clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile
Roofers Union Roof
Roofers Union Roof
Photo: Facebook

D.C.'s Best Patios for Drinking Beer

View as Map
Roofers Union Roof
| Photo: Facebook

For years, D.C. drinkers have taken full advantage of the (usually, anyway) mild Mid-Atlantic climate to consume adult beverages outdoors. From the rooftops of Adams Morgan to the shores of Washington Harbour, there's no shortage of great places to eat and drink outside. The city's more recent hospitality history demonstrates the embrace of all things craft beer, whether the beers be homegrown or from certain cult breweries that have extended their distribution to the nation's capital.

Unfortunately, these movements exist on largely parallel tracks, and finding the point at which great outdoor spaces and equally great beer intersect can sometimes be a challenge. Some of the more popular craft beer temples — see Churchkey, Meridian Pint and Birerria Paradiso — are largely indoor affairs, while many of the area's dramatic outdoor gathering spots — think Perry's rooftop, P.O.V. at the W or Sequoia — have beer lists that just can't keep pace with the views. Here, Eater has done its best to draw the Outdoor/Good Beer Venn Diagram so you don't have to, and offer some of our favorites. Extra credit was awarded to those places with a good assortment of local beers on tap and a strong supporting bottle list. With a couple of notable exceptions, views of the sidewalk (or the car you just parked at a nearby meter) resulted in an automatic disqualification.

And stay tuned — as spring and summer progress, more promising beer drinking patios are on the horizon, such as Agua 301 (the patio for the Mexican restaurant, which has a solid Midwestern beer list, is open and finishing up construction).
—Scott Langerman

Read More

Bluejacket Brewery

Copy Link

Outdoor beer geek heaven, made so by 20 beers brewed on premise, a touch of beer-snob pretentiousness (Different beers get different glasses! 19 fermentation vessels!) and a 72-seat patio. While the unremarkable sidewalk setting and across-the-street construction site might preclude it from being the dominant outdoor destination on this list, the impressive brews and overall deification of our favorite beverage ensure its inclusion. The beer selection rotates, but be on the lookout for favorites Forbidden Planet kolsch, the Lost Planet IPA and Black Eye porter.

The Big Hunt

Copy Link

Although visitors have to navigate through the overly dark, sometimes funky-smelling main bar to get there, the back patio at the Big Hunt is a longtime Dupont Circle oasis. Sometimes forgotten among some of the shinier new arrivals to the DC craft beer scene, the Big Hunt’s well-curated and frequently rotating tap list always seems to include a few surprises and sought-afters from local and national breweries — Atlas Brewing’s Home Rule and Boulevard’s Grainstorm being just two of many recent examples.

Jack Rose Dining Saloon

Copy Link

Situated just south of the main Adams Morgan strip and with an elegant design scheme, Jack Rose delivers a more sophisticated outdoor beer experience than most. A teak and slate roof garden with retractable ceiling panels is one of the city’s more well-conceived outdoor spaces, and the beer menu holds up its end of the bargain with selections that recently included a variety of styles from St. Louis’ highly-regarded Perennial Brewing and the rarely-seen Saucony Creek out of Pennsylvania.

Roofers Union

Copy Link

One of the newest additions to the outdoor drinking scene takes over where its former occupant, The Reef, left off. From the owners of Cleveland Park’s Ripple, Roofers Union ‘s rooftop bar allows customers to take in the sights and sounds of Adams Morgan from three floors above. They’ll likely do so with a pint drawn from one its 20 taps and two casks, all of which are organized on the menu by flavor profile, Churchkey-style. Street-side drink rails and heaters are both plentiful and appreciated.

Farmers Fishers Bakers

Copy Link

While many Washington Harbour restaurants seem geared to tourists or DC’s version of the bridge-and-tunnel crowd, Farmers Fishers Bakers' beer list belies that description. With an outdoor bar window and a vast patio boasting views of the Washington Harbour fountain and Potomac River, the restaurant offers one of the area’s best spots for people-watching, and an extensive and intelligent beer list that balances popular favorites with hard-to-find drafts. Recent highlights include Troeg’s tremendous Nugget Nectar and small-batch selections from several local breweries.

DC Reynolds

Copy Link

A bit more worn-in than many of the destinations on this list, the patio at DC Reynolds feels like it established itself well before the rest of its Petworth neighbors arrived. Framed by the back porches of several nearby rowhouses, this bare-bones backyard patio offers picnic tables and eight taps, six of which were recently devoted to area breweries.

Vinoteca Wine Bar & Bistro

Copy Link

The Bocce court and Tuscan courtyard décor found on this patio are worth the trip alone, and the small but well-curated beer list makes the visit that much tastier. Seasonals from Great Lakes and Bells were recent tap standouts, while cans and bottles from several local and regional favorites round out the selection.

Garden District

Copy Link

Another place that violates the no-sidewalk-views rule, Garden District merits inclusion on its spare, "I-Exist-Only-to Give-the-Good-People-of-DC-a-Place-to-Drink-Good-Craft-Beer-Outside" vibe. A small-ish tap list but one that includes a few otherwise-unseen drafts, including such gems as Founder’s Red Rye and one of the most recent (and best) IPAs to enter the DC market from Atlanta’s beloved Sweetwater Brewing.

American Ice Company

Copy Link

Slightly removed from the 14th Street/U Street nightlife axis, American Ice’s well-concealed patio is dressed in industrial chic and features a garage door that blurs the line between inside and out when open. The restaurant’s signature mason jars hold drafts representing a good range of styles from some of the best regional craft breweries — Bell’s Amber, Lagunitas IPA, Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter — and its rotating tap recently poured a terrific kolsch from North Carolina’s Mother Earth.

Loading comments...

Bluejacket Brewery

Outdoor beer geek heaven, made so by 20 beers brewed on premise, a touch of beer-snob pretentiousness (Different beers get different glasses! 19 fermentation vessels!) and a 72-seat patio. While the unremarkable sidewalk setting and across-the-street construction site might preclude it from being the dominant outdoor destination on this list, the impressive brews and overall deification of our favorite beverage ensure its inclusion. The beer selection rotates, but be on the lookout for favorites Forbidden Planet kolsch, the Lost Planet IPA and Black Eye porter.

The Big Hunt

Although visitors have to navigate through the overly dark, sometimes funky-smelling main bar to get there, the back patio at the Big Hunt is a longtime Dupont Circle oasis. Sometimes forgotten among some of the shinier new arrivals to the DC craft beer scene, the Big Hunt’s well-curated and frequently rotating tap list always seems to include a few surprises and sought-afters from local and national breweries — Atlas Brewing’s Home Rule and Boulevard’s Grainstorm being just two of many recent examples.

Jack Rose Dining Saloon

Situated just south of the main Adams Morgan strip and with an elegant design scheme, Jack Rose delivers a more sophisticated outdoor beer experience than most. A teak and slate roof garden with retractable ceiling panels is one of the city’s more well-conceived outdoor spaces, and the beer menu holds up its end of the bargain with selections that recently included a variety of styles from St. Louis’ highly-regarded Perennial Brewing and the rarely-seen Saucony Creek out of Pennsylvania.

Roofers Union

One of the newest additions to the outdoor drinking scene takes over where its former occupant, The Reef, left off. From the owners of Cleveland Park’s Ripple, Roofers Union ‘s rooftop bar allows customers to take in the sights and sounds of Adams Morgan from three floors above. They’ll likely do so with a pint drawn from one its 20 taps and two casks, all of which are organized on the menu by flavor profile, Churchkey-style. Street-side drink rails and heaters are both plentiful and appreciated.

Farmers Fishers Bakers

While many Washington Harbour restaurants seem geared to tourists or DC’s version of the bridge-and-tunnel crowd, Farmers Fishers Bakers' beer list belies that description. With an outdoor bar window and a vast patio boasting views of the Washington Harbour fountain and Potomac River, the restaurant offers one of the area’s best spots for people-watching, and an extensive and intelligent beer list that balances popular favorites with hard-to-find drafts. Recent highlights include Troeg’s tremendous Nugget Nectar and small-batch selections from several local breweries.

DC Reynolds

A bit more worn-in than many of the destinations on this list, the patio at DC Reynolds feels like it established itself well before the rest of its Petworth neighbors arrived. Framed by the back porches of several nearby rowhouses, this bare-bones backyard patio offers picnic tables and eight taps, six of which were recently devoted to area breweries.

Vinoteca Wine Bar & Bistro

The Bocce court and Tuscan courtyard décor found on this patio are worth the trip alone, and the small but well-curated beer list makes the visit that much tastier. Seasonals from Great Lakes and Bells were recent tap standouts, while cans and bottles from several local and regional favorites round out the selection.

Garden District

Another place that violates the no-sidewalk-views rule, Garden District merits inclusion on its spare, "I-Exist-Only-to Give-the-Good-People-of-DC-a-Place-to-Drink-Good-Craft-Beer-Outside" vibe. A small-ish tap list but one that includes a few otherwise-unseen drafts, including such gems as Founder’s Red Rye and one of the most recent (and best) IPAs to enter the DC market from Atlanta’s beloved Sweetwater Brewing.

American Ice Company

Slightly removed from the 14th Street/U Street nightlife axis, American Ice’s well-concealed patio is dressed in industrial chic and features a garage door that blurs the line between inside and out when open. The restaurant’s signature mason jars hold drafts representing a good range of styles from some of the best regional craft breweries — Bell’s Amber, Lagunitas IPA, Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter — and its rotating tap recently poured a terrific kolsch from North Carolina’s Mother Earth.

Related Maps