Leisure

Shadow Play

Drinking in the Shade, by the Hours

There’s a showdown at high noon: you vs. the sun. So our analysts at UD Labs<sup>®</sup> have been tracking the arc of the sun to find the coolest patios in the Big D, hour by hour. Because you’re not one to hide inside. Just outside.

TABLE 109

Katy Trail Ice House

Shade Time Begins: Noon
Shade Time Ends: 2:04pm
Shaded Area: 302 sq ft
Keeping You Cool: Two umbrellas, a fan gently misting you and thick tree branches covering the beer garden. Don’t let the joggers on the trail see you shiver.
Ounces of Mist Sprayed per Minute: 15
Your Weapon of Choice: The frozen margarita.

TABLE 504

TABC

Shade Time Begins: 2:05pm
Shade Time Ends: 3:52pm
Shaded Area: 187 sq ft
Keeping You Cool: One massive tree, a fan and two misters raining down at Niagara Falls–level volume. (Well, almost.)
Ounces of Mist Sprayed per Minute: 22
Your Weapon of Choice: A Summer Beer (lemonade, beer and vodka).

TABLE 95

Meddlesome Moth

Shade Time Begins: 3:53pm
Shade Time Ends: 5:28pm
Shaded Area: 425 sq ft
Keeping You Cool: A covered patio and one fan directly above you. Oh, and the sight of anyone at the front tables—which will quickly be consumed in uninterrupted sun.
Ounces of Mist Sprayed per Minute: 0. Translation: no misters.
Your Weapon of Choice: A Texas Flight, five beers from local brewers.

TABLE 25

The Old Monk

Shade Time Begins: 5:29pm
Shade Time Ends: 7:01pm
Shaded Area: 65 sq ft
Keeping You Cool: One umbrella and two fans pointed right at you. And to ensure complete darkness, tilt the umbrella toward Louisiana.
Ounces of Mist Sprayed per Minute: 18
Your Weapon of Choice: A Moscow Mule with a chilled copper mug.

WOODEN BOOTH

Saint Ann

Shade Time Begins: 7:02pm
Shade Time Ends: 8:35pm (sundown)
Shaded Area: 542 sq ft
Keeping You Cool: Not fans. Not umbrellas. Just the Texas breeze and the trees around you. But once the sun sets, watch out for cougars—you’ve been warned.
Ounces of Mist Sprayed per Minute: 0
Your Weapon of Choice: A whiskey-and-mint concoction called Detention.