Where to Drink Outdoors in Greater Boston in Summer 2022

It’s consistently hot out now, so patio season is fully underway in Greater Boston. Updated frequently throughout spring and summer 2022 (and the warm-ish portion of fall, hopefully), this page tracks pertinent news in the area’s outdoor drinking scene: beer garden openings, wine bar patio debuts, the occasional special event, and more.

Find updates below, with the most recent news at the top. Know of outdoor drinking news that should be on Eater Boston’s radar? Send an email.

June 30, 2022

GREATER BOSTON — Eater Boston’s hidden patio map got a revamp today. Check it out for the rundown on 18 really nice local restaurant patios that are on the quiet, secluded side, perfect for a chill boozy brunch, a date night over a glass of wine, and similar scenarios.

CHARLESTOWN, BOSTON, AND CAMBRIDGEPORT, CAMBRIDGE — Another day, another round of updates on Night Shift Brewing and its ever-expanding collection of Owl’s Nest beer gardens. (See May 13 and June 16 updates below for older news.) Two more Owl’s Nest locations have now opened; one is at Hood Park in Charlestown (6 Stack Street, across from 100 Hood Park) and the other is at University Park in Cambridge (65 Sidney Street). The Hood Park location is open on Thursdays from 4 to 9 p.m., and it’s dog-friendly. Customers can order food by QR code from Tradesman around the corner, which will deliver on-site. The University Park location is open on Wednesdays from 4 to 9 p.m. Owl’s Nest will also be returning to Somerville’s Assembly Row this summer; stay tuned for an opening date.

WATERFRONT, BOSTON — Maine Beer Company (particularly well-known for its Lunch IPA) is popping up in Boston this summer in partnership with Boston Harbor Hotel, which is bringing back its Brewer’s Alley beer garden on July 1. The outdoor space will feature a weekly rotating selection of Maine Beer Co. beers in tasting flights and pints and will be open Tuesday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. On the opening menu: Lunch IPA, Little Whaleboat IPA, and more. Find it at 70 Rowes Wharf next to the hotel, weather-permitting.

CENTRAL SQUARE, CAMBRIDGE — Look at this snazzy new outdoor bar outside Italian restaurant Viale in the heart of Central Square:

The full patio seats about 50, while the bar seats eight. Make a reservation or just show up for Negronis on draft and more cocktails, beer, and wine — and don’t forget about dollar oysters, available daily from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

June 16, 2022

DOWNTOWN BOSTON — At the W Boston hotel, an outdoor dining and drinking space — dubbed W Urban Oasis — is open for the season with a very flowery theme. (Expect floral decor, edible flower popsicles garnishing cocktails, floral cake pops, and more.) Open daily for lunch and dinner (closed in the middle of the afternoon) on a first come, first served basis, although there’s a VIP section with reservations available — call (617) 261-8700 — and private buyouts of the space.

EAST BOSTON — Tall Ship — a floating oyster bar, event space, and summer party zone — is back for the season. Watch Instagram for event updates or just show up; there’s always something going on (and something to drink). Reservations are available for the lounge areas along the waterfront. Open until 11 p.m. nightly.

ROXBURY, BOSTON — Bully Boy Distillers has reopened its outdoor cocktail garden, serving up creative drinks that highlight its own spirits. There are pitchers of draft cocktails, frozen options, and other fun stuff this summer. No reservations. Open Thursday through Sunday. Food trucks will sometimes be onsite, but patrons are welcome to bring their own food.

ALEWIFE, CAMBRIDGE — No opening date for the forthcoming Fresh Pond Beer Garden yet (see May 9 update below for more information), but here’s a sneak peek at the progress.

KENDALL SQUARE, CAMBRIDGE — Night Shift Brewing has opened its third seasonal Owl’s Nest beer garden for 2022; this one’s in Kendall Square’s Canal District — find it near Plant Pub and Aceituna Grill. (See May 13 update below for more Owl’s Nest details on existing and forthcoming locations.) The Kendall location is dog-friendly and BYO food, and there are free concerts on Friday evenings. Open 4 to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday, noon to 9 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.

FRAMINGHAM — Exhibit ‘A’ Brewing Company opened its beer garden in early June; it’s operating Thursday through Sunday. The spacious, dog-friendly outdoor area serves a variety of hazy IPAs, shandies, sours, and more, as well as some seltzers, sodas, and packaged snacks. Customers are also encouraged to get takeout or delivery from local spots.

HINGHAM — Scituate-based Untold Brewing is back up and running for another season of its beer garden at Hingham’s Derby Street Shops, open on select Fridays and Saturdays through late October. Find more details in the May 9 update below. (New news on the Untold Brewing/Derby Street front since that last update, though: Untold will open a year-round brewery, taproom, and restaurant at the Derby Street Shops this fall, featuring food by home meal delivery service and catering company Clandestine Kitchen.)

May 13, 2022

Boston’s in for a hot weekend — expect temperatures in the 80s for the first time in quite a while. Today’s outdoor drinking updates are broken into a few sections: beer gardens, rooftop pools, and other news. Some of these are open already, but some you’ll have to add to your calendars for later in May/June.

Beer Gardens and Brewery Patios

ALL AROUND BOSTON AND CAMBRIDGE — Night Shift Brewing is basically taking over Boston and Cambridge with its popular Owl’s Nest beer gardens this spring and summer. The Esplanade and Herter Park, Allston, locations already reopened this week, and four brand new locations are coming soon to South Station (opening June 2), Kendall Square’s Canal District (opening June 2), Hood Park in Charlestown (opening June 23), and University Park in the Central Square/Cambridgeport area of Cambridge (opening June 29), all featuring rotating local food trucks. (Brato Brewhouse & Kitchen will also be featured at the Esplanade location at the Night Shift Eats food truck.) The University Park location is a collaboration with social volleyball league Volo; there’s a court right by the garden.

On tap at each: Plenty of Night Shift’s core beers, as well as rotating seasonal small-batch brews, sour ales, hard cider, rotating hard seltzers, Night Shift’s own wines, non-alcoholic beer from Athletic Brewing Co., Night Shift’s cold brew coffee, and non-alcoholic seltzers from Spindrift. Find updates on hours and more here.

Owl’s Nest beer gardens don’t take regular reservations, but table rentals for larger groups, as well as private rentals, may be available. Dogs are not allowed at these beer gardens.

DOWNTOWN BOSTON — Trillium Brewing Company’s fan-favorite Greenway beer garden, which got its start back in 2017, has returned for the 2022 season. The family-friendly, dog-friendly space features a rotating schedule of food trucks (visitors can bring their own food, too), and tons of Trillium beers on draft. There’s also hard seltzer available. No reservations. Find the full schedule and details here.

AND MORE DOWNTOWN BOSTON — It won’t be open in time for this weekend, but give it a try next week: The Revere Hotel’s newly renovated rooftop, aka the Rooftop @ Revere (200 Stuart St.), will open for the season on May 19, operating Thursday through Sunday until June 10, at which point it’ll switch to seven days a week. The renovations did away with the rooftop pool, but that means more space for drinking and taking in the skyline views. The former pool area is now an indoor/outdoor covered lounge, and there are a variety of other upgrades to the space, as well as new food and drink menus. To drink: summer-friendly options like sangria, mango margaritas, blood orange Manhattans, and more.

EAST CAMBRIDGE — Lamplighter CX, the recently opened Lamplighter Brewing Co. expansion at the Cambridge Crossing development near Lechmere, is starting to offer outdoor seating more consistently as the weather gets nicer. Dogs are welcome outside. Find out what’s on tap here.

LEXINGTON AND WALTHAM — Craft Food Halls, a group of food halls in Greater Boston, opened a beer garden called Garden 76 in April at its Lexington location, Revolution Hall (3 Maguire Rd.). (Wine and cocktails are also available.) The large dog-friendly space includes umbrella-bedecked picnic tables and cornhole. Grab pizza, burgers, tacos, and more inside the hall. The Waltham location (200 5th Ave.) also has a dog-friendly patio.

Rooftop Pools

BACK BAY, BOSTON — Keep an eye out for the seasonal opening of the rooftop pool at the Colonnade Hotel, RTP, slated for May 27. It’ll be open to the public Monday through Wednesday with a $60 entry fee for lounge chairs. Cabana rentals — with couches, TV, refrigeration, charging stations, dedicated waitstaff, and more — are available to the public daily, starting at $350 for a rental fee and a $300 food and beverage minimum. The 12th-story pool’s drink menu includes beach-y frozen drinks like frosé and mocha mudslides.

SEAPORT DISTRICT, BOSTON — The fifth-floor Lifted Pool Bar is up and running at the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport (450 Summer St.). An indoor/outdoor space, the rooftop deck and pool features a cocktail-focused bar — including plenty of frozen options — and some food. Reservations are available for the bar. Watch for comedy shows on the deck in conjunction with Laugh Boston; they’ll be happening monthly, starting with events on May 26 and June 30.

More Outdoor Drinking News and Ideas

NORTH END, BOSTON — Caffe Dello Sport (308 Hanover St.), a North End cafe and sports bar with beer, wine, and cocktails (not to mention espresso, gelato, panini, and pastries), has a new patio for those looking to drink an Aperol spritz or Negroni in the heart of Boston’s most Italian neighborhood.

EVERETT — Short Path Distillery (71 Kelvin St.) is taking over Kelvin Street all day on May 28 for its outdoor Summer Sipper party, featuring a summer gin release, special cocktails, outdoor bars, food vendors, and a blueberry eating contest. Register here (general entry is free; the blueberry contest is $10.)

NATICK — Lookout Farm (89 Pleasant St. S) opens its outdoor dining for the season on May 13 — an expansive setup of picnic tables spread across the farm, featuring local beers and Lookout’s own hard cider, as well as food like cold mayo lobster rolls and Detroit-style pizza. Reservations are encouraged but not required; reserve a table online. (Tent seating is available on a first come, first served basis by reservation time.) No dogs.

May 9, 2022

A downtown hotel cocktail terrace, a returning Seaport beer garden, a big addition to Cambridge’s Alewife/Fresh Pond area, and more: Here are a few news updates on beer gardens, wine bar patios, and more to watch for this spring in and beyond Boston. Some are already open; some are coming soon.

DOWNTOWN BOSTON — The Fed, the cocktail bar at the Langham hotel (250 Franklin St.), is celebrating the start of patio season with an Alice in Wonderland-inspired party (featuring Rabbit Hole Distillery) on its terrace on May 19, with tickets going for $20 per person. The event is 21+, and a ticket includes entry, one cocktail, and a cotton candy treat, with a la carte options available to purchase separately.

FENWAY, BOSTON — Two very Boston brands have combined forces: There’s now a Sam Adams patio at the Fenway location of the Wahlburgers burger chain (132 Brookline Ave.), where customers can eat burgers and drink beers and more from Boston Beer Company, which also makes Angry Orchard cider, Twisted Tea, and more.

SEAPORT DISTRICT, BOSTON — The Cisco Brewers Seaport beer garden returned last month for its fifth season in Boston’s Seaport District, although it’s in a new, larger location this year, down the block at 85 Northern Ave. (Find the entrance on the corner of Northern Avenue and Pier 4 Boulevard.) Cocktails and spirits from Cisco’s sibling Triple Eight Distillery join the lineup of Cisco beers and Nantucket Vineyards wines (another Cisco sibling) this time around. The new space includes a large tent for general use as well as private event rentals. Rexicana, the food offshoot of South Shore surf shop and lifestyle brand Levitate, is onsite serving tacos, poke bowls, lobster rolls, and more. The space is also playing host to daily live music through the season. Cisco Brewers Seaport is open Tuesday through Sunday (and select Monday holidays) through October 17; find full hours and more details on the Boston Seaport website. No reservations.

ALEWIFE, CAMBRIDGE — Part of the Fresh Pond Mall parking lot at 168 Alewife Brook Pkwy. will soon become the Fresh Pond Beer Garden, big enough for 500 people (188 seated). It’ll feature games, weekend music, and rotating food trucks, and the aim is for it to be open daily. The team behind it includes Kevin Treanor of the Phoenix Landing in Cambridge and Jim O’Rourke of the Heights pub in Arlington. Stay tuned for updates.

PORTER/HARVARD SQUARES, CAMBRIDGE — Dear Annie, an intimate wine bar with a pescatarian food menu, has reopened its Massachusetts Avenue patio, freeing up some more seating at the busy spot, which doesn’t take reservations. The patio will be up and running until December. Keep an eye on Instagram for updates on weekly specials like pizza night (Monday) and pasta night (Wednesday), and don’t forget that Dear Annie opens at 2 p.m. on weekends, serving cheese plates and plenty of wine until the full dinner menu starts at 5 p.m.

HINGHAM — Scituate-based Untold Brewing will return to Hingham’s Derby Street Shops for a second season of its beer garden, set to launch on June 4 and open on select Fridays and Saturdays; find it between REI and Kohl’s. The family-friendly and dog-friendly outdoor space, dubbed the Green in Partnership With Untold Brewing, will feature live music, lawn games, and other entertainment. In addition to Untold beers, the garden will serve wines by the glass, non-alcoholic seltzers, and featured beers from friends of Untold in various “tap takeovers.” Customers will be able to scan a QR code to place pickup orders from Derby Street restaurants. The garden is expected to remain open through late October. Find an event schedule and more information on the Derby Street Shops website.

LEXINGTON — The Inn at Hastings Park has opened its Culinary Garden Featuring Whispering Angel for a third season, a collaboration with the rosé brand Château d’Esclans. The garden, which seats up to 24, will be open through early fall, featuring lunch, dinner, weekend Champagne brunches, and cooking classes. Meal reservations require a $200 deposit per group, which is put toward the final bill.

WATERTOWN — Waltham’s Mighty Squirrel Brewing Co. has expanded to Watertown with a seasonal beer garden at Bond Square within the Arsenal Yards development; it debuted at the end of April. The new Watertown space is open Thursday through Sunday, and it’s family-friendly and dog-friendly. Mighty Squirrel isn’t serving food, but any outside food is welcome, and Arsenal Yards has a lot of options available onsite. No reservations for the beer garden. Free parking available throughout the area. Find a tap list and other information on the Mighty Squirrel website.