Who doesn’t love brunch? And, even better, who doesn’t love brunch with their dog? One of the best summer activities you can do with your dog is a dog-friendly brunch. Sipping on mimosas while petting your dog? Yes please!
Luckily CLE has tons of options, even a few places that cater to dogs specifically during brunch. Here are a few to check out this summer with your dog:
Every Sunday at Press Wine Bar in Tremont bring your dog to enjoy their dog friendly patio and their delicious brunch menu. To celebrate opening up their patio to dogs this year, every Sunday during brunch from 10 am to 3 pm they will be running a contest with Tito’s Vodka where if you order a Bloody Mary you’ll be entered to win this doghouse:
(Cute pom not included)
And get the Crab Cake Eggs Benedict, so good! Press Wine Bar is now dog friendly all the time as well.
Luxe in Gordon Square also hosts a dog friendly brunch with special food options for your dog. They also choose a Bow Wow Brunch Dog of the Week, who they share on their Facebook page:
Wine Bar Rocky River also hosts a dog-friendly brunch on Sundays. This is the only time that dogs are allowed on their beautiful patio, so it’s definitely one you should add to your list!
A view of the gorgeous patio
Don’t feel left out Eastsiders, Nighttown in Cleveland Heights has a special dog-friendly patio and serves brunch from 10 am to 3 pm on Sundays.
I love when people email me about their experiences at dog friendly places around Cleveland, but I especially love when it’s someone who lives out of town!
I received this email over the weekend about a visitor’s recent trip to CLE. Although they are former residents, they now reside in NYC. Here’s what they had to say about their dog friendly trip to Cleveland:
We stayed at the Westin downtown and they are AMAZING with dogs. There is no deposit for dogs regardless of number or size. They also sent up a feather down dog bed along with dishes for Alma to use during our stay. They were so accommodating, I often sat in the lobby on one of the couches with Alma reading my book or in the Starbucks in the building and no one had any issues. We also sat out on the patio at the restaurant Urban Farmer and they were good as well.
For dinner – Greenhouse Tavern on E. 4th was great with Alma. We leave her in a chair next to us so she stays in one place, and they were great with her!
We also had dinner at Fahrenheit in Tremont – all were wonderful with the dog.
A great brunch at Luxe followed by some chillin’ at Pour on Euclid. They are both AWESOME with dogs.
(Updated for 2016 – I’ve been informed Spice Kitchen is no longer dog friendly)
It was a tough job, but someone had to do it. I spent the summer scouring the Cleveland patio scene searching for the best dog-friendly patios. That’s how dedicated I am to you, my fellow Cleveland dog and patio lovers.
I made a list at the start of the summer of some of the patios I’d heard to be the most dog friendly and I ended up making it to pretty much all of the places. I also found a few new ones along the way. It’s definitely an exciting time in the Cleveland dining and drinking scene, and a lot of new dog-friendly places are sprouting up in Cleveland.
Before I get into the patios, I encourage you to read this if you are considering taking your dog out. I’ve heard some bad stories lately and I would hate for Cleveland’s dog-friendly patio scene to get a bad name: http://dogsinthecle.com/dog-friendly-patio-etiquette/
Here are some things I take into consideration to determine what makes a good dog-friendly patio:
1) How much space is there for you and your dog. Will you feel cramped or in other people’s way?
2) How comfortable do I feel hanging out with my dog? Are people, including the staff at the bar/restaurant, welcoming of the dog, or are they annoyed?
3) Do they accommodate the dog as well? Provide water, attention, treats maybe?
Of course it’s not a requirement that they fawn over my dog or give him treats, but it’s a nice bonus (Hunter asked me to add that part).
The List (in no particular order)
Barking Spider
11310 Juniper Rd.
This Cleveland Heights favorite has a laid-back patio perfect for hanging out with your dog. The bar allows dogs inside and out, and the inside of the bar opens up to the front and back patios for easy access. The back patio is especially fun for dogs who love to dig in mulch!
Barking Spider Patio
Mulch fun!
Nano Brew
1859 W. 25th St. This bar has a large dog-friendly patio that runs alongside and behind the bar (it also has an outdoor bar where you can get drinks as well). They provide dog bowls and I usually see at least one other dog any time I visit, so this a well known spot to take your dog. I always feel comfortable taking Hunter here. And the really good burgers don’t hurt either.
Photo courtesy of Nano Brew’s Facebook page. I haven’t gotten
a good picture of their patio on my dog visits.
Clifton Wine Bar
10427 Clifton Ave. This wine bar is one of my favorite spots in Lakewood. I love their food and their patio is spacious and very welcoming of dogs. I never think twice about bringing my dog here. The staff is always very excited about dog visitors and provides water bowls.
Hunter’s sophisticated wine tasting face.
The patio
Luxe
6605 Detroit Ave.
This restaurant is so dog friendly, they host a weekly “Bow Wow Brunch” for people to bring their dogs and enjoy brunch on their patio. Even without catering to dogs with their own brunch, I’d love this patio. It’s one of the prettiest in Cleveland and the patio has a lot of space for you and your dog.
Luxe’s patio
Hanging out
Platform Brewing Company
4125 Lorain Ave.
This is one of my favorite bars in Cleveland, and not just because it’s dog friendly. The beer is good, the atmosphere is laid back and they bring in fun food vendors so you can sample different local Cleveland places. The patio is a great place to hang out with your dog, and there are always at least a few others dogs out there. Last summer they even hosted a dog show, so you know they really love dogs!
Nighttown
12387 Cedar Rd.
This one makes the list mainly because last summer the restaurant did a renovation and built two patios, one specifically designed to allow people to bring their dogs with them. The spacious patio is very welcoming of dogs and it’s definitely worth a stop if you’re an eastsider looking for good dog-friendly patio.
Hunter on the patio
Nighttown patio
Heck’s
2927 Bridge Ave.
Not only is Heck’s known for their burgers, but they also have a great, casual patio perfect for hanging out with your dog. When I called to ask if they were dog friendly, the woman who answered said, “Yes, we love dogs!” so I felt pretty comfortable that my dog would be welcome here.
Heck’s patio
My former foster Vinnie loved their patio!
Edison’s
2373 Professor Ave.
No dog-friendly list would be complete without mentioning Edison’s. This Tremont bar is probably one of the most well known dog-friendly places in Cleveland. They even have it on their sign. You’re pretty likely to run into at least one dog every time you visit. Dogs are allowed out on the spacious patio, as well as inside the bar.
Dogs Welcome!
My former foster Brady contemplating another beer
Barrio Tremont
806 Literary Rd.
This patio might be one of my favorites on the list. I love Barrio and was so excited when I discovered their beautiful Tremont patio is dog friendly (I have been told the Lakewood Barrio patio is NOT dog friendly). There is plenty of room on their patio to hang out with your dog and enjoy some delicious tacos. The staff is also really great with dogs. Hunter’s water bowl was never empty.
Barrio’s Tremont patio
(photo courtesy of Barrio)
Hunter loves Barrio’s patio!
Jukebox
1404 W. 29th St.
This new addition to the “Hingetown” (Ohio City) scene has a decent-sized dog-friendly patio. This patio was especially impressive to me for how well the staff treated my dog. Multiple people brought him water and fawned over him. This actually might be Hunter’s favorite patio on the list.
The patio.
Hunter sampling the brews at Jukebox (just smell sampling, of course).
Honorable Mentions
These are a couple of patios I either didn’t get to, or haven’t been yet with my dog, although I’ve heard they are all great dog friendly patios.
This past weekend I went to brunch to celebrate Hunter’s birthday a little early (it’s next Sunday, but I’ll be out of town) at Wine Bar Rocky River. We invited some pom friends since Hunter loves a pom party and enjoyed Sunday’s great weather on one of the best patios in Cleveland. Hunter loves people watching and attention, so I’m pretty sure it’s exactly what he’d want to do for his birthday.
The only time dogs are allowed on Wine Bar Rocky River’s patio is on Sunday for brunch (from 10-1). The wine bar has a really great patio, one of the prettiest in Cleveland in my opinion, so I’m happy they allow dogs there at all even if it’s only for Sunday brunch. There were quite a few other dogs there on our visit, so it got a little chaotic (lots of barking) at a few different points. The patio is pretty spacious though, so the dogs were able to stay out of each other’s way for the most part.
Bruno, Hunter’s pom friend
Cute water bowls are provided
Gorgeous patio
Hunter is so excited about this pom birthday party
A view of the gorgeous patio
As you can see from the photo above of Hunter, he was pretty excited about his pom brunch birthday party.
I highly recommend Wine Bar Rocky River’s dog friendly brunch. The beautiful leafy patio is the perfect setting to enjoy some good food and drinks (I recommend trying the pomegranate mimosa). And of course I love when a restaurant designates a special day to welcome dogs.
After you’ve checked out their brunch, here are some others to try before the summer is over:
Luxe – This Gordon Square restaurant is always dog friendly, but on Sundays they host a “Bow Wow Brunch.” It’s a pretty popular spot for dogs and every week the restaurant chooses a Bow Wow Brunch dog of the week to feature on its Facebook page.
Nighttown – This Cleveland Heights restaurant/jazz club has a special patio dedicated to dogs, so it’s a good place to hit up for some brunch and dog time.
Lucky’s – I love Lucky’s for brunch, so I highly recommend it as one to check out this summer with your dog.
Spread the word – Cleveland loves dogs!
Dogs in the CLE 