spin-off of the old "smoking" thread - restaurants where there are "no smoking" rules on the patio?

[Anonymous]

I hate piling onto old threads so here is a new one with a slightly different angle.

My family and I were at banana cafe on 8th street, seated outside at 6:30PM on a Monday or maybe Tuesday night for dinner. I have a two year old. We were seated next to a few other families. Two couples were later seated on either side of the families around us and then a group in front of us. All of these tables started chain smoking. One of the fathers from a family seated next to us actually asked the people if they could smoke fewer cigarettes (everyone at their table was chain smoking, literally one after another). Then the people from inside the restaurant also started coming outside, to the doorway, which was about 3 feet from our table, and smoke right there. This was just a few feet from my toddler's head. We politely asked our server if we could be moved to another table or the smokers could be asked to refrain from smoking in the doorway and he sent the owner out. The owner misunderstood and thought we asked him to ask the tables next to us to stop smoking. His response was to tell us it was "illegal" for him to ask them to stop smoking. What an ass. We definitely won't ever go back there, and the families around us, who were completely in shock after overhearing the owner's lie. (Fine, tell me you'd rather have smokers than families, or that you won't tell them not to move a few feet away from my table, but really dude, you think I actually believe it's illegal for you to do so?) Anyway, I digress.

My question is: what are some nice places where there is outdoor seating and folks are either discouraged or prohibited from smoking or there is a real separation of smoking and non-smoking spaces? I'd love to give these businesses some business.

I'm in DC, but I'm sure there are people from all over who would like to hear about the same.

[Anonymous]

It would appear that smoking was allowed on the patio and you should have asked to be seated in a non-smoking section. However, when, or if, depending on the wind, the smoke wafts toward you, then you can't complain.

[Anonymous]

Agree with the PP. I am not a smoker, but understand that when smoking is allowed, so be it. Sounds like you won't go back to Bananna Cafe. Let that be the end of it. Go someplace else.

I just returned from a three weeks in Eastern Europe. Try finding a smoke free venue there. Point is, we are lucky that every restaurant in our area doesn't allow smoking indoors. Perhaps you should have made a better choice about where to sit.

[Anonymous]

People - the OP was asking where she could go to eat outside and not have smokers around, not your opinion on whether or not she was accidently put in a smoking section.

Friendship Heights has restaurants where smoking is not permitted on the patio.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People - the OP was asking where she could go to eat outside and not have smokers around, not your opinion on whether or not she was accidently put in a smoking section.

Friendship Heights has restaurants where smoking is not permitted on the patio.

The OP did more than ask a question about where she was seated. If that had been the case, I would have responded directly to that.

[Anonymous]

There are quite a few restaurants in Arlington that have smoke-free patios/outdoor seating. One that springs to mind is the Boulevard Woodgrill. They actually have signs prohibiting it, which is nice, because otherwise it seems like smokers ignore those policies. I want to say most restaurants in Clarendon seem to be smoke-free outside, since I can't recall the last time I've been smoked around outside since the ban. It's very pleasant.

[Anonymous]

This is one of the unintended consequences of the smoking ban. Everywhere you go/walk outside is now more likely to have smoke. I wish I knew an answer for you. I am so with you, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree with the PP. I am not a smoker, but understand that when smoking is allowed, so be it. Sounds like you won't go back to Bananna Cafe. Let that be the end of it. Go someplace else.

I just returned from a three weeks in Eastern Europe. Try finding a smoke free venue there. Point is, we are lucky that every restaurant in our area doesn't allow smoking indoors. Perhaps you should have made a better choice about where to sit.

Wow, you're kind of rude - why? I don't even think you understood my problem, anyway.

I didn't ask anyone at any of the tables to stop smoking. I asked if we could move to another table because there was a lot of smoke blowing directly into my toddler's face. We were near two tables with chainsmoking people and, worse, near the entrance. Banana Cafe has a bar upstairs, so basically any time anyone came out of the restaurant to smoke, they stood within arm's reach of our table. So there was always at least a handful of people out there smoking. It really ruined dinner. I would actually bet that even a smoker would have found it really bad.

I've spent a lot of time in France, and I get it - people smoke. I find it unpleasant, but tolerate it. However, I don't like being lied to by an American business about what's legal and not regarding smoking on patios. My real issue with banana cafe is less the smoking and more how the owner handled it.

In any case, you're right, I won't be back. Less because of the smoke situation and more because I enjoy being lied to even less than I enjoy having smoke in my face. The summer is here now, and my family loves eating outside. So I'm looking for a list of restaurants in the area (as opposed to Eastern Europe) with no smoking patios.