Kick back and relax at these 5 Salt Lake City patios this summer

Summery weather is finally here, and all that warmth and sunshine means patio season has finally arrived, too.

Nothing says summer leisure like kicking back outdoors with a drink in your hand and something to nibble on. And you can’t beat watching the late-setting sun go down on a warm summer evening from a prime vantage point on a patio.

Salt Lake City has many patios, but here are five that stood out to us because of their location, amenities, beauty, views and other characteristics.

Bonus: All five of these patios have been approved to welcome dogs, so you can bring your canine friend for some patio lounging this season as well.

Fisher Brewing Company

Fisher Brewing Company has only grown since it opened in 2017 at 320 W. 800 South, in Salt Lake City’s Granary District. With several outdoor spaces including two front patios, a back patio, a central patio and, now, a brand-new rooftop patio, guests have more places than ever to kick back with a beer at Fisher.

Co-owner Tim Dwyer said that the rooftop patio is the conclusion of an expansion effort that began in 2021 and included adding a second main-floor bar, canning production area, and event spaces in a next-door building, as well a patio along the front of that building.

The rooftop patio features a shipping container that has been repurposed into a bar, retractable awnings for shade, tables, benches and “really killer views” of downtown and the surrounding mountains, Dwyer said.

Favorite beers for the rooftop bar will likely be the Fisher Beer and Fisher Cerveza, Dwyer said.

Also check out Fisher’s latest mixed-fermentation beers made with brettanomyces, a type of yeast that makes for a “funky” brew, Dwyer said, along with Fisher’s new fresh-squeezed housemade margarita mix. A rotating cast of food trucks provides a variety of food options.

If you visit the back patio, make sure to watch for the mural that says “Welcome to Fisher,” made by a group of local artists including Josh Scheuerman, Gailon Justus, Chuck Landvatter, Trent Call, Mike Murdock, Dave Doman, Chris Peterson and Skyler Chubak.

Tea Zaanti

It’s interesting how lowering a patio into the ground just a little bit and adding planters of tall green grasses would make the patio at Tea Zaanti feel like it’s in a cozy forest, but the effect is pleasant.

This tea and wine bar at 1944 S. 1100 East in Sugar House has some construction happening out front on 1100 East, and you can occasionally hear it from the patio. But Scott Lyttle, who co-owns the cafe with his wife, Becky Lyttle, said he expects the construction to be wrapped up by the end of June, leaving months of warm weather just waiting to be filled with patio lounging.

The surrounding mature trees, strings of lights, large shade umbrellas and numerous places to sit make this patio a serene spot to linger with a cup of tea, a glass of wine from the rotating list, or a bite to eat. Tea Zaanti just started carrying bagels from The Bagel Project on the weekends.

While the weather is warm, Tea Zaanti will be hosting live music on the patio every Friday at 5:30 p.m. Every other Thursday night they hold a wine tasting, and the $15 admission includes a menu item and a sampling of two different hard-to-find natural wines. Attendees are welcome to sit outside for the wine tasting.

For the duration of the construction, 1100 East will be only northbound; you can turn left from there into Tea Zaanti’s parking lot. Or you can access the lot from the back by turning east onto Hollywood Avenue from 900 East then turning north onto McClelland St.

Sugar Space Cafe

Tucked away at the end of a dead-end street, in an elbow formed by Interstate 15 and Interstate 80 that’s just inside the Fairpark neighborhood’s boundaries, lies a green oasis at Sugar Space Arts Warehouse, at 132 S. 800 West.

Sugar Space has been a west-side hub for events since 2015, but owner and executive director Brittany Reese opened the Sugar Space Cafe after COVID-19 in an effort to activate the space when events weren’t going on. The cafe is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Reese added a cute patio to the front of the Sugar Space building at the end of last summer, and it’s still somewhat of a hidden gem, with little foot traffic. With its potted plants and flowers, strings of lights, small round tables and a view of the large green island in the center of the street, all surrounded by trees, this patio is a calming place to hang out.

On Sundays, brunch is available all day, with menu items including options like the breakfast burrito, classic pancakes, pulled pork sandwich and more. There’s also an extensive coffee and tea menu, and since Sugar Space has a full liquor license, it also serves several house cocktails, cocktail specials, spirits, beer and wine.

An apartment building has been under construction next door for years, and you can hear that construction from the patio, except on Saturdays and Sundays when workers take a break. Reese said the side of the building that faces Sugar Space is almost done, however, so any noise should be moving to the south end of the complex this summer.

TF Brewing

When Kevin and Britt Templin opened TF Brewing in 2018 at 936 S. 300 West in Salt Lake City’s Granary District, the patio was a key component of their vision, said co-owner Britt Templin via email.

The patio started out much smaller than it is now, but once the Templins acquired the building west of the brewery in 2019, they were able to enlarge their outdoor space into the wide-open expanse it is today.

Filled with long wooden tables, Adirondack chairs, shady umbrellas, trees, potted plants and fire pits, and decorated with strings of lights, this patio doesn’t have a bad seat.

During the weekends, the patio fills up quickly, Templin said, “but if you find your spot, it’s tough to leave.”

A typical evening on the TF Brewing patio features people chatting and playing games like cornhole, chess and Jenga; music playing; and dogs lounging. Grab one of TF’s many lagers or other beers, a cocktail, or some food from the food truck, then relax and sit for a spell. Most Sundays during warm weather, you can hang out on the patio and enjoy Slow Pour Sundays, a DJ set featuring only records.

Mountain West Cider

Mountain West Cider’s patio, The Garten, at 425 N. 400 West, is one of the few outdoor gathering places in Salt Lake City’s Marmalade neighborhood. And recently, it got a bit of an update.

Cidery co-owners Jeff and Jennifer Carleton closed The Garten at the end of 2022 with the aim of opening a restaurant in that space in 2023, Jeff Carleton said. But the plans for the restaurant fell through, and The Garten remained, opening officially for the season with the Queer Food Feastival earlier in May.

The Garten has got a new look, though, that patio lovers will appreciate. There’s now enough seating for about 200 people, and the addition of extra bathrooms, shade sails, umbrellas, landscaping with trees, and sidewalks enhances the overall experience.

The stage has also been moved from the west end of The Garten to the east end, which Carleton said should help attract more attention from the street. The Garten hosts live music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and every Tuesday is bingo.

The full-service bar in The Garten features Mountain West ciders like Ruby and Desolation Prickly Pear, as well as cider from other local producers, including Scion Cider and Etta Place Cidery. Try the grapefruit-infused cider Pom Paloma this summer season. The bar also comes stocked with local beer, plus spirits from local distillers. A rotating variety of food trucks provides food options.

Watch for The Garten’s new neon sign, coming soon.