15 patios great for beer-drinking in Atlanta

Where to sip brews and get some fresh air at the same damn time

Photo credit: Scott Chester

By Stephanie Dazey Wednesday May 6, 2015 04:00 AM EDT

Heavy beers like stouts and porters are meant to keep you warm in the dead of winter, but lighter styles — wheat beers, sours, and sessionable IPAs — practically beg to be enjoyed outside when it’s 70 degrees and sunny. Here are 16 patios perfect for al fresco beer-sipping. In 30 days (or less) these gorgeous spring days will be long gone and we’ll all be fighting for seats closest to the AC vent.

Brewhouse Cafe

This Moreland Avenue spot in Little Five Points is a prime hangout thanks to its expansive patio and menu of English-style pub food. It’s also a destination of choice for fans of English Premier League soccer matches (and opens earlier on Saturdays and Sundays for viewing parties during the season). | more...

Cypress Street Pint & Plate

With 14 beers on tap, 40 bottled selections, and a fully stocked selection of wine and spirits, Cypress has become a local favorite neighborhood haunt for beer lovers. | more...

Elmyriachi

CL: Adult version of Elmyr in L5P.

Kirkwood’s Elmyriachi, sister restaurant to L5P burrito dive Elmyr, offers casual Tex-Mex cuisine such as build-your-own tacos (try the smoked brisket), avocado-jalapeño margaritas, and more. Don’t miss Elmyriachi’s spacious patio overlooking Hosea L. Williams Drive. | more...

Fado Irish Pub - Buckhead

Pints of Guinness flow, cover bands rock out, and soccer hooligans park their butts at the bar on game days. | more...

Joe’s On Juniper (permanently closed)

Popular gay restaurant for drinks, basic bar food, and a lively patio in the heart of Midtown. | more...

Leon’s Full Service

The menu excels at nibbly bits to go with drinks. There can be great meals here made up entirely of selections from the “snacks,” “sides,” and “starters.” Peppadews (tiny red sweet/hot peppers) stuffed with goat cheese are the ultimate in creamy/piquant contrast. The cocktails here are among the bes... | more...

Raging Burrito

A staple for dudes that wake up at noon and people with juror stickers on their shirts eating solo, the options are nearly endless to create gut-busting bean-based beauties. Get something jerk style and wash it down with a pitcher of one of the many different types of margaritas. | more...

Republic Social House

American bar fare and cheap drinks await you at this two-story watering hole across the street from historic Oakland Cemetery. | more...

Six Feet Under Pub & Fish House (permanently closed)

The paneled Southern seafood shack decor works (think wooden booths, long tables, a horseshoe bar). And so does the food. Shrimp, crab cakes, oysters, crab legs, clams, scallops, mussels, catfish and po’boys are all fresh and tasty. All in all, Six Feet Under fills the gap of the disappearing inexpe... | more...

The Bookhouse Pub

This literary-themed pub channels Twin Peaks and is a popular stop on the way to or from clubbing. Expect seasonal beers, quality cocktails, and creative tavern fare. | more...

The Highlander (permanently closed)

Cheap beer, pool tables, and fried food are the pillars of this dingy Midtown strip mall dive. Conveniently located next to Landmark Midtown, this is the perfect place to throw back a few after catching a flick on a Friday night. | more...

The Imperial

A neighborhood pub in Oakhurst, the Imperial features Southern comfort and typical bar food with a twist. The menu features a host of appetizers including black-eyed pea dip and la poutine de Georgia, but guests will also find wings, sandwiches, and burgers as well. | more...