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Outdoor Drinking

Where to find al fresco watering holes in Philly

It’s beer garden season in Philadelphia—now through mid- to late-fall. Here’s where to find some of our faves:

THE GARDEN AT CHERRY STREET PIER: You’d be hard pressed to find a restaurant with more stunning views than The Garden at Cherry Street Pier, which sits in the shadow of the hulking Benjamin Franklin Bridge and along the Delaware River. More than 200 people can comfortably fit in the open-air, industrial venue, which is outfitted with quaint sidewalk café-style seating, with towering trees and overflowing planters separating each table. The menu boasts summer-picnic fare (think pulled-pork sandwiches, salads and sides) local ales, wine and craft cocktails. For now, The Garden is open on Saturdays and Sundays, weather permitting, from noon to 10pm. Hours will be extended throughout the week once the weather warms up.

THE GROVE AT ASSEMBLY LOUNGE: For summer 2022, the swanky rooftop bar overlooking the Benjamin Franklin Parkway transforms The Grove, a lush tropical garden in the sky rife with exotic plants, vibrant, textured decor, and a menu featuring refreshing island cocktails 🍹. It kicks off with a bash this Tuesday night, May 24, from 6 to 9pm featuring live music and an oyster and Prosecco bar.

INDEPENDENCE BEER GARDEN: The bustling beer garden just steps from Independence Hall is back open in 2022 with 20,000-square-feet of open-air space that packs in multiple bars, drinking games like corn hole and Jenga, and a bunch of picnic tables so you can spread out to enjoy your barbecue-style grub and beer, beer, beer.

MORGAN’S PIER: This vibrant beer and cocktail garden brings live DJs, comfort food and all kinds of refreshing adult beverages to the Delaware River waterfront through fall. Grub options include a variety of snacks, flatbreads, sandwiches and seafood, while drinks range from frothy draft beers to a colorful selection of speciality and frozen cocktails and wine.

NEW LIBERTY DISTILLERY: The Cocktail Garden at New Liberty Distillery — the handy work of the distillery’s staff during the pandemic — offers yard games and a robust cocktail menus under twinkling lights and a soundtrack of surf rock and ’90s jams. (Reopens June 16.)

PHS POP-UP BEER GARDENS: The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s popular pop-up beer gardens—on South Street and in Manayunk—are gorgeous urban garden oases with stunning plant and garden decorations, bars full of food and drink and, new this year at Manayunk, a new game room with foosball, Skee-Ball, pop-a-shot and more. Plan a night there around some of the events taking place throughout the season—from plant swaps, brewery pop-ups, craft nights and more.

RODIN MUSEUM GARDEN BAR: The scenic pop-up beer garden at the Rodin Museum serves beer, wine, craft cocktails and small plates in the vicinity of the famous Thinker. Dogs are welcome.

Eat and Drink

Great Philly restaurants and bars to check out right now

If you’re looking for great places to eat and drink locally, we have you covered. Check the links below for ideas about where to eat outdoors and get takeout, and what breweries and distilleries to visit when you’re hankering for an adult bev.

Guides to dining out (or eating in)

Outdoor Dining in Philadelphia
Follow our guide to outdoor dining in Philly this spring to discover spots around town for delicious food and drink in gardens, on tucked-away patios and other Insta-worthy surrounds
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Great Women-Owned Restaurants in Philly
Philly’s women-run restaurants are helping us all survive the pandemic. Here, some of our favorites to try right now.
  • Order cheesy pupusas from El Merkury for takeout
Philadelphia Takeout for Good
It’s no surprise that local restaurants have spent the Covid-19 crisis finding ways to give to their community. Here, 11 generous local spots you can support with your takeout order

Guides on where to drink

  • This photo accompanies a guide to the best Philadelphia breweries that have delicious beer and also give back to the community
Philly Breweries Where Giving Back Is On Tap
A guide to breweries in Philadelphia that are raising funds for locals (and more) in need. Cheers!
  • This photo accompanies
Philadelphia Distilleries Doing Good
Want to get a drink that you can feel good about? Check out these awesome distilleries in Philadelphia serving up good spirits—from vodka to bourbon to inventively flavored bitters—and good causes for the community

Philly restaurants and bars doing good

  • A plate of pierogis at Mom-Mom's Kitchen in Philadelphia
Foodizen: Why Is Ravioli Worth More Than Pierogi?
How Mom-Mom’s Kitchen is working to spread the good word on Polish food in Philadelphia. Their latest venture on South Street is set to open this winter.
  • A spread of takeout food from Jezabel's Argentine Bakery in Philadelphia
Foodizen: Forget Back to “Normal"
Jezabel’s Argentine Bakery & BYO is doing better than ever in its 10-year history by pivoting to not just survive, but thrive during the pandemic—a start to rethinking the restaurant industry as we have known it
  • Chris Cho, chef at Center City Korean restaurant Seorabol
Foodizen: Beyond BBQ
Is Chris Cho’s Center City Seorabol the start of a Korean food empire?
  • A New York strip steak with roasted garlic on top at Alpen Rose steakhouse in Philadelphia
Foodizen: Meditations on Meat
Michael Schulson’s fabulous new Alpen Rose puts steak back on the menu. Can we find a way to make peace with meat?
  • wine samples and cheese board in front of computer for Tria's virtual wine classes
A Brand, Not Just a Restaurant
Center City’s Tria Cafe brought back its beloved Fermentation School (virtually) to help it survive the pandemic. Who needs tables anyway?
Foodizen: Breaking Bread
The next in a series on the nexus of food and culture explores Philly’s new wave of sustainable, socially-conscious bakeries at the forefront of change
This is your grandma’s coffee shop
Old City’s Frieda Cafe offers the opposite of working remotely: Human interaction across the ages
  • Saxbys owner and founder Nick Bayer holds a card showing his company's B Corp status
Business for Good: Coffee With a (Updated) Mission
Saxbys has been training young, socially-conscious entrepreneurs and uplifting local communities for years. Now, it’s “walking the talk” with its new B Corp status

Current trends on the local food and drink scene

Foodizen: What's in Your Glass?
Our series on the nexus of food and culture explores the natural wine trend that has finally caught on in Philly. Will drinking it make you a better person?
Foodizen: When Celery Was the Avocado Toast of Its Day
A Fishtown restaurant takes us on a culinary journey into Pennsylvania’s past. Waffles and catfish, anyone?
Foodizen: "What are you?”
Filipino food has lately been at the center of Twitter outrage. Our series on the nexus of food and society finds Philly’s newest cuisine can’t be unlinked from its history and culture
Foodizen: Not Cambodia Town
Our series on the nexus of food and culture explores the flavors of the South Philly area around Mifflin Square Park, one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the city
Foodizen: Georgian On My Mind
The next in a series on the nexus of food and urban culture takes us on a journey—to the heart of Eurasia's Georgian cuisine in the far Northeast
Foodizen: Satay in the City
The series on the nexus of food and culture looks at satay, a window into Philly’s substantial Indonesian community

Fun Philly food history

  • A black couple hold ice creams toward the camera, smiling
How Philly Invented Ice Cream (As We Know It)
It was African American chefs who created the summertime treat we consume by the gallons, right here in the city where America was born
  • Pepper Pot Soup painting
Foodizen Podcast: The Most Famous Soup You’ve Never Heard Of
The latest episode of the food history podcast examines the roots of pepper pot soup, sold by Campbell’s for 110 years. No, it was not invented in Camden

Fun Things to Do in Philly This Weekend

Catch a flick at the BlackStar Film Festival, join thousands of revelers at the 2nd Street Festival in Northern Liberties and more fun things to do in Philly this weekend

Fun Things to Do in Philly This Weekend

Catch a flick at the BlackStar Film Festival, join thousands of revelers at the 2nd Street Festival in Northern Liberties and more fun things to do in Philly this weekend

BY Josh Middleton

Aug. 01, 2022

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The first weekend of August  brings to Philly the awesome BlackStar Film Festival, and thousands of revelers will descend on Northern Liberties for the massive and much-anticipated 2nd Street Festival.

You can also catch a screening of Spider-Man: No Way Home at City Hall, ride ferris wheels and roller skate at Blue Cross River Rink Summerfest, or maybe catch the Chinese Lantern Festival at Franklin Square in Old City, which was just extended  through August 14.

The fun doesn’t stop at events, though. Make this the weekend the one when you check out that local brewery or distillery you’ve always wanted to visit. Have dinner outdoors somewhere on a lush patio or in a garden. And check our list of ongoing summer attractions to see what kind of shenanigans are happening at places like Spruce Street Harbor Park, Cherry Street Pier and the Oval XP.

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THINGS TO DO IN PHILLY THIS WEEKEND

The BlackStar Film Festival returns this week with a slate of virtual and in-person programming. | Photo by Daniel Jackson

BLACKSTAR FILM FESTIVAL: Philadelphia hosts this annual cinema showcase highlighting the visionary work of Black, brown, and indigenous filmmakers from around the globe. The festival — a hybrid of virtual and in-person activities — is packed with feature-length films, shorts, panels, parties and other programming focusing on the modern day Black and African American experience. See the full lineup here. August 3 to 7. Penn Live Arts at Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia, 3680 Walnut Street, various prices. 

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Pictures in the Park brings outdoor flicks to Dilworth Park this summer. | Photo by Marisa Fischetti

OUTDOOR MOVIES @ DILWORTH PARK: Pictures in the Park — a weekly event series that brings new and classic films to a giant screen in the shadow of City Hall — is now in the midst of its summer schedule. This week, look out for Spider-Man: No Way Home (Aug. 5), then return any Friday night in August for Ghostbusters: Afterlife (Aug. 12), Jungle Cruise (Aug. 19) and the Will Smith-starring King Richard (Aug. 26). 8:15pm. 1 S. 15th Street, free. 

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CHINESE LANTERN FESTIVAL: The glowing Franklin Square summer festival features dozens of lanterns shaped like pandas, samurais, bamboo forests, swimming whales and an impossible-to-miss 200-foot-long dragon to Old City. The Dragon Garden serves beer; vendors serve made-to-order noodles and such, and performances pepper the stage. Nightly through August 14, 6 to 11pm. 200 N. 6th Street, $12 to $20. 

The 2nd Street Festival brings classic Philly block party vibes to Northern Liberties this Sunday.

2ND STREET FESTIVAL: On Sunday, 2nd Street becomes, if not exactly Two Street, or even Bourbon Street, then something like them during NoLibs’ annual 2nd Street Festival. More than 100 merchants set up, loads of dancers and musicians perform, and pretty much the bars and restaurants turn inside out for the day. August 7, noon to 9pm. Between Spring Garden Street and Girard Avenue, free

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GREAT ONGOING THINGS TO DO IN PHILLY RIGHT NOW

The ferris wheel and other attractions at Blue Cross RiverRink Summerfest
Blue Cross RiverRink Summerfest is now open along the Delaware River with summertime fun galore. | Photo by Maria Young

DELAWARE WATERFRONT ATTRACTIONS: Spruce Street Harbor Park and its neighboring Blue Cross RiverRink Summerfest are open for the season with ferris wheels, floating beer barges, carnival games, roller skating, hammocks in neon-lit trees, cute little lodges you can rent with friends. It’s just too much excitement for one person to handle. Good thing it’ll be around for our enjoyment all summer long. S. Columbus Boulevard

THE OVAL XP: The Oval XP — formerly known as Eakins Oval or just The Oval — is back on the Parkway with a massive, MilkBoy Philly-manned beer garden and a slew of events planned each week, such movie nights and lots of family-friendly activities. New additions include a massive new summer stage that will host live music throughout summer. You’ll also find a 108-feet tall ferris wheel (the world’s largest!) and a carousel. Every Wednesday to Sunday through August 21. 24th Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway, pay as you go.

KAYAK THE DELAWARE: The Independence Seaport Museum launched its summer 2022 kayak excursions on the Delaware River, happening on select weekends through October 22. There are several different tours you can sign up for — including one for beginners, and ones that explore different sections of the river, such as Graffiti Pier and Petty’s Island. Paddle Penn’s Landing, which lets you paddle around the river in swan- and other animal-shaped watercraft.

Photo header: 2nd Street Festival

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