STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Empire Beer Garden has activated its rooftop space at Empire Outlets just in time for a busy waterfront season marked by Sail250 celebrations, soccer watch parties and Fourth of July fireworks.
Located at 55 Richmond Terrace, the rooftop venue combines an expansive indoor space with outdoor seating overlooking New York Harbor.
There are booths and stools for lounging. Picnic tables are set up indoors as well.(Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
Inside, the cavernous, air-conditioned space is lined with floor-to-ceiling windows and anchored by a long bar and large-screen televisions tuned to soccer matches and other sporting events. Outside, guests can gather around a tiki bar or settle into rooftop seating with panoramic views of New York Harbor.
The menu focuses on classic bar fare and shareable appetizers, including jumbo pretzels, chicken bites, mozzarella wedges, loaded nachos, chips and guacamole, falafel tacos and wings served with a range of sauces.
This is what the fourth floor popup-style Empire Beer Garden looks like from the first level.(Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
Burger options include the signature O.G. Burger, double bacon cheeseburger and chimichurri burger, while the sandwich lineup features buttermilk fried chicken, bacon ranch chicken and avocado club varieties.
A jumbo hot dog topped with sauerkraut and sweet onions rounds out the menu. Guests can customize orders with additions such as bacon, guacamole and onion rings. For lighter fare, the rooftop offers Caesar and Cobb salads, plus sides, including French fries and onion rings. Combo meals with fries and a soda are also available.
From above, the rooftop offers panoramic views of New York Harbor.(Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
Accessible via the stairs just past Jewelers on 5th, the rooftop offers harbor views and a front-row seat for the area’s Fourth of July 9 p.m. fireworks displays. Empire Beer Garden joins Sakura Japanese Cuisine as one of the few active businesses on the fourth level, an area of Empire Outlets that remains largely underutilized. Guests can receive up to two hours of validated parking. According to the venue’s social media, seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis, with no reservations required.
The outdoor seating area remains an underused perch above the waterfront, but guests can enjoy table service and sweeping views of New York Harbor.(Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
Looking beyond the holiday weekend, Empire Beer Garden will host Plant Bingo After Dark on Saturday, July 11. Presented in collaboration with Asili’s Boutique, the event runs from 6 to 9 p.m. and includes bingo games, plant-themed prizes and a prix fixe menu. Tickets are $50 per person.
Empire Beer Garden is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. For information, call 917-352-0452.