Parks on Tap is a a unique and fun "beer garden" experience. It's super casual and a nice way to relax, meet friends and hang outside. Things to note: you have to "sign in" on your phone before you can enter. This causes a line on some busy nights - such as last night, their opening night at the Azalea garden. My partner had an issue because his phone wasn't loading and they would not let him in! Even after checking his ID. Luckily, he was able to borrow my phone to sign in. If they require sign in for entry, they should at least have an iPad (or paper) for those that are unable to do it on their phones. As far as beer selection, didn't LOVE the choices, they were okay, I thought I remembered some better options last year. I got the 2SP up and out, which is good, but didn't think the other options were great. I personally don't go to Parks on Tap for food, but if you would like food they have it. Our friends ordered the Mexican street corn dip, but they were not a fan of it. However, the atmosphere is wonderful, I love the aspect of getting out in a park in the city and having a few beers and relaxing! It's unique and fun. It's also great that it travels, I'm excited to try some of the other locations. They do have a good amount of seating options, but if you expect it to be crowded and want a place to sit, I recommend bringing a blanket or foldable chair. read more

Rode our bikes out here last night for bike gang. It felt like biking up a mountain. I got a lemonade and a brisket cheese steak. It was really good and unlike most parks on tap food, actually filling. Plenty of space between benches and chairs. No over crowding. No lines. Bathrooms were super clean. Sanitized pens to sign your name after paying. All the proper precautions. This has been my favorite parks on tap experience. read more

Parks On Tap - Cool Place for a lemonade. - Beer Gardens Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

My husband and I recently stopped by Parks on Tap to grab a few beers after a leisure bike ride. For contact tracing purposes, everyone needs to digitally sign in on their website, despite the website's instructions of one person signing in for the entire group. There were plenty of picnic tables and camping chairs -- all were spread more than 6ft apart. The menu for food and beers is limited, but that is expected. Not a bad place to enjoy a few snacks and beers for a couple of hours. read more

Parks On Tap is such a fun concept and I have been down with it since it began. I love exploring the different parks in all the different neighborhoods around the city. This year, I have had a ball with visiting locations/parks that I wouldn't otherwise get a chance to visit. It is always a nice crowd of diverse people who enjoy having beer, laying in hammocks or the farm tables and have cool conversations. Since the inception, the food game has stepped up and that has been a plus, because when you are sampling these good brews - you need something yummy to accompany it. This particular visit was at the Lemon Hill location, what a nice view over the city as the sunset was happening. Keep Up The Good Work Parks On Tap - I look forward to discovering lesser known parks around the city and having a brew while talking with friends makes me LOVE my City More and More! read more

Parks On Tap - Philly Night Skyline From Lemon Hill Location - Beer Gardens Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

What an awesome concept. Host pop up beer gardens around the city's parks. In the end, it both raises awareness of said parks as well as providing some funding (as a portion of the sales go to the parks). A true win-win. These pop ups travel around the city, so you have to pay attention to where you might be heading. You'll also need to register, however, registration is free and covers you all season. The drink mix, both beers and cocktails, are slightly different at the different events. I hit up the Parks on Tap: Gorgas Park recently. Gorgas Park is a short walk (~ 1 mile) from my house, yet I hadn't really found a reason to visit it. After a great evening out, I found a solid list of upcoming events which I plan to check out. Again, win-win. I'm the definition of a fair-weather fan. These events are outdoors and I haven't seen one with a lot of coverage for poor weather. Best to keep that mind in. However, It's always sunny in Philadelphia, right? read more

Parks On Tap - Beer Gardens Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Definitely a bit off the beaten path, but I found this to be a great pop up garden with plenty of seating and flexibility and really nice scenery. I went here with a group of running friends (so we ran there), so I can't speak to parking which may be challenging, but the garden itself was really nice. Good mix of beers and while you can get reservations its not "Assigned" seating, so its fairly free for the covid era. Definitely worth checking out if you enjoy a solid beer garden. read more

All around the city this summer, The people chase the place that is funner, Parks on Tap will cure your boredom, Pop! Goes the Beer Garden! Philly had once again proved how great it is in the summer with this rotating series of pop up beer gardens brought to you by Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, Fairmount Park Conservancy and Avram Hornik of FCM Hospitality. This 14 week series is popping up all over the city until October (check the website for locations). The set up includes picnic tables, hammocks, adirondack chairs, and cornhole, with some covered areas for rain and shade . Food and drinks offerings include a selection of sliders (pulled pork, mushroom, chicken sausage, meatball, and brisket) and some prepared salads (greek, soba, quinoa, etc.) A few beers are on tap (Yuengling, Yuengling Summer Wheat, Spring House Grapefruit Pale Ale, Sly Fox IPA, Evil Genius Mango Belgian Wit) and a wine and cocktail option. Special activities vary by location but all include yoga Saturdays at 12 by Maha Yoga. Admission is free but you have to get a membership card (like the other pop ups in the city). This weekend, the Japanese House and Garden offered $5 admission (normally $15) and activities like origami, fan making, a sake cocktail, and some sushi food offerings. Family and dog friendly! People bringing their babies to these type of things both makes me slightly uncomfortable and makes me relieved that I'll still see my friends once they start popping out tiny humans, but if babies and beers don't mix in your book, this place may not be for you. It's a great excuse to check out a part of the city you may have never been to, and drink beer outside, which has been scientifically proven to taste better. Pop on over, you won't be sorry! read more

See all

A much needed escape from the city, and some extra support from the staff when I needed to get home... biked out here from center city about a week ago with a friend, and really enjoyed the chance to just relax in some wide open space for a few beers. The layout is great; lots of pockets of comfortable chairs, well spaced out from one another, and it's really easy to keep your distance from everybody else until you've found a spot to settle in. It was definitely pretty therapeutic after months of not going out. And then I found out that I had a completely flat rear tire. Walking the bike home was out of the question, and I was pretty much resigned to locking it to some random object overnight and hoping it would still be there when I came back the next day with my car to pick it up. Luckily, POT staffer Scott, who was working the gate, offered to deliver my wounded bike back to my house in his pickup truck after his shift was over. I managed to grab a Lyft home, and just about an hour later, Scott arrived with the bike. It was a huge relief, and kept my relaxing night from turning into a stressful mess, so big shout-out to both POT and Scott! read more

POT has been a much-needed icebreaker to acclimate me to Philly. Once one of my favorite cities, I fell in love again over the summer with the friendly vibes, and moderately sized lines (beats New York anyway) Huge bonus for being pet-friendly, and child-friendly. The city that is a friend to all, and I'm glad to have it back in my life again :) read more

Parks On Tap for those who aren't familiar is a family friendly traveling pop-up beer garden benefiting, and in partnership with Fairmount Park Conservancy & Philly Parcs & Rec. It hits 20 parks in 20 weeks and this weekend, it's FDR Park's turn! We attended both last year, the first year, and last night. I must say I prefer the location in the park this season back by the picturesque gazebo and the lake (where you can also rent paddle boats and light up 4 seated bikes), rather than up near the stadiums and Broad Street where it was last year. Last year there were live acts but this year's vibe was much more laid back. It also is here for a bit longer this year. A bunch of woven hammocks, neat wooden carved two person benches, funky air chairs, picnic tables, and a few areas to relax under the twinkle strung lights and what reminded me of those parachutes you used to love in gym class when you were a kid hanging above, providing shade. There's lots of room for the kiddos and pups to play. A box full of games including Twister and hula hoops. bowling, colorful, and oversized Jenga, to name a few. Hubs and I personally love places where we can kick back and relax with a brew in hand while the kiddos play right there. A win for all! Oh, plus the kiddos will live watching the planes from PHL fly overhead! Upon entering they will ask you to fill out a quick entrance form on a tablet and will then hand you a membership card for future Parks On Tap visits elsewhere. For those who wish to drink you will be carded and stamped. As a sweet bonus this year is that we also received a BOGO admission pass to The Swedish Museum located there right in the park. About a half a dozen brews on tap including locals. Frozen drinks either lemonade or strawberry for $5 (great for the kiddos) with the option to make "adult". You can also add a variety of booze to ginger or root beer as well. They had a smoker on site providing the meats and eggplant for the sammies they were selling. A bunch of classic picnic sides such as beans, cornbread and salads also. This weekend only they're offering beer can chicken dinners with two sides of your choosing. There are at options here for the more health conscious and veg patrons too! *No outside food or drink and they do prefer cards. We all had a great time at P.O.T. as usual. I think FDR is a fantastic spot for this! It's such an urban retreat I feel many in the city don't really take advantage of. There's some wildlife such as deer and geese so keep your eyes peeled. Fishing, boating, tennis, a playground, a baseball field with bleachers, a skatepark, and a golf course! Lalapalooza even took place here one year! Our family absolutely loves it here! FDR is also a great place to stop before or after a game or event as it's just across the street from the stadiums. Parking is free and ample, but only allowed the right hand side of the one way loop. And by the way, that loop is just shy of 5k for those looking to get a walk or jog in! The lark is easily accessible via the subway. Get off at the AT& T station. Plenty of bike parking also! Highly recommend for a chill couple of hours with or without the kiddos! read more

See all

Grabbing a beer and enjoying the Parklife (https://youtu.be/YSuHrTfcikU) are two of my favorite things. So when I first found out that Philly Parks & Rec was combining the two into a traveling summer beer garden I was sold and checking that calendar twice. And after attending it during the Columbus Park layover, I'm happy to report that its a solid occasion! The food and drink menu is a bit lacking compared to the majority of regular beer gardens open throughout the city. But for beers it provides a selection of well rounded local drafts from the likes of St. Benjamin's, Evil Genius, and Dock Street. It also provide some BBQ goodness from an impressive on-site customer smoker truck, and has good veggie options like a smoked eggplant sandwich and panzanella to ensure that you're vegetarian friends aren't left out while you indulge on brisket and smoked turkey sausage. Currently Parks on Tap just finished up at the Shofuso Japanese House & Garden in Fairmount, and is getting ready to set up in Schuylkill Banks next week. But with stops in South Philly's Jefferson Square, Fishtown's Penn Treaty Park, West Philly's Clark Park, Manayunk's Pretzel Park, and more; you definitely want to keep track of their website to find out what this traveling beer garden has lined up! read more

It would be better if I wasn't told I couldn't stand in the only bit of shade with my dogs for 10 minutes because apparently the guys working the entrance just wanted to harass me so here I am. They acted as if we were trying to sneak into a Taylor Swift show when we arrived and out took 15 minutes just to go through the "process " of entry..... and boy it was a process. What a joke. read more

Good. Takes credit cards. Plenty of beers. Price was what I expected and the same as anywhere else so I am unsure why some are complaining. Food options were fine but limited. I recommend bringing food or using this as a starting spot before heading to dinner or the bars. There were numerous families that hung out together and let their kids play games or use sidewalk chalk. My wife and I sat and enjoyed our beer and people watched for about an hour and then went on a mission to several bars. I am sure that some of the locations differ vastly in amenities and beers/food options but am glad that Philadelphia has these pop up events to showcase various neighborhoods. It was a nice way to spend some time relaxing and socializing with local residents. read more

Parks On Tap - Perfect Saturday evening - Beer Gardens Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Make a reservation! You can basically walk right in rather than waiting.The bartender was friendly and knowledgeable about the beer offerings and made a great recommendation. The food menu looked good and was well priced. We tried the pretzel with the pimento cheese upgrade. Was enough for 2 to share as a snack. Tip is included, but encouraged to tip extra if you can! read more

Overpriced beer and (aside from the decent cornbread) poorly prepared overpriced food? Hey, sign me up! It's a nice idea. It needs tweaking. More beer selections better priced, and just a bit more food selections better cooked, and they'll have something nice that I would happily rate higher. read more

This. Is. Philly. Parks on tap symbolizes the start of summer and is one of my most anticipated openings each year. This year brings new locations including Historic Rittenhouse. Tonight was a gorgeous warm spring night. The food is average but that's not what you should go for--go for the beer (good local beer and decent food), go for the dogs, the atmosphere and the friendly vibes. Again, there's really no better way to put it than this is what Philly is all about. Parks on tap has a simplicity and relaxed vibe that other beer gardens just can't achieve and it highlights some incredible areas around the city that you may otherwise not venture to--do yourself a favor, check the schedule and go. read more

Parks On Tap - Historic Rittenhouse Town - Beer Gardens Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

See all

Great concept. Great locations. Food and drink are a bit pricey, though. Oh well...it's totally worth it and apparently a portion of the proceeds go back to the parks at the end of the season. read more

Parks On Tap - Baked beans with brisket - Beer Gardens Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

See all

Initial issues aside, I'm not enamored by Parks on Tap. Obviously, there are organizational and communication issues, but the operation wasn't outstanding. The concept of a beer garden rotating through the Philly parks system is great. The actual beer garden, not so much. At the time of my visit, they only had two beers on tap: a Yuengling Lager and a Slyfox IPA. There were other tap lines available, but only one more was added before I left. The beer was definitely lacking. I also think $7 is a little high for a standard draft. They started selling a cucumber sangria, which I heard was sugary and $8. I'll stand by my initial thoughts on the interesting menu. I didn't order off their standard menu though. I had a crunchy tuna roll from Cozara/Zama. I thought it was clever they were at the Japanese garden. The guy who placed my order was nice and trying to move as quickly as possible with a slow tap line. Another guy behind the booth was just barking at customers about which line to be in. Japanese to the left, sliders to the right. A sign would've been nice, not the verbal cues. Location, location, location. Ultimately, that's what makes Parks on Taps cool. I wouldn't have been sipping a beer in the beautiful Japanese garden with good company otherwise. I think some of the locations are going to be more of a miss. I'd keep my eye out for some of the more unique ones; unless the beer garden gets their act together, the location is the primary reason to go. read more

See all

Parks on Tap is such a great idea. When this travelling pop-up beer garden travels to your neck of the woods, get some friends together and attend. It's a laid-back food and drink time for friends, families, and four-legged accompaniers. I recently hung out at the Parks on Tap at Lovett Park in Mount Airy on a perfect spring evening. And the Evil Genius #adulting with guava was a great beer that everyone at the table loved. And remember a portion of everything you spend goes to the Fairmount Park Conservancy. So drink up! read more

See all

This event was so fun. My friends and I went on my last day in Philly and it was the perfect way to end the trip. We went to the Strawberry Mansion Bridge location and I'm not going to lie I was pretty surprised when we showed up. Definitely didn't expect the event to literally be on the bridge, but that's what made it so unique. The Blood Orange Margaritas were delicious and definitely not lacking in the alcohol department. read more

Parks On Tap - Beer Gardens Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

See all

This is a good idea poorly executed. They won't let you bring your own food but the food they serve is terrible! With all the great food trucks in Phila I would expect nicer offerings. My main problem is that they won't let me bring my own cup to drink out of and they won't refill your cup UNLESS you buy one of their plastic branded cups. If it is a DOH concern they simultaneously enforce and break the rules. This makes no sense and if they truly have interest in protecting Philadelphia's parks system they should have more environmentally conscious practices. read more

Went this Saturday and got food poisoning. Also was charged an enormous gratuity fee when they just hand you a beer and sandwich at the truck. They did not include a gratuity fee last year and the food was much better too. Will not be coming back even for a drink. read more

Second time visiting Parks on Tap, first time for the 2017 summer season. This time it was at Columbus Square in South Philly. POT is entirely contingent on the location. I enjoyed it more this time around because of the sheer amount of viable seating space available here (last year it was shoved in the corner of Jefferson Square Park and felt limited on space - hopefully this year when they return to that location, it will expand a bit more). Overall, it seems like this year had a much wider variety of both food and beverages. There was a decent selection of beer and ciders (all craft, of course, and a good mix of IPAs, lagers, wits, etc.), as well as some new additions of fun summer cocktails (adult slushies!). The adult slushies sounded too good to pass up, even at $10 a pop, so I got a vodka lemonade one and my BF opted for the tequila lemonade. The other option of watermelon sounded delicious, as well. They were absolutely delicious, refreshing and tart, although for $10 each for what's essentially an insane amount of sugar, I didn't wanna drink them all day so we switched to beer/cider. They were strong enough to provide a nice buzz, though. The seating extended an entire block from one end to the other, with the entrance in the center, the bar/kitchen/bathrooms at the north end, and seating throughout. There was a nice selection of hammocks, tailgating chairs, wooden benches, chairs, etc. I saw a few hoolah hoops scattered throughout, as well as some cornhole. Plenty of shading under the trees strung with lights, but also areas in the sun if you wanted to do that. Took off a star for the price of alcohol (it is a bit expensive), the single bathroom and the amount of children running around (it WAS Father's Day and it is nice they allow children in with their parents - and all were well-behaved - but every now and then it's nice to talk freely without worrying about who's listening). Also, the bouncer/sign-in process is a bit annoying. They kind of just stood there at the entrance and didn't greet us. read more

Love love love this idea! Came to the FDR park location before a Philies game. Kid friendly which is nice, you can borrow games like can jam. The bathrooms are really clean for it being a pop up spot which is great. The beer selection is good but beware, they're all high alcohol content beers. I was feeling good after only 3 or 4. Can't wait to try the other locations as the summer continues! read more

Great idea and venue but soooo disorganized. Of course cause it's Philadelphia. One station for food and drinks? Really?

A fun seasonable program. I enjoy going to the different locations each week. The food and drink offerings are decent. Prices aren't too bad. I highly recommend the Belmont Plateau location. Awesome view!! read more

This is such a great idea! It's like happy hour comes to you lol I attended last weeks PoT at Baldwin park and had such a good time with my coworkers. We were the first to arrive (idk if that's giving off a good or bad impression lol) the seating was cool, there was plenty. They had benches, folding chairs, hammocks, tables w/ chairs, etc. They had larger than life sized games of twister and chess. People bought their children. The space was perfect, there were trees to provide shade (even though we went on the coolest evening of the season). They had some good drink options, I had the root beer with dark rum & root beer with Evan williams whiskey, both were good. The food was yum, yum, yum delecioso (except for the cole slaw). Now I loves me some cole slaw but this cole slaw was a little too bitter for my taste. But the smoked turkey sausage and the smoked eggplant, both served on a fresh toasted hot dog bun....baaaybeee, when I say better than good especially for a lil after work picnic, they were delectable. I will be catching a couple more of here Parks on Tap pop-ups this summer. I swear, I love my city! read more

Parks On Tap - Smoked turkey sausage - Beer Gardens Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

See all

A fun, roaming beer garden that encourages you to check out different parks/areas of Philly. I've been to 3 this summer, and each one definitely had a different feel - both location and clientele. The beers on draft are good options, and they have wine and recently added a mixed drink (vodka based) for non-beer drinkers. I wish they would switch up the beers more often so it makes it more of something to look forward each week, getting to try something new. Very dog friendly, and depending on how close the weekly location is to residential areas, there will be many dogs to make friends with too! read more

A totally gorgeous outdoor setting to meet up with friends in the evening! They didn't have any red wine options, which would have been my choice, but I enjoyed the Pride Punch. read more

Cannot recommend this enough! My boyfriend and I have biked to several of these from the ML in the early evenings. Great mixed crowd - always friendly. Great beer! Great reason to discover some of the lesser known attractions in our own city (how many people know about The Japanese House in Fairmount Park???) Highly recommend. Not inexpensive but that helps keep the crowd more polished. read more

The price is too expensive for everything. $5 for a hotdog on a bun? $5 for a unsweetened ice tea loaded with ice. Its too crowded, long lines in bathroom, but the bathroom is clean tho & not disgusting like the porta potty by the park. read more

Went today (easter sunday). Not terribly busy even though the park was packed. Guess the locals know better. Rude staff. Just plain nasty. Food was mediocre and tables were nasty dirty. Probably shouldn't have eaten there after seeing the tables. Probably be on the toilet all night with food poisoning. read more

Wow, incredibly poor service with an attitude. Ordered one overpriced beer. The server, an angry little man, brought back a cup that was about an inch short of beer. I looked at my cup befuddled. He says to me, "what? you have to speak up if you have a problem." I keep staring. He slowly works his way back to the tap. He mutters, "We're having a problem with the tap." Then, because someone is at the tap, he has to wait. Instead, he grabs a beer that the person at the tap had already poured, correctly. During that interlude, he also said to the coworker something like, "look at this beer, he wants another." Great service. Great management. I have already made sure to tell everyone I know how poor your service is. Keep it up. read more

Bike hostile. Sinks in restrooms don't work, but the soap dispensers are fully loaded. Can't order at the food truck, have to get in the long beer line and order there. read more

Overpriced beer. They recently had a parks on tap pop up at Columbus Square park in E. Passyunk. The bouncer was a bit excessive checking IDs but that can be overlooked. What shouldnt be overlooked is the average selection of beer which is also overpriced. Then they had last call at 945 (probably because of noise ordinances) not a problem but then instead of letting us drink the beer we just bought, they tried to push us out exactly at 10pm. They should really have last call at 930pm if they arent going to let people chill and finish their beer. Im 32 Im not trying to pound a frickin $7 craft beer bc they cant time stuff right. We tried to leave with the beers in hand because we were told we had to leave but then told we couldnt leave with the beer- I understand why this is all policy for liability reasons but time it better and they could definitely use friendlier staff (bartenders were very nice) the rest of the staff was miserable and it showed. Dont work these events if you cant handle a bar like setting. Two stars for the concept and nice lighting and seating. We live a block away- Ill save my park drinking for when this popup is long gone. Im not sure whether to blame the parks department or FCM hospitality for the shortfalls so Ill just give a shoutout to both and hope either party picks it up a bit. read more

Beer selection is the same every time. They pour the beer and set it on the table in the sun until someone orders it. The food is served cold even though it's supposed to be hot food. The locations on the water were nice, but the food and drink could be better. read more