Philadelphia-based Stephen Starr oversees an empire of more than 20 restaurants that includes high-end Buddakan and Morimoto. Not one to be left out of a trend, though, he opened a different kind of establishment earlier this year—a beer garden.
We’re officially in the midst of an American beer revival, with beer gardens flourishing and more domestic breweries than at any time since Prohibition (1,595 as of 2009). No longer do you have to travel abroad to spend a lazy afternoon at a beer garden. You can find both hip and traditional options from L.A. to beer-centric Philadelphia.
Let’s give a hearty willkommen to this beer garden trend, which has been a long time coming. In the early 20th century, U.S. towns or cities with large German or Eastern European immigrant communities supported hundreds of beer gardens. But anti-German sentiment after World War I along with Prohibition dried up beer culture in America. Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden in Queens, NY, and Mecklenburg Gardens in Cincinnati were among the few survivors.
Now restaurateurs like Starr and chefs like Kurt Gutenbrunner are among those launching a new generation of beer gardens. “The challenge for proprietors is to not make beer gardens gimmicky or ironic,” says Andy Crouch, author of Great American Craft Beer: A Guide to the Nation’s Finest Beer and Breweries. “The best beer gardens are much simpler affairs, well-kept outdoor spaces where friends can gather and enjoy beer, preferably surrounded by nature.”
San Diego’s Stone Brewing Co. exemplifies this philosophy. Its owners took the term beer garden quite literally, planting pine, elm, and olive trees, creating a koi pond, and installing tables with umbrellas. The result is a tranquil one-acre spot for sampling some of the 36 craft beers on tap.
Like the rest of America’s best beer gardens, Stone Brewing Co. is a natural venue for celebrating during Oktoberfest—or at any time of year, thanks to modern improvements like heat lamps and retractable roofs. Read on to find a beer garden near you, along with suggestions for which suds should fill your mug.
Let’s give a hearty willkommen to this beer garden trend, which has been a long time coming. In the early 20th century, U.S. towns or cities with large German or Eastern European immigrant communities supported hundreds of beer gardens. But anti-German sentiment after World War I along with Prohibition dried up beer culture in America. Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden in Queens, NY, and Mecklenburg Gardens in Cincinnati were among the few survivors.
Now restaurateurs like Starr and chefs like Kurt Gutenbrunner are among those launching a new generation of beer gardens. “The challenge for proprietors is to not make beer gardens gimmicky or ironic,” says Andy Crouch, author of Great American Craft Beer: A Guide to the Nation’s Finest Beer and Breweries. “The best beer gardens are much simpler affairs, well-kept outdoor spaces where friends can gather and enjoy beer, preferably surrounded by nature.”
San Diego’s Stone Brewing Co. exemplifies this philosophy. Its owners took the term beer garden quite literally, planting pine, elm, and olive trees, creating a koi pond, and installing tables with umbrellas. The result is a tranquil one-acre spot for sampling some of the 36 craft beers on tap.
Like the rest of America’s best beer gardens, Stone Brewing Co. is a natural venue for celebrating during Oktoberfest—or at any time of year, thanks to modern improvements like heat lamps and retractable roofs. Read on to find a beer garden near you, along with suggestions for which suds should fill your mug.
Mecklenburg Gardens, Cincinnati
Founded in 1865, Mecklenburg Gardens is the oldest continually running restaurant and beer garden in this very German city. Co-owner Annamarie Harten says that it was also initially a learning institution: “When Mecklenburg Gardens was first opened, German immigrants would assemble in the garden and learn about the American political processes and hold mock elections.” There’s no more voting—just lots of beer imbibing in the garden underneath lovely 100-year-old grape vines.
Suds: Fifteen German and American craft beers on tap and 80 by bottle. Beer from $4.50.
Suds: Fifteen German and American craft beers on tap and 80 by bottle. Beer from $4.50.
Standard Biergarten, New York City
The crowd at this beer garden is trendier than usual thanks to its Meatpacking District location below the High Line and adjacent to the Standard Hotel. But the setup is traditionally Teutonic: buy beer and food tickets at the entry, order from the bar, and squeeze in at one of the communal tables (within range of the ping pong tables). Michelin-starred Austrian chef Kurt Gutenbrunner designed the menu of plump grilled sausages, currywurst, and oversize pretzels.
Suds: The few beers on tap are great German selections. The dark, caramel-like Köstritzer pairs well with classic Bavarian weisswurst sausage. Beer from $7.
Suds: The few beers on tap are great German selections. The dark, caramel-like Köstritzer pairs well with classic Bavarian weisswurst sausage. Beer from $7.
Hofbrau, Miami
This South Beach beer garden may go by the famous Hofbrau moniker—named after the granddaddy of all beer-centric drinking spots in Munich—but the scene here has as much beach in it as it does Bavaria. Opened in 2007, Hofbrau is known as a beer hall, but the 92-seat garden is where to go. Long wooden tables with the classic blue-and-white-checked tablecloths and umbrellas shading the South Beach sun are great for people-watching.
Suds: Five Hofbrau-brand brews on tap, including dark, potent Maibock and a fruity hefeweizen. Beer from $5.
Suds: Five Hofbrau-brand brews on tap, including dark, potent Maibock and a fruity hefeweizen. Beer from $5.
Zeitgeist, San Francisco
This
spacious beer garden was a hit with Mission District denizens long before the
neighborhood was anointed cool. “It
used to be more of a biker crowd,” says manager Mimi Pajo. “Now, though, there
are blue-collar and white-collar types. Some of the old
locals complain about it but they keep coming back anyway,” she adds with a
smile. Those crowds at the long wooden tables mean you’re certain to make new
friends by the end of the night.
Suds: An
excellent selection of 49 tap beers that includes many California craft brews:
beloved Berkeley brew Trumer Pils and others from San Diego, Humboldt County,
Paso Robles, and Santa Rosa. Beer from $4.
Bayou Beer Garden, New Orleans
There’s
hardly anything German about the two-year-old Bayou Beer Garden, and that’s
perfectly okay—especially when the garden is bedecked with flowers and plants
and a waterfall. Reggae and other popular music seeps from the speakers as Mid-City
neighborhood folks (especially of the local sports-crazed variety) congregate
to discuss the Saints while nursing beers and picking over burgers, sandwiches,
and sweet potato fries.
Suds: There are only a small handful of brews on tap—including the local Abita Amber and NOLA Hopitoulas—but the 75 different bottled varieties of beer, from Belgium to Mexico to Estonia, certainly make up for it. Beer from $3.50.
Standard, Washington, D.C.
Bayou Beer Garden, New Orleans
Suds: There are only a small handful of brews on tap—including the local Abita Amber and NOLA Hopitoulas—but the 75 different bottled varieties of beer, from Belgium to Mexico to Estonia, certainly make up for it. Beer from $3.50.
Standard, Washington, D.C.
Two
native New Englanders with a love of backyard
barbecue founded this beer garden,
which has won over D.C. locals with its
easygoing vibe and aroma of grilling
meats. While the most popular item on the menu
is the pulled pork sandwich,
co-owner Tad Curtz says, “Customers
seem to be really loving our sidewalk donut
stand where we cook buttermilk donuts right out in the garden.” The
garden holds 100 people (there are communal and
smaller tables), but look for
an expansion very soon.
Suds: Six beers on tap range from the German Hofbrau to the craft North Coast
Scrimshaw Pils. Beer from $5.
The Village Tap, Chicago
This
1,000-square-foot, 100-capacity beer garden in Chicago’s Roscoe Village is a
homey place to knock back a couple brews year round. Heat lamps, an outdoor
fireplace, and a retractable roof make sure beer-imbibers stay warm in the
winter—as do big portions of Tex-Mex, salads, and burgers.
Suds: Twenty-six beers on tap with an emphasis on American craft brews, such as Baltimore’s Stillwater Brewery, as well as Prague’s hoppy Staropramen and a small selection of Belgian-style ales. Beer from $5.
Frankford Hall, Philadelphia
Brought
to you by prolific restaurateur Stephen Starr (Buddakan, Morimoto), Frankford
Hall and its 240-seat beer garden were constructed largely from the materials
of an abandoned warehouse in the Fishtown neighborhood. After opening so many
fine-dining restaurants, Starr explains why he was inspired to open a beer
garden: “The beauty
of a beer garden is that it’s a social, fun place for people to gather, have a
bite and a drink, and enjoy themselves.”
Suds: The nine beers on tap lean toward Germany with a few choice American craft beers, Dogfish Head and Great Lakes rounding out the list. Beer from $6.
Red Lion Tavern, Los Angeles
A
fixture of the Silverlake section of Los Angeles since 1959, this divey German
beer garden and tavern is an ever-popular spot for taking in Teutonic eating
and drinking culture in southern California. The 40-seat beer garden, formerly
the Red Lion’s parking lot, isn’t the biggest garden in the country, but its
raucous atmosphere inspires bibulous bursts of good times.
Suds: Ten German beers on tap from Spaten, Warsteiner, Bitburger, Köstritzer, and Hofbrau, plus one monthly featured beer (which is usually of German origins). Beer from $5.
Stone Brewing World Bistro and Gardens, San Diego
The
people at Stone Brewing Co. took the term beer garden quite literally,
planting pine, elm, and olive trees and creating a koi pond and large swaths of
grass. CEO and co-founder Greg Koch calls the 205-seat garden a “one-acre
Shangri-la.” When paired with a pint of beer and dishes like barbecued duck
tacos or wild boar baby back ribs, it’s not hard to see why.
Suds: Thirty-six craft beers on tap, including Stone Brewing Co. and other small California brewers, and 80 different bottles, mostly North American and Belgian. Beer from $5.
The Village Tap, Chicago
Suds: Twenty-six beers on tap with an emphasis on American craft brews, such as Baltimore’s Stillwater Brewery, as well as Prague’s hoppy Staropramen and a small selection of Belgian-style ales. Beer from $5.
Frankford Hall, Philadelphia
Suds: The nine beers on tap lean toward Germany with a few choice American craft beers, Dogfish Head and Great Lakes rounding out the list. Beer from $6.
Red Lion Tavern, Los Angeles
Suds: Ten German beers on tap from Spaten, Warsteiner, Bitburger, Köstritzer, and Hofbrau, plus one monthly featured beer (which is usually of German origins). Beer from $5.
Stone Brewing World Bistro and Gardens, San Diego
Suds: Thirty-six craft beers on tap, including Stone Brewing Co. and other small California brewers, and 80 different bottles, mostly North American and Belgian. Beer from $5.
