NYCGuide
Where To Eat Outside In Bed-Stuy
Bed-Stuy is one of the largest neighborhoods in Brooklyn, which means that finding all the great restaurants open for outdoor dining on your own here would require a few helicopter rides or a league of bloodhounds with an affinity for garden patios. So we did the work for you and put them all in this guide. Whether you’re in the mood for Venezuelan, French, Southern, or Cuban food, you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for on this list. And you’ll be able to enjoy it on a lush back patio, at a bright red sidewalk table, or in a parking spot full of outdoor furniture.
The Spots
No other spot in Bed-Stuy does Southern food like Peaches. It’s a solid choice for a casual weeknight dinner, a celebratory weekend brunch, and every other outdoor meal in between. From shrimp and grits to catfish and ribs, all of the dishes here are good enough to calm your anxiety about ordering “the right thing.” If you’re at one of the tables on the back patio, you’ve already made the right decision.
Since this is a guide about Bed-Stuy, it’s time you learn the golden rule of the neighborhood. If it’s nice out and you’re in the mood for pizza, go to Saraghina. You will never be disappointed at this neighborhood Italian spot with plenty of socially-distant sidewalk tables on Lewis Avenue and a secret back patio. The Neapolitan-style pies here are topped with things like mint-lemon ricotta and prosciutto, and since they make their own gelato you’d be remiss to leave without ordering a scoop.
This chicken bar on the border of Clinton Hill and Bed-Stuy made our Best New Restaurants of 2019 list. And right now, their entire menu is available for takeout. While The Fly isn’t offering table service, you can order and pick up your incredibly juicy rotisserie chicken with white sauce from the bar, and enjoy it at one the restaurant’s new sidewalk tables. In addition to some of our favorite dishes like their roasted potatoes in chicken jus, you can also get new sides like fried corn with basil and parmesan from 5 to 9pm, Tuesday through Saturday.
If you’re planning a socially distant special occasion soon, like an intimate birthday dinner or a solo celebration in honor of your trumpet-playing roommate’s return to his family’s farm in Kansas, try L’Antagoniste. It’s a somewhat pricey French spot with a big garden patio where you can eat wagyu beef steak tartare and duck à l’orange by candlelight.
In passing, you might think Calaca is just a dark, tiny tequila bar with a few outdoor tables for those bold enough to emotionally drink in public. But the reality is, this cash-only Mexican spot serves incredible mezcal cocktails, as well as tacos, and tostadas (which is where you should focus most of your stomach space). They’re usually open from 5-9pm, Wednesday through Sunday, but it’s always best to check their Instagram for updates.
Every time we pass Ma-n-Pop, we feel the need to say “good morning” to the building as a form of respect. That’s because this Southern spot has been preparing shrimp and grits, corn beef hash, and fried white fish on the corner of Lewis Avenue and Halsey Street for years. Right now, they’ve got a few sidewalk tables available for you to sit at while you contemplate whether a soul food restaurant this good deserves to be an American landmark.
Chez Ozskar is a neighborhood French bistro with plenty of outdoor sidewalk seating and just enough charm to make you want to be a regular. They serve everything from quiche lorraine to escargot all day long, and you can enjoy them while seated below an exterior wall mural of a burlesque dancer in a giant martini glass. From a lazy Sunday to a date night under string lights, this casual spot works for essentially every occasion.
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
Peaches Hot House is one of the many Peaches offshoots that specializes in Nashville hot chicken. Bring yourself here when you need a reminder about why hot sauce matters, and don’t forget to add a side of mac and cheese to your order. The outdoor tables along the sidewalk here are bright red, so you can’t miss this Southern spot on the corner of Tompkins Avenue & Hancock Street. Note: your meal will likely make it impossible for you to do anything else for the rest of your day - accept this fact as a part of its magic.
We can’t count the number of times Chilo’s excellent tacos have been there for us. This taco truck in the back of a bar is one of the few great Mexican spots in the neighborhood, and it’s open everyday, and till 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays. You can order your fish, carnitas, and smoked beef tacos online and eat them at one of the outdoor picnic tables here with up to four people - just keep in mind that you may be asked to give up your spot after 90 minutes.
Basquiat’s Bottle is a restaurant, cocktail bar, and event space in Bed-Stuy that typically throws big parties. While they can’t host anything in their indoor gallery right now, they’re still serving to-go cocktails and snacks on their covered patio and on their sidewalk. You can order takeout online, or stop by their Fulton Street spot for outdoor dining (and stay connected to their Instagram here for announcements about future outdoor events).
Finding a good cuban sandwich isn’t always easy in Brooklyn. And that’s probably why the sidewalk tables at this neighborhood spot are usually packed on weekends. Beyond the classic cuban, you’ll find dishes like ropa vieja, picadillo, and a few vegetarian plates that involve okra and sweet fried plantains. Pilar also runs a bakery right next door where you can pick up a cuban milkshake or some flan for the road.
This casual coffee shop isn’t just a casual coffee shop. They also do grocery delivery including things like organic produce and bottles of housemade jerk sauce. But, if you do want to stop by in-person for an acai bowl, an order of duck and waffles, or a smoked salmon sandwich, you can eat your meal at one of the sidewalk tables they’ve set up along their corner spot.
Toad Style is a casual little vegan spot in Bed-Stuy where you can get a basket of deep fried cauliflower. They also do things like a veggie burger, pizza fries, and a banh mi. If you’re a vegan and you miss junk food, you’ll love this place.
You know that herbalist acquaintance of yours who sells crystal-infused incense on Etsy? That’s who you’d probably run into at Secret Garden, a restaurant and juice bar that serves vegan bacon cheeseburgers, iced matcha lattes, and a bunch of herbal teas you’ve probably never heard pronounced out loud. They’ve got benches and outdoor sidewalk tables that you can use from 12 to 7pm Tuesday through Saturday and from 12 to 6pm on Sunday.
This surf-themed bar has a nice back patio where you can eat spam tacos and drink tiki cocktails until 11pm. Or, you can enjoy Swell Dive’s small menu of Filipino/Tex-Mex food for breakfast or weekend brunch. No matter what you choose, keep this spot in mind for a low-key meal that involves an almost too-large can of frozen margaritas.
For Venezuelan tostones, arepas, empanadas, and frozen margaritas in Bed-Stuy, head to Guacaco. This neighborhood spot best known for its incredibly creamy pink sauce, is a great option for a casual weeknight dinner that you actually want to remember after a few days go by. They’ve got some sidewalk tables set up where you can grab lunch, dinner, or brunch on weekends.
