New York - Bar Chucho in lower Manhattan is a relaxed walk-in-only bar full of people who look like they stumbled in from elsewhere seeking gringas made with seriously good flour tortillas and an uni gin sour served from a nitro keg. It's open until 2am on weekends—and there’s enough space between the bar and the seating area to dance.

Philadelphia - You know John’s. Your bulldog knows John’s. Even Barack Obama knows John’s, and apparently loves the lemon. It’s a household name for a reason: The pineapple, cherry, and chocolate wooder ices all taste like summer, no matter which location you're ordering from.

Los Angeles - It’s a very early-aughts summer in LA, and not just because everybody’s wearing low-rise jeans again and Scrubs is back on TV. It’s because Sushisamba (yes, where Samantha threw a dirty martini on Richard in Sex and the City) has landed on a Weho rooftop, and it’s basically a St. Barts pool party, but in restaurant form. That’s hot, or whatever Paris Hilton said.

Miami - Sunkissed is both a throwback and an entirely new species in Miami. You can watch live bands croon—and eat a fantastic arroz con pollo from a dramatic velvet chair. There’s not a window in the place, but the deep red walls still give the essence of a sunset with none of the skin damage. This is the most fun new restaurant Miami’s seen all year.

San Francisco - The city’s sole Guamanian restaurant has backyard party vibes every season, but they’re amplified once the sun consistently burns off the stubborn marine layer. The parking lot-turned-patio is loaded with picnic tables dressed in mismatched floral vinyl table covers, the staff wears flowery button-ups, and most nights there’s someone with a guitar playing Top 40 covers. Pair all of that with a tropical cocktail, and keep the vinegary fina’denne’ sauce coming.

Atlanta - Celestia does the impossible: It makes views of Atlanta’s traffic look sexy. Surrounded by twinkling lights (from the cars and stars) and soundtracked by house music, the new see-and-be-seen rooftop is where to accessorize your fresh linen set with a glass of Beaujolais.

Seattle - After enduring a winter of 4pm sunsets, Seattleites participate in a frenzied dash to carpe every last diem. And this Hawaiian institution is consistently the first spot to prioritize. Marination Ma Kai’s got all of the warm-weather prerequisites: syrupy shave ice with coconut ice cream, crispy fish sandwiches, and an unobstructed patio view that can only exist in the Pacific Northwest.

San Juan - Since La Garita is walk-in only, the counter seats facing the ocean are the first to go. For good reason. The view of cotton candy skies over La Perla helps you forget the sounds of beeping cars and Bad Bunny outside, and allows you to focus on the situation at hand: finishing the gigantic fried snapper you’re going to order. Shorts and Havaianas are appropriate and really the ideal uniform for inhaling plates of Puerto Rican standbys like chunky mofongo and chillo frito.

Nashville - A pie with a bubbly crust, an ice-cold paloma from the outdoor bar, golden hour light filtering through the patio—Nashville’s newest outdoor hang screams summer as much as coconut-scented sunscreen. It’s a multi-layered spot with stacked shipping containers, permanently parked food trucks, and a dedicated lawn full of both vintage-sporting East Nashers owning the hook-and-ring-toss station and families sprawled out on picnic blankets.

Las Vegas - It may be sweltering outside, but you’d never know it at this eternal winter speakeasy. The ’80s slope-side cabin theme goes all-in with retro knickknacks, videos of snow falling behind the bar, and drinks inspired by the era’s action stars, like Steven Seagal and Sigourney Weaver. The vodka and coffee-based Slava's Snowstorm will light you up like Rambo, and they’ll even serve you s’mores.

Kansas City - If you want to recreate the feeling of a backyard BBQ, look no further than this amusement park for meat. The inside is almost comically large, and it’s home to the largest outdoor beer garden in town. A few games of cornhole coupled with The Whomp! Platter (which comes with a spread of brisket, turkey, pork butt, sausage, ham, ribs, and burnt ends) makes for a perfect summer evening.

Chicago - On summer Sundays, this bar explodes with people looking to eat exclusive BBQ dishes from a rotating list of all-star Chicago restaurants. There's usually a DJ, too. Personal space will feel like an impossible dream, but whether you’re hanging inside or on the back patio, you can expect to have a good time.

Cleveland - Poppy is more like a backyard neighborhood hang than a restaurant. It lives inside a house with a gigantic patio and oversized gardens that grow many of the ingredients on your plate, especially in the spring and summer. In the most recent iteration of the menu, things like figs, herbs of all kinds, edible flowers, and mushrooms show up in ways that feel both practical and precious.

New Orleans - Castnet Seafood makes our favorite po’boy in New Orleans. If it’s your first time, go with the quintessential dressed New Orleans fried shrimp, which comes with lettuce, pickle, tomato, Blue Plate mayonnaise, Crystal hot sauce, and a little butter on Leidenheimer French bread. In case you're trying to speedrun summer, there's also a snowball stand, an ice cream store, and a classic barbecue joint all within a few feet.

Austin - If you’re in Austin this summer, you’ll have a hard time finding a better party than De Nada, which is synonymous with tacos, queso, and margaritas so potent they cut you off after two. The original has long been a favorite of ours for a fun night out, but the newer location in South Austin is even bigger and buzzier. The best part is that it’s not all flash—the tacos are great, and those famously strong margaritas are the best in town.

Washington, DC - There are plenty of oyster spots in DC, but Hank’s is our go-to. It’s more casual than some other bivalve shops in town, and the beach shack decor creates an overarching feeling of never-ending summer. Not in the mood for oysters? They've got a nice spread of po'boys and seafood sandwiches, as well as a massive seafood fry plate that serves a group.

Baltimore - Baltimore’s summer dessert staple is the egg custard snowball: bright-orange shaved ice that kind of tastes like vanilla, with the option to add a thick layer of marshmallow on top. You can find them at various roadside shacks all over the city, but the surroundings and the history at The Peggy are particularly notable. This place has been around since 1922, and the shack is attached to a luscious garden and accompanying store that looks like it's out of a Hallmark movie.