The Top Beer Gardens in Philadelphia for 2022

Every Friday night (and select Saturday nights) from April to October brings live bands, cold brews and delicious eats to Canstatter Volkfest-Verein’s five-acre park. As one of the oldest and largest German-American clubs in Philadelphia, its taps include both German and domestic beers, as well as a menu of classic German eats and fun surprises. Funnel cake sticks, anyone?

Drury Beer Garden has expanded further into the Opa restaurant space, making more room for another season of yummy food, dozens of draft and canned beers, and creative specialty beverages like All About the Benjamins Baby, a Jim Beam Black-based cocktail that comes with an edible $100 bill.

The folks at Evil Genius Beer Company pride themselves on innovative styles and funky names, like the ubiquitous Purple Monkey Dishwasher Chocolate Peanut Butter Porter. The 6,000-square-foot Evil Genius brewery and brewpub opened under the El in Fishtown in 2017 with some serious ’90s vibes, The Lab tasting room and a side yard that operates as a beer garden in warm months.

Stephen Starr’s Frankford Hall in Fishtown offers ample outside seating, exposed brick walls and reclaimed industrial materials, creating a casual, laid-back place to chill out. Classic German foods are available, as is a hefty beer menu that includes everything from traditional German beers to craft specialties available by the liter or half-liter.

Located north of Penn’s Landing, Cherry Street Pier extends majestically into the Delaware River, featuring both jaw-dropping views of the Ben Franklin Bridge and a stellar seasonal beer garden. The Garden at Cherry Street Pier occupies the far end of the covered pier market, a 20,000-square-foot scaffold-covered space with lush greenery, serving cocktails, wine and featured beer from Mainstay Independent Brewing.

Everyone talks about Di Bruno! Take in the sights, sounds and smells of the quintessentially Philly Italian Market from a seat at a picnic table at the Di Bruno Bros. Bottle Shop beer garden at 9th Street. Bring over charcuterie or gourmet snacks from Di Bruno’s nearby cheese shop and sip on some beverages from many of Philly’s best breweries from the bottle shop.

Giant’s year-old flagship store at the Riverwalk in Logan Square is more than just a place to pick up groceries. The store also features one of Philly’s newest (and most surprising) beer gardens. The food hall here offers 40 beers on a self-serve tap wall, alongside wine, seltzer and kombucha, available to enjoy with a meal from the market either on elevated stools in the glass-enclosed indoor seating area or the open-air terrace lounge with firepits overlooking the Schuylkill River and West Philly.

With stunning views of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge from the FringeArts building, La Peg’s Haas Biergarten boasts alfresco fun from the restaurant’s American Brasserie-style menu to accompany whiskey, wine, and draft, bottle and canned beer, Wednesdays through Sundays starting at 4 p.m.

Located across the street from the Liberty Bell Center, the aptly named Independence Beer Garden (IBG) brings 20,000 square feet of outdoor drinking and eating space to America’s most historic square mile. IBG’s seasonal beer garden serves up a revamped menu, including Philly faves like cheesesteaks and giant pretzels along with 40 craft beers at multiple bars, while outdoor chairs, lights, games and pergolas add to the atmosphere.

Philly’s urban beach is open again along the Delaware, with hammocks, patio games, mini-concerts and tasty treats to enjoy while strolling the boardwalk, playing in the park or relaxing riverside. Spruce Street Harbor Park offers a bevy of food options and craft beers to enjoy from the Barge Oasis bar and Landside Beer Garden. Visitors can also rent hammock clusters at the Riverside Lounge for 90-minute sessions on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Grab a cold one from Levante Brewing Company at this beer garden and indoor-outdoor taproom at their historic 19th-century Chester Springs farmhouse. Enjoy your brew on the patio or lawn with friends, and grab some Levante Solé woodfired oven pizza on-site to share.

Take a break from the table games and horse racing at the spacious beer garden at Bensalem’s Parx Casino. Choose between the large outdoor patio or the indoor space with an impressive glass roof and walls that retract to let sunshine and fresh air in on nice days. Enjoy 24 rotating craft beers on draft, 14 wine varieties, food from the casino’s Liberty Bell Gastropub, and plenty of screens to watch the action from the track or your fave sports.

Philly’s popular Love City Brewing hosts a new-for-2022 pop-up outdoor beer garden right across the street from its Callowhill taproom. Named for famed Trenton punk rock club City Gardens, Love City Gardens offers a specialty beer and snack menu served in the quaint outdoor space under the elevated Rail Park with covered seating in a gritty and lush setting.

One of Philly’s most popular outdoor riverfront spots, Morgan’s Pier is known for its casual daytime atmosphere and lively nights aside close-up views of the Delaware River under the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. The expansive outdoor seating deck holds wooden picnic tables, umbrellas, twinkling lights and linden trees. Diners and imbibers come for dozens of draft and canned beer options in addition to a menu of seasonal favorites like seafood, sandwiches and flatbreads, including vegan and gluten-free options, and regular dog-friendly Yappy Hours.

Nestled aside The Fillmore Philadelphia, the Foundry at the Fillmore, Punch Line Philly and the brand-new Brooklyn Bowl, Other Half Brewing has taken over the space formerly occupied by Goose Island and is now serving its New York-born brews in Fishtown. And just out the front door is their spacious lawn, open as a seasonal pop-up beer garden, perfect for before and after shows and concerts — or any day the warm weather allows.

The Oval XP provides locals and visitors with entertainment, food and beverage, and event programming for all ages — including Philadelphia’s largest beer garden and a mobile Ferris wheel and carousel. The beer garden features 24 taps from local craft breweries, alongside a rotating selection of pop-up menus crafted by local minority and female chefs. The beer garden’s unique décor is made up of upcycled materials Philadelphia Parks & Recreation has stored throughout the decades, including old building materials, park benches, and trash cans. Guests are invited to admire pieces of Philadelphia’s history as they sip on beers and indulge in local cuisine.

Opens Friday, May 20, 2022

For the second year in a row, Philly’s beloved beer garden program Parks on Tap sets up a summer-long stationary stop at the Fairmount Water Works. Enjoy summer sips (including craft brews from Mainstay Independent Brewing) and tasty bites with an expanded menu, including weekend lunch options. Park yourself in a hammock or at a picnic table and enjoy a variety of local craft beers, wine and cocktails, along with food trucks and a full menu of locally sourced entrees and snacks. Bonus: Starting on August 31, 2022, the beer garden travels to five different parks over five weeks. (Stay tuned for more details on locations.)

Opens June 3, 2022

The Pentridge Station Pop-Up Beer Garden brings its seasonal neighborhood space, billed as “for locals, by locals,” back to West Philly, Friday through Sunday nights starting in June. The community-built location features a family- and dog-friendly play area with lawn games, a dine-in school bus with rotating local food vendors, and a stage hosting live music, DJs and karaoke. Various events also take place throughout the season, including movie nights, comedy open-mic nights and yoga classes.

Philadelphia Brewing Company, home to some of the city’s favorite microbrews like the Kenzinger and Walt Wit, offers guests a pleasant beer garden area outside the Kensington warehouse it calls home. Folks can enjoy some of the city’s O.G. craft brews outside the brewery’s Peacock Room at this “urban oasis” equipped with umbrella-shaded picnic tables.

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Pop Up Gardens return once again to South Street and Manayunk for the warm-weather season. Open to visitors of all ages and their furry friends, guests can relax with summery drinks, including specialty drinks like the “Woodermelon” or “Gritty Marg,” as well as can and draft craft beer from local and regional brewers. Food is available from local chefs representing kitchens like Khyber Pass Pub and Cantina Los Caballitos, all in a PHS Flower Show-worthy tranquil garden atmosphere that blends seasonals and pollinators with blooming perennials and annuals.

Conshohocken Brewing Company’s Bridgeport brewpub attracts crowds to its spacious pet-friendly outdoor beer garden for fresh-air brews and bites during the warm-weather months. Visitors can play yard games while enjoying one of six Conshy beers at the “tap trailer,” as well as cans and white wine, along with a food truck full of good eats from Puddlers Kitchen.

Twelve stories up and high atop West Philly’s Cira Center, Sunset Social offers dramatic views and relaxation in equal measure on the Cira Green rooftop park. The fast-casual menu includes a selection of bowls, burgers and fries, plus beer, wine and frozen and bottled cocktails patrons can enjoy while gazing out over the Center City skyline. Open seven nights a week, each night offers a different theme, from Monday-night trivia to Sunday-night ice cream socials.

Most beer gardens encourage you to bring along your dog. But what if a dog park encouraged you to grab a few beers? Philly’s newest dog park and beer garden combo, Unleashed: Bark and Beer and Puppy Porch, is a 2,000-square-foot park on the Northern Liberties waterfront. The off-leash porch and beer garden hybrid features contactless ordering and seating for nearly 50. Have yourself one of over 20 beers on tap, but don’t leave out your furry friends — buy them a round of Douga Frescas, a fruit and coconut water smoothie “cocktail” for pups.

One of the largest of its kind in the city, Uptown Beer Garden celebrates its second season at its location between City Hall and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The upscale outdoor space in its vibrant Center City locale can accommodate up to 350 guests on its tree-shaded patio with views of Dilworth Park and LOVE Park. Sandwiches, small bites and desserts are served from a food truck, complementing an expansive bar menu of wine, cocktails, frozen beverages and more than two-dozen beers.

Warwick Farm Brewing — one of Bucks County’s newest breweries — has quickly gained popularity thanks in part to its beautiful outdoor space, named by Breweries in PA as the “Best Beer Garden in Pennsylvania.” The hillside garden sits right out front, with views overlooking expansive hop-growing fields. Visitors can sip at umbrella-shaded picnic tables or bring their own chairs and blankets to sit out in the fields. Food trucks are available each weekend. Dogs are not allowed, but the space is kid-friendly.

The indoor, year-round Trolly Barn Public Market caters to Quakertown residents and visitors seeking fresh, seasonal groceries and prepared foods from local farmers and food purveyors. A 9,500-square-foot outdoor beer garden overlooking Front and Broad streets known as The Yard invites visitors to sit down, relax around firepits and enjoy a selection of pre- or post-shopping beers from Two Rivers Brewing Company.

Back for the first time in three years, the Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival returns to Franklin Square. View incredible lantern creations during the celebration of light and Chinese culture, and visit the ever-popular Dragon Beer Garden, offering American and Asian-inspired bites, craft beer, wine and cocktails inside the central clear event tent, open nightly through the run of the festival. Event tickets are required to access the beer garden.

Through Sunday, September 4, 2022

Deep inside the hulking walls of Eastern State Penitentiary (ESP), right on the former inmate baseball field, is one of Philly’s most unique beer gardens. Back for 2022, the Fair Chance Beer Garden is run by the beer and social justice experts at Callowhill’s Triple Bottom Brewing. Enjoy projected artwork and equitability stories with a half-dozen beers, including Purpose Pale Ale, a hazy IPA exclusively brewed for the beer garden. Access is free with membership or admission to ESP’s new Summer Twilight: Night Tours – voice-narrated by Steve Buscemi – through early September.

Adventure Aquarium’s very on-brand partnership with New Jersey’s Flying Fish Brewing Company yields a terrace beer garden on the Delaware River with stellar views of the Philadelphia skyline, tasty bites and Flying Fish brews, including Button & Genny’s Watermelon Splash, named for the aquarium’s resident celebrity hippos’ favorite snack. Regular admission to the aquarium is required to access the beer garden.

The outdoor beer garden at Longwood Gardens offers signature brews developed in partnership with Victory Brewing Company. Visitors can relax in the verdant setting and pair beers with homemade pizza and sandwiches. Live music is available in the garden most weekends. The beer garden is free with attraction admission, and is open Thursdays through Saturdays until June 30, after which it is also open Sundays.

This fully-functioning, 300-acre farm features pick-your-own fruit sessions, a year-round market and the Ship Bottom Brewery Beer Garden. Open weekends from noon until 6 p.m., the beer garden features handcrafted ales and lagers from the Beach Haven, New Jersey, brewery — sometimes made with ingredients grown on the premises. Other activities include lawn games, hayrides, fishing on the lake, eats from food trucks and the Linvilla Grill, and evening bonfires.

Some beer gardens let you sip some suds with dog pals. Why not kick it up a notch and grab beers while surrounded by lemurs, sloths, bears and rhinos instead? The Watering Hole, located at the south end near the picnic grove, is the only spot at the Philadelphia Zoo with beer on tap. Offering rotating beers from Victory Brewing Company and a wine selection, the eco-friendly Watering Hole features comfortable conversation-style seating, shady umbrellas, jungle-worthy landscaping and light eats. The beer garden is free with zoo admission, and is open Friday through Sunday afternoons.