Going to the bar is one of the most enjoyable ways to kick back on a weekend or unwind after a long day on the job. But wouldn’t it be more fun if you were allowed to share the experience with your dog? Fortunately for New Yorkers, the area is filled with a variety of bars and eateries that allow guests to dine or grab a brew with their canines in tow. Here are a few that take being dog friendly to the next level:
Lucky Dog
Location: 303 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
Overview: This brick-walled dive bar features booze, a jukebox, pinball machines, free shuffleboard, occasional live music and canines galore. The bar boasts an outdoor patio/backyard area where patrons can bring their pups and allow them to roam off-leash. It’s the kind of place where regulars come to grab a brew and get some dog time in.
“Even though I’m more of a cat person, I could not help falling for the friendly, chill, brown Poodle who obligingly let me pet him all night,” recalls a guest of a recent visit. Another visitor summed up the place in one beautiful sentence: “It’s like a dog park with a full bar.”
The Bull & Beer Garden
Location: 75 Wall Street, New York, NY
Overview: Located just two blocks from the New York Stock Exchange, this swanky Financial District hotel is a great place to stay while in town for business (it’s pet friendly, too!). It’s also a popular spot to frequent after a long day on the job.
Their outdoor Bull & Beer Garden is an outdoor plaza that features a weekly “Bark Hour” for dog owners. Every Wednesday, pups can visit the bar and snack on a variety of treats. The hotel itself offers a pet program to visitors who stay there that includes a doggie bed, three pet toys to keep, two bowls, a jar of gourmet treats, and the option to treat your pet to a day at The Salty Paw Doggie Groom Spa.
Parvaneh Miller, director of sales and marketing, says the establishment is filled with dog lovers. “As a hotel inspired by our downtown Manhattan locale, we love being a second home or even a backyard to our guests. Welcoming their furry friends is how we embrace our neighbors.”
LIC Bar
Location: 147 Franklin Street, Brooklyn, NY
Overview: This bar is the perfect spot to listen to some live music or relax on a dog-friendly patio. The bar doesn’t serve any food but does allow locals to bring their own takeout and supplies menus of restaurants that deliver directly to the bar.
This is a spot that many locals frequent with their dogs, many of who are also regulars. During the weekends, guests enjoy backyard BBQs and bring their kids and pets to tag along and enjoy a relaxing afternoon.
“What better way to spend a beautiful summer day than outside with your pup at LIC Bar? Cold beer in one hand and man’s best friend sitting alongside you,” says LIC owner, Brian Porter, who reminds patrons that they are always welcome to bring their dogs on the bar’s patio.
Bar Great Harry
Location: 280 Smith Street, Brooklyn, NY
Overview: This popular nightlife spot is often referred to as “the perfect, no frills neighborhood bar.” Bar Great Harry offers plenty of beer options (over twenty daily draft specials), friendly bartenders, and a plethora of adorable pups lounging around.
Visitor Joe Gallagher describes the establishment as, “the kind of bar where two French Bulldogs roll in at 1 a.m.”
Bar Great Harry used to allow dogs to sit on bar stools with their patrons, however, a citywide health ordinance put a few limitations on that. They still allow dogs in under the radar, however, and locals continue to bring them. For an added dose of doggie dedication, visit the bar’s website to be greeted by a photo of a pit bull dressed as a lion. And, per the bar’s website, they even have a joke about how to reclaim any lost dog food left at the bar.
The Bronx Brewery
Location: 856 East 136th Street, Bronx, NY
Overview: The Bronx Brewery is a small craft brewery and tasting room located in the South Bronx. The bar features an outdoor, fenced-in dog run where pets can frolic around off leash while their owners kick back on a patio. There are also lawn games, picnic tables (where dogs can hang out under as long as they are kept on leashes), house-brewed ales, and a weatherproof backyard. There is a Mexican food truck that frequently parks out back so that patrons can pair tacos with beers.
Fred’s Restaurant
Location: 476 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY
Overview: Fred’s is a dog lover’s paradise. The owner of Fred’s loves dogs so much that he named this place after his pup and the motto of the bar is “Come! Sit! Stay!”
Dog pictures lining almost every inch of the bar’s walls, creating a fun vibe for pet lovers of all sorts. In fact, if you bring a picture of your own dog into the bar with you, the owners will hang it up on the wall. Visitors can sit with their dog on the outdoor patio and the wait staff love pups so much that they’ll bring your dog a constant flow of water and treats throughout your stay. At Fred’s, your dog will get tons of attention, stimulation and will be able to socialize with other canine patrons.
The Barking Dog
Location: 1453 York Avenue, New York, NY
Overview: The name says it all. When it comes to loving dogs, this restaurant goes all out. Aside from a fire hydrant in front, The Barking Dog hands out dog treats to their canine visitors. While visitors sip mimosas and brunch at this Upper East Side spot, dogs can sip from their own water fountain and sample from an outdoor treat jar. At night (the bar is open until 10:15 p.m.), dog owners can grab a refreshing cold beer in an outdoor setting and hang with their furry pals.
The Owl Farm
Location: 297 9th Street, Brooklyn, NY
Overview: This place offers craft beers, pinball machines and a cozy place to hang with your friends—four-legged ones included.
The Owl Farm allows you to bring your dog to the establishment before 6 p.m. (dogs are not allowed into the bar from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m.) and features 28 rapidly rotating draft beers, bottled ciders, and rare bottled beers.
LOCL Bar
Location: 2178 Broadway, New York, NY
Overview: This fun nightlife destination is located inside the dog-friendly NYLO Hotel. The bar has several seating areas, but the favorite spot for guests to hang out is the piano lounge.
“I found it charming to drink and socialize in the regal piano lounge while at least a half a dozen dogs sat patiently near their owners,” says Manhattan-resident Joni Sweet.
“Since the bar is located near the lobby of the hotel, you get to watch all kinds of dogs go by. It’s a twist on people watching and it’s endlessly entertaining for animal lovers.”
The roaring ‘20s-themed bar has an all day food menu, occasional live music and an array of creative drinks.
Mission Dolores
Location: 249 4th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
Overview: This bar allows you to bring your pups, as long as they are leashed, friendly and quiet. Patrons love to gather at this spot to hang with one of the many cold brews available, most of which are local to the region. The popular weekend watering hole allows guests to munch on their own food and spoil their pets with a plethora of snacks. “This place welcomes dog lovers and offers pitchers for the parched,” says one regular.
“This is my favorite spot to get a little buzzed and squeal at other people’s dogs,” adds another.
Wonder Bar
Location: Fifth and Ocean Aves, Asbury Park, NJ
Overview: A bar that has its own dog-friendly happy hour? Yes please! Located a hop, skip and a jump away from New York City, Wonder Bar is a live music hot spot that features shows by a variety of up and coming acts. The Asbury Park boardwalk bar is so dog friendly that they offer their own “Yappy Hour.” The event has its own Facebook page, which patrons can follow to keep up with the dates and times (it typically occurs on Saturdays and Sundays). The festivities are typically open to dogs of all sizes but the bar does occasionally feature a small dog happy hour on specific weeknights as well. Wonder Bar’s outdoor area includes dog-friendly swimming pools, an agility area, and a “time out” spot for dogs that “need a little time to unwind.”
“My dog had a blast there!” says dog owner Alexa Grueiro. “They have a bunch of pools that are refreshed with water throughout the day so that the pups can stay cool. The size of the play area is decent, with the bar in the middle and an area separated for those folks who would like to have a bite.”
Nicole Pajer is a freelance writer who lives in Los Angeles with her husband, energetic Doberman, and rat terrier.
Share:
