The Basics Drinking Out

8 Outdoor Bars for Drinking with Your Dog

Enjoy a beer or a cocktail with your furry best friend.

A dog at Mutts Canine Cantina. Its paws are up on the counter and there is a frozen drink in front of it

Mutts Canine Cantina

Drinking at a bar with your friends is fun. Drinking at a bar with your friends and your dog? That’s the stuff memories are made of. Pesky health code restrictions and the fact that not everyone loves dogs (it’s fine, we get it) make imbibing in public with your pooch in tow a challenge. But only if you don’t know where to go. So to help, we’ve fetched you eight of the dog-friendliest bars in America.

  • Barrio (Chicago)

    barrio chicago with an outdoor table loaded with drinks and a dog in a chair

    Barrio 

    This alfresco joint in Chicago’s buzzing River North neighborhood offers a dog-friendly patio that’s ideal for sunny summer days with a Margarita in hand. While you tuck into plates of traditional Mexican and pan-Latin food, your pup can enjoy any one of the three entree options on the Barkio puppy menu. Along with simple grilled chicken, a burger or steak, you can also opt to add a dairy-free Woof Cream dessert.

    Also worth noting is Barrio’s weekend brunch menu, home to bottomless blood orange Mimosas and the tequila-spiked house favorite, the Bloody Maria. The group that operates Barrio also has three other Chicago restaurants with puppy-geared menus, Public House, Bar Siena and Siena Tavern, so you and your dog can make the rounds.

  • Boris & Horton (New York)

    A cafe table with coffee cups on it and two patrons holding their lap dogs while seated
    Milla Chappell

    There’s no shortage of furry friends in the East Village, and now there’s a worthy spot to host them all. Boris & Horton opened in 2018 as the city’s first Department of Health-approved café, where your dog can hang out indoors while you enjoy small-batch local coffee, craft beer and wine. Named for the father-and-daughter team’s own beloved rescues, Boris & Horton partners with organizations like Badass Brooklyn animal rescue to host adoption events, including a regular bingo night that promotes older dog adoptions.

    Pups eat well here, with treats like grain-free donuts and pupcakes filling the bakery case, all made with human-grade ingredients so you can even take a bite, if so tempted. The café also partners with Lucy & Co., the creators of the trendiest bandanas, collars and harnesses around, and the photographer behind the @dogsofinstagram account, whose company, Real Happy Dogs, works with local rescue organizations to raise awareness about adoptions of senior, handicapped and abused animals.

  • Fred’s Mexican Cafe (San Diego)

    Fred's Mexican Cafe San Diego

    Fred’s Mexican Cafe

    In the heart of San Diego’s Old Town, Fred’s Mexican Cafe claims to be the only dog-friendly restaurant in the neighborhood. Whether or not that’s true, Fred’s certainly goes the extra mile to keep your pooch happy and well-fed. The cantina boasts an alfresco dining patio, which fills up on Taco Tuesday, when a DJ spins all night, tacos are under $5 and prices for Dos Equis beer, tequila shots and giant Margaritas are slashed as well.

    The Canine Comida menu includes the Benny’s bowl of chicken and fries, Leo’s sliced carne asada and Jacko’s scrambled eggs. The only rules? Pups have to eat from their own designated bowls and must remain comfortably on the ground while you toss back your Margaritas.

  • Mutts Canine Cantina (Dallas)

    Mutts Canine Cantina with a dog-friendly seated area full of canines and highback white lawn chairs

    Mutts Canine Cantina

    Located in Uptown Dallas, Mutts is a pet owner’s dream. Part dog park and part beer garden, it eliminates the need to choose between hanging with your friends on a Saturday afternoon or showering your pup with much-deserved attention—you can do both. Locals can opt for a monthly or annual membership or just drop in for the day.

    Pups will love running free in the one-acre off-leash space, which features separate sections for small and large dogs, as well as on-site attendants who will pick up after your pet and make sure they stay hydrated and behaved while you kick back in the adjacent beer garden, with its rotating taps and refreshing cocktails like the Barkarita, Frozen Peach Old Fashioned and Texas Mule. Drop in for happy hour, when draft beer and frozen drinks are only $3, and treat your dog to the always-available frozen-beef-broth-and-peanut-butter Pupsicle.

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  • Norm’s Eatery & Alehouse (Seattle)

    Norm's Eatery & Alehouse. a patron is looking at the camera and their two dogs are near his chair

    Norm’s Eatery & Alehouse

    This Fremont haunt has been welcoming pups and their owners with open arms for more than a decade. Norm’s serves daily lunch and dinner, plus a killer brunch happy hour every weekend, starring $5 Bloody Marys. Go during the week for Wednesday Bingo or Trivia Tuesdays, and sip on local craft beer while your dog enjoys handcrafted menu options from The Seattle Barkery, like gluten-free bacon pupcakes, peanut butter pumpkin pretzels and turkey nuggets.

    Pups must be leashed, friendly with both people and other dogs, and refrain from barking while inside. Norm’s also hosts monthly dog service nights, featuring groomers, mobile vets and dog walkers, along with costume contests for the most spirited pup during Seahawks games. The top Hawk Dog wins a $50 gift certificate, so your pooch can pick up the tab for once.

  • Pub Dog (Colorado Springs)

    an al fresco location in which a bunch of dogs are roaming free. in the foreground is a pint of beer, some food and one very happy canine

    Pub Dog

    Pub Dog lays out tons of space for your four-legged friend to run, while you look on from an expansive shaded patio with a local craft beer in hand. Founded by a family that counts a German shorthaired pointer, Welsh springer spaniel and two cavalier spaniel puppies in their mix, Pub Dog offers a laid-back community for pet owners, with the added perks of a full bar and good food. The 3,000-square-foot off-leash area is fully fenced, so Fido won’t stray while you eat better-than-usual pub eats like salmon flatbread and the house favorite B.L.T.

    The drinks menu is equally varied, with canned and bottled craft beer and rotating local drafts. There’s also a decent selection of house cocktails, like the Dirty Dog, Pub Dog’s take on a Martini, the true-to-form Bark ’n Stormy, and a cucumber-and-chamomile G&T. Order your dog a couple of hamburger puppy patties, a bowl of dog-friendly chicken soup or crunchy bacon as a reward for all of her laps around the park.

  • Ray’s & Stark Bar (Los Angeles)

    Ray’s & Stark Bar L.A. a Corgi has its front paws on the coutner as its eyeing a platter of sliders

    Ray’s & Stark Bar  

    The Los Angeles County Museum of Art might not be pet-friendly, but its on-site gourmet restaurant, Ray’s & Stark Bar, offers farm-to-table dining for both you and your four-legged friend. Grab a spot on the sunny patio, where the brunch menu features dark chocolate pancakes and breakfast pizza made with Gruyère, prosciutto and poached eggs. Order your pet their own pizza crust or a steamed chicken and broccoli bowl from the Barky brunch menu.

    If you liked the sauce on your breakfast pizza, opt for a Bloody Mary, which uses the tomato juice from the pizza sauce for which that chef Fernando Darin is known. Otherwise, go for an IPA shandy made with house-made lemonade, a refreshing glass of Frosé or the Mexicano Blanco, made with mezcal crema, Kahlúa and cream. Hot tip: LACMA also allows visitors to bring their own (responsible amounts of) alcohol, so you can sip on some vino or a homemade cocktail while browsing before or after brunch.

  • Wet Dog Tavern (Washington, D.C.)

    Wooden benches at Wet Dog Tavern D.C. and a pup in an orange bandana eyeing the camera

    Wet Dog Tavern

    D.C’s Wet Dog Tavern was inspired by Lilly Sophia, a loving golden retriever and swimming aficionado who died suddenly from a rare and silent disease. Dedicated to raising awareness about life-threatening conditions via community events and fundraising, Wet Dog has held tight to Lilly Sophia’s legacy, hosting monthly happy hours in support of the Humane Rescue Alliance.

    Bring your own pet along and have a seat on the dog-friendly front patio, where water bowls, dog treats and cozy little bench nooks provide a perfect napping spot for furry friends. On weekdays, regular happy hour specials feature $5 drafts from Appalachian Brewing Co. and $6 pours of wine. On the cocktail front, try a Paloma Dog, with tequila, grapefruit and bitters, or the Puppy Love, made with Stoli Blueberi vodka and lemonade, an ode to the owner’s first-ever drink with his now wife.