Westbrae Biergarten for outdoor dining or a quick date

The Wesbrae Biergarten is an outdoor beer garden with casual food options. Pedro’s Brazil Cafe is on site. We checked it out for a late lunch a few days ago and were quite pleased.

How it works: Everything is outdoors. You order first at a counter, and they bring your food out to you. I had a salad, my husband the famous tri-trip sandwich, and Zayn had already eaten so we got him a pretzel and fries to snack on (but they do have a kids’ menu). He devoured the fries, naturally.

What we liked:

• Family-friendly – tons of strollers, babes in arms, and toddlers running around the place. Plus there’s stroller (and bike) parking in the rear.
• Plenty of seating – picnic tables, lawn chairs, high chairs, and a fake grassy area where I saw families with small children playing while the parents enjoyed dinner.
• Gated with only one open entrance so you don’t have to watch multiple exits while your child runs around.
• Umbrellas for when it’s hot, heaters for when it’s cold, and a fire pit. I thought that was cool.
• Bathrooms.
• Sporting Events. The World Cup and other events that attract a spectator crowd with a global vibe are shown on the TVs.
• Beer.
• Easily accessible. We walked, but you could bike, and there’s plenty of free neighborhood parking.
• Trains! If your kid is train obsessed like my toddler, it’s on the BART path.
• In pre-Covid times, there is an open air sandbox/play area.

We’ll be back, hopefully when there’s more food options and music to dance to. Maybe we’ll see you there.

Logistics:

Open 7 days a week | 11a – 9p

1280 Gilman St. (at Curtis), Berkeley

Price: $10/entree, $6/beer