Highest-rated restaurants with outdoor seating in Burlington, North Carolina by diners

The average person spends over 74 minutes eating and drinking on any given weekday. On weekends and holidays, that goes up to over 81 minutes. Where is a better place to spend that time than a restaurant?

Consumers agree. The National Restaurant Association states that 9 in 10 adults enjoy eating out at restaurants, which give people access to a world of great-tasting food that's often difficult to reproduce at home.

People choose restaurants to scope out the latest food trends, including deeper dives into Southeast Asian cuisines from Korea, Vietnam, and the Philippines, without trying to master these complex dishes at home. Chefs also have the resources to experiment with ingredients and bring new favorites like hot honey, spicy maple, matcha, and pickled foods to the table.

Dining out also offers unique, hyperlocal experiences featuring local farmers, food producers, brewers, winemakers, and distillers in a way that connects diners to the area.

When the weather's nice, diners flock to al fresco seating. At least 2 in 5 diners like eating outdoors and look for great ambience like skyline views, rooftop settings, and waterfront seating to enhance their dining experience.

Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants in the Burlington area using data from Yelp. Data is as of Aug. 4, 2025. Only businesses marked as having outdoor seating on the Yelp website were included. Yelp's ranking system calculates an adjusted rating value that considers the number of ratings and the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 20 reviews within a 10-kilometer radius of Burlington were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than 10 locations nationally, based on our Yelp data, were not included. Read on to see if your favorite spot made the list.

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Simply Thai

1 / 30

#30. Simply Thai

- Rating: 3.8/5 (162 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2041 Timberline Station Drive Elon, North Carolina
- Categories: Thai, Sushi Bars
- Read more on Yelp

Mellow Mushroom Burlington

2 / 30

#29. Mellow Mushroom Burlington

- Rating: 3.8/5 (152 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 767 Huffman Mill Road Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: Pizza, Bars, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Pandora's Pies

3 / 30

#28. Pandora's Pies

- Rating: 3.9/5 (79 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 130 North Williamson Ave. Elon, North Carolina
- Categories: Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

Jack's Barbecue

4 / 30

#27. Jack's Barbecue

- Rating: 4.0/5 (26 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 213 West Main St. Gibsonville, North Carolina
- Categories: Barbecue
- Read more on Yelp

Sushi World by Oishii

5 / 30

#26. Sushi World by Oishii

- Rating: 4.0/5 (43 reviews)
- Address: 3316 South Church St. Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: Ramen, Sushi Bars
- Read more on Yelp

Da Vinci's Table

6 / 30

#25. Da Vinci's Table

- Rating: 4.0/5 (215 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2260 South Church St. Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: Italian, American, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp

Oishii Hibachi Grill

7 / 30

#24. Oishii Hibachi Grill

- Rating: 4.0/5 (20 reviews)
- Address: 268 East Front St. Ste C Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: Japanese
- Read more on Yelp

TickleMyRibs

8 / 30

#23. TickleMyRibs

- Rating: 4.0/5 (120 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1183 University Drive Ste 101 Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: Barbecue
- Read more on Yelp

The Mark at Elon

9 / 30

#22. The Mark at Elon

- Rating: 4.1/5 (36 reviews)
- Address: 605 North O'Kelly Ave. Elon, North Carolina
- Categories: New American, Southern, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

El Burrito Loco

10 / 30

#21. El Burrito Loco

- Rating: 4.1/5 (69 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3263 South Church St. Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Cork & Cow

11 / 30

#20. Cork & Cow

- Rating: 4.1/5 (52 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3152 Walden Lane Alamance Crossing Mall Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: Tapas/Small Plates, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp

Saint Jacques

12 / 30

#19. Saint Jacques

- Rating: 4.1/5 (34 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 303 Burke St. The Burke Manor Inn & Pavilion Gibsonville, North Carolina
- Categories: French, Venues & Event Spaces
- Read more on Yelp

Mimi's Pizza

13 / 30

#18. Mimi's Pizza

- Rating: 4.1/5 (90 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4217 South Church St. Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: Pizza, Salad, Pasta Shops
- Read more on Yelp

The Verdict On the Square

14 / 30

#17. The Verdict On the Square

- Rating: 4.1/5 (168 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 28 Northwest Court Square Graham, North Carolina
- Categories: Bars, New American
- Read more on Yelp

Biggby Coffee Burlington

15 / 30

#16. Biggby Coffee Burlington

- Rating: 4.2/5 (45 reviews)
- Address: 1429 University Drive Ste 101 Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Southbound Sandwich Works

16 / 30

#15. Southbound Sandwich Works

- Rating: 4.2/5 (43 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3328 South Church St. Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: Sandwiches, Salad
- Read more on Yelp

Taaza Bistro

17 / 30

#14. Taaza Bistro

- Rating: 4.2/5 (195 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3252 South Church St. Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: Indian
- Read more on Yelp

Mykonos Grill

18 / 30

#13. Mykonos Grill

- Rating: 4.2/5 (172 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2253 South Church St. Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: Greek
- Read more on Yelp

El Palmar Mexican Restaurant

19 / 30

#12. El Palmar Mexican Restaurant

- Rating: 4.2/5 (31 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 203 West Harden St. Graham, North Carolina
- Categories: Mexican, Seafood, fast food
- Read more on Yelp

Michelle's Kitchen & Table

20 / 30

#11. Michelle's Kitchen & Table

- Rating: 4.3/5 (36 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 2461 South Church St. Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: Southern
- Read more on Yelp

Prego's Trattoria

21 / 30

#10. Prego's Trattoria

- Rating: 4.4/5 (254 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 422 Huffman Mill Road Ste 122 Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: Italian, Desserts, Bars
- Read more on Yelp

Tanner's Wine Bar

22 / 30

#9. Tanner's Wine Bar

- Rating: 4.4/5 (20 reviews)
- Address: 102 East Front St. Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: Tapas/Small Plates, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp

The Root

23 / 30

#8. The Root

- Rating: 4.4/5 (230 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 110 West Lebanon Ave. Elon, North Carolina
- Categories: New American
- Read more on Yelp

Tangent Eat+Bar

24 / 30

#7. Tangent Eat+Bar

- Rating: 4.5/5 (134 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 116 West Lebanon Ave. Elon, North Carolina
- Categories: Bars, American, Asian Fusion
- Read more on Yelp

PRESS Coffee Crêpes Cocktails

25 / 30

#6. PRESS Coffee Crêpes Cocktails

- Rating: 4.5/5 (315 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 133 North Main St. Graham, North Carolina
- Categories: Creperies, Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Smokehouse at Steve's

26 / 30

#5. Smokehouse at Steve's

- Rating: 4.5/5 (383 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 331 West Harden St. Graham, North Carolina
- Categories: Barbecue
- Read more on Yelp

Cielito Taqueria & Bar

27 / 30

#4. Cielito Taqueria & Bar

- Rating: 4.6/5 (63 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 108 Huffman Mill Road Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: Pizza, New Mexican Cuisine, Bars
- Read more on Yelp

California Burritos

28 / 30

#3. California Burritos

- Rating: 4.6/5 (87 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1409 University Drive Burlington, North Carolina
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Sanctuary Coffee

29 / 30

#2. Sanctuary Coffee

- Rating: 4.9/5 (22 reviews)
- Address: 952 Golf House Road West Ste B Whitsett, North Carolina
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

To the Moon and Back Frozen Treats

30 / 30

#1. To the Moon and Back Frozen Treats

- Rating: 4.9/5 (44 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1692 Hwy 68 North Ste A-B Oak Ridge, North Carolina
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Food Trucks, Comfort Food
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 327 metros.

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