13 Pennsylvania Dining Spots With Outdoor Seating Perfect For Memorial Day
Memorial Day meals taste better with sunshine in the mix.
Dining spots with outdoor seating can turn lunch or dinner into a relaxed holiday moment, complete with fresh air, clinking glasses, warm breezes, and plates that feel made for the start of summer across Pennsylvania.
A patio, deck, garden table, or sidewalk seat changes the whole mood.
Suddenly burgers, seafood, salads, pasta, barbecue, and desserts feel more festive, especially when no one is rushing back inside.
The best outdoor dining spots make the weekend feel easy, social, and just a little celebratory.
I have always loved eating outside when the weather finally cooperates, and a Pennsylvania Memorial Day meal under the open sky sounds like the kind of simple tradition I would happily repeat.
1. The Dock on Wallenpaupack, Hawley
Right on the edge of Lake Wallenpaupack, this spot earns its name every single time.
The Dock on Wallenpaupack sits at 205 Route 507, Hawley, PA 18428, and the outdoor seating area gives you front-row access to one of Pennsylvania’s largest lakes.
Boats drift past while you eat, and the whole scene feels like summer vacation wrapped up in one afternoon.
Fun fact: Lake Wallenpaupack was actually created in 1926 by the Pennsylvania Power and Light Company as a hydroelectric reservoir, and The Dock has been making the most of those views ever since.
The menu leans into fresh, hearty comfort food that pairs perfectly with the waterfront setting. Memorial Day weekend gets busy here, so arriving early is a smart move.
The Dock on Wallenpaupack pulls off that rare combination of casual lakeside charm and genuinely satisfying food that keeps people coming back season after season.
2. John Wright Restaurant, Wrightsville
Few views in Pennsylvania compete with a wide stretch of the Susquehanna River at golden hour.
John Wright Restaurant, located at 234 N Front Street, Wrightsville, PA 17368, sits right along the riverbank with outdoor seating that puts the historic Wrightsville bridge directly in your sightline.
It is one of those settings that makes you slow down and actually appreciate where you are.
The building itself has serious history. Originally a 19th-century ironworks foundry, John Wright Restaurant was transformed into a dining destination that honors its industrial roots while serving up elevated American comfort food.
Every corner of the property feels like it has a story to tell. I have always believed that food tastes better when the surroundings earn your attention, and John Wright Restaurant absolutely earns it.
Memorial Day weekend along the river here feels festive and peaceful at the same time, making it one of the most memorable outdoor dining experiences in the entire state.
3. The Allegheny Grille, Foxburg
Foxburg is the kind of small Pennsylvania town that feels like it was designed specifically for slow, satisfying weekend meals.
The Allegheny Grille, found at 36 South Main Street, Foxburg, PA 16036, perches right along the Allegheny River with outdoor seating that makes every meal feel like a mini getaway.
The town itself is tiny, but the experience here is anything but small.
Here is a quirky fact: Foxburg is home to the oldest operating golf course in the United States, the Foxburg Country Club, founded in 1887.
So after your meal at The Allegheny Grille, you could theoretically walk off your food on historically significant fairways.
The Grille serves fresh, locally inspired dishes that reflect the natural beauty surrounding the region. Memorial Day brings a relaxed, festive energy to Foxburg, and The Allegheny Grille captures it beautifully.
The combination of riverfront scenery and carefully crafted food makes this spot a standout on any Pennsylvania outdoor dining list.
4. Black Bass Hotel Restaurant, Lumberville
Some restaurants carry a weight of history that you can actually feel when you sit down.
Black Bass Hotel Restaurant, located at 3774 River Road, Lumberville, PA 18933, has been welcoming guests since the 1740s, making it one of the oldest continuously operating inns in the country.
The outdoor patio overlooks the Delaware Canal, and the surrounding landscape looks like it belongs on a postcard.
Lumberville is a small, picturesque community in Bucks County, and Black Bass Hotel fits right into its unhurried rhythm.
The menu features classic American and Continental dishes prepared with care, and the outdoor setting adds a layer of romance that is hard to manufacture anywhere else.
Centuries of hospitality are baked right into the atmosphere. Personally, I find that historic restaurants with serious outdoor views hit differently on a long holiday weekend.
Black Bass Hotel Restaurant delivers exactly that kind of experience, blending old-world character with the kind of fresh-air dining that Memorial Day was practically made for.
5. The Chocolatier Restaurant, Bar + Patio, Hershey
Hershey, Pennsylvania, is already a town built around indulgence, and The Chocolatier Restaurant leans into that identity with style.
Situated at 100 W Hersheypark Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, this spot offers a beautifully designed outdoor patio that feels polished without being stuffy.
The setting is upscale but relaxed, which is exactly what a Memorial Day meal should feel like.
The fun fact here practically writes itself: you are eating in Chocolatetown, right by Hersheypark, in the town founded by Milton Hershey himself.
The Chocolatier Restaurant honors that legacy with a menu that balances creative, seasonal dishes with a deep respect for local ingredients and bold flavors.
The patio at The Chocolatier is the kind of place where you linger long after the plates are cleared, just soaking in the atmosphere.
For Memorial Day, it strikes the perfect balance between celebration and comfort, making it a top pick for anyone visiting the Hershey area with a serious appetite.
6. Terrain Café, Glen Mills
Eating surrounded by thousands of plants is an experience that changes your whole mood within minutes.
Terrain Cafe, located at 914 Baltimore Pike, Glen Mills, PA 19342, sits inside a working garden center, which means the outdoor dining area is essentially a curated living garden.
The space is visually stunning in a way that feels genuinely effortless rather than staged.
Terrain Cafe is part of the URBN family of brands, the same company behind Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie, which explains the incredibly thoughtful aesthetic.
But beyond the good looks, the menu focuses on seasonal, farm-fresh ingredients with dishes that feel light and creative, perfect for warm-weather dining. Every plate looks like it was designed to be eaten outside.
Memorial Day at Terrain Cafe feels like a garden party in the best possible way.
The surrounding Glen Mills landscape adds to the charm, and the café does an exceptional job of making outdoor dining feel intentional and special rather than just an afterthought tacked onto a regular restaurant.
7. White Dog Café, Wayne
Named after a legend, White Dog Cafe carries a personality that sets it apart from the moment you hear about it.
The Wayne location sits at 820 West Lancaster Avenue, Wayne, PA 19087, and the outdoor patio area offers a relaxed, neighborhood-friendly vibe that makes it easy to settle in for a long, satisfying meal.
The suburb of Wayne gives the restaurant a grounded, community-rooted feel.
The original White Dog Cafe was founded in Philadelphia by activist and entrepreneur Judy Wicks in 1983, and the brand has always championed local farms, sustainable sourcing, and community engagement.
That mission comes through clearly in the food, which highlights seasonal ingredients sourced from Pennsylvania farms whenever possible.
For a Memorial Day outing, White Dog Cafe in Wayne hits the sweet spot between casual and thoughtful.
The patio is a great place to enjoy fresh, purposefully made food while soaking up the early summer energy. White Dog Cafe reminds you that great outdoor dining is about more than just the view.
8. Greenhouse, New Hope
New Hope is one of those Pennsylvania towns that already feels like a destination before you even sit down to eat.
GreenHouse, located at 90 S Main St, New Hope, PA 18938 along the Delaware River corridor, takes that destination energy and amplifies it with a dining space that blurs the line between indoors and outdoors beautifully.
Plants, light, and an airy design make every seat feel like a garden seat.
New Hope has long been a magnet for artists, free spirits, and weekend travelers, and GreenHouse fits naturally into that creative, easygoing culture.
The menu features fresh, ingredient-driven dishes that match the bright, botanical atmosphere perfectly.
It is one of those spots where the food and the setting feel genuinely designed for each other.
I always tell people that New Hope is best experienced slowly, with a long meal somewhere that matches the town’s personality. GreenHouse does exactly that.
Memorial Day weekend in New Hope draws a lively crowd, and GreenHouse gives you the perfect perch to enjoy the season in full bloom.
9. The Greenfield Restaurant, Lancaster
Lancaster County is famous for farmland, history, and food, and The Greenfield Restaurant brings all three together with quiet confidence.
Located at 595 Greenfield Road, Lancaster, PA 17601, this restaurant offers outdoor seating surrounded by well-kept gardens that reflect the agricultural beauty the county is known for.
It feels refined without being the least bit pretentious. The Greenfield has been a Lancaster institution for decades, earning a loyal following by staying committed to classic American cuisine prepared with local ingredients.
The outdoor patio has a timeless quality to it, the kind of place where you could bring your grandparents and your college friends and everyone would feel completely at home.
Fun fact: Lancaster County produces more food per acre than almost any other county in the United States, so eating locally here carries real meaning.
The Greenfield Restaurant takes full advantage of that agricultural richness.
Memorial Day at The Greenfield feels like a proper celebration of everything Pennsylvania’s heartland has to offer on a beautiful spring afternoon.
10. The Millworks, Harrisburg
Midtown Harrisburg has been quietly building a food scene worth paying attention to, and The Millworks is at the center of that story.
At 340 Verbeke Street, Harrisburg, PA 17102, The Millworks offers both a courtyard and a rooftop dining space, each decorated with a vertical living garden and warm string lights that make the whole place glow after dark. The vibe is artsy, energetic, and completely unpretentious.
Beyond the atmosphere, The Millworks is deeply committed to local food and local art.
The space doubles as a gallery for Pennsylvania artists, so while you eat, you are surrounded by original works created by people from the community.
That combination of creative culture and seriously good food makes The Millworks feel genuinely alive.
The Millworks grows some of its own ingredients on-site, which is a fun detail that shows up in the freshness of every plate.
For Memorial Day, the outdoor spaces here are vibrant and social, making it one of the most energetic dining experiences on this entire list.
11. Pusadee’s Garden, Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh has no shortage of great restaurants, but Pusadee’s Garden occupies a category entirely its own.
Located at 5321 Butler Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15201, in the lively Lawrenceville neighborhood, this Thai restaurant is built around a stunning outdoor garden that transforms dining into something that feels close to magical.
The space is layered with plants, lanterns, and textures that create an atmosphere unlike anything else in the city.
Pusadee’s Garden has become a Pittsburgh icon, celebrated not just for its beautiful setting but for its deeply flavorful, carefully crafted Thai cuisine.
The outdoor garden area is the main attraction for warm-weather visits, and it books up fast, especially around holiday weekends. Planning ahead is absolutely worth it.
Here is a detail I love: the garden was literally built by the family who owns the restaurant, making every inch of it personal and purposeful.
Memorial Day at Pusadee’s Garden feels like a full sensory experience, where extraordinary food meets extraordinary surroundings in one of Pittsburgh’s most creative and beloved neighborhoods.
12. Federal Galley, Pittsburgh
Food halls have changed the way cities eat, and Federal Galley in Pittsburgh does the format better than almost anyone.
Sitting at 200 Federal Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15212, in the North Shore neighborhood, Federal Galley brings together multiple independent vendors under one roof, with outdoor seating that opens up the whole experience to the summer air.
It is the kind of place where a group of friends with completely different cravings can all be happy at the same table.
The North Shore location puts Federal Galley right across the river from downtown Pittsburgh, with an urban energy that feels festive without being overwhelming.
Each vendor inside offers something distinct, from globally inspired small plates to creative comfort food, and the outdoor seating area lets you enjoy it all with a view of the city skyline in the background.
Memorial Day crowds love Federal Galley because it is social, flexible, and endlessly fun.
The outdoor area at Federal Galley makes the holiday feel like a block party with seriously elevated food options fueling every conversation.
13. Two45 Waterfront Grille, Erie
Erie sits on the southern shore of Lake Erie, and Two45 Waterfront Grille makes the absolute most of that geography.
Located at 245 West Dobbins Landing, Erie, PA 16507, right on the bayfront, this restaurant offers outdoor seating with open water views that rival anything you would find at a coastal resort.
The Great Lakes do not get enough credit for producing scenery this dramatic.
Two45 Waterfront Grille has established itself as one of Erie’s premier dining destinations by combining a waterfront setting with a menu that takes fresh, locally inspired cuisine seriously.
The outdoor patio is positioned to catch lake breezes on warm days, making it one of the most comfortable outdoor dining spots in northwestern Pennsylvania during the early summer season.
Memorial Day weekend in Erie is a big deal, with the bayfront area buzzing with energy and the lake shimmering in early summer light.
Two45 Waterfront Grille puts you right in the middle of all of it, delivering a meal and a view that together make the holiday feel like it was planned just for you.