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The biggest outdoor bars and restaurants in Philly

Where to go with a crowd for outdoor food and drinks in lush, spacious settings.

Bok Bar in South Philadelphia offers unparalleled views of Center City.
Bok Bar in South Philadelphia offers unparalleled views of Center City.Read moreMICHAEL KLEIN / Staff

Warm weather is here, and outdoor dining is calling your name. Sometimes, though, it’s hard to snag a table at Philadelphia’s outdoor bars and restaurants — and who wants to eat and drink indoors on a warm day?

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What makes something the best? Our recommendations are based on our reporters' deep regional knowledge and advice from local experts. We also strive to represent the geographic and cultural diversity of the city and region. Spot an error or omission? Email us at phillytips@inquirer.com

That’s where this list comes in. We have a guide to the biggest outdoor dining and drinking spots in Philly, which are ideal if you’re hoping to find a table (or at least a short wait) for food and drinks with a crowd.

Here are the biggest outdoor bars and restaurants in Philly.

Behind Germantown’s Attic Brewing Co., find a nearly 9,000-square-foot beer garden complete with Attic’s brews flowing from an outdoor bar, plus lawn games, plenty of seating, and a rotating lineup of food trucks. You can also bring your own food to eat in the hidden-from-the-street beer garden; Deke’s Garage Roadhouse BBQ is conveniently located next door.

📍137 Berkley St., 🌐 atticbrewing.com, 📷 @atticbrewing

The destination atop the refurbished and repurposed vo-tech school at Eighth and Mifflin Streets in South Philadelphia — which offers unparalleled views from New Jersey out to West Philadelphia — has a slate of programming this summer, in addition to dining pop-ups from Tabachoy, Samar Lazzari, Rooted Sole, and more. Reservations are available for select portions of the roof, but most of the space is now happily open to walk-ins.

📍800 Mifflin St., 8th floor, 🌐 bok-bar.com, 📷 @bok_bar

Kenny Poon and David Taing, who own a collection of restaurants including Paris Baguette and Bonchon locations and the Chinatown Square food hall, have taken over a shuttered factory across from Yakitori Boy and turned it into a high-energy outdoor beer garden serving dumplings, rice and noodle dishes (vegan options, too), and salt-baked wings, alongside a drink menu of cocktails and Japanese beers.

📍 212 N. 11th St., 🌐 chinatownbeergarden.com, 📷 @chinatownbeergarden

Don’t assume it’ll be easy to land a spot at one of the many communal tables in the Frankford Hall outdoor courtyard. One-liter steins, giant soft pretzels, and campfire pits draw crowds that regularly fill the sidewalk. Drop in early to avoid the lines that are known to run along the Frankford Avenue sidewalk.

📍1210 Frankford Ave., 🌐 frankfordhall.com, 📷 @frankfordhall

The spacious Skytop Garden at the Conshohocken location of the reliable Great American Pub is first-come, first-served, but there is lots of room to enjoy food and drinks a few stories above street level in downtown Conshohocken.

📍123 Fayette St., Conshohocken, 🌐 thegreatamericanpub.com, 📷 @greatamericanpub

It’s never boring at this popular beer garden, which is home to games, televisions for game-watching, and seasonal fire pits. The menu includes a selection of largely local beers, frozen cocktails, wine, and more, in addition to sandwiches, salads, and snacks.

📍 100 S. Independence Mall West, 🌐 phlbeergarden.com, 📷 @phlbeergarden

There’s plenty of space for outdoor drinks at Juno, a fairly new, and totally outdoors, Mexican-inspired restaurant in Callowhill. Have a seat at one of its colorful chairs and choose from a menu of margaritas, wines by the bottle and glass, tacos, nachos, burritos, and more.

📍1033 Spring Garden St., 🌐 junophilly.com, 📷 @junophl

At Levante Stables, Levante Brewing Co.’s indoor-outdoor farmhouse-style taproom, there’s a 40,000-square-foot beer garden and patio promising umbrella-shaded tables, grassy areas for outdoor beer drinking, and food from a changing lineup of local food trucks. The Chester Springs spot hosts live music and special events throughout the week, too.

📍160 Park Rd., Chester Springs, 🌐 levantebrewing.com, 📷 @levante_stables

A mural of the Italian region of Abruzzo is the backdrop in this spacious, candlelit patio. It’s set back from bustling Passyunk Avenue, making it a quiet space to have a Southern Italian meal and a glass of wine.

📍1927 E. Passyunk Ave., 🌐 levirtu.com, 📷 @levirtuphila

1,400 people can gather at once at the huge and brand-new Liberty Point on the Delaware River Waterfront. Stop by and choose from multiple seating areas and enjoy food like burgers, lobster mac and cheese, Cesar salads, and more, and drinks including draught cocktails, local beers, and wine.

📍211 S. Columbus Blvd., 🌐 libertypointphilly.com, 📷 @libertypointphilly

Across the street from its main brewery, Love City Brewing Co. opened Love City Gardens, an outdoor space beneath the former railroad viaduct. Here, find seating for more than 80 people, an overhead pergola for rain protection, and an outdoor bar where you can order from the brewery’s drink menu. For food, you can visit the on-site food truck which changes by the day.

📍1023 Hamilton St., 🌐 lovecitybrewing.com, 📷 @lovecitybrewing

There’s a huge outdoor deck overlooking the Schuylkill at Manayunk Brewing Company, a neighborhood spot known for its namesake beers and eclectic menu promising everything from sushi to pizza. String lights hang overhead for additional lighting in the evening, and umbrellas block the sun on hot days.

📍 4120 Main St., 🌐 manayunkbrewery.com, 📷 @manayunkbrewingco

On the edge of the breezy Delaware River, this 500-seat seasonal beer garden sits in the shadow of the Ben Franklin Bridge. Choose from a dozen-plus draft beers, a list of summery cocktails, flatbreads, sandwiches, and raw bar options.

📍221 N. Columbus Blvd., 🌐 morganspier.com, 📷 @morganspier

Parks on Tap is open at the pop-up’s regular spot by Fairmount Water Works with plenty of hammocks, picnic tables, and lounge chairs for outdoor drinking and dining this summer. On the food and drink menu, find sandwiches (pulled pork, veggie banh mi, smoked chicken salad), salads, snacks like soft pretzels, local beers, spiked lemonade, rosé, and more.

📍 640 Waterworks Dr., 🌐 parksontap.com, 📷 @parksontap

Laid-back vibes are the theme at this huge Martha Street outdoor courtyard. While it’s operated by Philadelphia Brewing Co. (and located across from the brewery), food from nearby Martha and Zig Zag BBQ can be delivered or picked up. Tip: Philadelphia Brewing Co. also has some outdoor tables along its side patio.

📍2440 Frankford Ave., 🌐 philadelphiabrewing.com, 📷 @philadelphiabrewing

Beyond the South Street location, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society has a lush, relaxed pop-up beer garden in Manayunk at Main Street and Jamestown Avenue. The menu promises frozen drinks, spiked seltzers, draft beers, burgers, fries, and more.

📍106 Jamestown Ave., 🌐 phsonline.org, 📷 @phspopupgardens

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s pop-up garden on South Street has been a mainstay for food and drinks in a lush, greenery-filled setting for years. Cantina Los Caballitos and Khyber Pass Pub are in charge of the food and drinks at the open-air space.

📍1438 South St., 🌐 phsonline.org, 📷 @phspopupgardens

The urban oasis at the 40th Street trolley portal has plenty of seats for outdoor meals and drinks from the on-site Renata’s Kitchen and Bar. And while Mediterranean-focused Renata’s was once BYOB, this location has a stocked bar with draft wine and cocktails.

📍 3940 Baltimore Ave., 🌐 renatas-kitchen.com, 📷 @renatas_kitchen

The huge waterfront park is home to various food and drink vendors serving everything from sweet French toast bites and juicy cheesesteaks to frozen cocktails and local beer. There are hammocks, colorful picnic tables, and tree-shaded benches ideal for sitting outdoors while taking in the Delaware River views.

📍 301 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd., 🌐 delawareriverwaterfront.com, 📷 @sprucestreetharborpark

The 1.2-acre lawn covering Cira Green’s parking garage (along 30th Street between Chestnut and Walnut) is one of the city’s newer outdoor standouts, with sandwiches, salads, drinks, and prime skyline views. It’s 12 stories above ground level, so take the elevator to the top of the garage to access the free, no-reservation-required space.

📍129 S. 30th St., 🌐 sunsetsocialphl.com, 📷 @sunsetsocialphl

There’s 20,000-square-feet of space to spread out at the Garden at Cherry Street Pier, along with more than 250 seats for outdoor dining and drinking. Located in the back of the art space that is Cherry Street Pier, this outdoor bar and restaurant is set along the Delaware River and has a menu of Mexican-inspired food like birria tacos, chicken tinga tacos, nachos, taco salad, and more. Drinks range from juices and lemonade to draft cocktails, frozen cocktails, and local beer.

📍121 N. Columbus Blvd., 🌐 cherrystreetpier.com, 📷 @cherrystgarden

There are two open-air areas at Torresdale’s Three Monkeys Cafe: the Florida Keys-inspired Monkey Court and tropical-inspired Tree Bar. The outdoor spaces are next to each other, making the monkey-themed restaurant’s outdoor area feel that much bigger.

📍9645 James St., 🌐 3monkeyscafe.com, 📷 @3monkeyscafe

There’s way more than beer at this skyscraper-surrounded outdoor bar, which, last year, moved a few blocks to its current new spot at 15th and JFK. Within the 18,000-square-foot space, find 20-foot trees offering shaded areas, in addition to green walls and graffiti-decorated walls. For seating, wooden swings, cabanas, umbrella-covered tables, a shaded bar, and high tops make room for hundreds of people. Food including sandwiches, hoagies, grain bowls, and boardwalk fries are prepared in an on-site food truck. The beers are largely local with selections from 2SP, Sly Fox, Yards, and more. Cocktails, spiked ice pops, and wine round out the bar offerings.

📍1500 JFK Blvd., 🌐 uptownbeer.com, 📷 @uptownbeergarden

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