For those rare times when you travel in a posse, or you just want to be guaranteed a seat in the sun, you need a gargantuan bar. Even in real-estate crazed Brooklyn, these places exist. For now.
Have posse? Then travel to a beer garden like Greenpoint’s t.b.d. Photo: t.b.d.
Brooklyn Tap House (Bed-Stuy, 590 Myrtle Ave, 347-750-7557, Happy hour 4-8pm Monday-Friday) When it comes to inviting the whole crew for a day of drinking, Brooklyn Tap House is the ideal destination. The extremely large interior boasts a long bar with lots of seating as well as a number of large tables and benches spread throughout the space. Want to spend time outdoors? The cement back yard offers several picnic tables as well as bench seating around a fire pit. Even the drinks reflect the call for large parties–tap beers are available in growlers, the perfect size for all to share. The menu is large and long, boasting seasonal rotations of local and international brews, and with 42 beers on tap, each member of your party is bound to find the ideal drink. There is also a fully stocked supply of liquor and some wine for those who would rather skip the suds. Due to the addictive bar food (think fries, nachos, burgers, salads) and large screen TVs, this bar fills up fast during sports games, so be sure to call ahead and reserve a spot for your group during the big game.–Gabrielle Sierra
t.b.d. (Greenpoint, 224 Franklin St. at Green St., 718-349-6727) If you’ve ever had to wrangle a big group on a Saturday afternoon, you can almost always depend on t.b.d to have enough room for you. Its huge outdoor space fills up during the occasional day-long event in summer (like our Total Greenpoint Immersion on July 19!), but in general, its picnic-style seating is there for the picking, and Fridays (5-10pm) and weekends (2-10pm), the backyard grill churns out burgers, brats, grilled cheese and corn to keep you steady during multiple rounds of pitchers.–BB
Crown Victoria (South Williamsburg, 60 S. 2nd St. near Wythe, 917-719-6072) It’s hard to compete with a bar that defies the laws of the mullet. At Crown Vic, you can party up front on an ample concrete patio, and in back in the gargantuan pebbled garden. The selection of beers–24 on tap–will satisfy your beer lovers, and there’s enough Aperol, Pimms, whiskey and habanero-infused tequila on the cocktail menu to please the friend who doesn’t drink beer, and the friend who drinks anything and everything. A full menu means you can make a day of it, though keep your ears perked for the semi-regular pig roasts, like the one this Memorial Day.–BB
Greenwood Park (Greenwood Heights, 555 7th Ave. between 19th & 20th Sts, 718-499-7999) Since its opening, Greenwood Park’s tenure on the South Slope/Sunset Park border has been nothing if not controversial (see: complaints about ubiquitous strollers and drunk and disorderly types.) That said, from our perspective, the pros way outweigh the cons. First of all, it’s effing huge–13,000 square feet, a full city block long–with picnic tables aplenty and two bars. The beer selection is great; the pint-glass sangria even better; and there are plenty of warm-weather-friendly nibbles. You can be as sporty as you want to be, either by watching anything from basketball to baseball to European soccer on the indoor TVs, or by joining in on one of the two bocce courts. Perhaps most important: family-friendly hours end in the early evening, so you can enjoy getting your nighttime drink on without having to worry about tripping over strollers.–Casey Acierno
We’ve got more outdoor drink recommendations in our full guide to outdoor bars. Then plan some new happy hours using our outdoor drinks map.
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