One of our favorite jobs as journalists is trying out bars and restaurants in order to write our Beer Passports. This past year nearly every weekend we explored the finest drinkin’ patios in the Bay Area, while asking friends and patrons where their favorite outdoor waterholes were in the East Bay.

From the shiftiest street parklet to the most glorious drinking patios, we endeavored to try them all so we could put together The 2023 Oakland and East Bay Beer Passport:  27 of the finest places to drink beer in the East Bay, and with the passport, you get a FREE beer at all of them.  Yeah, that’s right, you’re welcome in advance!  There’s nothing much finer than taking your friend to a great spot to drink and sayin’, “hey your first beer is on me and Broke-Ass Stuart.” ; ).

Get your 2023-24 Oakland & East Bay Beer Passport before they sell out here.

I’m a West Coast Ipa/Pale Ale guy, with a penchant for the occasional German lager, Czech pills, Irish stout, and a session in the sun.  All of these beers are made better when you’re drinking them outdoors, on a nice patio with your pals, at a locally-owned joint with good food!

The 11 patios on this list are all in this year’s beer passport!  And they all have excellent beer lists to enjoy in the sun.

Me and Stu at Augustfest in 2022 @21stamendment

A big ol’ brewery with tons of fun beers and drafts, 21st Amendment San Leandro is an excellent watering hole, they’re also having their annual Augustfest 2023, Saturday, August 26th from 12pm to 8pm, with lots of live music (Back to the 90’s theme) and local food trucks. Alongside your favorite 21st Amendment brews, they’ll be serving up collaborations with Fieldwork, Camino, Moonlight, and Local with Harmonic.

21st Amendment2010 Williams Street, San Leandro

Not only do they have a dope cocktail list with amazing mixologists, they have world-class Vietnamese food and an excellent beer list with some of my favorites on it (like Alvarado Street’s ‘Mai Tai’ IPA.   This place has everything you need to smile all day.

Co Nam3936 Telegraph Ave, Oakland

Eli’s Mile High Club, photo by NICHOLAS TAPLIN.

If you are in the business of knocking back cheap drinks and listening to live or DJ’ed punk/rock/ metal on a spacious patio, with good grub and lots of drafts, then welcome home. Eli’s is a music mainstay in the Bay Area, opening its door, as legend has it, in the early 50s. This place rocks!

3629 Martin Luther King Jr Way, OaklandIG: @ElisMileHighClub

with 1000+ bottle collection of whiskey & mezcal, a heated patio, and dope interior decor, Acme is a great spot for any seasoned drinker. Things are just done well there, including their beer list.

@acmebarandco2115 San Pablo Ave Berkeley

There’s a lot to love about Portal. The sunny patio with a view of Lake Merritt is a neighborhood haven to enjoy scratch-made food, fantastic drinks, and livelyconversation with friends. Portal is best known for its bustling weekend brunch, but the hard-working, tight-knit staff propel one of Oakland’s best gastropubs all week long, boasting a hidden gem of a beer program, featuring a draft list of the best beers of the Bay Area and beyond.– Description by Beer Sommelier Morgan Phillips

1611 2nd Ave, OaklandIG: @portaloakland

They’ve been living the patio lifestyle since 2017 and serving the best tacos, arepas and of course Mezcal in the East Bay. Grab a beer, cider or hard kombucha to pair with delicious food and Mezcal.  The great variety and quality of drinks at this spot will have you wanting to try different tacos and cocktails and then back to beer all afternoon long.

2056 San Pablo Avenue, BerkeleyIG: @elpatio510

Jupiter is known for its big beautiful beer garden, it’s extensive locally crafted beer list, and of course its pizza oven. It’s an intimately lit and decorated venue that’s usually buzzing with locals, students and live music.

2181 Shattuck Avenue, BerkeleyIG: @jupiterberkeley

Dog-friendly, beer-friendly, and punk friendly, the big ol’ Heart and Dagger patio is a staple of the Lake Merrit area. They have good bartenders, beers, and drinks that are always fairly priced and often heavy-handed.  It’s an easy choice.

504 Lake Park Ave.heartanddaggersaloon.com

Arthur Mac’s Tap & Snack is a beer garden located right next to MacArthur Bart on 40th and MLK. They focus on 3 things here: good beer, good food, and cute dogs. Need we say more?

4006 MLK Way, OaklandIG: @ArthurMacs

A real German biergarten with great schnitzel and sausages. Not to mention German lagers, helles, kolsch, pills, dunkels & bocks on draft and in the stein, with more cans and bottles too.. Great place to watch soccer or just get a healthy dose of Bavarian hospitality.

2424 Lincoln Ave, AlamedaIG: @speisekammer

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