Dog-Friendly Austin
Austin is built for being outside with a dog: beer gardens under live oaks, food truck parks, dog bars with off-leash yards and a dozen city off-leash areas, some of them on the water. We list 150 dog-friendly restaurants, bars and beer gardens, 36 dog-friendly cafés and coffee shops and 17 dog parks and off-leash areas in Austin and nearby, from Rainey Street and South Congress to East Austin, the Domain and the Hill Country.
Categories in Austin
Eating out with a dog in Austin
Texas law lets a restaurant welcome dogs in its outdoor dining area if it posts a sign saying dogs are welcome. You and your dog must reach the patio from outside, the dog stays out of the building, on a leash and off chairs and tables, and no food is prepared on the patio. Cities in Texas cannot make these rules stricter (Texas Health and Safety Code § 437.025). That is why the places on this list are mostly about patios, decks and beer gardens.
A few taprooms and dog bars let dogs come inside, like BARk House Social, Blue Owl Brewing, Hi Sign Brewing, Hopsquad Brewing Co. and more. See the full list of dog-friendly restaurants and bars in Austin and use the filters to find patios and dogs-inside spots near you.
Beer gardens, food trucks and dog bars
Our list has 49 bars, beer gardens, breweries and taprooms in and around Austin where a source says dogs are welcome, among them BARk House Social, Angel's Ice House, Austin Terrier, Lazarus Brewing Co. Airport Blvd, The Watering Bowl and more. Austin also has dog bars, where dogs play off leash while you eat and drink, such as BARk House Social in East Austin and The Watering Bowl in far South Austin. They charge for a day pass or membership.
Coffee with your dog
Our list of dog-friendly cafés in Austin has 36 coffee shops, bakeries and doughnut shops, many with big shaded patios, like Cosmic Coffee + Beer Garden and Radio Coffee & Beer in South Austin.
Dog parks, off-leash areas and swimming
Austin Parks and Recreation runs the city's off-leash areas. Several are on the water: at Red Bud Isle on Lady Bird Lake the whole park is off leash, and at Barking Springs below Barton Springs Pool dogs can swim in the spring-fed creek. Others are open lawns like Zilker Park and Auditorium Shores, or fenced dog parks like Norwood Estate. Keep your dog leashed on the way to and from an off-leash area, and bring no more than three dogs (Austin Parks and Recreation). See all dog parks in Austin.
Dog menus
11 places on our list serve something made for dogs: BARk House Social, Amy's Ice Creams South Congress, Angel's Ice House, Austin Terrier, Banger's Sausage House & Beer Garden, Blue Lacy, Hanami AYCE Sushi, Jo's Coffee South Congress, Lazarus Brewing Co. Airport Blvd, The Watering Bowl, and Upstairs at Caroline.
Austin by area
We sort the list by neighborhood and group the neighborhoods into areas: Central Austin (Downtown, Rainey Street, Clarksville, UT and Hyde Park, the North Loop, Burnet Road, Mueller), East Austin, South Austin (South Congress, Bouldin Creek, Zilker, South Lamar, St. Elmo, Menchaca), North Austin (the Domain), West Austin (Lake Austin, Westlake) and the Hill Country and suburbs, from Dripping Springs and Lake Travis to Round Rock and Cedar Park.
Frequently asked questions
Are dogs allowed on restaurant patios in Austin?
Often, yes. Texas law lets restaurants welcome dogs in outdoor dining areas that have a sign saying so, as long as the dog stays outside and on a leash. This list has 150 restaurants, bars and beer gardens in the Austin area where a source says dogs are welcome.
Can dogs go inside restaurants in Austin?
Not where food is served, except service animals. On our list a source says dogs can come inside at BARk House Social, Blue Owl Brewing, Hi Sign Brewing, Hopsquad Brewing Co., Meanwhile Brewing Co., Moontower Saloon, Nomadic Beerworks, and Dog House Drinkery & Dog Park, all of them taprooms, bars or dog bars.
Which Austin restaurants have a dog menu?
BARk House Social, Amy's Ice Creams South Congress, Angel's Ice House, Austin Terrier, Banger's Sausage House & Beer Garden, Blue Lacy, Hanami AYCE Sushi, Jo's Coffee South Congress, Lazarus Brewing Co. Airport Blvd, The Watering Bowl, and Upstairs at Caroline.
Where can my dog swim in Austin?
At Red Bud Isle on Lady Bird Lake and at Barking Springs below Barton Springs Pool, both city off-leash areas. Signs at Barking Springs warn about bacteria in the water, so check the city's advisories first.
Which areas does Woofstops cover around Austin?
The city of Austin plus nearby places in the Hill Country (Dripping Springs, Lake Travis, Bee Cave) and the suburbs (Round Rock, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, Leander).