack, which includes ground beef, cheddar, pickles, and Big Mac sauce.

Star Drive-In, East Taunton

205 Myricks St.

Hours: Seven days a week, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Outdoor dining: Whether you’re there for a Cruise Night, a Bike Night, or any of the many events hosted by the Star Drive-In, they’ve got plenty to nibble on from their spring/summer menu. There’s the calamari Mozambique (tentacles and rings), deep fried with hot Portuguese peppers and tossed with the Star’s homemade Mozambique sauce, served over fries. They’ve also got homemade lobster mac and cheese bites, made with five artisan cheeses, cavatappi pasta, rolled in fresh bread crumbs, and deep fried. Then there’s the super shareable Star Seafood Platter. It comes with a choice of two clam cakes or lobster cakes, a quarter pound each of haddock, whole belly clams or clam strips, sea scallops, two colossal fried shrimp, homemade tartar sauce, coleslaw, fries, and onion rings. For $6, you can also add two lobster sliders.

The Pearl, Taunton

76 Weir St.

Hours: Sunday, Monday and Wednesday, from 11 a.m. to midnight; Thursday, Friday and Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.; Closed Tuesday

Outdoor dining: Indulge out on The Pearl’s patio by sharing some lulas fritas (fried calamari), or even egg rolls, Portuguese style: you can get them made with linguiça. There’s also the Portuguese flatbread, topped with pesto, mozzarella cheese, sliced Portuguese sausage, peppers, and onions.

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Stoneforge Tavern & Publick House, Raynham

90 Paramount Dr.

Hours: Monday to Thursday, from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, from noon to 9 p.m.

Outdoor dining: Seating at Stoneforge’s outdoor courtyard is first-come, first-served. After you’ve secured your seat, choose from starters like the Thai chicken lettuce boats, with sweet chili jam, water chestnuts, scallions, shredded carrots, crisp noodles, and baby romaine. Or the Florentine stuffed mushrooms, with spinach, feta, bacon, seasoned bread crumb stuffing, and a lemon pepper aioli drizzle.

Bar 88 & Grille, Taunton

88 Wales St.

Hours: Thursday to Sunday, from 3 to 9 p.m.; Closed Monday to Wednesday

Outdoor dining: Do we really need to say it? Pizza on the patio! Bar 88 has wood-fired, brick oven pizza, just right for sharing. The caprese sounds just right for a summer evening: mozzarella cheese, tomato, basil, and a homemade balsamic reduction glaze.

Barrels & Boards MA, Raynham

1285 Broadway

Hours: Monday to Wednesday, from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Thursday to Saturday, from 11:30 a.m. to midnight; Sunday, from noon to 11 p.m.

Outdoor dining: Sit outside at Barrels & Boards and indulge in some seafood. Try the mussels and littlenecks mariniere, with garlic, basil, cherry tomatoes, white wine, parmesan cheese, herb butter, and a grilled baguette. Then there’s the torched tuna tartare: diced rare yellow-fin tuna, smashed avocado, eel sauce, sesame seeds, scallions, and wonton chips.

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Home Plate Bay Street Grill, Taunton

1094 Bay St.

Hours: Sunday to Wednesday, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Thursday to Saturday, from 11 a.m. to midnight

Outdoor dining: Home Plate opened their patio over Memorial Day weekend, and you’ve still got plenty of summer left to get there and enjoy it. Share some mozzarella triangles, served with marinara sauce, or maybe some warm pretzels, served with honey mustard sauce or craft beer cheese for dipping. Home Plate also has Tailgate Wings, served either boneless, or bone-in. And then you get to pick your sauce: buffalo, gold fever, citrus explosion, gochujang (spicy and sweet, made with Korean chili paste), vindaloo (fiery hot, with Indian curry spice), or Cajun heat.

Frates Drive-In, Taunton

1423 Somerset Ave.

Hours: Seven days a week, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Outdoor dining: Of course you’re picking out a picnic table at Frates and enjoying some ice cream. That’s a given. But while you’re there, how about sharing some sides as a snack? They’ve got savory options like cheese bacon fries, or frings (fries and onion rings), but there are some sweet options on the sides menu as well. They’ve got fried dough, which you can get with powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar. And they’ve also got loaded sweet fries, with caramel, marshmallow, and cinnamon.

Berkley Beer Company, Taunton

10 Ingell St.

Hours: Thursday, from 4 to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, from noon to 10 p.m.; Sunday, from noon to 8 p.m.; Closed Monday to Wednesday

Outdoor dining: Berkley Beer Company offers table service inside and on their patio, weather permitting. While you’re enjoying the brew of your choice, choose from shareable appetizers like feta dip, roasted Brussel sprouts, or street corn dip. If you really want to make a night of it, you could share a charcuterie board.

Taunton Daily Gazette/Herald News copy editor and digital producer Kristina Fontes can be reached at kfontes@heraldnews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News and Taunton Daily Gazette today.

This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Outdoor dining at Riverhouse, Star Drive-In, The Pearl, Stoneforge