Are you looking for the best dog friendly restaurants in Northern Virginia?
After a long hard week, you deserve to dine out now and then. However, if you have a furry, four-legged family member, finding a place to eat can be challenging. Luckily, dining out with your well-behaved dog in Northern Virginia has never been easier. Northern Virginia has plenty of dog-friendly restaurants that offer great outdoor dining options. They include the following:
Fire Works Pizza in Northern Virginia
Known for its wood-fired pies, this pizzeria has so much to offer including craft beer options. However, their best feature is a dog-specific menu. Their downtown Leesburg restaurant has a beautiful patio. Your furry friend can indulge in meatballs, bacon, and dog biscuits.
Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar of Northern Virginia
With locations in Fairfax and Chantilly, Lazy Dog Restaurant and Bar is an excellent dining facility for you and your dog. Enjoy a variety of comfort foods that include pot roast, BBQ bison meatloaf, and chicken pot pie. The restaurant also has a special dog menu that your fluffy friend can enjoy on the patio.
Jaleo
Jaleo by José Andrés is one of the most celebrated restaurants that serves authentic Spanish cuisine. If you are in the mood for delicious tapas, sangria, and other Spanish delights, this is the place to be. And the best thing is that the restaurant is more than happy to accommodate you and your furry friend. Thanks to their many outdoor patio tables, you can enjoy your meal and even a special sangria happy hour in the company of your pooch.
Hamrock’s Restaurant
Nestled in Old Town Fairfax in the historic Moore-McCandlish House, Hamrock’s has a courtyard seating and a beautiful porch. Whether you want to indulge in delicious food, a glass of wine, or afternoon tea, you can do so comfortably with your dog.
Caboose Commons
Located near the Mosaic District, Caboose Commons offers a decent dog-friendly dining experience. The coffeehouse-cum-beer garden has a huge patio. Here, you can enjoy a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks in the company of your well-trained dog.
Cafe Montmartre
Known for delicious Viet-French foods, Cafe Montmartre has a gorgeous patio area. The good news, your four-legged furry friend is welcome to hang out. The café serves brunch, lunch, and even dinner meals. Choose between the French-focused menu or the traditional Vietnamese menu. The café also hosts live music sessions weekly that include groovy 70s hits and lively 1930s jazz.
Dogwood Tavern
The Dogwood Tavern is a haven for comfort food lovers. They have a special burger menu that changes every month, cocktail specials, and a beer list that changes constantly. They also have live music from Thursday to Saturday. Dogwood Tavern has a gorgeous outdoor sitting area that is perfect for you and your dog.
Cantina D’Italia
Cantina D’Italia has two dog-friendly locations. Thanks to a huge outdoor patio space, you can enjoy Italian meals and their original specials. The menu includes pasta, pizza, sandwiches, veal, chicken, and delicious seafood dishes. They also offer a variety of cocktails and wines.
Jackson 20
Jackson 20 serves hearty American dishes from breakfast, lunch, dinner, and cocktails. The best thing about this restaurant is that your dog is welcome to dine with you every Thursday from 4 p.m – 7 p.m. They have so many special treats that your dog can munch on as you enjoy their dinner entrees.
The Dairy Godmother
This is more of a custard shop than a restaurant. The Dairy Godmother serves frozen custard, vanilla, homemade marshmallows, and sorbets. Dogs are not allowed inside though. However, your pooch can stay outside and enjoy some wheat-free special dog treats.
Carlyle Grand Café
This 50s-themed restaurant is a good spot for dog owners. Here, you can enjoy their classic burgers and milkshakes. Their brunch specials include salads, sandwiches, egg scrambles, burgers, and steak. If you want to bring your dog with you though, you have to call ahead to confirm if their seasonal patio is open.
Clare and Don’s Beach Shack
This beach-themed restaurant is a great place to be if you love seafood. They also offer specialty cocktails and vegetarian dishes. You can also enjoy live music, trivia nights, and karaoke. You, however, need to call ahead to check if it’s okay to bring your dog.
Dining With Your Dog: Learning to Ignore the Distractions
Eating out with your dog can be daunting, especially because few restaurants allow pets. Luckily, Northern Virginia has its fair share of dog-friendly restaurants. However, finding a dog-friendly restaurant is one thing. Getting your dog to remain calm throughout the entire dining experience is another. Most pups can only focus and stay calm in environments where distractions are controlled or limited such as in the house. Trying to control distractions in the real world like in a busy restaurant, is much harder. To dine well at a dog-friendly restaurant, you need a well-behaved dog.
Luckily, there are specialty dog trainers in Northern Virginia you can count on for a well-behaved dog. Off Leash K9 Training has been voted the best dog trainers in Northern Virginia from 2014 to 2022, and for good reason. This one-of-a-kind dog training company specializes in obedience training with distractions. Off Leash K9 Training has trained over 3,000 dogs for many dog owners including celebrities and athletes. They guarantee 100% obedient, 100% off-leash, and 100% distraction-proof dog.
In just a couple of weeks with one of the top dog trainers in the world, your dog will learn to be calm and focused on you regardless of where you are or what’s going on around you. Do you experience difficulties dining out with your dog because they are constantly distracted? Contact Off Leash K9 Training today for a free consultation.
