We’re not the only ones who enjoy dining out with dogs! Today’s guest writer shares why he loved dining on pet friendly patios with his dog, Brando. And he offers some tips and a list of his favorite patios for dining with a dog in Southern Indiana.
Growing up, my grandmother and great-grandparents were cat people. But I can’t remember a time in my life that we didn’t also have at least one dog. From German Shepherds to Cocker Spaniels and Beagles, to mixed-breed mutts, we had them all.
I can still visualize most all of them in my head, remembering their names.
Rama was a beautiful majestic German Shepherd who was also fiercely protective of me. One time she saved me from the bite of a water moccasin. Peanut was a small, mixed-breed Beagle who wasn’t the brightest, but was very affectionate. And Fraulein was a gorgeous black German Shepherd from Germany, who was extremely intelligent. Taffy was a golden Cocker, who on one of our hikes, famously took a swim in an oil well sludge pit on our farm. My mother was not amused.
For almost 17.5 years I was blessed to enjoy the company of a black & tan Yorkie named Brando. He accompanied me to my office daily where he “worked” as shop security. Brando had traveled to over 25 states from Florida to Michigan, and many in-between. And he was a regular visitor at Lowe’s, the BMV, many local retail stores, and restaurant patios across the US.
Everywhere we went people approached us to compliment his behavior, show him affection, and share stories of their own past and current pets. Brando was the inspiration for this article. He passed on September 8, 2022. Today, I’m accompanied on adventures by a Biewer Terrier pup named Riley!
Why Do More With Dogs
Some people might be asking, why not just leave your dog at home when you go out? So, let’s start by discussing the benefits of doing more with your dogs.
1. People travel, and pets are family … so it’s nice to be together
When I was running my business, I would frequently travel, and be out of town for days at a time. And with the prevalence of dog friendly hotels, businesses and restaurants, it made much more sense to have him with me, rather than leaving him alone and in a kennel for 22 hours a day.
My dogs have always enjoyed doing anything I was doing. And they have experienced new sights, smells, and situations. Plus, it’s fun sharing my adventures with my dogs!
2. Taking your dog along is a great way to meet people
Dogs are like magnets for many people. I can’t help but ask to interact with every dog anywhere in my vicinity. And every time I am out with my dog, people always come up to us and ask to pet him, or ask questions about him. Some will tell stories about their current pet, or about a pet that they have lost.
I’ve enjoyed some great conversations and interactions with people I would have not otherwise met. It’s also a great way to help answer questions and educate people about pet health, behavior, nutrition, training, and many other subjects!
3. Dogs are social animals
Dogs are pack animals, and to your dog, you are part of the pack. So they love to spend time with you. Taking them out for walks, visiting friends, going to the dog park, boating, hiking, or running errands are good for their mental and physical health. If the only time your dog is in a car is to go to the vet for shots, they might become fearful and anxious in the car.
And wouldn’t you get bored looking at the same walls and same backyard for years? Having new experiences builds confidence and results in a more relaxed, well-adjusted pet. That pet is more likely to enjoy discovering new things and is better equipped to cope with new situations in a positive way. Being out together also helps promote trust and understanding between dogs and humans.
4. Socialization teaches proper behavior and has health benefits
Being with you can help reduce your dog’s anxiety, fear of the unknown, and separation anxiety. Proper socialization also helps animals better deal with stressful situations such as visits to the groomers or the vet.
The human world is filled with all kinds of weird places, noises, smells, contraptions and events. With your help, your dog will learn that all this weird stuff in the human world is not going to harm them. Socialized dogs will not constantly be on guard and tense, because they know they’re safe with their human. And they won’t feel the need to protect their human family members with aggression.
Dogs that are socialized properly will be less vulnerable to health conditions shown to arise from anxiety and stress, such as Cushing’s Disease, depression, GI upsets, skin ailments, diabetes, or heart disease!
Dr. Ian Dunbar, who is considered by most dog behavior professionals to be the foremost authority on puppies, suggest that every puppy should have contact with 100 different people by eight weeks old, and another 100 during the following eight weeks.
If you’re keeping score, that’s 200 different people your dog should have interacted with by the time it hits four months of age. Obviously, this isn’t possible for most people. But you should try to introduce them to as many new people and experiences as possible so that they will grow into a happy, healthy and well-behaved pet.
Researching Dog Friendly Dining Options
As I mentioned above, frequent travel made finding pet friendly hotels and restaurants part of my planning process. Over the years, I found information on pet friendly restaurants to be the most difficult to find. Even in large cities such as Detroit, there are still only a handful of pet friendly restaurants listed online. I have also found that just because restaurants have patios does not mean that they are pet friendly.
So I decided to do some research, and the results were very surprising! We had many more dog friendly local restaurants than I had imagined! I knew that some of my usual haunts were pet friendly, but the size of this list was an eye opener. And the list has continued to grow over the years!
Dog Dining Etiquette
Before you head out with your 4-legged companion, there are a few rules and courtesies that all responsible pet owners should keep in mind.
1. Dogs should be well trained and well behaved. They should be able to ignore social distractions.
2. Owners should be considerate and respectful of others.
Dogs should always remain on-leash and not allowed to roam, bark, or otherwise disturb other patrons. Your pet should always be monitored, maintained, and controlled. Keep them from socializing with other diners or employees, unless welcomed.
3. Use a harness and a short leash. Remember to tie your dog to your chair and not a table. A dog tied to a table can result in spilled food and drinks.
4. Your dog should be current on all shots and vaccinations.
5. Many restaurants will provide water for your dog, but it isn’t a bad idea to have some on hand, especially in the hot summer weather.
6. Make sure the dog has relieved itself before going to any restaurant setting. Your dog should be 100% house trained.
7. Never feed your dog off your plate. It can encourage begging behavior. It’s best to feed your dog beforehand and bring treats as rewards for preferred behavior, or a comfort toy.
8. Do not feed any dog without the owners permission. And don’t allow anyone else to feed your dog.
Pet Friendly Patios In Southern Indiana Area
If you’re ever in Southern Indiana, here are some great patios to check out with your pup!
Dog Friendly Dining In Evansville, Indiana
- 10-8 Cafe at the Lawman Tactical Guntry Club
- 2nd Language / Pangea Pizzeria (back patio)
- Aloha Hawaiian Shaved Ice (seasonal) – has pup cups
- Angelo’s Italian downtown
- Arcademie
- Azzip Pizza (locations with patios)
- Bad Randy’s Hot Chicken and BBQ Lounge (street level back patio)
- Barker Brewhouse
- Bar Louie (front patio)
- Baskin Robbins Ice Cream – has pup cups
- Be Happy Pie Co. (East & West)
- Big Top Drive-in
- Biscuit BellyBokeh Lounge (front & back patios)
- Bru Burger
- Bubba’s 33
- Bud’s Rockin’ Country Bar and Grille
- Burger Bank
- Casey’s Dugout
- Catfish Willy’s Seafood & Comfort Cuisine
- Chicken Salad Chick
- Chipotle (locations with patios)
- Coldstone Creamery – has pup cups
- Comfort by Cross Eyed Cricket on Main
- Corner Pocket
- Cosmos Bistro
- Cross Eyed Cricket
- Dairy Queen (locations with patios) – has pup cups
- Damsels Brew Pub
- Dave’s Sports Den
- Dishes by Dani
- DrakesDunkin Donuts (locations with patios)
- El Charro
- El Patron in North Park
- Entwined Wine & Cocktail Bar
- Farm 57
- Fool Moon Grille and Bar
- Franklin Street Pizza Factory
- Franklin Street Tavern
- Gerst Haus
- GD Ritzy’s – has pup cups
- Great Harvest Bread Co.
- Haynie’s Corner Brewing
- Hilltop Inn
- Honey Moon Coffee Co. (all 4 locations) – has pup cups
- Hoosier Burger Co. (in Catfish Willy’s)
- Hornets Nest
- Just Rennies
- K9 Kitchen & Barkery – has a dog menu!
- Kabob ExpressKC’s Marina Pointe
- KC’s Time Out Lounge
- Kite & Key
- Kona Ice of Evansville – has pup cups
- Lamasco Bar & Grill
- Leroy’s Tavern (during daylight hours only)
- Lic’s Deli & Ice Cream – has pup “sundaes”
- Lobo Lounge
- LoneStar BarB Que
- Los Portales
- Los Tres Caminos
- Lucid Coffee House
- Madeleine’s Fusion
- Main Street Food & Beverage food hall
- Marina Pointe and Nightclub
- Merrymint Celebration Boutique & Event Space
- Milanos Italian
- Milk and Sugar Ice Cream shop – has pup cups
- Mission BBQMod Pizza
- Moe’s Southwest Grill
- Mo’s House Cocktail Bar
- Mr. B’s Pizza and Wings
- Myriad Brewing Co.
Still hungry … keep sniffing!
- Nisbet Inn
- Noche
- North Main Annex Gourmet Catering & Deli
- Orange Leaf
- Pangea Kitchen
- Paradise Shaved Ice (seasonal) – has pup cups
- Parlor Doughnuts East & Downtown – has a dog donuts
- Patsy Hartigan’s Irish Pub (coming soon)
- Peephole Bar & Grill
- Penny Lane Coffeehouse (Downtown & North (coming soon)
- Planters Cafe and Coffee Bar
- Playa Azul (coming soon)
- Pie Pan
- Piece of Cake – has pupcakesPips Pub
- Primetime Pub & Grill North – has a dog menu!
- Rafferty’s (outside deck)
- Rick’s 718
- River City Coffee & Goods
- RJ’s Restaurant & Bar (formerly Double D’s)
- Roberts by the River
- Roca Bar East
- Rockin’ Chicken
- Route 65 Tavern
- Roy Boy Shaved Ice (seasonal) – has pup cups
- Samuel’s
- Schymik’s Kitchen
- Shah’s Halal Food (coming soon)
- Smittys Italian Steakhouse
- Sonic (locations with patios)
- Spankeys Pizza (both locations)
- Sportsman’s Grille & Billiards
- Starbucks (locations with patios) – has pup cupsSt. Joe Tavern
- St. Joe Shaved Ice – has pup cups
- Stockwell Inn
- Syncere Sweets (at Dishes by Dani)
- Taqueria y Pupuseria Miranda
- The Caboose at the Curtis Building
- The Dive Barge at Marina Pointe
- The Fresh Market (outdoor tables)
- The Frontier Restaurant & Bar
- The Granola Jar
- The Rooftop (entry on exterior staircase)
- Tiki on Main (formerly Backstage Bar & Grill)
- Qdoba on Burkhardt Road
- Wayback Burger East
- Weinzapfels Tavern
- Una Tu Pizza on Governor
- Your Mission Grounds Coffee Shop (Washington Square Mall)
- Zesto (all locations)
Dining With Dogs In Newburgh, Indiana
- Archie & Clyde’s
- Azzip Pizza
- Bea’s Sweet Treats (only on monthly Dessert After Dark days)
- Burgh House @ Showplace Cinema
- Café Arazu
- Chick-fil-A
- Cleos Bakery
- Cricket’s
- Dairy Queen (locations with patios) – has pup cups
- Honey Moon Coffee Co. – has pup cups
- Jennings Street Public House
- Lic’s Ice Cream – has pup “sundaes”
- Little Angelos
- Myriad Brewing Co
- Nellie’s
- Newburgh Tavern
- Primetime Pub and Grill – has a dog menu!
- Prime Sports (patio coming soon)
- Starbucks (locations with patios) – has pup cupsThe Granola Jar
- Tin Fish
- Wings Etc.
Pet Friendly Patios In Owensboro, Indiana
- Big Dipper
- Brashers lil Nashville
- Brew Bridge
- Burger Theory
- City Walk
- Colby’s
- Coldstone Creamery – has pup cups
- Culver’s
- Dairy Queen (locations with patios) – has pup cups
- Don Mario
- Famous Bistro
- Feta pizza
- Five Guys (locations with patios)
- Goodwood
- Lic’s Deli & Ice Cream – has pup “sundaes”Lure Seafood & Grille
- Mellow Mushroom
- Miller House
- Nikos Bakery
- Overflow Cafe
- Ritzy’s – has pup cups
- Starbucks (locations with patio) – has pup cups
- The Brew Bridge – holds dog events
- The Pub on Second – holds dog events
- Toad Hop Creamery
- Dining with Dogs in Ft. Branch / Haubstadt, Indiana
- Dairy Queen (locations with patios) – has pup cups
- Flora Junes Scoop Shop
- Harper’s
- Kant Brewing Co.
- Logan’s Soft Serve Ice Cream
- Seńor Tequilas
Dining With Dogs In Henderson, Kentucky
- Brown Bag BurgersCap & Cork
- Dairy Queen (locations with patios) – has pup cups
- Farmer & Frenchman
- Henderson Brewing Company
- Homers BBQ
- JJ’s 270 Pizza & Burgers
- John Earle’s Ice House & Fine Foods
- Medina’s in the Alondra Market
- Mr. B’s Pizza and Wings
- On Deck / Riverside Bar and Grill
- Rockhouse on the River
- Starbucks (locations with patio) – has pup cups
- Summer Snow Shaved Ice – has pup cups
- Tacoholics
- Thomason’s Barbecue
- Utopia Shaved Ice – has pup cups
This should give you plenty of pet friendly patios to explore with your furry friend!
About the Author: Brian Buxtonn is a resident of Indiana where he is an entrepreneur and real estate investor, after being in the auto industry for over 30 years. He is a food journalist, champion of locally owned restaurants and small business, and supporter of animal rescues and shelters. He has a passion for food, and animals, and has written for several local magazines and newspapers, as well as co-hosted a food segment on Channel 44 News. You can find his food blog on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/FFKSEvansville. An original version of this article was printed in the Courier & Press in Evansville, IN on June 5, 2016.
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