10 Best Spots for Outdoor Eating – or Drinking – in Prospect Heights

Summer has arrived in Prospect Heights, and there’s nothing Brooklynites love more than spending time outside.  Since many of us don’t have outdoor space to call our own, we descend on Prospect Park, flock to the , and comb the streets for outdoor cafés. 

There’s no better way to enjoy the beautiful weather than with a meal or a drink al fresco; food just tastes better in the open air, and it certainly makes a beer or a cocktail feel more festive.  Prospect Heights is full of restaurants, coffee shops, and bars that provide places to eat, work, or play outdoors.  Here are 10 we can’t get enough of this summer.

The Vanderbilt Avenue location of the popular Middle Eastern restaurant offers up favorites like falafel, shawarma, and freshly baked pita bread, in addition to innovative dishes like their Pitzas: 10 inch pizzas baked on a pita bread crust.  Their large back garden has a separate entrance on St. Marks Ave, and the stone walls and creeping ivy give the yard a “Secret Garden” feel. With 14 tables, you’re likely to find a spot, although outdoor seating is always a hot commodity on beautiful weekend evenings.  Don’t forget to visit the ATM on your way in; Zaytoons is cash only.

Hours: Sun-Thu: 12pm-12am, Fri-Sat 12pm-2am, Garden closes at 10pm
Address: 594 Vanderbilt Ave., between Bergen St. and St. Marks Ave.
Phone: (718) 230-3200

Named after the gardens that Italian farmers plant for their own use, Ortine Café uses local ingredients whenever they can, including herbs and cherries from their own back garden.  The charming backyard can seat between 16 and 24 at four large (locally made) picnic tables, and you can enjoy local beer on tap, poutine made with local potatoes, homemade mushroom lasagna, or a variety of individual-sized pizzas. Order a pizza between 5:00pm and 6:30pm and get a free draft beer.  Wednesday night is “Movie Night” and the backyard tends to fill up by 8pm, and brunch can be busy, but weeknights are relaxed and quiet.

Hours: Mon-Thurs 5pm-10pm, Fri 5pm-11pm, Sat 10am-11pm, Sun 10am-10pm
Address: 622 Washington Ave., between Dean St. and Pacific St.
Phone: (718) 622-0026 

In the mood for a diner, but don’t want to miss out on the fresh air?  Teddy’s Restaurant serves all your favorites, from waffles, to a gyro sandwich with tzatziki sauce to the “Superburger” with fried onions, fresh mushrooms, bacon, and Swiss.  The casual but large backyard features 12 plastic tables with large colorful umbrellas, cheerful flower planters, and murals of Greek ruins on both walls.  This would be a great place to ; there’s room to run around, and no one’s going to complain that your munchkins are preventing them from enjoying their short stack of pancakes.

Hours: Mon-Fri 11am-11pm, Sat-Sun 9am-11pm
Address: 791 Washington Ave., between Lincoln Pl. and St. Johns Pl.
Phone: (718) 857-5475

This coffee shop with an Australian twist is known for its impeccable cappuccinos, delicious olive oil cake, unique sandwiches and recycled décor.  The backyard is large, but seating is limited to four picnic tables, which leaves the space feeling uncluttered and open.  It also means you might have to fight for a spot on sunnier days, though the lack of power outlets keeps the laptop set at bay.  There’s enough room for kids to run around without risking knocking over someone’s latte.  No room in the back?  Try the benches out front.  

Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-6pm, Sat-Sun 9am-6pm
Address: 766 Classon Ave. between Park Pl. and Sterling Pl.
No phone

Sit and Wonder

When you walk into Sit and Wonder, it can be hard to see the coffee behind all the laptops.  During the week this is a satellite office for Prospect Heights’s freelancers, and even the backyard is set up to accommodate light-sensitive screens.  A small handful of tables sit under a tented area, letting the computer-bound enjoy fresh air while shading them from screen-blinding sunlight.  For those without laptops, a few sunnier tables and benches in the small garden are available.  Feeling peckish?  Pastries, sandwiches, and ice cream are available, in addition to Stumptown Coffee.  Weekday afternoons are often packed, but if you simply can’t stand another day in the closet you’ve converted into an office, Sit and Wonder is the place to go.

Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-7pm, Sat-Sun 8am-7pm
Address: 688 Washington Ave., between Prospect Pl. and St. Marks.
Phone: (718) 622-0299

When it comes to a summer hang-out spot, Soda Bar has it all: a big garden, long hours, and knockout onion rings.  Happy Hour runs from 12-7 every day of the week, making it the perfect place to spend an afternoon drinking $3 draft beers and eating pierogies.  With 19 tables in the garden and a separate smoking area, Soda is one of the biggest gardens in the neighborhood, and the crowd is relaxed and varied.  Things can get crowded on the weekends, but with so much space you’re bound to find a table before long.  A note: on First Saturdays they have been charging a cover.

Hours: Sun-Wed 12pm-2am, Thu-Sat 12pm-4am. Backyard closes weeknights at 11pm, weekends at 1am
Address: 629 Vanderbilt Ave., between Prospect Pl. and St. Marks
Phone: (718) 230-8393

Franklin Park

If you’re in Crown Heights near the Prospect Heights border, and you’re looking for outdoor space, Franklin Park is the beer garden for you.  The 18 tables in their large outdoor area are great for tossing back beers or noshing on burgers from Dutch Boy on Franklin Ave., which is connected to Franklin Park through the larger bar area.  DJs and dancing on weekends can make things crowded and crazy, but afternoons and weeknights tend to be more relaxed.  

Hours: Mon-Fri 3pm-4am, Sat-Sun 1pm-4am.  Yard closes weekdays at 11pm, weekends at 1am.
Address: 618 St. John’s Pl., between Classon Ave. and Franklin Ave.
No phone

Burrito Bar and Kitchen

Sometimes, all you want on a hot summer night is a margarita with tortilla chips and salsa. Burrito Bar on Flatbush Ave. serves them up at 18 sidewalk tables.  Sure, the traffic on Flatbush doesn’t make for the most relaxing atmosphere, but halfway through that margarita (made with freshly squeezed juice) you won’t even notice.  In addition to Mexican classics like tacos and quesadillas, Burrito Bar offers fresh fruit smoothies sweetened with honey and a “Little Amigos” menu for kids.  If you want to sit outside, head directly to the outdoor host stand on the Park Place end of the restaurant.

Hours: Daily 12pm-12am
Address: 307 Flatbush Ave., between Park Pl. and Prospect Pl.
Phone: (718) 230-8646

Something about outdoor dining is particularly European, so it just feels right sipping a café au lait in the quiet back garden at Le Gamin.  Whether you’re enjoying the sunshine for Sunday brunch or sharing a romantic evening with a date and a glass of wine under the hanging lights, the menu of classic like Quiche Lorraine and Mussels in White Wine Sauce can be enjoyed at their 16 outdoor tables.  The garden can get quite busy during brunch, so get there early or come during the evening for a more relaxed pace. 

Hours: Daily 8:00am-10:30pm
Address: 556 Vanderbilt Ave., between Bergen St. and Dean St.
Phone: (718) 789-5171

On a hot summer afternoon, sometimes the only thing that will do the trick is an ice cold beer.  Since you are, after all, a Brooklynite, it will preferably be a craft beer, something local or a carefully sourced import.  The extensive beer list at Washington Commons has something for everyone, and the bartender will be happy to recommend something if you don’t know your Kolsch from your Killian’s.  Take your beer (and takeout from a local restaurant, if you like) to the back yard, where a newly built ramp leads to a patio with 14 large picnic tables.  A large tree provides shade, and the vibe is simple: good beer, good friends, good times.  Come for happy hour from 3pm-8pm during the week, or 1pm-4pm on weekends.

Hours: Mon - Fri, opens at 3pm, Sat - Sun, opens at 1pm, garden closes at 12am weeknights, 1am weekends
Address: 748 Washington Ave., between Sterling Pl. and Park Pl.
Phone: (718) 230-3666