With the weather becoming a tad warmer, it’s time to start soaking up all the Chicago patio time we can get, which means heading to one of the best beer gardens in Chicago. While there are plenty of beer gardens (or biergartens) with live music, good food, and great drinks, we’ve rounded up our favorites to help you narrow it down!
1. Kaiser Tiger
Situated in West Loop, Kaiser Tiger is deemed one of the best beer gardens in Chicago. With more than 20+ beers rotating on tap, you’ll have a variety to choose from for whatever you’re craving that day. Our favorite has to be their house beer, the Kaiser Tiger/Great Central Hefeweizen, which is described as a bold, yeast-forward wheat beer for any time of the year.
However, our favorite part about Kaiser Tiger is offering complimentary shuttles to and from all Bulls and Hawks Games at the United Center! Grab a beer and save money on the Ubers.
📍Address: 1415 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60607
2. Pilsen Yards
Pilsen Yard’s bright, extensive, and open-air patio has quickly garnered many loyal customers who love beer gardens in Chicago. The radiant-heated cement floor, overhead heaters, and fire pits make it a fantastic patio all year round. Still, the transparent roof, exposed wooden beams, low glowing lights, and lines of leafy plants make it such a brilliant fall hideout.
Add to that the top-notch Latin street food courtesy of Armando Gonzalez and a sensational bar program by renowned mixologist Lance Bowman. You’ve got a recipe for the perfect beer garden experience.
📍Address: 1163 W 18th St, Chicago, IL 60608
3. Sleeping Village
This spacious, bi-level bar has ample amounts of draft beer, cider, and even coffee, making it one of the more unique beer gardens in Chicago. Located near Logan Square, the Sleeping Village has a sprawling patio seamlessly transitioning to the inside bar. The draft list includes Lagers, IPAs, Wheat, Sours, and more.
Sleeping Village is unique because it is one of the premier Chicago concert venues. Check the schedule to grab a beer while listening to your favorite musician.
📍Address: 3734 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
4. District Brew Yards
District Brew Yards is the nation’s first collective production brewery, pour-your-own beer hall, and shop combination, all under the roof of a former warehouse. But it’s not about what’s under the roof that excites us; it’s what’s outside.
District Brew Yards’ patio is a guaranteed good time, with heaters, fire pits, prismatic murals, and ample space to accommodate numerous revelers, making it an ideal autumn escape.
📍Address: 417 N Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60622
5. Cody’s Public House
If you’re looking for a lowkey beer garden that is also a sports bar, head to Cody’s Public House. The cool, retro bar has plenty of TVs, at least 18 beers on tap, and a beautiful beer garden that will lift anyone’s mood. With darts and a pool table, you’ll never want to leave this place.
📍Address: 1658 W Barry Ave, Chicago, IL 60657
6. Pilot Project Brewing
Pilot Project Brewing is another place where beer fanatics can find their own little paradise. Modeled after the music industry, Pilot serves as a launchpad for start-up breweries, offering assistance with fine-tuning recipes, production, business development, marketing, distribution, and more.
They are Chicago’s brewery incubator dedicated to the art of brewing and a community inspired by the craft. Inside, you’ll find 24 different taps to make your perfect flight of beer, while outside, you’ll find many spacious picnic tables and umbrellas that make up their fantastic beer garden.
📍Address: 2140 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
7. Hopleaf
While ample umbrellas provide shade in Pilot Project Brewing’s beer garden, sprawling trees on Hopleaf’s back patio in Andersonville will provide you with adequate cover and a sense of calm garden. The Belgian bar has a wonderfully serene patio with ivy flowing up the walls and branches sprouting overhead in every which way.
Priding itself on being an adults-only venue open for 365 days a year, you can always rely on Hopleaf for a great place to kick back with a carefully selected, ever-changing menu of beers from 68 taps and many more bottled options as well as fine wines, spirits, cider, and cocktails.
📍Address: 5148 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640
8. The Warbler
Located on the outskirts of West Town, just off Milwaukee Avenue, Frontier is a little journey away from the beating heart of Chicago. Once you’ve kicked back with a cold beer and taken in your surroundings, we guarantee you will return for more.
A stylish beer garden in Chicago kitted out with a huge fireplace, gives the outdoor space a comfortable lodge-style vibe, with logs of wood tucked in every nook and cranny and exposed beams hanging overhead.
📍Address: 4535 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60625
9. Broken Barrel Bar
Walking out into the Broken Barrel Bar’s 2000-square-foot beer garden in Chicago, you’ll know you’ve found yourself a good spot for all kinds of activities. Their outdoor space is cool, clean, and cheerful. Various types of bar seating, booth seating, and picnic tables cater to whatever you’re there for. Date night? Check. Family outing? Check. Fun with friends? Check.
📍Address: 2548 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60614
10. Northman Beer & Cider Garden
One of the beer gardens in Chicago where everyone can come together. Located on the scenic Chicago Riverwalk, the Northman Beer & Cider Garden is a European-style Beer & Cider Garden where you can hear the rush of the Chicago River. While surrounded by nature, you also have plenty of beer—our favorites include Hofbräu Oktoberfestbier and the Escapist.
11. Benchmark
With over 40 flat-screen TVs, Benchmark is one of the one of the liviest sports bars and beer gardens in the heart of Old Town. While most of the beer gardens in Chicago are located in the back of the restaurant, Benchmark has an open upstairs patio, making it distinctly different from the rest.