This column originally appeared in the June 2025 issue of Town&Gown magazine.
Many of my favorite summer memories involve sitting out on patios with friends enjoying the warm summer night air with a cold beverage or two (usually after a day filled with summer adventure). Yes, summer nights (and days) are meant for the outdoors (if it is not too muggy or buggy), and luckily for us, plenty of establishments around the area have beautiful outdoor spaces to enjoy with friends.
A few years back, I highlighted the excellent outdoor options at Centre County’s many craft beverage producers. From beer gardens to orchard and vineyard firepits, those locations are still great options for an al fresco craft beverage or two. Since then, Boal City Brewing has become a nice addition to those options with its wonderful beer garden.
This time around, let’s explore some of the other patios around town that are perfect for a summer drink or two.
Downtown State College
When it comes to outdoor food and beverage venues in downtown State College, the first thing that comes to mind for most folks would be Café 210 West. On nice days, it is a college tradition to take a study break on the front patio with friends. Although Café is known for pitchers of mixed drinks, I usually stick to the varied selections of beers on a nice day. The back porch offers a more secluded alternative to sitting out on College Avenue.
A few blocks to the east, Doggie’s Pub is the other place to be downtown on nice days. Since taking over the old longtime location of the All American Rathskeller in 2018, the owners have made the new outdoor area a beer garden playground, with cornhole boards, an outdoor bar and a pizza shop. It is a great place to hang out all night long, but someone like me (ahem, a little older than the college crowds) usually waits until the summer for when the crowds die down.
Back on Allen Street, multiple locations have large windows that open to provide an indoor/outdoor feel. During warm weather, Bill Pickle’s Taproom extends out towards the sidewalk while staying connected to the open bar area. Up at Champs Downtown, windows allow for sitting inside while watching all the street happenings. And on the corner of Allen and Beaver, Central Reservations bar opens to the sidewalk, giving some of the most unique bar seats in State College. It is a fun place to enjoy a cocktail.
Outside of downtown
If you don’t want to venture downtown, there are plenty of other options for patio pints and craft cocktails in the area. On North Atherton Street, Champs Sports Grill’s patio can feel like you are sitting at the ball park with a cold beer in your hand and the games on TV inside.
For an outdoor setting, it is hard to top a golf course, and The Field Burger and Tap’s outdoor patio puts you out there overlooking the beautiful Toftrees course. It provides a tranquil atmosphere for a summer cocktail or a local brew.
Of course, Tussey Mountain’s patio is not too shabby either, with its views of the slopes above and the valley below. Come for summer fun during WingFest or just stop on by for an evening in the tranquil setting.
Nearby, Duffy’s Tavern’s outside seating area puts you right in the heart of Boalsburg. During the Memorial Day celebration, it is the perfect place to watch the parade roll by. All summer long, it is a nice place to stop and refresh after a hike or bike in Rothrock State Forest.
Out on the west side of town, Gigi’s Southern Table offers up an outdoor space that is full of good old southern hospitality. It is a nice place to sit back and relax with a craft cocktail, and maybe try a pour of Crocodile Tears, a peach cobbler cream ale brewed specially for Gigi’s by Floating Feathers Brewing Company. I must try that before summer’s end.
Our county seat sure does look nice on summer evenings. I have always enjoyed taking in the Victorian charm of Bellefonte out on the patio in front of The Governors’ Pub. It is a fun place to sit and people watch as folks make their way to the park or around town.
Meanwhile, out in Walker Township, the patio outside the Hublersburg Inn will take you back to a simpler time. You may just catch an Amish buggy rolling by while enjoying a beverage or two. Check out the Summer Concert Series on Thursday night to catch your favorite local act.
These are just some of the many fun places to gather outside with friends for a beverage or two on summer evenings in Centre County. I look forward to spending some time at these places soon. Cheers to the start of summer! T&G
Vincent Corso enjoys drinking local and meeting new people at Central Pennsylvania’s many interesting establishments.
