Sure, sweltering Texas summers can be a drag, but when you’re gathering with friends for great food and drinks, the afternoons tend to fly by a bit faster. These 27 local spots offer spacious and shady outdoor spaces for kicking back with a frosty beverage and enjoying time with your inner circle.

Chicken N Pickle 5215 UTSA Boulevard, (210) 874-2120, chickennpickle.com/san-antonio The massive four-acre Chicken N Pickle complex features pet-friendly spaces, a fast casual dining restaurant, five outdoor Pickleball courts, two bocce ball and four shuffleboard courts — plus a full bar to fuel the fun. Photo via Instagram / wongo71
Old Main Ice House 110 N. Main St., Cibolo, (210) 455-5275, oldmainicehouse.com Featuring a 10,000 square foot outdoor space to dine and drink in the heart of Cibolo, Old Main Ice House offers a large selection of drinks and an array of food trucks rotating regularly. Photo via Instagram / oldmainicehouse
Bombay Bicycle Club 3506 N St Mary’s St, San Antonio, TX 78212, (210) 737-2411, bombaybicycleclubsa.com Bombay Bicycle Club recently added an updated patio and a 1,850-square-foot seating area built in the parking lot. The popular near-downtown hangout also boasts menu items such as their classic BLT sandwich and offers a Beyond Meat burger, as well as a full bar. Photo via Instagram / bombays_sa
Alamo Beer Co. 202 Lamar St., (210) 872-5589, alamobeer.com Alamo Beer Co. is always a good idea when you’re looking for somewhere to post up and enjoy a breath of fresh air. On Thursdays, you can grab a refreshing cold beer to imbibe while you get your trivia fix. Photo via Instagram / thedustinwray Credit: Courtesy Photo / Alamo Beer Co.
Little Woodrow’s Multiple Locations, littlewoodrows.com Known for their huge outdoor spaces and countless flat screen TVs, Little Woodrow’s offers pet-friendly, 21-and-up patio pleasure at its Stone Oak and New Braunfels locations. Photo via Instagram / littlewoodrowsstoneoak
The Hoppy Monk 1010 N Loop 1604 E, thehoppymonk.com The Hoppy Monk offers ample outdoor seating, and the food menu and huge selection of beers only add to the reasons to head to this north SA spot. Stop by on Sunday to indulge in their brunch offerings, but be warned: you will wait for a table, so don’t arrive hangry. Photo via Instagram / thehoppymonk
Hops & Hounds 13838 Jones Maltsberger Rd, (210) 592-9400, hopsandhoundsllc.com This Northeast patio offers a delicious basket of loaded tots on which to nosh while you grab a drink and play some good ol’ fashioned corn hole with your friends. Photo via Instagram / hopsandhoundssa
Two Bros BBQ 12656 West Avenue, (210) 496-0222, twobrosbbqmarket.com Two Bros BBQ is an excellent patio spot if you’re in the mood to chow down on their signature Big Bro sandwich and enjoy a dessert like the “Tommy Z” homemade fudge. Photo via Instagram / twobrosbbqmarket
The Friendly Spot Ice House 943 S. Alamo St., (210) 224-2337, thefriendlyspot.com Southtown’s largest outdoor food and drink venue, The Friendly Spot, offers a great outdoor sports viewing and a playground area for the rugrats. Photo via Instagram / fondlycooper
Social Spot 930 Broadway St., (210) 263-9009, facebook.com/socialspotSATX Just north of downtown on Broadway, Social Spot boasts a huge footprint — most of the property is outdoors. Boasting a stunning mural of the Queen of Tejano herself, Selena, Social Spot offers a variety of cocktails and plenty of daily drink specials. Photo via Instagram / social_spot_satx
The Good Kind 1127 S. St. Mary’s St., (210) 801-5892, eatgoodkind.com The Good Kind’s picturesque outdoor garden is open for patrons to eat and drink while the sun beams down. The restaurant hosts various events in its outdoor space, including live music, dance parties and film screenings. Photo via Instagram / thegoodkindsouthtown
Burleson Yard Beer Garden 430 Austin St., (210) 354-3001, facebook.com/BurlesonYard Burleson Yard Beer Garden has made a splash with its huge array of activities such as a large play area for the kiddos, table tennis, hammocks, giant flat-screens and live music. As the name suggests, hopheads will be pleased with the large beer selection, and the frozen drinks tend to be a big hit as well. Photo by joshiehalfninja via Instagram / burlesonyardbeergarden
Beethoven Maennerchor 422 Pereida St., (210) 222-1521, beethovenmaennerchor.com Located in Southtown near Blue Star, the Beethoven Maennerchor halle is home to one of the oldest German singing societies in Texas. The property usually hosts some of the biggest outdoor Oktoberfest, Fiesta and First Friday bashes in town, complete with authentic German food and music, plus ah-mazing German bier. Photo via Facebook / the.Beethoven
The Rustic 17619 La Cantera Parkway, #04, (210) 245-7500, therustic.com/san-antonio Sitting right outside of the loop, The Rustic offers live music, a huge outdoor seating area and a diverse food menu. Photo via Instagram / therusticsa
Three Star Bar 521 E. Grayson St., okayestbar.com This Government Hill-area restaurant and bar focuses on deli-style fare and high-quality whiskeys — as well as a few unexpected tipples such as a gin and tonic with pickle juice. Located in the space formerly occupied by Grayze, Three Star Bar also boasts a comfortable and spacious backyard patio. Photo via Instagram / threestarbar
Cactus Land Brewing Company 368 County Rd 325, Adkins, (210) 414-2776, cactuslandbrewing.com This taproom is open the first and third weekends of the month to bring you fresh brews and fun eats, provided from local food trucks. It stays true to its name, using the prickly pear native to the land in its La Tuna Wheat beer. Photo via Instagram / cactuslandbrewing
Dog and Pony Grill 1481 S Main St, Boerne, (830) 816-7669, dogandponygrill.com Satisfy your fried cravings and indulge yourself in some hand-breaded chicken fried steak or chicken fried chicken, drenched with jalapeno gravy. If that isn’t enough for you, get your hands on the El Diablo burger to add to this Texas heat. Photo via Instagram / dogandpony_boerne
The Cove 606 W Cypress St, (210) 227-2683, thecove.us The Cove has long been an outdoor haven for San Antonians, and for good reason. Its spacious patio accommodates those looking to enjoy the weather, plus it has a play area with plenty of room for kids to have a blast. Be sure to check out the Texas bar, which offers over 40 Texas craft brews. Photo via Instagram / thecovesa
Cherrity Bar 302 Montana St., (210) 598-0496, cherritybar.com Seated comfortably at the corner of Cherry and Montana streets on the East Side, Cherrity Bar covers nearly an entire city block, combining cocktails, charitable giving and a ramen shop. Guests can sit in the huge covered patio area, where a spectacular view of the Tower of the Americas adds to the vibe. Photo via Instagram / cherritybar
La Tuna Icehouse & Grill 100 Probandt St., (210) 212-5727, latunasa.com For 30 years, La Tuna Icehouse has been serving cold beer and wine to guests on their front outdoor patio, which includes an array of pecan tree-shaded picnic tables. Don’t forget to take a photo with their outdoor mural while you enjoy a frosty beverage. Photo via Instagram / latunaicehouse
Dos Sirenos Brewing 231 E. Cevallos St., (210) 442-8138, dossirenosbrewing.com Producing brews in Southtown since 2019, Dos Sirenos boasts a large patio and comfortably shaded kid- and dog-friendly outdoor space. Photo via Instagram / amanda_mo81
The Well 5539 UTSA Blvd., (210) 877-9099, thewellsanantonio.com Enjoy a casual Texas experience at The Well. The kitchen and bar is located just a few minutes drive from UTSA’s main campus with southern style comfort foods accompanied by more than 100 beers on tap and craft cocktails. The Well also features a spacious outdoor dining space that even includes a small wooden stage. Photo via Instagram / thewellsanantonio
Aquaduck Beer Garden 9214 Espada Rd., (210) 600-3280, theaquaduck.com Set within the San Antonio Mission Trails and historic Aqueduct District, the Aquaduck offers an extensive selection of beers, wines and margaritas. The location boasts tons of TVs and a spacious outdoor seating area. Photo via Instagram / theaquaducksa
La Gloria Multiple Locations, chefjohnnyhernandez.com/restaurants/la-gloria The patios at each La Gloria location — save for the airport location, of course — include lush greenery and plenty of space to enjoy the outdoors. Photo via Instagram / pattinelsonluxury
The Shade Tree Saloon 13430 US-281, Spring Branch, (830) 885-5550, facebook.com/ShadetreeSaloonGrill This hill country gem invites guests to stop in for a hearty meal, cold beverage, game of pool or shuffle board and frequent live local music. Shade Tree offers a diverse wine and beer selection including a line of Shade Tree Homebrew drafts, brewed on site. Photo via Instagram / theshadetreesaloon
Brooster’s Backyard 815 Pleasanton Rd, (210) 253-9104, facebook.com/BroostersBackyard This kid- and pet-friendly Southside venue offers live music, DJs, chancla throwing contests and Lotería nights. Grab a drink from the full bar or mocktail menu, as well as snacks from a variety of food trucks — or a couple of snow cones for the kiddos. Photo via Instagram / broostersbackyard
Thirsty Horse Saloon 2335 N.W. Military Hwy., (210) 348-1513, thirstyhorse.net Castle Hills country music haven the Thirsty Horse Saloon expanded its footprint in the summer of 2022 with a massive new outdoor space that it calls the Back Porch. The patio includes a raised music stage, an outdoor bar, picnic tables and plenty of space for boot-scootin’. Photo via Google Maps