With 300 days of sunshine annually, outdoor dining is a year-round occasion in Central Oregon. Here, you’ll find dozens of food trucks in Bend, Oregon, a barn-like taphouse and food cart pod in Sisters, Redmond restaurants with fire pits, and more. So to help you make the most of the outdoor dining scene in Central Oregon, we’ve rounded up some of the area’s top spots for open-air meals and al-fresco eats:
Keep reading for more about the top Central Oregon food truck pods, restaurant patios, and other beloved outdoor dining destinations.
Outdoor Dining in Bend
Mid-town Yacht Club
You’ll find some of the best outdoor dining in Bend, Oregon, at the cheekily named Midtown Yacht Club. Choose among roughly a half-dozen family-friendly and dog-friendly food carts in Bend, and pair your meal with more than a dozen regional craft beers and ciders on tap—and several coolers stocked with wine, hard seltzer, kombucha, and more—in the on-site taphouse. Happy hour food and drink specials, trivia nights, and other fun events keep the scene lively all year long. Learn more about the outdoor dining scene in Bend with our guide to Bend food trucks.
The Office at Silver Moon Brewing
No one will get mad if you kick your feet up at The Office, which isn’t a fluorescent-lit cubicle farm but the bustling food cart pod at Silver Moon Brewing at the eastern edge of downtown. Choose among creative cuisines from around the world at a handful of food carts, and wash it all down with Silver Moon’s extensive selection of homemade ales and lagers. The cluster of food trucks in Bend, Oregon, sits behind Silver Moon’s brewpub, giving The Office a tucked-away, cozy vibe for live music on the outdoor stage.
Pine Tavern Restaurant
Relax on the garden-like patio at Pine Tavern Restaurant in the heart of downtown. Bend’s oldest restaurant has been serving hungry diners since 1936, and its fish and chips, pasta entrées, hearty burger, and other Pacific Northwest-inspired dishes never taste better than on the back patio, ringed by strands of lights and overlooking Mirror Pond and the Deschutes River.
Crosscut Warming Hut No. 5
You’ll find some of the best outdoor dining in Bend, Oregon, at Crosscut – Warming Hut No.5, which sits between the Old Mill District and downtown. Head inside the A-frame taphouse for local craft beer, cider, kombucha, and wine, and gather the whole family (dogs included) around the fire pits outside. Crosscut, one of the most popular Central Oregon food truck pods, hosts a trio of carts at any given time.
Outdoor Dining in Redmond
Blacksmith Public House
In recent years, food trucks in Redmond, Oregon, have skyrocketed in popularity—buoyed, in part, by live music, community events, wide-open seating, and plenty of sunshine.
One of the most popular stops is the family-friendly Blacksmith Public House, a neighborhood gathering space that hosts five carts and boasts a full bar that pours regional craft beers and non-alcoholic options alike. Play lawn games with your littles in the spacious courtyard, and check out the Blacksmith Public House events calendar for the latest on trivia, karaoke, bingo, and other fun events.
General Duffy’s Waterhole
At the edge of downtown Redmond, General Duffy’s Waterhole has made a name for itself as a community gathering spot that’s always offering something new and exciting. Choose among globetrotting cuisines from a handful of food carts, grab classic bar fare and local craft brews at the Waterhole taphouse, and enjoy it all on a massive patio. Keep an eye out for live music, karaoke, game nights, food and drink specials, stand-up comedy, and other fun events—including weekend brunch.
Feast Food Company
North of downtown, Feast Food Company puts a refined spin on the outdoor dining experience with its ingredient-driven, farm-to-table menu that changes with whatever’s fresh and in-season. Feast sources meats, produce, and other ingredients from more than a dozen Central Oregon growers, giving diners a true taste of what makes our farmers and ranchers so special, and serves it all on a large, dog-friendly patio out back. Whatever you order, pair it with an inspired choice from Feast’s wide-ranging mocktail and cocktail menu.
Otto’s Landing
Just a block up from Feast, Otto’s Landing offers a high-energy food cart experience—perfect for families with older kids and groups with wide-ranging tastes. Four on-site food carts dish Hawaiian cuisine, barbecue, burgers, and other fare, and an indoor taproom pours beer, cider, wine, cocktails, and other refreshing beverages. Relax on a ground-level patio or the rooftop of the two-story building, and linger a little longer with billiards and arcade games that keep the good times rolling. For more inspiration, learn more about food trucks in Redmond, Oregon.
Outdoor Dining in Sisters
The Barn in Sisters
Wondering where to eat near Sisters, Oregon? The Old West-inspired community’s growing outdoor dining scene makes it a natural stop on the way to or from Bend—and an appetizing choice if you’re making Sisters your homebase for the weekend.
In particular, The Barn in Sisters stands out—not just for the barn-like shape of its taproom, but for the sense of community it’s cultivated over the years at the edge of downtown. Head inside for beer, cider, and kombucha on tap, as well as craft cocktails and a curated lineup of wines, and hang out on the massive patio with fare from five on-site food carts. Works from regional artists are always on display and for sale inside the taproom, and live music from local performers routinely draws crowds in summer.
The Open Door
Food carts don’t get to have all the outdoor dining fun in Sisters. Look no further than The Open Door, a family-owned eatery that offers an impressive wine list and works Pacific Northwest influences into a variety of hearty cuisines. (Think lasagna stuffed with salmon, shrimp, and scallops.) Savor every bite on a patio that recalls a boisterous backyard gathering—complete with strands of lights dangling overhead, a leafy canopy fluttering above, and a fragrant garden that brings colorful blooms every summer.
Outdoor Dining in Sunriver
Sunriver Brewing Co.
Outdoor dining runs the gamut in Sunriver, where al-fresco options range from pub patios to eclectic food cart pods. Start with Sunriver Brewing Co., an award-winning brewpub that has established itself as one of the most fun, family-friendly Sunriver restaurants. Sip a variety of ales and lagers alongside filling pub grub on a dog-friendly patio in the heart of The Village at Sunriver, and let your young’uns have fun before dessert in the brewpub’s indoor play area.
Century Commons Taps & Trucks
Century Commons Taps & Trucks is Sunriver’s only food cart pod, hosting a half-dozen food cart pods and an indoor taproom with beer, cider, and kombucha. After you’ve ordered, kick back on a patio that sits underneath a canopy of ponderosa pine trees, let your little ones run loose in the dedicated play area, and see if any live music is coming up that day.
Outdoor Dining in Prineville
The Corral Tap Room
When it opened in 2021, the Corral Taproom became the first food cart pod in Prineville and is today one of only a few food truck pods in town. Head inside for regional craft beer, and post up on the patio to stay warm by a fire pit and see what’s new from a rotating lineup of food carts that serve brick oven pizza, tacos, and other dishes.
Wild Ride Brewing
Near the eastern edge of downtown Prineville, Wild Ride Brewing hosts a family-friendly food cart pod that promises a relaxing experience. An indoor taproom pours more than a dozen of Wild Ride’s beloved beers, while the spacious patio hosts plenty of fire pits and four food carts that dish a variety of entrées from around the world. Note that Wild Ride also hosts food trucks in Redmond, Oregon, at its flagship brewpub.
Outdoor Dining in Tumalo
The Bite in Tumalo
Maybe you’re on your way between Bend and Sisters—or perhaps you just wrapped up a day on the Deschutes River. Either way, The Bite is a fun stop in the heart of Tumalo. Grab casual fare from four food carts, sip craft beer and cider from an on-site bar, cozy up around the fire pit, and try to time your visit to line up with live music all year long.
What to Know Before You Go
You’ll want to keep a few times in mind for visiting your favorite patios and food carts in Bend, Oregon, and beyond:
Up-to-date information: Always check your preferred food cart pod’s webpage, Google, and social media feed (most often Instagram) to see what carts they host—and then check an individual food truck’s website or social media feed to see whether they’re open that day. Central Oregon food truck pods are small businesses with limited staffs, so a little planning can ensure you’ll get exactly what sounds good when you arrive.
Pets: Dogs are almost always welcome at food-cart pods around Central Oregon, and some even provide water bowls and treats for your four-legged friends. But dogs aren’t generally allowed in taprooms at these pods.
Payments: Most food carts accept credit cards, though some may charge a small processing fee. Cash is typically a safe bet.
Events: Food cart pods routinely host karaoke, trivia, stand-up comedy, live music, and other fun events; if you’d like to join the fun, check with your preferred pod’s website or social media feed to see what’s coming up during your visit. Note that live music is more common in summer, when artists perform on outdoor stages.
