Memphis' Best Outdoor Drinking Spots

When it warms up, everyone in Memphis has the same question: Where can we sit outside and drink? The obvious choice is usually a brewery -- Wiseacre, Memphis Made, Crosstown, High Cotton and Ghost River all have ample brews and outdoor seating (Meddlesome is the one exception).

The only unknown is the food, as most breweries rely on a rotating list of food trucks to cure the inevitable beer munchies. That said, High Cotton definitely has the advantage of sharing dining and patio space with Edge Alley which not only serves great food, but incredible cocktails and house roasted coffee to boot. BUT if you want the occasional cocktail, a reliable menu, and a great spot to kick it outdoors… look no further.

Lucky Cat Ramen
Lucky Cat Ramen

Lucky Cat

Broad Avenue Arts District

Hip ramen house with carefully crafted cocktails and a huge patio
What started as pop-up is now a fully functional restaurant with top notch ramen, cocktails infused with Japanese flavors (toasted sesame infused rum and Szechuan infused vodka) and a large patio. The hours are not easy to remember, but the best time to go is Wednesday through Friday for the lunch special. It’s the best deal in town... though not everyone has a license to daydrink during the work week.

The Liquor Store
The Liquor Store | Nathan W. Berry

Liquor Store

Broad Avenue Arts District

Artsy diner with bright and airy backyard patio
Open seven days a week, this diner and bar brings a tropical vibe, great food, and delicious drinks to the heart of the Broad Avenue Arts District. The patio is lined with astro turf and shaded by big orange umbrellas to enhance the vibe. The cocktail menu changes with the seasons and for spring we recommend The Dizzy Edge (Bulleit rye, Elizabeth allspice dram, pineapple juice, lemon juice, and an egg white). There’s plenty of beers to choose from in cans, on tap, or even in a forty.

Second Line

Overton Square

See and be seen on this large patio with its own bar
Second Line’s patio has its own bar and, thanks to its location adjacent to the Square, is the perfect place to see and be seen by anyone traveling around Midtown. Chef Kelly English’s elevated spins on Cajun creole classics pair perfectly with the new spring drinks like a Pocket Full of Sunshine (Aperol, limoncello, champagne and soda). For really hot summer days, go with the Miller High Life ponies -- and keep ‘em coming.

Next Door American Eatery

Crosstown Concourse

Corner cocktails outside of the Concourse
Our vertical urban village has several spots for outdoor drinking, but the corner spot at Next Door is by far the best for people watching and table side service. Plus, the food is on the healthy side so you can rationalize that extra glass of wine. And you never know when Kimbal Musk himself will appear (look for the cowboy hat).

Railgarten
Railgarten

Railgarten

Cooper-Young

“Difficult to describe. Easy to find yourself here all day.”
With multiple bars and concepts -- ice cream parlor, diner, ping pong bar, tiki bar -- both inside and out, it’s hard to sum up. There’s live music almost every night, a legit sand volleyball league, a giant dirt hill, and the largest collection of lawn chairs in the city that you can move wherever you like. The new spring menu is inspired by street food around the world and there’s frozen and specialty drinks galore.

Loflin Yard
Loflin Yard

Loflin Yard

Downtown

It’s like a park... that serves wine
Loflin Yard is Railgarten’s older cousin with its own assortment of indoor and outdoor spaces. The main difference is that there are more pets and less children. Loflin is only open Wednesday through Friday nights and all day Saturday & Sunday. There’s one menu and it’s grill based (brisket, smoked salmon, grilled romaine salad, wings). They have a lot of organized “sports” and games like turtle races, Drunk Haiku, and so on. The seasonal cocktails have names as inventive as the ingredients. For example, Uncle June’s in Witness Protection, made with Flor de Cana 4-year white rum, apple cider vinegar, pineapple, serrano, cilantro. There are more traditional barrel aged cocktails and plenty of wine and beers to choose from as well.

ACRE Restaurant
ACRE Restaurant

ACRE

East Memphis

Sip in a secret garden
ACRE's upscale patio is really more like a private garden -- which makes sense since the restaurant itself is a renovated home. You'll be surrounded by trees and shrubs, insulated from the city, as you sip on one of the artisan, Prohibition-era cocktails or pick something from the extensive wine menu.

Bhan Thai

Midtown

Tropical hidey hole on Peabody Avenue
String lights, Thai food, occasional live music, a very solid beer, wine, and a vast cocktail selection. These are the reasons why Memphians flock to Bhan Thai's deck-style patio in droves. Especially on nice nights.

Lafayette's Music Room
Lafayette's Music Room

Lafayette's Music Room

Overton Square

Second story balcony for music lovers and people watchers
Memphis doesn't have a ton of second-story patios, but the new-ish Lafayette's Music Room in Overton Square can't be beat. Not only is it excellent people-watching from above, with all the other patios and food traffic nearby, but there's live music almost every night and plenty of beer and cocktails.

Felicia Suzanne's
Felicia Suzanne's

Felicia Suzanne's

Downtown

Main street courtyard with fine Southern fare
If you want to take your patio experience to the next level, Felicia Suzanne's high-class brick outdoor dining area is for you. There's an outside bar, a fountain, and plenty of tables for you to enjoy your Southern-style dinner or Friday lunch. For something a bit more casual, stop by Taco Thursday on the patio to enjoy $2 tacos and margarita specials.

Holly Whitfield/Thrillist

Slider Inn

Midtown

Weatherproofed deck style patio for all seasons
The Slider Inn: go for the innuendo, then stay for the drinks, tremendous happy hour, mouth-watering slider selection, vegan buffalo cauliflower and tofu wings, and enormous patio. At least three seasons out of the year, you'll find Memphians and their pups taking advantage of the spacious wooden patio, and probably a couple of Jameson slushies.

Cheffie's

High Point

Outdoor seating with a neighborhood vibe near the Greenline
Head over to the High Point neighborhood in East Memphis for some wine and local beer on Cheffie's patio. It's spacious and has plenty of shade, with easy access to the Shelby Farms Park Greenline if you feel like doing a little biking or running before your drinking begins.

Celtic Crossing Memphis
Celtic Crossing Memphis

Celtic Crossing

Cooper Young

Year round patio action
Celtic's patio has everything. First off, it's huge, covered, and enclosed with heaters in the winter for maximum semi-outdoor drinking time. There's a sizable outdoor bar, frequent live music, DJs, trivia, and tons of drink specials.

Holly Whitfield/Thrillist

Majestic Grille

Downtown

Main Street’s hottest seats
Perhaps the most coveted brunch seat Downtown is on the classy patio at the Majestic Grille. Sit in the shadow of this historic 1920s Art Deco building and indulge in mimosas, steak and eggs, or a tasty Bloody Mary while you enjoy a breeze and people-watching on the car-free Main Street.

Silky O'Sullivan's

Beale Street

A super fun and perfectly touristy courtyard refuge on Beale
Between the Irish "diving goats," several outdoor bars, light-up palm trees, and live music, Silky's has one of the best -- and most kitschy -- patios on Beale Street. Sit in with a friendly mix of tourists, college students, and folks looking for a sunny spot to share a legendary Diver or a couple of beers.

Aldo's

Cooper Young

Midtown’s only rooftop
Aldo's flowing local and regional beer selection and stiff limoncello are both perfect for sweltering summer days. The rooftop perch at the Cooper Young location is one of a kind in Midtown. And the New York-style pizza is the perfect pairing.

Central BBQ

Midtown/Downtown/Summer Avenue

The patio for beer and barbeque lovers
You have triple the options if you want to drink (and eat!) outside at one of Memphis' favorite barbecue joints. The Downtown location has a big, breezy patio with a wall decorated with a Memphis music-inspired mural, the Summer Avenue location has spots for imbibing outside, and at the original Midtown location you have a covered deck and loads of local beer to mix with frequent live music.

Terrace at the River Inn

Terrace at the River Inn

Harbor Town

Best view of the Mississippi
Get a different view of Downtown at the River Inn's upstairs cocktail and tapas joint, Terrace at the River Inn. During the winter you can still enjoy the view as the balcony-like dining area is enclosed; in the spring and summer, catch some breezes while you watch the Mighty Mississippi go by.
 

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Stacey Greenberg writes in Midtown Memphis where she lives with her two sons. She is the Editor of Edible Memphis.