15 Of The Absolute Best Beer Gardens In The US

There is something incredibly satisfying about drinking a cold beer outdoors on a beautiful sunny day or a warm summer night. Although there are many beer gardens around the country today, we can thank German immigrants for our modern beer garden tradition. When German and Eastern European immigrants began heading to America in the 1800s, they brought with them their beer-making heritage, opening beer gardens and beer halls as places for their community to gather while enjoying a delicious beer.

Today, beer gardens can be found in every major city in America. Some are only open in the summer, while in warmer climates they manage to stay open year-round, usually with the help of outdoor heaters. Some are huge spaces encompassing acres of trees and paths, while others are humble patios located outside of breweries and pubs. From tropical destinations to a Las Vegas casino, we've rounded up some of the best beer gardens in the US. Read on to see if your favorite is on the list.

One of the oldest breweries in the country, Schell's Beer in New Ulm, Minnesota, has a long history of serving beer. Around two hours southwest of Minneapolis, New Ulm was incorporated in 1857. New Ulm's economy was dependent on the flour, beer, cigar, and brick industries. Only a few years after the town was incorporated, August Schell Brewing Company was founded in 1860 by German immigrant August Schell.

The brewery was built along the Cottonwood River, and Schell used blocks of ice cut from the river and stored in nearby caves to keep the beer refrigerated. Unlike many other breweries in America, Schell's survived Prohibition by selling root beer and candy. By the 1980s and 1990s, the brewery began making craft beers. 

Today, the brewery is known for its German craft beers such as Schell's Firebrick, which is a Vienna-style amber lager. Schell's serves these beers on tap in the summer months on its brick patio behind the brewery. Schell's Biergarten overlooks the forest and gardens leading up to the old Schell family house. Guests may spot various wildlife wandering amid the beautiful gardens, including peacocks.

Opened in 2009, The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery (OMB) moved in 2014 to a much larger space where it could house an enormous beer garden. It's the largest beer garden in the Southeast, with such an expansive outdoor space that it often hosts festivals and community events. Today, the OMB offers beer brewed onsite according to German beer regulations known as "Reinheitsgebot." Since 1516, this beer purity law has stated that the only ingredients that can go into beer are malted grains, hops, water, and yeast.

The beer garden itself is a family-friendly space, encompassing eight acres and welcoming leashed dogs. Popular beers served at the OMB are German styles like the Captain Jack Pilsner and Copper Altbier. The OMB also offers German-style food such as soft jumbo pretzels, pork schnitzel, and apple strudel.

Unlike many of the other beer gardens on our list, Zeitgeist's beer garden is open year-round. Although the crowds are bigger during the summer, you can spot customers grabbing a beer in the outdoor patio even during San Francisco's chilly winter months. Founded in 1977, Zeitgeist got its start as a country western-themed gay bar called the Rainbow Cattle Company. The cowboy theme is long gone, but Zeitgeist's vibe of being welcoming to all is still going strong.

Today, Zeitgeist, often referred to as a dive bar, is more than just a beer garden and bar. It's an iconic Bay Area institution. As SFGate describes, everyone has been to Zeitgeist: "Hell, even if you don't live here, you've probably been before. Zeitgeist is the kind of place where you run into friends you didn't even know were in town visiting. Everyone passes through its doors at some point."

Zeitgeist offers 64 craft beers on tap and is famous for its Bloody Marys. Although you can grab your drink and stay indoors, most people like to enjoy the craft beers and cocktails in the spacious outdoor patio. Zeitgeist also offers American-themed bar food such as burgers, soft pretzels, and Detroit-style pizza.

Milwaukee is a city known for its beer scene, and one of the best places to grab a cold one here while enjoying the great outdoors is at the Estabrook Beer Garden. The beer garden is located along the Milwaukee River and inside the historic Estabrook Park. The park was established in 1916, but the beer garden has only been around since 2012. While beer gardens along the river were popular in the 1860s among German immigrants, they all closed during Prohibition, and Estabrook Beer Garden was the first to reintroduce the tradition.

Estabrook serves beers imported from the Munich Hofbräuhaus, a popular German beer import. Customers can drink the beers in their own beer steins brought from home or enjoy Estabrook's traditional glass beer steins. Because the beer garden is located in a public park, customers are free to bring their own food, although the bar does serve hot dogs, bratwurst, and soft pretzels. You can enjoy your soft pretzel and cold German beer while watching other customers ride up in kayaks, bikes, or canoes. The beer garden usually opens in early May, weather permitting, and stays open through the summer, closing in late October or early November.

Denver is another city every beer lover should visit. With 150 breweries, brewpubs, and taprooms in the metro area, you've got a lot of choices when looking for a spot to grab a cold one. Despite frigid winters, Denver offers many choices when it comes to drinking outdoors in a gorgeous Colorado setting. Whether you are looking for an intimate patio in a historic neighborhood or a sprawling beer garden with a majestic mountain view, you can find it in Denver.

One of the best of the bunch is Edgewater Beer Garden with its 4,500 square foot beer garden, covered pavilion, and plenty of outdoor heaters to keep you toasty on a chilly night. You can even bring your leashed dog, as long as he or she is well-behaved. And the same goes for children — kids are welcome as long as they stay seated with their parents and don't go running through the flower beds. The beer menu is full of craft beers, although craft cocktails are served up as well. If you're hungry, you can grab casual fare such as street tacos, burgers, or brats.

The Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden in Astoria, New York, is one of the few beer gardens to have survived Prohibition. Founded in 1910 by the Bohemian Citizens' Benevolent Society, the hall was originally a place where Czech and Slovak immigrants could gather and celebrate the traditions of their homeland. The beer garden attached to the hall opened in 1919, just before Prohibition began. The Society still owns the Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden over a century later.

Today, the expansive beer garden serves up a wide variety of beers, many of them Eastern European-style lagers. The setting is a relaxed atmosphere with picnic benches and plenty of full-grown shade trees to keep you cool on a sunny day. The beer garden also serves a variety of Czech, Slovak, and American food, such as giant pretzels with beer cheese sauce, schnitzel, or pierogies. Every weekend in the summer, guests can enjoy live music for free in the garden.

A popular spot to grab a cold and frothy beer on a warm, southern Los Angeles day is at Golden Road Brewing in Anaheim, California. Golden Road is owned by Anheuser-Busch and has multiple locations throughout Los Angeles. However, it's the Anaheim location that is known for its spacious outdoor beer garden. More than just a place to sit outside and drink a beer, this beer garden offers lots of TV screens and games to play such as cornhole and ping pong. 

The patio is also dog-friendly, has lots of umbrellas for shade, and plenty of tables to accommodate guests even on busy days. And yes, Golden Road can get busy. Sitting just across the street from Angels Stadium, game days may be crowded, especially before and after games. The bar offers over 30 craft beers on tap, many of which are made onsite at the brewery. Some of the beer options include Mango Cart, which is a mango wheat ale, and Golden Road's Belgian White.

The beer garden with the most amenities goes to The Front Yard at Ellis Island Casino & Brewery in Las Vegas. It's a two-story venue with open vaulted ceilings and expansive windows, letting you feel you are outdoors, but the motorized canopies can shade the area from the brutal Vegas sun or the rare rainfall. The beer garden, opened in 2019, is attached to the Ellis Island Hotel, just a block east of the strip. This gives the venue views of the Strip, or guests can turn their attention to the 18-foot big screen, which is particularly popular during sports events.

The beers are brewed onsite and include craft beers such as IPAs, lagers, stouts, and hefeweizen. The Ellis Island Brewery brews over one million glasses of microbrews per year in six permanent styles and several seasonal beers. More than beer, The Front Yard offers a full dining menu with American fare, including burgers, sandwiches, pasta, salads, and plenty of appetizers.

The most tropical beer garden on our list goes to Bongo's Botanical Beer Garden and Cafe in Marathon, Florida. Marathon is located in the middle of the Florida Keys, about one hour from both Key West and Key Largo on either side. Marathon is known for its beachy vibes and family-friendly atmosphere, and Bongo's Botanical Beer Garden fits right into that relaxed mood. The beer garden is lush and tropical, with hammock chairs to relax in amid the mature palm trees. 

Bongo's has over 20 craft beers on tap and also offers signature cocktails, like the mangrove margarita. The food menu offers local fare such as poke bowls, shrimp, and Hawaiian-style huli huli chicken. Leashed dogs are welcome, and the garden also has a variety of lawn games set up and tropical trails to explore around the gardens. Online reviews for Bongo's are almost entirely positive, with reviewers calling it a "hidden gem."

Since the 1990s, the craft beer scene in Austin, Texas, has been going strong. But one beer garden in the area has been around much longer than that. August Scholz, a German immigrant and Civil War veteran, opened Scholz Garten in 1866. Scholz brought the German tradition of the biergarten to this Texas community, which has embraced it ever since. Scholz Garten even survived Prohibition by serving food and offering non-alcoholic beer, which it dubbed "bone dry beer."

Today, Scholz Garten serves up 20 draft beers, including both local and imported options. To keep things fresh and novel, the beers are rotated weekly. The food menu includes German favorites like Bavarian pretzels, sauerkraut balls, and wienerschnitzel (pan-fried and breaded veal cutlet). Scholz Garten is near the University of Texas, and you will find it gets packed during football games. According to the restaurant's website, Scholz's is a popular gathering spot for political gatherings, but the conservatives tend to stay indoors while the liberals head outside to the garden.

Stone Brewing Bistro and Gardens in Escondido, California, located in San Diego County, offers more than just a beer garden, but a peaceful retreat. Behind the brewery is an outdoor patio and one-acre beer garden with tree-lined paths, ponds, streams, a small waterfall, and plenty of seating to enjoy a cold drink. The gardens are so beautiful and picturesque, the site is often used for weddings and other events.

The vibe in the garden is family-friendly, and leashed pets are welcome outdoors. The brewery offers 36 craft beers on tap that include both limited editions and permanent favorites such as IPAs, pilsners, and lagers. If you'd like to dine at the brewery, the website recommends making reservations as it can get busy. The food offered is on a higher scale than most casual beer garden fare and includes items such as blackened salmon, street tacos, and poke bowls. Save room for dessert, which includes unique treats such as "Thai tea boba crème brûlée" and churro donuts.

Cleveland, Ohio, located firmly in the Midwest region of the country, is a top destination for craft beer. The city even offers a brewery passport where beer enthusiasts can earn points for checking in at the 46 breweries on the list. One of those breweries, Forest City Brewing, also hosts a popular beer garden. Forest City Brewing is a historic name in Cleveland. There were several other Forest City Breweries dating back to the 1830s. Today's Forest City opened in 2016 when the company renovated a 1915 tavern house, reclaiming as much of the old wood and bricks as possible.

Today, guests can hang out in the beer garden listening to live music and enjoying a daily rotation of seven to eight house-brewed drafts. Euro-style brews are the most popular, but you will find limited editions with creative flavors such as mango or coffee. The garden is tree-lined with century-old shade trees and filled with comfy camping chairs and fire pits to create a cozy ambience.

The Midtown Beer Garden in Portland, Oregon is not just one company or brewery, but a food cart pod set in the heart of the city. The beer garden contains over 25 food carts, covered picnic tables with seating for over 300 people, and live music. When the weather gets chilly, the beer garden is still open, but guests can head to heated tents to stay warm and cozy. Fracture Brewery runs the central beer cart at Midtown. The brewing company stopped brewing beer in 2024, but still operates a taproom and the Midtown Beer Garden. It now offers beer from local Portland breweries and contracts out a couple of its most popular recipes.

Beers you will find on tap in the beer garden include a variety such as hazy IPAs, lagers, and hefeweizen (wheat beer). Beyond just beer, guests can find all kinds of cocktails or non-alcoholic drinks at the surrounding food carts. As for food, the choices are limitless, with food carts serving many different cuisines such as Indian, Chinese, Japanese, American, Korean, and Mexican.

Nantucket is famous for coastal beaches, charming towns, and upscale vacation vibes. This New England town is known for its cobblestone streets, historic buildings, gorgeous scenery, museums, shopping, and, of course, kicking back and enjoying a cold drink. One of the best spots to do this while enjoying the beautiful scenery is at the Cisco Beer Garden. Cisco Brewers has several locations in New England, but the Nantucket beer garden is one of the best spots around for beachy vibes and cold beer.

The grounds include a brewery, distillery, and vineyard. The beer garden offers seasonal live music, tours, and food trucks ranging from cafes to seafood. Beers on tap include IPAs, wheat ales, pale ales, lagers, and more. Touring Cisco Brewers in Nantucket was also voted number four in the best things to do in Nantucket by US News and World Report. 

Since 2019, the family-owned Burning Blush Brewery in Asheville, North Carolina, has offered European lagers and ales served in a sprawling 12,000 square foot outdoor beer garden. Technically, the beer garden is located just outside of Asheville in Mills River. The indoor taproom is decorated in Victorian Gothic style, which is appropriate, considering Burning Blush is named after a line in Edgar Allen Poe's poem, "Song." But outside is less gothic with picnic table seating, a green lawn, and cozy twinkling hanging globe lights when the sun goes down.

The beer menu includes a variety of craft beers, including IPAs, pilsners, lagers, and wheat ales. The selections change daily, always offering something different. If you're feeling hungry, the brewery doesn't have a food menu, but there is a rotating lineup of food trucks from pizza to barbeque to Cuban. Not only are dogs welcome in the garden, but if the weather is chilly, you and your pup can head inside to the taproom.