5 Dog-Friendly Restaurants in Dallas

Whether you’re visiting or moving to Dallas, then you must know that it is home to the largest urban park, dozens of dog parks, and some of the best dog-friendly BBQ and Tex-Mex eateries in the nation. It’s a dog haven—or so we thought. 

Many of us take for granted the fact that we can bring our best friends out for a beer or bite to eat, but in Dallas, there were real sacrifices that had to be made to secure our dogs’ liberties. Prior to 2008, it was actually illegal to have your dog on a patio! Sounds crazy, right? 

We get it—sometimes dogs can cause problems. But we humans aren’t perfect either, and we still have our freedom and liberties. Our pups may bark too loud, get in bar fights with other dogs, or occasionally snag some Texas BBQ off the picnic table, but a full-scale ban on patios is doggone ridiculous. 

For generations, dog liberties were forgotten or pushed aside until the owner and chef of Parigi’s, Janice Provost took up the fight. Janice became the voice for those that bark, wag, and chase, and today our doggies are welcome in many restaurants and eateries all across Dallas. In this article, we’ll dive into the best dog-friendly restaurants in Dallas, including:

1. Parigi
2. Mutts Canine Cantina
3. The Backyard
4. Truck Yard
5. Katy Trail Ice House

Let’s get started!

1. Parigi

Parigi Bistro is a dog-friendly restaurant in the Oak Lawn neighborhood, where dog liberties and freedoms were born and fought for in the city of Dallas. It’s also a great place for humans to brunch, lunch, and dine. Inspired by the bistros of Paris, this restaurant has been a neighborhood hotspot for over 37 years. Humans are welcome to bring their pooches to the dog-friendly patio, where they can people-watch and enjoy the vibes of everyone’s favorite Parisian sidewalk cafe.  

Besides being dog-friendly, Parigi also has a resident artist, and they promote their farm-to-table connections. The menu changes twice per month, and you can find a full list of their farmer friends on their website. The restaurant works hard to source local produce, small-batch cheese, and sustainably sourced meats and seafood. 

The entire Oak Lawn neighborhood is walkable, dog-friendly, and close to the trendy Uptown and Downtown neighborhoods. If you’re looking to move to Dallas and want to spend some time at Parigi with your pup, check out the luxury apartment Axis at Wycliff. 

2. Mutts Canine Cantina

Mutts Canine Cantina is a dog-friendly place that needs to be in every city in America! Humans can sip on a cold one in the beer garden while they watch their dog exercise and sniff butts in the off-the-leash dog park. 

The first dog-friendly restaurant was in the Oak Lawn neighborhood, and this next option is in the adjacent neighborhood of Uptown. With a name like Mutts Canine Cantina, you can probably imagine that people come for the dogs, but they stay for the drinks. Monday to Friday, “Yappy Hour” is open until 6 p.m., so get there early for $4 craft beers and frozen cocktails. 

If you’re a local, you’ll want to look into becoming a member, as this place is every dog owner’s dream. Many restaurants and bars in Dallas say they’re dog-friendly, but this place actually caters to dogs. This outdoor eatery has a full-service dog park and even comes with its own “bark rangers” who patrol for mischievous pups and pick up your dogs’ business. 

The Cantina is broken up into three enclosed sections: one for small dogs, one for big dogs, and one for us humans. Dogs have free roam inside of their park and even have the luxury to cool off in splash pools. The menu also caters to dogs and provides pupsicles and mini beef franks.  

The only catch is that dogs are only allowed inside the park if their human is a member, and there are some basic ground rules. Dogs must be spayed/neutered, friendly with people and other dogs, flea- and tick-free and fully vaccinated.

Are you ready to move to Dallas and become a member? Humans can get daily passes for $9 per dog, monthly passes for $17 per dog, or year-long passes for $170. Drinks and treats are not included, but water and clean-up crews are on site and ready to attend to your dog’s every need. 

3. The Backyard

Eat, drink, and play with your dog at The Backyard. The Backyard is the ultimate dog-friendly place and sports bar in Big D. The bar has 45 big screen TVs, and two 16-foot LED screens, so you’ll never miss a second of any game. While you’re distracted by the game and the other humans, your dog can explore the open-air playground in the backyard. 

The party at The Backyard starts during the day and lasts all night. The bar provides fun games like cornhole, giant Connect Four, and arcade games to entertain humans, and at night, the state-of-the-art light and sound system gets the party going. 

The Backyard has three full bars, so even though the place is packed every weekend, you’ll never have to wait for a drink for long. The menu is also a major surprise, and it isn’t your typical bar food. We recommend trying the Brunch Burger and the Golden Retriever Margarita!

Be careful, though—just because your food is on a hightop doesn’t mean it’s out of reach of a hungry jumping canine. On the weekends, this bar is 21 and up (in human years, not dog years). 

4. Truck Yard

Truck Yard is a local Dallas favorite for people and dogs who love the great outdoors. This bar markets itself as a “cooler than Austin” hangout, and the bar is actually a vintage airstream trailer. It has won some major Dallas awards, including Best Patio Dining, Best Treehouse Bar, and Best Bar Patio. 

What’s not to like about old truck-bed seats, plastic flamingos, your grandma’s lawn furniture, and food trucks? You’ll need to bring your own poop bags and treats, but water is made available upon request. Bring your pooch and enjoy an amazing patio experience. Live music can typically be enjoyed every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Truck Yeah!

5. Katy Trail Ice House

The historic Katy Trails is a focal point of the Uptown neighborhood, and the Katy Trail Ice House doesn’t disappoint. The 7.7-mile-long Katy Trail is an iconic destination for Dallasites to bring their dog, exercise, and pause to smell the flowers (and the trees, and the dirt, and more flowers…).

Walkers, joggers, bikers, and bird watchers are attracted to the Katy Trail, and dogs are welcomed as long as they are on a leash. After getting your sweat on or walking the dog, you’ll want to swing by Katy’s Beer Garden, Patio, and Ice House. The spacious patio is dog-friendly, shaded, and fun for all ages. 

Katy’s Happy Hour is Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., and the restaurant and bar is known for their world-class BBQ—and their mean, ice-cold margaritas. The Beer Garden is an “Austin-styled” beer garden ideal for breezy afternoons and cooler evenings. 

The Beer Garden has over 50 beers on tap, and all of the food on the menu is made from scratch. Thursday through Sunday, you and your furry friend can also wolf down some Texas BBQ. The food goes fast, so get there early. BBQ options include turkey, brisket, ribs, and sausages. Outside of BBQ, Katy’s kitchen is also known for their burger, patty melt, loaded nachos, taco plate, and venison chili. 

If you’re trying to stay on the healthier side, they have a killer fajita salad. The menu doesn’t cater specifically to dogs, but water bowls can be found along the spacious patio, and owners can also share some food scraps with their pooch. Owners are responsible for taking care of their dogs’ business and keeping their four-legged friends leashed. 

Best dog-friendly neighborhoods in Dallas

There are far more dog-friendly restaurants in Dallas than just these five, but while visiting or living in Dallas, you’ll definitely want to check these places out with your canine companion. If you plan on spending some time in Dallas in the near future and plan on bringing your furry friend, you’ll want to first look at rental options in the Uptown area, and a close second would be the Lower Greenville neighborhood. 

Landing offers fully furnished (and pet-friendly!) apartments across Dallas, where you’ll be able to take advantage of the city’s plethora of parks, dog parks, and swimming holes to keep your dog entertained. If Dallas is the next stop for you and your dog, check out our furnished apartments in Dallas. 

If you want to check out other places, we also have a list of dog-friendly restaurants in Austin and dog-friendly restaurants in Denver.