Atlanta is a place meant to be spent outdoors — downing cold beers, scarfing down delicious appetizers and enjoying our enjoyable weather. We’ve done extensive, painstaking research in order to find you the best Atlanta patios to enjoy an al fresco meal spent with great friends and great fare. Hey, it was a tough job, but someone had to do it! Here are some of our favorite Atlanta patios …
Piedmont Park
Cowtippers
1600 Piedmont Road, Atlanta, GA 30324 • (404) 874-3751
There is no better people watching than at Cowtippers. This LGBT-friendly restaurant sits right on Piedmont Road, perfect for enjoying the great weather and checking out upcoming events at Piedmont Park. Cowtippers also has a large projection screen, so customers can catch up on broadcasts and themed movie nights while enjoying Midtown’s lovely scene (Tuesdays are music video night and Thursdays are “mooooooovie night”). Oh, and they have really delicious steaks, burgers and all things meaty and grilled!
There is ample seating on this fabulous patio at Cowtippers. Image: Tori Allen PR
Park Tavern
500 10th St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30309 • (404) 249-0001
Some restaurants boast of a good Piedmont Park view, being right “by,” “near,” “adjacent,” etc. But it’s pretty hard to beat Park Tavern — it’s literally inside the park. And watching people fly kites, play soccer and just socialize among nature is so much better when you can do it with your best friend, Spot. Park Tavern’s huge, dog-friendly patio offers a great way to enjoy Truffled Tater Tots and Gruyere Fondue Sauce without leaving your pup back at the house. There’s also a gorgeous screened porch, usually reserved for private events, which would be perfect if you’re trying to plan a work party or fundraising event.
Cheers to Park Tavern! Image: Park Tavern
Grindhouse Killer Burgers
1842 Piedmont Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30324 • (404) 254-2273
Additional Atlanta locations
Grindhouse Burgers has been grinding out delicious burgers, veggie burgers, milkshakes and other delectable treats for more than 10 years. But one of our favorite parts of this local burger chain is the covered patio at the Piedmont Avenue location. Enjoy Midtown’s bustling neighborhood while you bust that bustline (and beltline) with some seriously delicious treats (two words: onion rings). FYI: The Decatur location will has a rooftop patio as well!
Dive in to a burger, onion rings and a milkshake on the Grindhouse patio. Image: Grindhouse Killer Burgers
Old Fourth Ward
Venkman’s
740 Ralph McGill Blvd. NE, Atlanta, GA 30312 • (470) 225-6162
Venkman’s is a cool hybrid: part gourmet restaurant, part music venue … all fun! Their newly constructed patio just opened last month, so guests can enjoy Venkman’s wonderful food and music sitting at both large and intimate tables, surrounded by the beautiful greenery that ensconces the patio. So what to chomp on while absorbing Atlanta’s warm rays? Try the spring pea hummus and smoked trout beignets, while guzzling down house cocktails like Beam Me Up and Vertigo.
Enjoy a Beam Me Up on the Venkman’s patio. Image: AJC.com
Virginia-Highlands
Diesel Filling Station
870 N. Highland Ave., Atlanta, GA 30306 • (404) 815-1820
If you like your patio full of good food, drinks, friends and brains, you need to visit Diesel Filling Station. OK, so the brains are part of their “The Walking Dead” viewing parties, but we heard the tater tots are just as good! Diesel sits in the heart of Virginia-Highlands, a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood that appreciates a good patio. The food is great all week long, but since Atlantans love a good brunch, make sure to come by weekends and try the Death Muffin. For $6.66 (get it?), you enjoy “bacon explosion, topped with cheddar and a poached egg on an English muffin with blackberry jam served with home fries.” (We probably didn’t have to write anything past “bacon explosion,” huh?)
Enjoy some brains — and tater tots — on the Diesel Filling Station patio. Image: Diesel Filling Station
Midtown
Einstein’s
1077 Juniper St., Atlanta, GA 30309 • (404) 876-7925
I speak from experience — I’ve taken almost every out-of-towner that visits me to Einstein’s for brunch (the bourbon and bananas French toast is legit). Whether you come for brunch, lunch, dinner, happy hour or just a gourmet snack, Einstein’s always delivers in the taste department. But the really cool thing about this Midtown hot spot is the massive patio that sits on Juniper Street. It’s a great place to enjoy the warm weather and a delectable mimosa.
Enjoy the warm weather and a delectable mimosa on the Einstein’s patio. Image: Einstein’s
JCT Kitchen & Bar
1198 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta, GA 30318 • (404) 355-2252
Chef Ford Fry put down his roots at JCT Kitchen – the restaurant that started it all. The upstairs bar, part of the two-story establishment, offers killer views of the Westside neighborhood and the city as a whole. The JCT Bar menu is obviously full of tasty drinks and cocktails to whet your whistle, but also great bites that include modern interpretations of Southern staples like deviled eggs and pimento cheese.
Sample a Little Havana and enjoy a great view on the JCT Kitchen & Bar patio. Image: JCT Kitchen & Bar
Tavernpointe
1545 Peachtree St., Ste. 101, Atlanta, GA 30309 • (404) 549-3954
Tavernpointe consistently has people talking over its wonderful, creative menu focused on fresh produce and local, sustainable protein. Tavernpointe’s storefront patio offers a lovely way to enjoy the warmer months, housemade jerk soda or specialty draft in one hand, and fried oysters in the other.
Fried oysters and cold draft beer? Yes, please. Image: Tavernpointe
Bartaco
969 Marietta St., Atlanta, GA 30318 • (404) 607-8226
The Westside is bursting with lots of cool, delicious restaurants to grab a bite and hang with friends, but the patio at Bartaco’s Midtown location is pretty enviable. In fact, sometimes I feel like the patio is bigger and more packed than the under-roof section of the restaurant. The whitewashed and blue banquette dining is almost always crowded, whatever time of day or week you visit. Sit with your friends or make some new ones at Bartaco’s long, extended seating, but whatever you do, fill up on tacos (I recommend crispy rock shrimp or duck) and drinks (Spring Caipirinha features tropical liquors and fresh citrus).
Try the crispy rock shrimp or duck tacos at Bartaco in Midtown. Image: Jeff Herr
Taqueria del Sol
1200-B Howell Mill Road, Atlanta, GA 30318 • (404) 352-5811
With outdoor patio locations at each location around town, you can always dine al fresco at Taqueria del Sol. We are almost always in the mood for a pitcher of margaritas and a fried chicken taco (plus plenty of dips, of course!). Be sure to sign up for their newsletter where they share their specials at the beginning of each week, and definitely don’t miss the cheeseburger taco.
Vinings
Canoe
4199 Paces Ferry Road SE, Atlanta, GA 30339 • (770) 432-2663
Canoe’s patio overlooks the outdoor gardens with manicured lawns and meandering pathways throughout for guests to enjoy and explore the grounds. They also has a dedicated River Bar right on the river bank that serves up seasonal snacks and delicious cocktails. The outdoor space is perfect for sipping a crisp glass of rosé after work or having Sunday brunch with friends.
Grant Park
Republic Social House
437-C Memorial Drive SE, Atlanta, GA 30312 • (404) 577-3997
Rooftop patios are nice; rooftop patios that overlook famed Oakland Cemetery are just plain rad. One of Grant Park’s huge draws, night and day, is Republic Social House. Pair fried pickles with a Hard Root Beer (craft root beer, vanilla vodka and Frangelico with or without a scoop of ice cream) and hang out upstairs, watching one of the many TVs broadcasting various sporting events. Oh, and they have brunch — sweet, merciful, delicious brunch.
There’s perhaps nothing finer than enjoying a hard root beer on the Republic Social House patio. Image: Republic Social House
Buckhead
Treehouse Pub
7 Kings Circle, Atlanta, GA 30305 • (404) 266-2732
If Swiss Family Robinson had access to a kegerator, the result might resemble that of Buckhead’s Treehouse Pub. This bar/restaurant recently celebrated its 30th anniversary and continues to serve delicious food and drinks on its huge patio deck. The Treehouse Pub offers a ton of burgers and sandwiches, including a blackened grouper Rueben and grilled bison sliders, as well as the brunch, which has endeared the eatery to so many Atlantans. If the Robinson family had had these delicious morsels, they might have been quite content being deserted on an island.
The burger and sandwich options are impressive at the Treehouse Pub. Image: Tori Allen PR
Bar Americano
56 E Andrews Drive NW, Atlanta, GA 30305 • (678) 515-0697
Patio season is quickly approaching and what better place to dine al fresco than at Buckhead’s newest Italian concept, Bar Americano. Escape the hustle and bustle of city life on Bar Americano’s secluded patio located in the newly renovated Andrews Square. Enjoy Aperitivo Hour, happy hour Italiano, with $3 glasses of prosecco, $3 bellinis, and a complimentary spread of fine meats, cheeses, and olives, weekdays from 4 to 6:30 p.m.
Inman Park
One Eared Stag
1029 Edgewood Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30307 • (404) 525-4479
One Eared Stag has one of the most underrated patios in the city, neatly tucked behind the main dining room. The patio is home to a few intimate dining tables that are conveniently covered with umbrellas to block out any unwanted rays. The patio has easy access to the main bar as well for those who are just looking for a quick drink outdoors before they continue on with their day.
Try one, some or all of these wonderful Atlanta restaurant patios and get to know Mother Nature a little better, ideally at happy hour! Cheers!
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