Family-Friendly Beer Gardens and Breweries in DC

 
Dacha Beer Garden is a popular hangout for DC families. Photo courtesy of Dacha Beer Garden

1. Dacha Beer Garden

This beloved beer garden, with locations in Shaw and Navy Yard, is so kid-friendly that the hashtag #KidsofDacha is a thing. Dacha serves German, Belgian, and American craft beers as well as wine, meads, and ciders. Both locations offer a ton of outdoor seating, with the Shaw location featuring a three-story mural of Elizabeth Taylor. The seasonal menus are inspired by Bavarian beer gardens, and both locations are also open for brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. Dogs are welcome, too!

2. Hellbender Brewing Company

This brewery, named after an endangered salamander, was the first on the east coast to invest in a masher. This allows them to brew their beers quicker and more efficiently while using less water. Hellbender also uses a hammer mill to grind the grains into a fine powder, which allows it to extract 98 percent of the starches from the grain (a traditional brewery uses a roller mill that only extracts 75 to 80 percent of the starches). You can take a free tour every Saturday at 3pm and 5pm to see this unique brewing process in action. Or, simply enjoy one of the 10+ beers, eat delicious bites from a food truck, and listen to live music while your kids play one of the family-friendly board games available, such as Candyland and Chutes & Ladders.

3. The Midlands Beer Garden

With over 6,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor garden space and lots of open seating, The Midlands is truly an oasis in DC. The venue welcomes children, who will love the giant soft pretzels, the nachos, and the plethora of TVs broadcasting various sports games. For the grown-ups, there are more than 20 beers on tap as well as ciders, wines, spirits, and draft cocktails. Dogs are welcome in the outdoor garden, and you can also bring your own food if you choose. 

4. Wunder Garten

Inspired by Germany's beer gardens, Wunder Garten opened in 2015 as a pop-up, but soon became a permanent gathering place. Open year-round, Wunder Garten offers a variety of spaces in which to enjoy its German and craft beers, wines, and liquors. These include the large tented Bier Pavilion, cabanas, and a Marquee tent. Seasonal fire pits keep guests warm. Kids will love the lawn games, board games, and live entertainment on certain days.

Family-Friendly Beer Gardens and Breweries in Maryland

5. Denizens Brewing Co. — Riverdale Park & Silver Spring

Both locations of this family-owned brewery—the first production brewery in Montgomery County—welcome both kids and dogs, though dogs must remain outdoors. Denizens serves hard seltzers, wine, and cocktails in addition to its variety of craft beers, and its food menu offers comfort foods like pretzel bread and wings. Both locations allow you to reserve a table outdoors, so be sure to do so if you hope to remain outside.

6. Jailbreak Brewing Company — Laurel

With a name like Jailbreak you wouldn't believe this brewery is family-friendly, but it welcomes both kids and dogs. Pets are restricted to the outdoor biergarten, though, and must remain on a leash. Kids are allowed in the taproom, but may not sit directly at the bar. There is a large variety of beers on tap and a food menu offering flatbreads, sandwiches, salads, and small bites. Be sure to get an ice cream sandwich for dessert—a traditional chocolate chip one for the kids and a boozy ice cream sandwich for the grown-ups!

7. Manor Hill Brewing — Ellicott City

This brewery, located on a 54-acre working farm, is Maryland's largest farm brewery by production. The farm and tasting room are open to visitors on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The tasting room offers a variety of beers and hard seltzer on tap and includes indoor seating, a covered tent, and lots of outdoor space to spread out. Visitors are encouraged to bring their own chairs and pop-up tents. The farm is home to over a dozen chickens, two pygmy goats, and more than 20 free-range cattle that kids are welcome to visit, but may not pet or feed. Manor Hill requires parents to remain at children's sides at all times.

Family-Friendly Beer Gardens and Breweries in Northern Virginia

 
Kids love the grilled cheese sandwiches at Audacious Aleworks Brewery. Photo courtesy of Yelp

8. Audacious Aleworks Brewery & Taproom — Falls Church

This small craft brewery, which specializes in small-batch ales, has a rotating tap menu of more than 15 beers at a time. Kids are welcome both inside and in the small outdoor seating area, and there's free WiFi and plenty of family-friendly board games available to entertain them. Dogs are also allowed outdoors. The menu features a variety of grilled cheese sandwiches (included a build-your-own option), hot dogs and brats, pretzels, and free bottomless popcorn. You are also welcome to bring your own food or have it delivered. 

 
Outdoor seating abounds at Caboose Commons. Photo courtesy of Caboose Commons

9. Caboose Commons — Fairfax

This coffeehouse and brewpub is both kid- and pet-friendly, though dogs must remain in the outdoor spaces. Caboose Commons offers a huge selection of beers and coffee drinks, as well as breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus. There's also a kids' menu of grilled cheese, mac and cheese, or a burger at lunch and dinner. All employees are paid at least five times the tipped minimum wage, so you can feel good about supporting this local business. One thing to note is that Caboose is cashless, so don't forget your credit card!

 
The Farm Brewery at Broad Run hosts many family-friendly events. Photo courtesy of The Farm Brewery's Facebook page

10. The Farm Brewery at Broad Run — Haymarket

This picturesque brewery features a six-acre, beautifully landscaped beer garden where you can enjoy a large selection of ales and lagers, wines, and local handmade ciders. Kids can play on the playground, and dogs are welcome as well. The Brewbarn offers kid-friendly options like pizza and mac and cheese bites, or you can order from a rotating selection of food trucks on weekends. There is live music on some days, and grown-ups and teens ages 16 and up can even try their hand at axe throwing. 

11. The Garden — Alexandria

Both kids and dogs are welcome at this spacious and colorful beer garden in Del Ray, evident by the metal dog bowls and the children's play area with Little Tikes toys and chalkboards. There's even a kids' menu, though children might enjoy some of the items from the main menu such as the pizza sticks and the cheeseburger sliders. The Garden, which opened in 2019, has 16 beers on tap, wine, and cocktails.

12. Lost Rhino Brewing Company — Ashburn 

Lost Rhino, which features a rotating list of more than 15 beers, has both an indoor and outdoor seating area. The indoor area, the Tap Room, hosts a variety of events throughout the week and live music on Saturdays. Children are welcome in both the Tap Room and the outdoor seating area; while dogs are welcome only outdoors. Lost Rhino offers a hot dog, a cheese sandwich, and mac and cheese on its kids' menu, as well as several non-alcoholic beverages. 

13. 2 Silos Brewing Co. — Manassas

Located on the campus of Farm Brew LIVE, 2 Silos is a place for families and friends to enjoy craft beer, cocktails, food, and live music. There is plenty of outdoor space, including a playground for the children, but kids are also allowed in The Pour House tasting room as long as they're accompanied by an adult at all times. Dogs are alloweds in all outside areas—you'll even find doggy stations throughout Farm Brew LIVE.

 
The cinnamon pretzel from Tysons Biergarten is a perfect kid-friendly snack. Photo courtesy of Yelp

14. Tysons Biergarten — McLean

Tysons Biergarten, which features both an indoor Bavarian beer hall and a large outdoor beer garden, serves up some of Germany aand Belgium's finest beers as well as seasonal specialties, whiskey, wine, and cocktails. There's also a food menu featuring a variety of sausages, brats, and other items. The beer garden features a kids' play area and a fenced-in dog park, so both children and dogs are welcome! 

15. Westover Beer Garden & Haus — Arlington

Westover Market opened the DC area's first beer garden in 2009, and it's become a popular hangout for local families. There are 16 varieties of beer on tap and a large food menu featuring organic produce, freshly baked breads, cheeses, and meats that are local, organic, and eco-friendly. The beer garden is open daily from 11:30am to 10pm, anjd is decorated with colorful murals and twinkling lights. Live music plays on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday evenings beginning in April.