The best beer gardens in Boston

Another brewery in Everett’s "Fermentation District," Bone Up produces fresh new beers regularly. Grab some friends and spend some time in the beer garden, housed in a former parking lot that's now filled with pretty flowers. Snacks include Eastern Standard Provisions soft pretzels, Buenas empanadas, and more drinks-friendly fare. Well-behaved children and dogs are welcome.
Beer garden: Mon-Wed 3-9pm, Thu-Sat noon-10pm, Sun noon-8pm

As the oldest brewery/restaurant in Cambridge, CBC is a well-oiled machine. They produce a range of crowd-pleasing beers in different styles—ambers, porters, English-style ales—as well as some unusual brews like a corn lager or a gin barrel-aged sour with cucumber. The setting is convivial, great for large groups. Enjoy a sampling of beers inside with a view of the brewing tanks or out on the breezy patio beer garden. A varied menu of upscale pub fare keeps the crowds satiated.
Beer garden: Mon 4-10pm, Tue-Fri 11:30am-10pm, Sat-Sun 11am-10pm.

Nantucket’s favorite brewery has set up shop once again in the bustling Seaport (65 Northern Ave)—the expansive outdoor area often serves as a see-and-be-scene stop for local residents. Visitors can nosh on slicaes and salads from Nantucket-born Oath Pizza while sampling Cisco’s extensive portfolio of beers, plus Malus Malum hard ciders, Nantucket Vineyard wines, frosé and coolers.
Tue-Thu 4-10pm, Fri 3-11pm, Sat noon-11pm, Sun noon-10pm

Dorchester Brewing Co. produces a range of well-respected craft beers, but they also reserve brewing space to partner with other notable craft brewers like Stillwater, Winter Hill, Radiant Pig and Evil Twin. The brewery's rooftop beer garden offers an exterior deck with open-air tables and killer views of the city skyline. If the weather turns, head inside to the glass-enclosed Hopservatory beer hall, and there's additional outdoor seating on the street level. Fuel the fun by nibbling on savory meats from in-house restaurant M&M BBQ.
Outdoor seating: Sun-Mon 11:30am-9pm, Tue-Thu 11:30am-11pm, Fri-Sat 11:30am-12:30am

Head out to Everett to see why Night Shift has developed a strong following for its lagers, IPAs, milk stouts, saisons, weisses, porters, and small-batch limited releases. Take home a growler of whatever’s fresh, or stick around to enjoy flights, pints, or cans. Trivia nights, fun runs, food trucks, and pet-centric fundraisers fill the taproom calendar. In addition to the Everett location's roomy patio, beerhounds can head to Night Shift's Boston location in the shadow of the TD Garden (1 Lovejoy Wharf) to enjoy alfresco beers with views of the Zakim Bridge.
Everett patio hours: Wed-Thu 2-8pm, Fri - Sun 12-8pm
Boston patio hours: Thu-Fri 2-9pm, Sat noon-9pm, Sun noon-8pm

Sam Adams Brewing's newest tap room is located just steps away from the Sam Adams statue at Faneuil Hall. The 15,000 square foot tap room is three levels, including an outdoor deck with nice views.
Outdoor deck: Sun-Wed 2-8pm, Thu-Sat noon-8pm

Trillium’s brews are among the most highly-prized and hardest to find in the area. Fortunately, Trillium offers a trio of spacious outdoor beer gardens. Choose from the Fort Point location’s scenic rooftop, the open-air open space of Trillium Fenway (401 Park Dr), or the main brewery in suburban Canton (110 Shawmut Rd), home to a roomy patio and sprawling lawn.
Canton: Thu-Sun 11am-8pm
Fenway: Wed-Thu, Sun 11am-8pm, Fri-Sat 11am-9pm
Fort Point: Wed-Sun 11am-9pm