The best outdoor beer gardens at New Jersey breweries

There are more options than ever for enjoying a Garden State crafted beer in an outdoor setting.

New Jersey tied for first place (with Kentucky) with 43% growth in the craft beer scene from 2015 to 2019, according to C+R Research.

The following is a roundup of breweries around the state with scenic, dedicated outdoor seating, as weather allows.

Source Farmhouse Brewery (Monmouth County)

300 Route 34, Colts Neck
Phone: 732-431-2337
The popular spot along Route 34, very close to Route 18 welcomes walk-up customers.

Source Farmhouse Brewery's spacious beer garden is both kid- and dog-friendly.

Kane Brewing Company (Monmouth County)

1750 Bloomsbury Avenue, Ocean Township
Phone: 732-922-8600

No reservations are required for the beer garden, though as of August, seatings are limited to 90 minutes.

Children under adult supervision are permitted at Kane Brewing's beer garden, but no pets are allowed, with the exception of service animals.

Ship Bottom Brewery (Ocean County)

830 N Bay Ave #23, Beach Haven, NJ 08008
Phone: 609-207-6331
Brewing beer on Long Beach Island for more than 20 years, the Beach Haven brewery is open year-round.

Hours are seasonal in the beer garden and the tasting room, where you can sample or purchase handcrafted ales and lagers.

Last Wave Brewing (Ocean County)

601 Bay Avenue, Point Pleasant Beach
Phone: 732-450-8600
The outdoor beer garden is open for table service as weather allows. Families and well-behaved dogs on leashes are welcome.

The tasting room is also open for bar service, with hours adjusted seasonally. As for the variety of brews offered, Last Wave has 18 beer taps and can “usually keep them all full,” plus there are cans and growlers to go.

Forgotten Boardwalk Brewing (Camden County)

1940 Olney Ave Suite 100, Cherry Hill
Phone: 856-437-0709

Forgotten Boardwalk Brewing offers outdoor seating consistently, weather permitting. The brewery also has continued curbside, non-contact pickup during the pandemic.

The brewery has been open since 2014, at the property that was formerly used by Flying Fish Brewery.

Two Ton Brewing (Union County)

730 Federal Avenue, Kenilworth
Phone: 908-241-1614

There are 20 tap lines with rotating beers on draught, three unique taproom spaces and now an outdoor space, open seasonally.

Two Ton recorded its first sales as a contract brewer in 2015, opening its production facility three years later.

Flounder Brewing Co. (Somerset County)

2 Clerico Lane Bldg 4, Hillsborough
Phone: 908-396-6166

After its start in 2010, Flounder Brewing's new home with a 15 barrel brewhouse just opened in June within a renovated barn at Carriage Farm.

Accompanied, attended children are welcome, as are dogs on the front patio. Guests also can bring their own food, as long as they clean up after they’re done. The outdoor area is currently open Thursday through Sunday, with hours adjusted seasonally.

Jersey Girl Brewing (Morris County)

426 Sand Shore Road Unit 1, Hackettstown
Phone: 908-591-4186
The brewery (with a Hackettstown mailing address but is actually in Mount Olive) is open with extended hours, 16 craft beer options and live music.

In the Beer Garden, visitors can bring their own lawn chairs, in addition to using available picnic tables, high top tables and wooden barrel “tables.” Bring food or order locally for delivery, dogs are welcome.

Lone Eagle Brewing (Hunterdon County)

44 Stangl Rd, Flemington, NJ 08822
Phone: 908-237-2255

Open since 2016, Lone Eagle offers 12 to 14 beers on tap at any given time, with a “balanced board” of IPA's, saisons, stouts, porters, lagers and ales.

The outside area seats more than 60, while its 5,000 square-feet tasting room with reclaimed wood from Hunterdon County includes an 1,800 square-foot loft.

Conclave Brewing (Hunterdon County)

11 Minneakoning Road, Raritan Township
Phone: 908-392-0893
Since 2015, Conclave Brewing has been serving up its own beer in Hunterdon County.
Guests can buy small, individual pre-packaged snacks on-site, or bring outside food (and clean-up when done).

Family-friendly, though children must be accompanied and supervised by an adult at all times. "We love dogs, but we are not allowed to have dogs on our premises," according to the website, though service dogs are allowed.

Cape May Brewing Company (Cape May County)

1288 Hornet Road, Cape May
Phone: 609-849-9933
Cape May Brewery offers a beer garden and tasting room, which features up to 24 of their craft beers and homemade sodas on tap at any time. All ages are welcome, and visitors must be 21 and older to drink.

The "Brewtanical Garden" in the field behind the Tasting Room is open until late fall.

Icarus Brewing (Ocean County)

1790 Swarthmore Ave, Unit 3 Lot 2 Lakewood
Phone: 732-276-6273
Lakewood's first microbrewery prides itself on “local flavor and fresh, hand-crafted ales and lagers.” There are roughly 20 beers on tap at any given time, and at times, the beer Slushie machine is fired up.

The brewery is closed on Tuesdays and open every other day, with hours adjusted seasonally, as of August.

Eclipse Brewing (Camden County)

25 E. Park Avenue, Merchantville
Phone: 856-662-7453

Merchantville's only craft brewery offers a wide variety of small batch beer styles on tap.

Eclipse Brewing offers lots of picnic tables, chairs, shade and tents for outdoor visitors, as well as a cozy indoor tasting room.

Beach Haus Brewery (Monmouth County)

801 Main Street, Belmar
Phone: 732-202-7782
Since 2015, Beach Haus has been brewing every drop of its own beer in Belmar. A spacious taproom features 15-20 rotating beers on tap.

The open-air deck is season permitting. Beach Haus Bar & Grill by David Burke also offers a menu available by the local celebrity chef.

Alternate Ending Beer Co. (Monmouth County)

1057 NJ 34, Aberdeen
Phone: 732-612-8422
In the space that for decades housed a movie theater on Route 34, Alternate Ending has rebuilt a family-friendly destination, with craft beer and a food menu in partnership with Talula’s out of Asbury Park.

Hours for both the outdoor Biergarten and indoor dining are adjusted seasonally, so check ahead.

Alementary (Bergen County)

58 Voorhis Lane, Hackensack
Phone: 201-968-1290

Family-friendly hours are noon - 4p.m. Saturday and Sunday, according to the website. From Weekdays and after 4 p.m. on weekends, all patrons and guests in the Biergarten must be 21 and older.

The microbrewery and taproom features 8 taps, pouring a rotating selection of craft brews. Alementary is also dog-friendly in its outdoor Biergarten.