These restaurants welcome paws in outdoor seating
By Holly Galbus
Photography by Kelvin Andow
Sunshine, blue skies, warm breezes. It’s what we Minnesotans crave after a long winter of being cooped up indoors.
What better way to celebrate a lovely spring or summer day than with a meal at one of the many restaurant patios in the area? And of course, we want to bring our best friend to share in the fun! It can also be fun for the other restaurant patrons, as they often join in on and even initiate conversations when we bring our pets along.
Here’s a list of the restaurants in our area that welcome pets to their patio or sidewalk dining spaces. Many even provide water bowls and treats for four-legged friends.
Keep this list handy (in your glove compartment or purse) as you travel during the summer months. As you know, it’s not safe to leave pets in a car on warm days, so you’ll want to know which eateries allow your pet to accompany you for lunch or dinner on the patio.
Holly Galbus is a Rochester freelance writer who loves to write about the bonds between pets and their people.
ROCHESTER Broadway Bar & Pizza • Canadian Honker Restaurant • Caribou Coffee • Chester’s Kitchen & Bar • Chipotle Mexican Grille • Culver’s • Dairy Queen • Dooley’s Pub • Dunkin’ Donuts • Dunn Brothers Coffee • Famous Dave’s Barbeque • Fiesta Café Bar • Five Guys • Five West Kitchen and Bar • Forager Brewery and Kutzky Market • Grand Rounds Brewing Company “We all love dogs here. To see the pets with their owners on the patio makes people happy,” says Tessa Leung, owner. Dog treats made from spent grain at the brewery are also available at Grand Rounds. • Hefe Rojo • Jersey Jo’s • Leeann Chin • Martini’s at the Kahler Grand • Noodles & Company • Panera Bread • Pasquale’s Neighborhood Pizzeria • Pi Wood-Fired Pizza • Porch • Potbelly Sandwich Shop • Salute Wine Bar & More • Taco JED Owner Steve Dunn says customers often bike or walk with their pets and then enjoy a bite to eat at the restaurant, as it is conveniently located next to biking/walking path. • The Loop • The Half Barrel • The Tap House (decks excluded) • The Thirsty Belgian • Valentino’s • Whistle Binkies Olde World Pub BYRON Bear’s Den Sports Bar & Eatery
KASSON 504 Tavern
LANESBORO High Court Pub Downtown restaurant that serves flatbreads, wings, beer. Music performances. Two outdoor decks where pets are allowed. Bird feeders. “Pets and their owners love it here,” says Dave Hamann, manager. • Pedal Pushers Café There are a few benches outside this café, and pets are welcome.
NORTHFIELD HideAway Coffeehouse and Wine Bar Four tables out front of this restaurant are welcoming to owners and their pets. “In the summertime, we keep a dog dish full of water out there,” says Assistant Manager Chandra Crawford. “Stay as long as you like.” • Imminent Brewing This brewery/taproom (which also serves coffee and sodas) has been described as one of the most pet friendly places in the area. A “Brewery Dog of the Month” is featured on the brewery’s website (imminentbrewing.com), and includes photos and a short description of the pet as well as likes and dislikes. The website’s FAQs page includes information about dog etiquette. Dogs must be well-behaved, leashed and have license on collar. • Quarterback Club Family Restaurant “We do have a lot of dogs—big dogs, little dogs—with their owners come enjoy the patio in the summer,” says Liz Alyea, manager. “Dogs need to be okay around other dogs and people to be on the patio.”
SPRING VALLEY Rack’s Bar & Grill
ST. CHARLES Cabin Coffee Co. Much more than coffee; serves sandwiches, soups, pastries, and other desserts. “We often get dog-walkers or those traveling through the area, or campers from Whitewater State Park here to have a cup of coffee and we welcome people with pets to sit on our front porch,” says Tanya Lejeune, manager.
STEWARTVILLE Striker’s Corner
WINONA Acoustic Café • Rocco’s Pizza (477 West 5th Street location only) • El Patron Mexican Grill