There’s no need to ask for a doggie bag when your pet can be your plus-one at a growing number of dog-loving restaurants across the country. It’s become commonplace for restaurants to welcome dogs in outdoor spaces, but some places are going out of their way to ensure diners bring their dogs along—and that they’re anything but afterthoughts.
From buzzy rooftops with dedicated dog menus to spots with onsite dog parks, these places are the best in business. Read on for a guide to 12 US restaurants where dogs are diners, too.
ShadowRock – Sedona, AZ
ShadowRock has serious come-one-come-all energy. The laidback Southwestern spot in the Hilton Resort at Bell Rock serves one of the city’s best kids’ menus, and has a dedicated one for dogs. It’s extra-fancy with fruit and cheese plates, crudités, and even pasta. Daily “yappy hour” on the restaurant’s sprawling garden porch means cocktails and lawn games for you and lots of fun Frisbee time for your dog.
Front & Main – Waterville, ME
Executive chef Jesse Souza’s dogs taste-tested the gourmet dog-friendly food at this popular farm-to-table restaurant, including mussels and even a full-on turkey dinner. Front & Main’s supersized patio is where you go for quality people- and pet-watching, with plenty of space to relax on a lazy weekend afternoon.
ADDiKT at W Miami – Miami, FL
A sceney downtown terrace isn’t where you’d usually take your dog, but everyone’s welcome at ADDiKT. For humans, there are global snacks and cocktails named after dog breeds—get the Boxer, a spin on the Kentucky mule. Meanwhile, your dog can graze on wagyu meatballs and salmon and rice bowls. And you can both drool over sweeping Biscayne Bay views at this gorgeous rooftop hangout.
Rock & Brews – Overland Park, KS
Whether you brought your babies or fur babies—or both—this chilled-out beer garden and live-music spot is the ticket. An all-weather patio, picnic tables, and kid’s play area offer plenty of spaces to spread out. Order a few of Rock & Brew’s 30 on-tap beers, dig into burgers or barbecue (this is Kansas, afterall), and treat your dog to bar bites and beefy “brown ale.”
Fire Works Pizza – Cascades – Sterling, VA
This casual pizzeria is the place to beat the Monday blues. It’s when Fire Works hosts its weekly Wine & Wags special, aka half-priced wine on an umbrella-clad patio—provided you bring your dog. Other Monday perks include a take-home water bowl, plus snacks like housemade meatballs. If drinks become dinner, you can tear into the restaurant’s famous wood-fired pies. If you’d rather twin with your pet, get the meatball sub.
Posana – Asheville, NC
Executive chef and co-owner Peter Pollay trained under culinary legend Wolfgang Puck and now leads this warm and welcoming Asheville restaurant. Posana’s seasonal and sustainable mission (that means a weekly changing New American selection for you) stretches to its multi-course dog menu, which includes housemade doggie biscuits, grilled organic chicken and brown rice, and seasonal ice cream for dessert. Don’t skip a dog-friendly “beer,” packed with Vitamin B-rich malt barley for extra-shiny coats.
Sally’s Fish House & Bar – San Diego, CA
Sally’s Fish House & Bar is an outdoor all-star. Your dog will love darting around its large waterfront patio (one of the biggest in the Embarcadero) while you take in soothing boat views. Expect perfectly charred mains like sea bass and ribeye with chimichurri butter from a wood-fired grill, plus dog-friendly surf-and-turf including salmon and grilled chicken with vegetables.
Art and Soul – Washington, D.C.
Dogs are huge fans of this seasonal American spot for its peanut butter and banana “pupsicles”—essential for getting through DC’s muggy summers. But the YOTEL restaurant is loved all year for its heated dog-friendly patio. No matter the season, you can count on beautiful Chesapeake Bay-inspired comfort food from executive chef Danny Chavez (who comes from MICHELIN-starred Plume) including grilled swordfish with coconut cream sauce.
Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden – Austin, TX
Austin is consistently singled out as one of the most dog-friendly cities in America, so it’s no shocker that it’s home to a dog-loving beer garden. At Banger’s, there are “woof wursts” (pork, sausage, and veggie links), plus 30 kinds of housemade sausages for you. But the place’s main attraction is its off-leash dog park, where you and your pets can keep the party going.
The Wilson NYC – New York, NY
Treat your dog to one swanky meal at this coastal-chic NYC spot. Dog-friendly restaurants are tricky to find in the city, but The Wilson’s side patio and front terrace are exceptions. Here, your pet can celebrate with a 16-ounce grilled ribeye while you order from a seafood-forward menu featuring lobster crispy rice and fisherman’s stew.
Pub Dog – Colorado Springs, CO
Meet Colorado’s only dog-friendly restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. Pub Dog is a rare 9,000-square-foot wonderland with a fenced-in off-leash space and lots of squeaky dog toys. Dogs should fuel up on protein bowls with brown rice and carrots or pupsicles made with frozen poultry broth before frolicking. Bonus points for weekly themed-nights like Wet Nose Wednesdays—bring your dog and you’ll get $2 off signature cocktails.
The Cliff Restaurant – Laguna Beach, CA
The multi-level patio at this seaside stunner draws dogs for an impressive all-day menu. There are steel-cut oats for breakfast, burgers for lunch, and fresh salmon and rice dinners—and that’s just for your dog (for you, there’s phenomenal seafood). Add postcard-perfect Pacific Ocean views, and you’ll see why this relaxed escape passes the canine critic test.
Carley Thornell-Wade is a Boston-based food, travel, and technology writer who’s been to more than 70 countries and delighted in tasting the regional delicacies of each.
