Eateries in the Conejo Valley That Have Expanded Their Outdoor Dining Capacity

UPDATE 12/5/20: There’s a new order effective December 6th that, among other things, limits restaurants to take-out, pick-up and delivery only throughout Southern California, for at least 3 weeks. The reason for this new order is that ICU capacity has dropped below 15%. The order will be reevaluated once ICU capacity is higher.

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With the most recent COVID-19 health order effective July 13th, restaurants were required to close indoor dining operations. In their entrepreneurial spirit, we’ve seen local eateries scramble to adapt to this new requirement. Here’a a compilation of what we’ve seen and heard around town. (Contact us to let us know of additional eateries that are not on the list.)

Temporary additional outdoor dining at Bandits BBQ Thousand Oaks.

These eateries have added a significant amount of outdoor seating in the parking area:

• Bandits BBQ Thousand Oaks (in addition to existing outdoor patio area). Also in Camarillo.

• Lure Fish House Westlake Village.

• Cronies Newbury Park and Agoura Hills

• Q Sushi Westlake Village

• Made In Italy has a cute outdoor dining area in the parking lot

• Cisco’s Thousand Oaks

• Tavern Tomoko and Ladyface Brewery in Agoura Hills

• Crown & Anchor Thousand Oaks

• Islands Newbury Park

• The Alamo Newbury Park

• Pedals & Pints Brewing Co. Thousand Oaks

• Holdren’s Steakhouse Newbury Park

• Boney Mountain Pizza Co. Newbury Park

• Patron Mexican Restaurant Newbury Park

• Azar’s Newbury Park

• Rustico in Oak Park

• Pickles Deli Newbury Park

• Open air patio at Plata Taqueria Agoura Hills

• El Sancho Loco Newbury Park

• Sunset Terrace Thousand Oaks

• Saffron Indian Cuisine and neighboring The Nook in Newbury Park

• Los Dos Amigos in Thousand Oaks has expanded seating arrangements into the parking lot.

• Outdoor patio at Tuscany il Ristorante in Westlake Village

• Wood Ranch Agoura Hills, Moorpark and Camarillo outdoor patio areas

• Sunland Vintage Winery in Thousand Oaks

• The Melting Pot opened up outdoor dining on August 28th

• Julio’s Agave Grill in Westlake Village

• Exotic Thai Bistro in Agoura Hills

• Sunset Terrace in Thousand Oaks has expanded its outdoor seating area

• Melting Pot Thousand Oaks recently expanded into the parking lot for outdoor dining.

• Lal Mirch in Agoura Hills has created an outdoor eating area

• BJ’s in Westlake Village has a large seating area in the parking lot

• Brent’s Deli has added an outdoor patio with a tent and heat lamps

Outdoor dining at D’Amore’s Pizza Thousand Oaks

Eateries that already have large outdoor seating capacity:

• Tarantula Hill Brewing Company Thousand Oaks

• Eggs N Things Thousand Oaks

• The Latigo Kid Agoura Hills

• Restaurants at The Landing in Westlake Village - Boccaccio’s, The Landing Grill, Zin Bistro

• Side Street Cafe Newbury Park

• All eateries at Janss Marketplace have plenty of outdoor seating available , including Buca di Beppo, Crazy King Kong Sushi, Greco’s Pizzeria, Janchi Korean BBQ, Karma Indian Cuisine, Lucky’s Dog House, Panera Bread, Sharky’s Sunset Terrace and Cold Stone Creamery.

• Bad Ass Tacos Thousand Oaks

• Tabu Shabu Thousand Oaks

• Eateries at The Lakes at Thousand Oaks - CPK, P.F. Chang’s

• Eateries at The Promenade at Westlake, including Grill on the Alley, Shake Shack, Soom Soom, Paul Martin’s, Social Monk, Marmalade Cafe, Farfalla, others

• Eateries at The Oaks mall, including Lazy Dog Cafe, The Cheesecake Factory, Olive Garden, others

• Five 07 Coffee Bar

• Droughts Thousand Oaks

• Pacific Fresh Grill Thousand Oaks

• Snapper Jacks Thousand Oaks

• Toppers Pizza Thousand Oaks

• Grabbagreen Thousand Oaks

• Cafe Rio Thousand Oaks

• Urbane Cafe, Kabob Plus and Dog Haus Thousand Oaks

• The Original Pizza Cookery Thousand Oaks

• Mejico Grill Agoura Hills outdoor patios

• Stella’s in Newbury Park has outdoor tables

• Chili’s in Newbury Park has set up outdoor tables.

• Adobe Cantina in Agoura Hills

This list is obviously not 100% complete, so contact us with additions.

bit.ly/OutdoorEating

Eateries that have been closed in the Conejo Valley during the pandemic:

• Stacked at the Oaks Mall - All Stacked locations have been “temporarily closed” since March and there have been no updates since then at stacked.com

• Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf on Moorpark Road in Thousand Oaks - permanently closed

• Five Guys Thousand Oaks has been closed for the duration of the pandemic - while it appears permanently closed, I have not been able to independently confirm this with Five Guys.

• Pitfire Artisan Pizza in Westlake Village indicates it is temporarily closed.

• Azi Grill at Janss Marketplace has been closed. It is unclear if the closure is temporary or permanent.

• Champagne French Bakery at The Promenade at Westlake.

• Red Robin at The Oaks Mall.

• Flame Broiler in Newbury Park

• Janchi Korean BBQ at Janss Marketplace temporarily closed until further notice in December

Eateries that were closed for awhile that have reopened:

• Le Pain Quotidien in Westlake Village has been closed for months but is now (as of 9/29) back open, 8am to 4pm daily.

Eateries that appear to have permanently closed :

• Pizza Rev at The Oaks appears to have permanently closed.

• Roma Deli closed its doors in November.

New local eateries that have opened in recent months in THIS SECTION OF LOCAL BUZZ.

Other local eateries that have closed in recent months in THIS SECTION OF LOCAL BUZZ.

Positive and Uplifting Thoughts From Conejo Valley Guide Facebook Followers During the Pandemic

Ragamuffin Coffee Roasters just reached its 5th anniversary at 111 N. Reino Road, Newbury Park (Trader Joe's/CVS plaza). If you're looking for an independent, local family-owned coffee and bake shop, this is the place for you! ragamuffinroasters.com.

We’ve been hosting daily gift card drawings for local Conejo Valley eateries on the Conejo Valley Guide Facebook Page since July 23rd. These drawings have been made possible thanks to donations from several hundred individuals and businesses at bit.ly/CVGFund (credit cards) and paypal.me/ConejoValleyGuide.

In a recent drawing, we asked folks to enter by adding a positive and/or uplifting comment to the post. Here’s a compilation of some of those comments.

• “Do small things with great love.” - Mother Theresa

• Choose to be kind over being right and you will be right all the time.

• After every storm a rainbow appears.

• Remember that time heals all, and if we all stick together we will be okay!

• A smile is a curve that can set things straight.

• No matter how hard the past, you can always begin again.

• Whatever you decide to do, make sure it makes you happy.

• “You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”

• Enjoy the time you have, with the people you have it with!! Family, whether blood or not, is everything!

• Find the good, and share it with others.

• Be so happy that, when other people look at you, they become happy too.

• All it can take is a smile to change someone’s whole day.

• Tough times don’t last but tough people do.

• Be kind. You don't know what people are going through. Wish them well

• When words are both true and kind, they can change the world!

• Find something positive in each and every day.

• Find time to do something nice for someone today.

• “I don’t think of all the misery, but of all the beauty that still remains” - Anne Frank

• When you can’t control what’s happening, challenge yourself to control the way you respond,

• “If it was easy, then everyone would do it!”

• “Kindness costs nothing, yet it is the most precious gift.”

• Smile with your eyes. You can do it. You may not think people will notice, but they do.

• May you see sunshine where others see shadows, and opportunities where others see obstacles.

• To quote Dory, “Just keep swimming.”

• Stars shine brightest in the dark.

• Be positive and thankful for all that you have.

• May your WiFi be as strong as your coffee!

• Sprinkle kindness like it's confetti.

• Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits put together that will overwhelm the world.

• The sun will come out tomorrow.

• As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.—Albert Schweitzer

• Be yourself and the right people will love the real you.

• Always believe something wonderful is about to happen.

Sweet Arleen's in the Westlake Plaza at 960 S. Westlake Blvd, Ste 4 is named after its original owner, Arleen Scavon, but is now owned by Chef Julia San Bartolome. They worked together to win the Food Network Cupcake Wars three times. Walk into this shop and you'll be mesmerized by the cupcakes on display. sweetarleens.com

Sundown at Westlake Lake on a Warm Summer Night

Peaceful views of the sun setting from Westlake Lake in Westlake Village on a warm July night. While Westlake Lake is a private lake, you can still enjoy its beauty in many ways. Running, cycling and walking around the lake via Triunfo Canyon and other adjacent streets is quite popular. Or visit The Landing (32129 Lindero Canyon) on the southwest side of the lake to enjoy a meal at one of several lakefront restaurants such as Boccacio's, Zin Bistro Americana and The Landing Grill and Sushi Bar, all with indoor/outdoor dining. Or just stroll around, taking in the sweeping views and serenity.