Get your waterfront fix before Shore season: 6 riverside bars and restaurants in Philly, the suburbs

Spring and its sub-70s temperatures seem to be blissfully lingering in Philly this year. It’s not beach weather, but it’s often lovely enough outside that all we want is to find a vista and a perch to enjoy it from, drink in hand. While some may flock to patios, rooftops, and piers, The Inquirer sought out spots overlooking the many scenic waterways in the Philly area. We were rewarded with calm creekside lunches, cheap beers, and lots of bird sightings (ducks! geese! two bald eagles!).

What these six bars and restaurants have in common — besides flooding stories — are ample seating, nearby recreational activities, and gorgeous views. Though some are far-flung, they’re all perfect candidates to anchor a day trip. If you find yourself longing for nature and a cold beer, look no further.

Don’t be fooled by the humble brick facade on Main Street: This 27-year-old brewpub in a former textile mill has 450 seats, many with a view of the Schuylkill and an old railroad bridge. “We try to build an oasis back here,” says event coordinator Paris Rose-Antonogiannis, who was watching a kayaker paddle by as we spoke. Between the tiki bar, the patio, the balcony, and the deck, you’ll have a choice of sun or shade in good weather. In-house brewing operations have been on hold indefinitely since Hurricane Ida took out the equipment — something the owners have experienced time and again — but the draft lines are flowing with high-quality craft beers from the likes of Victory, 2SP, Lawson’s, and Night Shift. Happy hour (Tuesday through Friday 4:30-6:30 p.m.) knocks a dollar off all drinks and features bar food: wings, zucchini fries, chips and dip, etc. 4120 Main St., 215-482-8220, manayunkbrewery.com

Make a day of it: Walk north on Main Street and cruise the shops, or head south to visit the new dog park/bar and see a movie, or make your way to the towpath and enjoy the waterfront up close.

You can’t miss this towering Collegeville bar that occupies the 108-year-old Perkiomen View Hotel. Two giant cartoon ducks on the side of the redbrick building welcome visitors, as do signs on either side of Route 29 directing customers to one of three parking lots. It was quiet during our weekday lunch, but it gets packed. (A sign on the door cautions motorcyclists, “Please no club colors inside.”) Various porches overlook the Perkiomen Creek, but we’ll head to the lower deck next time. It’s bar-service only, but you can walk on the bar’s dock, where they keep kayaks and a canoe tied up for (free) customer use. It’s an honor system, says manager Morgan Wagner. “There’s no signing up or signing them out.” Customers are also welcome to kayak — or tube — to the Duck. The draft list is limited to IPAs and light beer, but the bottle selection is deeper. Don’t miss the long, meaty duck wings in Quack Sauce (half-barbecue, half-Buffalo). 532 Gravel Pike, Collegeville, 484-902-8203, duckinntaproompa.com

Make a day of it: The 20-mile Perkiomen Trail is nearby, as is the Skippack Trail, which takes you to nearby Evansburg State Park. If hiking isn’t your thing, Ott’s Exotic Plants — basically a botanical garden you can shop — is just up the road.

Located off of a winding Phoenixville road, Fitzwater Station has been around a long time. Its latest owner, Frank McLaughlin, says the 1830 building perched on the Schuylkill Canal has variously served as an Underground Railroad stop, a speakeasy, and a post office. Today, it’s a cozy bar and restaurant where you can sip on a $3.50 Yuengling pint (even cheaper with cash) while you people-watch the Schuylkill River Trail from the covered porch or the open-air deck. A footbridge to the trail provides a pipeline of customers: On busy weekends, the wait for a seat can stretch as long as an hour. But you can grab a beer and find a place to stand on the deck or in the picnic area out front, where customers young and old play bar games. “I get bikers from Philly. They call it the Fitz 15: They stop for a 15-minute break and it turns into an hour,” McLaughlin says. He launched a barbecue pit during the throes of the pandemic, and the menu has stuck. Staff raves about the brisket. 264 Canal St., Phoenixville, 610-933-1420, instagram.com/fitzwaterstation

Make a day of it: In warm weather, McLaughlin rents kayaks and canoes from the neighboring tiki hut, officially dubbed Port Providence Paddle. You can drift down the leisurely Lock 60 loop or be more ambitious and paddle out to Valley Forge.

You may spot ducks out on the patio at Stinger’s Waterfront, but you’re guaranteed to see takeoffs and landings in the distance at Philadelphia International Airport. Traffic from PHL, I-95, and the Ridley Township Municipal Marina — which leases space to Stinger’s — doesn’t diminish the views here, however. It makes the sprawling waterfront perch all the more Delco. “We can’t get away from major highways out here,” said our diehard Delaware County dining companion, who remembered when this spot used to be Taste of Key West, a beach-themed dive bar complete with sand. Stinger’s has significantly classed up the joint, serving seared scallops, mahi mahi tacos, and a waterfront chicken sandwich with crab imperial, bacon, and Old Bay mayo. Its drink menu leans basic — mass-produced beer, affordable wine, colorful cocktails (frozen and non) — but that’s OK, you won’t be here too long: There’s an hour and half time limit per table. 401 S. Swarthmore Ave., Ridley Park, 484-540-7868, stingerssecane.com

Make a day of it: The marina doesn’t offer rentals, but you can launch your own kayak or canoe from their slip (for a fee) and paddle up Darby Creek toward John Heinz National Wildlife Rescue in Southwest Philly. Essington’s Tinicum Park, which has walking trails along the creek, is a short drive from Stinger’s.

You’re in for a real-deal restaurant at Downingtown’s La Sponda (Italian for the shore). Though the atmosphere and the Italian menu trend upscale, prices are reasonable; think $11 glasses of wine, $5 beers, entrées under $30, even a $7 happy hour menu (at the bar Monday through Friday). A $19 lunch special includes soup of the day, Caesar salad, and a sandwich, as well as free bread with a side of oil spiked with sun-dried tomato. Throw in the lovely view of the Brandywine Creek and it feels like an exceptional bargain. The sporting staff here accommodated a solo diner’s desire to sit outside on a recent chilly afternoon. Come May, those prime seats will be long gone. In hot weather, umbrellas help keep the sunny flagstone patio shady and cool for customers. “I know what a rotisserie chicken feels like,” a manager joked of working outdoors in July. 20 E. Lancaster Ave., Downingtown, 484-593-4488, lasponda.com

Make a day of it: Walk or bike the creekside trail that passes just below La Sponda’s patio. It follows the curve of the creek and connects two parks, one of which hosts the Downingtown Farmers Market. There’s also a smattering of antique stores in the area.

National Park’s Coconut Grove is too big to be a hole-in-the-wall, but it’s a downright nautical dive, complete with pool tables and PBR pounders for $2.75. The rustic, weather-beaten deck overlooking the marshy banks of Woodbury Creek has seen better days, but once the docks are in for the season, it plays host to impromptu gatherings of boaters taking a break from the water. They come for the ½-pound burgers and the wings. Regular DJ nights and live music keep the Grove scene lively throughout the year, but in summer, this place will be swamped. 150 Riverview Ave., National Park, 856-579-4065, coconutgrovedocksidebar.com

Make a day of it: Check out other waterfront sights in Gloucester County, including Red Bank Battlefield Park, a Revolutionary War site with a historic home and gardens, and Soupy Island, a Depression-era children’s park whose history is as curious as its name.