This restaurant has the best patio in Fresno area, poll says. It almost wasn’t allowed

There’s not a lot of silver linings to the COVID-19 pandemic.

But a thriving, popular patio at a Clovis restaurant is one of them. Colton’s Social House on Shaw Avenue in front of Sierra Vista Mall, has a large patio with lights, misters, coolers, umbrellas and more.

It was born out of the pandemic and is still around — despite several hurdles it had to overcome.

“Covid was the catalyst for that in good and challenging ways,” said Brit Collins Dean, Colton’s general manager and part owner.

The patio won The Fresno Bee’s poll last week for best restaurant patio.

Colton’s got 35% of the final tally, with more than 7,300 votes.

It barely beat out Veni Vidi Vici in the Tower District, whose patio shaded by big trees grabbed 34% of the vote.

In third place with 30% of the vote was the Elbow Room, which now has two patios, including one with a bar and fireplace.

The story behind Colton’s patio

Colton’s winning this poll is no fluke. It also won the Best of Central California award for outdoor dining.

It’s got about 35 tables with umbrellas and trees shading them. String lights hang above and blue lights are wrapped around the trees. Planter boxes hold all kinds of plants.

There are misters and a swamp cooler for every two tables. Collins Dean estimates the patio is about 10 to 20 degrees cooler.

In winter, each table gets its own heater.

Customer Danielle Wraith of Fresno loves the spot.

“It’s my fave outdoor patio for happy hour. The twinkly lights and low key vibe make it amazing,” she said via Twitter.

The restaurant is known for its burgers — especially its bacon-avocado smash burger — Thai chili wings, and cocktails such as the farmers daughter with vodka, cranberry juice, strawberries and basil.

Although things get lively and loud inside the restaurant, the patio has a different vibe, Collins Dean said.

“Outside, it’s a lot calmer. Still high energy, but not chaotic,” she said.

Covid and Colton’s

But getting and keeping that patio was no easy feat. It almost didn’t exist in its current form.

When Colton’s opened in 2016 it had about five little round tables in a small outdoor patio.

When the pandemic hit, the inside of the restaurant was shut down for four months.

“How are we able to call ourselves a social house when social distancing is everywhere,” Collins Dean remembers thinking.

So Colton’s owners made a major investment. Owner Jim Souza told The Bee last year that he invested $150,000 in expanding the patio. It essentially doubled the seating.

Under temporarily relaxed rules for outdoor dining, the patio grew to take up all the parking spots to the east of the restaurant. A city bus used for storage of tables and chairs caught the attention of people driving by.

In January last year, however, things turned sour. Covid rules were changing, the mall wanted the parking back and the restaurant was fined $7,000 by the City of Clovis for not shrinking its patio down to 10 tables.

Eventually, all the parties — along with the Clovis Fire Department — came to an agreement. The patio shrunk, but not by much.

The restaurant paid about $1,000 in fines, but the rest were eliminated as the restaurant came into compliance, according to the City of Clovis.

“We put a lot of effort into it,” Collins Dean said of the patio. “It’s a different energy that happens outside than inside — it doesn’t matter if it’s 110.”