Rooftop Restaurants In The US You Need To Visit At Least Once
There's something refreshing and liberating about being out in the open air, cut free from the boxed-up feeling of being indoors. The fresh breeze. The warm sun. Watching the world from above with a frosty margarita in hand and a plate of tasty tacos on the way. There's no better way to enjoy the weather than being perched on a rooftop restaurant with some truly spectacular views, great food, and cold drinks.
But the experience depends just as much on the atmosphere, the quality of the food and drinks being offered, and the surrounding landscape. There's no shortage of options when it comes to dining outdoors, so how do you know which restaurants have the best rooftop views? Luckily for you, we've taken the time to share our favorite high-up spots for grabbing a bite. Here are some rooftop restaurants in the U.S. you need to visit at least once.
Revolution Hall - Portland, Oregon
What better place to start than with one of the best food scenes in the country? Portland is teeming with top-tier dining options, so deciding where to go for a bite can be a challenge. There's no doubt that Revolution Hall, a versatile venue with an indoor theater, restaurant, and rooftop bar, is one of the top choices in the city.
With its stately red bricks, rows of windows, and stone columns, you might think that Revolution Hall looks like a historic schoolhouse –- and you'd be right. Once upon a time, long before the establishment was the life of the party and welcomed world-class musicians, it was a historic schoolhouse (via Revolution Hall). In fact, the name of its former identity –- Washington High School -– is still chiseled into stone like a tattoo that serves as a constant reminder of its past life.
The roof deck on the top floor is open from April to October while the weather is nice and pleasant. Once you take the elevator up to the roof deck, you're instantly rewarded with some of the best views Portland has to offer. From this vantage point, you can easily take in the scope of the city with an expansive view of sleek high-rises and low-lying mountains. While the menu on the roof deck is on the small side, it still packs a punch with tasty bites like pizza by the slice.
The Golden Mill - Golden, Colorado
If you're searching for a rooftop with something special to offer, look no further. Located on the edge of the Rocky Mountains just west of Denver, The Golden Mill easily has one of the best rooftops in the area to enjoy an amazing meal. Nestled beside Clear Creek with majestic views of the surrounding mountains, The Golden Mill offers live music, pop-up markets, and an assortment of local food trucks to choose from.
Patrons are spoiled for choice with a wide range of culinary adventures to select: Rolling Smoke BBQ, Tacos al Chile, Sushi Sora, Republik of Chiken, and Happy Cones are all ready to serve delicious meals. Some favorites from these food trucks include a Nashville hot fried chicken sandwich, gringas quesadilla with al pastor pork, and smoked macaroni and cheese bowls with pulled pork.
As if all of the food weren't amazing enough, The Golden Mill also has a self-pour tap wall with over 50 locally-brewed Colorado craft beers. Between the killer views, spectacular food, and abundance of top-notch beer at your fingertips, this is the kind of place that foodies dream of.
Rooftop - Fort Lauderdale, Florida
For a long time, Fort Lauderdale stood in the shadow of its more famous neighbor to the south: Miami. But in recent years, Fort Lauderdale has been earning a reputation as an exciting destination in its own right. With a lively influx of fresh interest and new development projects unfolding, it has slowly transformed into a well-rounded economic powerhouse (via Forbes). Renowned for its beautiful beaches and active nightlife, Fort Lauderdale is a city that has it all: tons of sun and world-class grub along a dreamy shoreline.
Rooftop is a bar and lounge located on Las Olas Boulevard next to the New River, which runs out to the nearby Atlantic Ocean. Not only is the establishment a great place to get some incredible drinks and views of the city, but it's also an excellent choice to fill your belly. Rooftop has a streamlined brunch menu that includes tasty offerings like strawberry guava french toast and breakfast tostadas. Aside from brunch, the restaurant also offers other dishes like tempura shrimp tacos, Buffalo chicken empanadas, and a chicken Milanese sandwich.
When it comes to drinks, you can't really lose. An array of hand-crafted cocktails await you, like the Jalisco cooler with tequila, basil, cucumber, jalapeño, lemon, and lime. With plenty of plants and greenery around, Rooftop feels like a garden in the sky that also knows how to party.
9 Mile Station - Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta has an abundance of top-notch dining options, but its sweeping views of downtown and wildly-flavorful menu make 9 Mile Station not just one of the best rooftop restaurants in the city, but in the entire country. Situated on top of Atlanta's Ponce City Market, 9 Mile Station offers brunch, dinner, and drinks on a spacious rooftop that showcases treetops from nearby greenspaces along with high-rises in the distance.
Brunch at 9 Mile Station includes an impressive spread of tasty choices, like grilled pastrami eggs benedict, French toast with raspberry puree, grapefruit, and mint, along with a succulent brisket hash with crispy potatoes, poached eggs, and caramelized onions. The dinner menu flaunts the talents of the grill masters in the kitchen, with incredibly delicious options like pork belly sliders with gochujang aioli, chargrilled New York strip steak with fingerling potatoes, and a burger with melted smoked Gouda and onion jam. As you can see, there are plenty of reasons 9 Mile Station was chosen as one of the top 10 restaurants in Atlanta (via Wanderlust Atlanta).
Offshore - Chicago, Illinois
Situated on Chicago's Navy Pier, Offshore boasts unparalleled views along Lake Michigan from the world's largest rooftop deck (via Guinness Book of World Records). Imagine kicking the day off overlooking the water with one of the restaurant's brunch cocktails while you nibble on a plate of steak medallions, poached eggs, hash browns, and Béarnaise sauce. Nothing in life is perfect, but we have to admit that scene gets it pretty close.
While the views are absolutely gorgeous during the day, the atmosphere takes on an even more magical ambiance at night, with cozy lighting overhead and the flicker of city lights twinkling in the distance. The dinner menu is also outstanding, with shareable portions of crowd-pleasing dishes like smoked chicken wings, oysters on the half shell, and Parmesan truffle fries. Other popular menu items include the filet sliders with horseradish, onions, and arugula or the fish and chips platter with beer-battered pike, Texas toast, tartar sauce, french fries, and hot sauce. Whether you're coming in for brunch or visiting for the evening, every choice you make at Offshore is guaranteed to be a good one.
Cannonball - San Diego, California
There's something undeniably enjoyable about eating fresh seafood at an oceanfront restaurant. With its amusing logo of a sumo wrestler poised for a big splash, Cannonball specializes in modern twists on classic sushi rolls. Some favorite appetizers on the menu include miso soup with enoki mushrooms, tofu, and green onions as well as the crab spinach dip that comes paired with pita bread and tortilla chips.
But it's the sushi that really shines with fresh ingredients and commendable flavor combinations. One highlight is the tuna sensation roll with black pepper seared tuna, albacore, crispy onions, jalapeño, cucumber, avocado, cilantro, and a sweet soy glaze. Another gem on the menu is the Enfuego roll which comes with torched salmon, avocado, crab, spicy aioli, eel sauce, and scallions. Counting 420 seats, Cannonball is the largest rooftop restaurant in San Diego (via San Diego Union-Tribune). With stellar food and views this good, we're always happy to grab a seat and dive in.
Top Deck - Savannah, Georgia
A great view can be defined in a number of ways. Do you want to observe the tranquility of a natural landscape or catch an elevated glimpse of a bustling city? At Top Deck in Savannah, you truly get the best of both worlds, with views overlooking the Savannah River, the Talmadge Memorial Bridge, and historic Bay Street.
It's not just the wide-ranging sights to take in that make Top Deck an exceptional rooftop restaurant –- the menu is equally outstanding. A mixture of Southern-style American fusion dishes, coastal-inspired fare, and a twist of classic Italian cuisine influence the mouthwatering food that comes out of Top Deck's kitchen.
Some favorites include the Georgia spring roll, which comes stuffed with slow-roasted pulled pork, collard greens, and black-eyed peas with a homemade spicy barbecue sauce for dipping. No waterfront dining experience would be complete without some seafood on the menu, and Top Deck offers crab cake sliders served with fresh arugula and a jalapeño remoulade. Other hits include the Sicilian sandwich on warm ciabatta bread and the Buffalo chicken tacos with spicy ranch. Top Deck was even selected as the number one hottest rooftop bar in the city (via Visit Savannah).
Wax Myrtle's - Austin, Texas
Wax Myrtle's has it all: breathtaking views, a beautiful pool, and an inspired menu led by executive chef Nick Erven, all in the middle of downtown Austin. Situated within the Thompson Austin and Tommie Austin hotels, Wax Myrtle's has an atmosphere that manages to feel both laid-back and classy. Covered cabanas are available to rent and there's also a large outdoor fireplace to complement the cozy ambiance.
The menu at Wax Myrtle's showcases a finely-tuned and talented kitchen at its best. If you're visiting for lunch, you'll be lucky enough to choose from mouthwatering dishes like bacon-wrapped dates with goat cheese and salsa, catfish tacos with roasted pineapple, avocado, and sumac onions, or the hide-a-way thick-cut bacon cheeseburger with wagyu beef, white cheese, and golden sauce. The dinner menu offers bigger plates with astounding levels of flavor. Dishes like bay scallop ceviche, marinated skirt steak with avocado salsa, and a pork chop with peach mole are so impossibly delicious that you'll be pinching yourself to see if you're dreaming.
Irwin's - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
With a Sicilian-inspired menu and extensive views from the eighth floor, there's no doubt that Irwin's is one of Philadelphia's most beloved rooftop restaurants. While the menu may seem a tad minimalistic, don't mistake its brevity for a lack of flavor. Led by celebrated executive chef Michael Vincent Ferrari, each dish is bursting with freshness and perfectly executed with exceptional attention to detail.
The menu focuses on handmade pasta along with grilled fish dishes and chicken. Some of the highlights include spaghetti with clams in a white wine sauce, bucatini with ricotta and heirloom tomatoes, and trofie with pistachio and almond pesto. Other entrees include whole fish with grilled citrus and salsa verde, swordfish, and chicken with an herbaceous gremolata –- a condiment typically made with parsley, lemon zest, and fresh garlic (via Good Housekeeping).
Classic desserts like tiramisu and strawberries with cream await anyone with a sweet tooth. But if you just want to lounge around with some great drinks, you can do that too, with plenty of natural wines on the menu and inventive drinks like the Broken Flowers cocktail with mezcal, Lillet, hibiscus, lemon, and sparkling wine.
Westlight - Brooklyn, New York
Everyone knows that New York City has one of the most robust and dynamic food scenes in the world. In fact, according to Vinepair, The Big Apple has so many restaurants that it would take nearly 23 years to eat at each one if you tried a new one every single day. However, a good place to start is at Westlight, a rooftop bar and restaurant located on the 22nd floor of the William Vale hotel in Brooklyn. The establishment is run by chef Andrew Carmellini's NoHo Hospitality Group, which he founded with partners in 2010.
Between the classic and imaginative cocktails, small plates of globally-inspired street food, and the gorgeous views of the city (with the added bonus of its very own mounted tower viewers to peer through), Westlight definitely has a lot to offer. The bar program offers a range of innovative cocktails, including the Amber Glow which comes with mezcal, Grand Marnier, Aperol, orange, and Thai chilis — perfect for sipping while watching a sunset. The food menu is just as ingenious, offering tasty dishes like burrata with blueberry yuzu jam and charred sesame bread or local bass ceviche with chilis and crispy tortilla chips. A praise-worthy menu with million-dollar views in a hip neighborhood make Westlight one of the best rooftop bars in the country.
El Techo - San Francisco, California
Located in the heart of San Francisco's Mission district, El Techo is a rooftop gem situated on top of its sister restaurant, Lolinda. While you're sure to enjoy the Argentinian steakhouse vibes at Lolinda downstairs, the menu at El Techo is equally delicious and inventive. It's truly a joy to take in the sights and sounds of San Francisco's vibrant atmosphere with amazing food in such a beautiful setting.
The menu at El Techo is nothing short of spectacular. You can opt for small plates like yuca fries, ceviche, or beer-battered cod tacos with slaw. But if your appetite can handle it, there are always bigger plates of tacos on homemade tortillas. The chicharrones de carne platter offers crispy, roasted chunks of pork shoulder with lime and salsa. Other favorites include adobo chicken tacos with red rice and spicy grilled shrimp tacos with salsa, cabbage, rice, and beans. Beyond the food, El Techo also has tons of great drinks on hand, including sangria and margaritas. If you want to pop in and see what everyone's been raving about, be sure to get there on the early side since people start lining up for seats on the rooftop right away.
Tin Roof - Detroit, Michigan
Sometimes you're not really looking for anything fancy or elegant –- you just want solid food with great drinks in an energetic atmosphere. Detroit's Tin Roof offers all of these elements, with the added perk of live music and expansive views into downtown, Ford Field, and Comerica Park. With three floors that serve booze and grub along with a spacious ground-level patio and rooftop deck, Tin Roof prides itself on being an eclectic hangout for locals, musicians, and out-of-towners.
Humbly describing its menu as "better than bar food", Tin Roof offers an assortment of classic American-style dishes from the grill, fried chicken, tacos, and quesadillas. Highlights include the Southern cheeseburger with bacon jam, smoked cheddar, and caramelized onions or the chicken tenders which are made fresh to order from scratch and come with ten signature sauces to choose from. The brunch menu ventures into more adventurous territory, offering gut-busting dishes like buttermilk fried chicken with donuts, syrup, pecan butter, and peach jam. The California burrito with steak, guacamole, spiced tater tots, pickled jalapeños, and queso is another winner. One thing's for sure: Tin Roof definitely knows how to set the stage for a good time.