Becca Neckritz
What comes to mind when you think of summer in Philadelphia? I think “hot, hot, hot!” The humid and sunny weather here is lovely, but tiring. Time to sit back with a drink and relax.
2020 was a dumpster-fire of a year. But don’t worry, the summer of 2021 will be our big comeback! Here’s an insider’s guide to the best beer gardens in the city. All of these locations are open for 2021 and currently follow safety guidelines to provide you with the best drinking experiences.
All you have to do is pick a place, grab a beer, and toast to drinking in the greatest city in the world!
Best Beer Gardens in Philly
- Chestnut Hill Brewing Company
- Independence Beer Garden
- Frankford Hall
- Parks on Tap
- Morgans Pier
- Jet Wine Bar
- The Garden at Cherry Street Pier
- PHS Pop Up Garden at South Street
- PHS Pop Up Garden Manayunk
- Old City Beer Garden
- La Peg
- Yards Brewing Company
- Germantown Garden
- Evil Genius Brewing
- Chinatown Beer Garden
- Manayunk Brewing Company
- Philadelphia Brewing Co.
- Love City Brewing Co.
Chestnut Hill Brewing Company
8231 Germantown Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19118
Phone: 215-247-0330
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Craft beer + organic oven-fired pizza = a match made in heaven. Coincidentally, the two owners of this brewery are also a match made in Heaven! They met in Minneapolis and decided to open their own brewing company.
Chestnut Hill Brewing Co now offers eight draft beers and eleven different styles of organic, wood-fired neapolitan pizza. Other menu items include sandwiches, buffalo cauliflower, vegan burgers.
The unique, industrial decor features reclaimed wood, metal fixtures, and twinkle lights to add some polish. Don’t wait to try their organic Margherita pizza!
Independence Beer Garden
100 South Independence Mall West Philadelphia, PA 1916
Phone: 215-922-7100
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IBG, as the locals call it, is the quintessential Philly drinking experience. Steps away from the Liberty Bell and Independence National Historical Park, drinkers at IBG can choose between nine drafts, twenty-three bottles/cans, various wines, and house-made cocktails.
Guests can snack on classic American bar cuisine, like onion rings, pickle chips, buffalo wings, and pulled pork mac and cheese. Hungrier guests can try the spicy fried chicken, crawfish gumbo, mahi mahi tacos, and cheesesteak.
The sheer size of this outdoor venue makes it perfect for safe, socially distanced drinking! For the best deals, go during Happy Hour to get $4 drafts, $5 wine, and $6 specialty cocktails.
Frankford Hall
1210 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 1915
Phone: 215-634-3338
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Willkommen! Frankford Hall is the city’s best German biergarten, located in the heart of Fishtown. Sit at spaced-out picnic tables or fire pits under trees strung with twinkling lights, while you snack on Bavarian pretzels along with your favorite German or American draft.
If you want to try some new cuisine, this is the summer beer garden for you. Try a Riesenpretzel (giant pretzel), Kasekrainer (pork, beef, and cheese sausage), or Spätzle (micro-dumplings fried with brown butter, lemon & parsley). Big dinners are also on the menu, including a seared salmon dinner, schnitzel sandwiches, and a Frankford Chicken Dinner for two.
Parks on Tap
Multiple Locations (see below)
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Parks on Tap is a traveling beer garden that changes locations to various parks around Philadelphia. This Summer Parks on Tap is located at Fairmount Water Works near the Art Museum and along the Schuylkill River Trail at South & 27th. Check below for the exact address of both!
Parks on Tap offers a beautiful atmosphere and highlights the city’s beautiful parks. Plus, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Fairmount Park Conservancy. A win-win for you AND the trees.
Water Works Location
640 Waterworks Drive
Philadelphia, PA 19130
Trails End Location
Far south end of the Schuyjill River Trail via South St Ramp
South St & S 27th St
Philadelphia, PA 19143
Morgan’s Pier
221 N Columbus Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19123
Phone: 215-279-7134
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Sitting by the water? Check. Calamari and alcoholic lemonade slushies on the menu? Check. Options for vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free folks? Check. There are even outdoor TVs for people who want to watch the big game.
The outdoor seating deck offers lovely views of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge and Delaware River. Every year, a new chef is in charge of the menu, so stay tuned for the 2021 opening on April 22nd! You can already reserve tables in advance, so check out the website ASAP to snag a waterfront view.
Jet Wine Bar
1525 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146
Phone: (215) 735-1116
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This popular wine garden is BACK for 2021! My personal favorite here is the spiced red sangria. It can get quite toasty in this outside garden, so bring sunglasses on bright days.
This is the perfect spot for a Girl’s Night Out. Try the rose or spring for a Watermelon Mule. Split a pitcher of wine with friends, if you’re feeling extra fun! Until it gets hot, Jet is serving up toasty red mulled wine.
Located right on South Street, Jet is easily accessible from the Lombard-South station on the Broad Street Line. It’s also walking distance from a bunch of cute shops, restaurants, and bars. Wine crawl, anyone?
The Garden at Cherry Street Pier
121 N Christopher Columbus Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Phone: (215) 923-0818
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Impress your date with this incredibly Instagrammable garden. Imagine drinking cider on a pier, under high-reaching scaffolding covered in lights, while watching the sun set. Incredible, right?
Although the structure started off as just a functional piece of metal, it has been transformed into a modern garden, complete with cute plants everywhere you look. Since the outdoor venue seats 200, this is a great place to take a bunch of your friends without worrying about taking up too much space.
This spot is a little pricey, with cocktails starting at $10 and beer for $7. Still, the ambiance and prime location makes it worth it. Make your cute Tinder date treat you to drinks here, so you save money. You get drinks, they get a beautiful view.
PHS Pop Up at South Street
1438 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: 215-988-8800
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Okay, I seriously can’t wait to try out this menu, Fried mac n cheese bites with spicy tomato jam? Lemon artichoke hummus with pickled veggies? Pink Peppercorn Paloma? This menu is so elevated, and offers lots of choices for friends with dietary restrictions. You can also add CBD or an extra shot to all the drinks. They offer alcohol-free IPA, as well!
By ordering at a PHS garden, you’re supporting the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, which “uses gardening to advance the greater good”. Plus, you get to dine in a certified pollinator garden. What’s that? Make a reservation to find out. The 2021 garden just opened on April 1st, so go check it out.
PHS Pop-Up at Manayunk
106 Jamestown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19127
Phone: 215-988-8800
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Woah? More ways to support the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society? You betcha.
The second PHS Pop-Up of the season is just as fun. The Manayunk garden used to be an empty vacant lot, but now it has been transformed into a pretty garden with plentiful seating, and gorgeous plant views.
Manayunk is super accessible by Regional Rail. The Manayunk train station lets you off right by Main Street. It’s less than a 10-minute walk from the station to the Manayunk PHS garden.
This location opens in mid-May, so follow @PHSPopUpGardens on Instagram to stay updated.
Old City Beer Garden
240 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Phone: 267-687-8653
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Visit Old City Beer Garden if you:
- Are obsessed with wings. (They have TEN different kinds.)
- Like cider or spiked seltzer over beer (They offer a bunch of non-beery drinks.)
- Like beer. Obviously. (They have really unique varieties, like “CRUSH CUCUMBER SOUR” and “TWO ROADS LIL’ JUICY”.)
- Want 50 cent wings. (Go on a Monday for this wild deal.)
- Like TV. (They set up 8 flatscreens. That’s 8 more than I own.)
Old City Beer Company is one of the biggest bars in Philly, so bring some friends and enjoy the upgraded seating and bar.
La Peg
140 North Columbus Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Phone: 215-375-7744
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Let’s get classy this summer! The biergarten at La Peg, the neighbor to the cool FringeArts building in Old City, is back, baby. It sits right by the Ben Franklin bridge, so get ready for some nice views.
If you like fine dining, with tuna tartare, oysters with mignonette, grilled octopus, and crème brûlée, this is the place for you. Beers range from $5-7 here, so enjoy a 2SP Delco All Weather Lager or Newtrail Trail Ale.
La Peg’as beer garden is a bit more casual than its grandiose dining room; Outdoors, you order drinks from a bar inside a shipping container!
Yards Brewing Company
500 Spring Garden St, Philadelphia, PA 19123
Phone: (215) 525-0175
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Yards is a classic for those who are all about a good beer. Try one of their “Ales of the Revolution”, like the Washington’s Porter or Jefferson’s Golden Ale. Want to try something new? Go for the Big Hayes-y, a limited release “orange & tropical Hazy Double IPA”.
No reservations here- just show up! Before you drink up, take the Yards brewery tour to see how Philly beers are made.You’ll hear about the brewing process and learn more about the Yards company. Impress your friends with all this beer-y knowledge.
Germantown Garden
1029 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19123
Phone: (267) 214-0086
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Raise your hand if you like cocktail pitchers and bottomless brunch. Oh, all your hands are up? No surprise here. Pair you breakfast huevos rancheros with the Hannibal Lecter pitcher, a drink made with “gin, passion fruit syrup freshly squeezed lemon juice muddled fresh dragon fruit & strawberry”. Or visit at dinnertime to try the Baltimore-style crab cakes paired with sparkling sangria. They offer lots of varieties of beers, wines, and cocktails.
Want to bring your puppy along on your night out? Germantown Garden is dog-friendly! An even sweeter tip- try the giant birthday cake at the end of your night. Guaranteed serotonin!
Evil Genius Brewing
1727 Front Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122
Phone: 215-425-6820
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In the mood for a Fishtown beer garden with very silly names for very serious beers? Try Evil Genius Brewing on Front Street. Each week, Evil Genius features new and fun beers with punny names.
Evil Genius is open 7 days a week, with special events every night. Go out for Video Game Night on Mondays, Open Mic Night on Tuesdays, Quizzo Night on Wednesdays, Comedy Night on Thursdays, and Live Music Night on Saturdays from 4-6.
Chinatown Beer Garden
212 N 11th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone: (267) 636-0240
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Chinatown Beer Garden serves “unique Asian imported beers”, right in the heart of Chinatown! Importantly, the menu includes DIM SUM! In addition to delicious dumplings, you can order udon noodle soup, shrimp fried rice, chicken teriyaki, and lots of other goodies.
This outdoor pop-up is open Thursday through Sunday. 4PM – 11PM. You can even book a pirate party, if you’re looking for a unique location for a big occasion. Make a reservation now, via OpenTable, and start tasting new beers as soon as possible.
Manayunk Brewing Company
4120 Main St, Philadelphia, PA 19127
Phone: (215) 482-8220
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Visit one of the largest decks in Philadelphia, with a view of the Schuylkill River. Enjoy refreshing drinks on their patio, under big umbrellas. This place is located right on Manyunk’s Main Street, which makes for a great post-drinks stroll.
What separates this place from every Philly beer garden? Manayunk Brewing Co has a huge sushi menu. And they have their own stone pizza oven! The building itself is also historic, since it was built in 1822 as a textile mill. You can still see the original scale for weighing wool!
Philadelphia Brewing Company
2440 Frankford Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125
Phone: 215-427-2739
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Fun Fact: the light-up palm tree in this beer garden was salvaged from a defunct Hooters. Their unofficial mascot is a street cat named Duke Catz. They also host a taco truck in their beer garden.
Plus, Philadelphia Brewing Company partners with the Pennsylvania SPCA to find homes for shelter pets. One certain days, you can visit these sweet cats and dogs and maybe even adopt one! Plus, you can bring your own fur-baby to the garden, since it’s pet friendly.
Love City Brewing Company
1023 Hamilton Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123
Phone: 215-427-2739
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Enjoy your beer less than 100 feet from where it was made at Love City Brewing Co! The building, located in the Spring Arts district, once manufactured parts for the trains that traveled the Reading Railroad.
The taproom offers indoor and outdoor seating, and has a rotating schedule of food trucks available. Love City itself offers a full menu, including a smoked portobello sandwich, smoked beef chili over mac and cheese, and spicy pickles.
The drinks menu includes lots of locally brewed drafts, along with cocktails and wines.
Final Thoughts
So many beer gardens, so little time! Whether you want to grab a casual drink and watch the game at Old City Beer Garden, or sip on a sweet cocktail at Germantown Gardens, this list will give you a leg up on planning the best Hot Philadelphia Summer ever.
Don’t care about drinking? All good. Check out our guide to the best Thai places in Philly and plan yourself a cute date night.
Where’s your favorite place to booze it up in the city? Leave a comment below!
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