Drink, Eat, & Indulge at the Best Outdoor Rooftop Bars and Beer Gardens in Macon, GA
Tear the roof off the sucker! George Clinton had the right idea.
Parliament played that funky music in downtown Macon decades ago at a Cherry Blossom Festival street party.
That cool memory inspired me to get out and get up on a rooftop. Or maybe, we should get down in a beer garden. Grab your shades. I cherry-picked a few of my faves. We’re going out to play.
AMICI'S ROOFTOP BAR
📍1510 Mercer University Dr, Macon, GA
Chill with the cool college kids at Amici, located just off Mercer University’s sprawling campus. Macon is widely known for southern rock and sweet soul music, but can you also find a fiddler on the roof? Well, you might just catch a violin virtuoso from the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings enjoying a spectacular sunset on the rooftop of the friendly Italian hangout.
Take the stairs and find a table. Order a hand-tossed pizza, a basket of wings and a craft beer while you listen to licks from a hip new guitar player. If you’re driving, grab a cup of joe. The Daily Grind is a signature co-lab coffee, roasted and blended by Jittery Joe’s for Amici using fair-trade organic coffee beans sourced from Guatemala, Mexico, and Brazil. Good things happen when you work with your friends. Grab a souvenir bag and share it with your besties back at home.
The Wheelhouse Rooftop Bar at Kudzu Seafood Company
📍530 Poplar Street, Macon, GA
Let Macon's first rooftop bar transport you to the Gulf Coast! Located at the top of Kudzu Seafood Company experience live music, specialty cocktails, and ice-cold Georgia craft beers. Take a picture of your beach escape with a beautiful shot overlooking Macon! This rooftop spot is open on Friday and Saturday from 5PM to 10PM. Chow down on fresh seafood options at Kudzu and continue the night by jouneying up stairs to The Wheelhouse!
QUILL COCKTAIL BAR I ROOFTOP BAR
📍350 2nd St, Macon, GA
Use your words and order wisely. At Quill, the pen and the cocktail shaker are mightier than the sword. The Woodward Hotel’s literary lounge is an intimate aristocratic retreat, fashioned with fine leather and hard liquor. It is easy to imagine infamous playwright Tennessee Williams composing scenes from Cat On a Hot Tin Roof, which he wrote while summering in Macon during the 1940s.
Fortunately, the rooftop patio is not made of tin, but it does feature the color purple, integrated into a magnificent mural of Alice Walker, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Georgia author. Another stained-glass-inspired installation of literary legend Flannery O’Connor is as pretty as a peacock, like the ones she raised on Andalusia, her local Milledgeville farm.
Quill craft cocktails are inspired by books and history. The library shelves are stocked with a carefully curated selection of wine, bottled beer, and coffees that may be savored on the relaxing rooftop garden or in the sleek salon. As Tennessee Williams says, “You see, baby, after a glass or two of wine, I’m inclined to extravagance.”
HOTEL FORTY FIVE - HIGHTALES ROOFTOP BAR
📍401 Cotton Ave, Macon, GA
Changes in altitude can absolutely adjust your attitude. Take the boutique hotel elevator to the 6th floor at Hotel Forty Five to enter Hightales, the swanky music-inspired cocktail lounge and rooftop bar. The view is as beautiful as the people who gather to see the southern skyline, accented with the dramatic spiky spires of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church and the world’s largest copper dome covering the Macon City Auditorium.
Sink into a cushy seat on the patio and soak in the sights. Celebrate simple pleasures at the end of a hectic day with a buttery Chalk Hill chardonnay or try the signature pink drink. Looking for a new angle to discover downtown? Get a room at the innovative hotel, precisely designed on a 45-degree angle at the intersection of two beautiful boulevards, an easy walk to local museums, galleries, and restaurants.
FALL LINE BREWING CO.
📍 567 Plum St, Macon, GA
Local entrepreneur Kaitlynn Kressin may not have a rooftop bar, but the fierce female didn’t waste any time breaking through the glass ceiling in Macon’s beer culture. The imaginative Maconite and her husband own Fall Line Brewing Co., Just Tap’d, and Ocmulgee Brewpub. Fall Line features a pet and family-friendly beer garden with hammocks, swings, firepits and games. The Plum Street watering hole also houses the brewery and a tasting room serving their lagers, pilsners, and pale ales with crave-able sandwiches and house-made kettle chips. Live bands, yoga classes and chic weddings are hosted in this vibrant industrial venue, offering an eclectic blend of modern sophistication and historical character.
Finally, the bridesmaids have it made! When couples host a charming ceremony in the 1814 vintage hall, the bridal suites are stocked with complimentary craft beer and mimosas. Guests can walk to many downtown hotels, attractions, and accommodations. Cheers to many happy years!
SOCIETY GARDEN
📍2389 Ingleside Ave, Macon, GA
The Society Garden, my favorite bohemian beer garden, happens to be located a few blocks from my home. Neighbors walk with kids and dogs to play trivia, day drink outdoors, and groove to great music. Of course, you can always drive or book an Uber. Odd art festivals, food trucks, drag shows, tribute bands and national touring acts love to book gigs at this shady spot.
I mean that in the best possible way. Giant sail shades, wood-carved sculptures, massive murals, and friendly bartenders make everyone feel welcome. When the sun goes down, the string lights come on, casting a warm glow across the beer garden. If the weather warrants it, the firepits and propane heaters add a little more warmth and ambiance. The neighborhood bar closes early, so plan your visit accordingly.
Take a deep breath of fresh air and take it all in. Everyone is welcome in Macon’s open-air venues. Raise the roof or raise a glass in the garden with us soon. To quote Tennessee Williams again “You look so cool, so cool, so enviably cool.”
