25 Best Dog-Friendly Restaurants in Oakland

By VI Staff on May 3, 2018

Oakland is packed with restaurants and great places to eat where you can take your pooch, from cool coffee shops and casual burger joints to stylish waterfront restaurants and pretty patio bars. Most of the pet-friendly places have inviting outdoor patios or terraces where dogs can relax while owners tuck into the delicious fare, such as Bavarian-inspired cuisine from Brotzeit Lokal, Neapolitan-style pizza from Forge Pizza Oakland, Belgian fare from The Trappist, and Mediterranean fare from Bacheesos. Here follow some of the best dog-friendly spots in Oakland to wine and dine with your pooch.

1.Grand Lake Kitchen

The Grand Lake Kitchen is a popular gourmet deli and market that serves unique, creatively prepared, and made-to-order meals in a casual, laidback space. Located a stone’s throw from Lake Merritt, Grand Lake Kitchen features a variety of deli-style offerings such as great sandwiches, posh groceries, and a cozy spot for brunch, lunch, and dinner. Gourmet snacks range from house-made pickles and Italian porchetta to egg salad sandwiches topped with thin shards of crispy chicken skin, all accompanied by handcrafted cocktails, craft beers, and fine wines. The Grand Lake Kitchen offers made-to-order meals, catering services for large parties, and has an outdoor area where dogs are welcome. 576 Grand Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610, Phone: 510-922-9582,

2.Bacheesos

Bacheesos is a bright Mediterranean café offering a creative menu of healthy Mediterranean dishes in a casual, relaxed setting. The inviting restaurant serves a Middle-Eastern lunch buffet against a background of live music from a talented accordion player and features a hookah bar and a small heated patio where dogs are welcome. Appetizers include the Turkish cured beef basturma and the Mediterranean Sampler, packed with hummus, baba ghannouj, dolmas, and tabouli, while entrees range from kubideh and Bacheesos' grilled meats for two to a seafood ragout. Vegetarians can tuck into Egyptian-style falafel sandwiches and Persian saffron-spiced khoresht baademjan made of grilled tomatoes and eggplant. 246 Grand Ave, Oakland, CA 94610, Phone: 510-891-1496

3.Barlago

Barlago is a casual neighborhood restaurant and bar set along the shoreline of Lake Merritt that serves locally sourced comfort food such as California-inspired fresh pizza and pasta and a variety of gluten-free dishes along with signature cocktails, craft beer, and artisan wines. Diners can tuck into a variety of delicious bruschetta, small plates of meatballs, crab cakes, tacos, and freshly prepared salads inside the cozy eatery or out on the dog-friendly heated patio, which boasts beautiful views of the Oakland Riviera. Barlago also hosts private events and catering services for large groups and family-style dining. 550 Grand Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610, Phone: 510-836-2424

4.Bellanico Restaurant and Wine Bar

Located in the heart of the Glenview district in Oakland, Bellanico is a neighborhood restaurant that serves a seasonally changing menu of rustic Italian cuisine. Named after Bella and Nico, the owner’s daughters, the family-owned and operated restaurant offers handmade pasta, house-cured salami, freshly baked bread, and decadent desserts, all of which are prepared with locally sourced ingredients and products from regional farms. Bellanico features a small wine bar that serves a variety of Old World and Italian wines by the glass and the bottle and has a small outside patio area where guests can bring their four-legged friends. 4238 Park Boulevard, Oakland, CA 94602, Phone: 510-336-1180,

5.Brotzeit Lokal German Restaurant & Biergarten

Brotzeit Lokal is a Bavarian-inspired restaurant and biergarten set on the Oakland waterfront with beautiful views of Alameda, the estuary, and Coast Guard Island. Boasting a distinctively Oakland flare, the German restaurant serves locally sourced, house-made dishes based on traditional Bavarian fare that reflect the culinary bounty and unique farm-to-table aesthetic of the Bay area. The delicious cuisine includes house-made sausages and condiments, sauerkraut, mustards, and seasonal pickles and is accompanied by a diverse selection of German craft beer by the bottle and on tap. Brotzeit Lokal is inspired by the relaxing and family-friendly atmospheres of the biergartens in Germany and has a comfortable outdoor area where dogs are welcome. 1000 Embarcadero Oakland, Ca. 94606, Phone: 510-645-1905

6.Chop Bar

Chop Bar was named for the West African chop bars, which are roadside bars and small restaurants that serve as gathering places for people in the community to come together and socialize. Located on the corner of 4thand Alice Streets, Chop Bar is a friendly spot that serves casual cuisine and drinks for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch, ranging from plates of artisan cheeses, pork belly tacos, charcuterie plates, and burgers to fresh salads, bar snacks, and a variety of beverages. Chop Bar has a lovely outdoor patio with ample seating and welcomes diners and their four-legged friends. Things to Do in Oakland 247 4th Street #111, Oakland, CA 94607, Phone: 510-834-2467,

7.Restaurants that allow dogs near me: Dopo

Dopo is a cozy trattoria on Piedmont Avenue that serves an all-Sicilian menu of rustic Italian cuisine that includes wood-fired pizza and handmade pasta, fresh daily-changing cold and hot antipasti, cured charcuterie and cheeses, and a selection of Italian wines. The menu features a variety of small plates such as chilled cuttlefish tossed with fava beans, airy-light fresh ricotta, deep-fried pasta and risotto balls, and polpette all’Etna cooked in citrus leaves. Open for lunch and dinner, Dopo features comfortable indoor and outdoor seating, which has plenty of shady spots for casual dining with pooches. 4293 Piedmont Ave, Oakland, CA 94611, Phone: 510-652-3676

8.Drake's Dealership

Nestled in a little alleyway on Broadway and 23rd Street in Uptown Oakland, Drake's Dealership is a full-service restaurant with an indoor bar with 32 beers on tap, a growler filling station, and a retail store with restaurant-related merchandise. The family-friendly restaurant has a grand open-air beer garden with a wood-fired pizza oven, plenty of Adirondack seating, and fire pits where diners can relax with their four-legged friends while sampling some of the restaurant’s house-brewed beer and listening to live music throughout the week. Drake's Dealership’s popular Wake & Drake Brunch is available over the weekend and includes breakfast pizza, Belgian waffles, bottomless beermosas, and live music. 2325 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612, Phone: 510-568-2739 x40,

9.Filippo's

Filippo's is a family-friendly neighborhood institution that has been serving fresh, simple food in a casual, laidback setting for the past 25 years. Founded by Philip Raskin, Filippo's have partnered with a variety of East Bay food, beer, and wine companies to supply fresh, locally sourced ingredients to create their sublime and flavorful cuisine. Lunch and dinner menus feature Italian favorites such as burritos and gambas, pasta dishes, fresh antipasti and salads, and entrees of piccata, prime steak, salmon nicoise, and parmigiana. Filippo's has a comfortable indoor dining area and outdoor patio with ample seating where diners are welcome to bring their dogs. 5400 College Avenue, Oakland, CA 94618, Phone: 510-601-8646,

10.Forge Pizza Oakland

Forge Pizza Oakland is a casual restaurant that specializes in artisanal, wood-fired pizzas served in an industrial space with rustic accents. Located on Jack London Square in the heart of the historic Oakland District, Forge Pizza Jack London Square is a 4,100-square-foot waterfront restaurant that serves a menu of Neapolitan-style pizza and American classics such as burgers, ribs, and salads along with a comprehensive beer program. The family-friendly restaurant has an extensive 1,600-square-foot dog-friendly patio with outdoor fire pits, where guests can enjoy the delicious cuisine with their four-legged friends against a backdrop of beautiful views. 66 Franklin St #100, Oakland, CA 94607, Phone: 510-268-3200,

11.Heart & Dagger Saloon

Located in Oakland’s Lake Merritt/Lakeshore neighborhood, the Heart & Dagger Saloon is a laidback hangout with a dog-friendly outdoor patio that offers a diverse selection of libations and light bar snacks. The saloon has a pool table, classic arcade games, an authentic jukebox, and pinball machines as well as an outdoor patio with a large lemon tree and outdoor heaters to provide a shady retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city. Open 365 days a year, this dependable neighborhood dive bar serves consistently cheap drinks in a raucous atmosphere with friendly bartenders and a dog-friendly policy. 504 Lake Park Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610, Phone: 510-444-7300,

12.Restaurants that allow dogs near me: Homeroom

Homeroom is local eatery located on the corner of 40th Street and Shafter Avenue that serves home-cooked cuisine in a casual, comfortable setting. Named after the room in the school that served as a place for connecting with friends, Homeroom has a funky schoolhouse theme with tables made from bleachers from a local high school. Home-spun dishes on the menu include a variety of mac and cheese, vegetable dishes such as spicy cauliflower, minty buttery peas, and mixed green salads, and a selection of decadent desserts like banana creme pie, big fudgy brownie, Homeroom Oreo, and Grasshopper Pie. Homeroom has an outdoor patio area where dogs are welcome. 400 40th Street, Oakland, CA 94609, Phone: 510-597-0400,

13.Kingfish Pub & Cafe

Located in the Temescal District in North Oakland, the Kingfish Pub & Café is a small, cozy pub-style café set in a historic building in East Bay. Opened as a bait shop in 1922, the building in which the pub is situated exudes Oakland heritage at its finest with its beautiful architecture. The modest establishment serves a range of craft beers, handcrafted cocktails, and other libations along with fresh popcorn and other snacks. The Kingfish Pub & Café has a warm and welcoming ambiance with a sunny outdoor patio where guests can bring their dogs. 5227 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94609, Phone: 510-655-7373

14.Pizza Rustica

Pizza Rustica is a casual Italian eatery that serves authentic pizzas with unique toppings, rotisserie chicken, and a variety of small plates and other Italian fare. The family-friendly pizzeria features a seasonal menu of hand-spun pizzas with various toppings, fresh garden salads, homemade pasta dishes, and sandwich lunch boxes. The restaurant has a comfortable lounge upstairs called the Conga Lounge, which serves a comprehensive selection of appetizers and cocktails, and an inviting outdoor patio area where patrons can enjoy fine Italian cuisine in a laidback atmosphere with their four-legged friends. Pizza Rustica is open for lunch and dinner, seven days a week, and offers lunch catering and home delivery services. 6106 La Salle Avenue, Oakland, CA 94611, Phone: 510-339-7878

15.Restaurants that allow dogs near me: Plank

Plank is an exciting new restaurant, beer garden, and entertainment concept on Oakland’s Jack London Square. Located in a picturesque setting overlooking the waterfront, the stylish restaurant boasts over 50,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor space with a substantial dog-friendly patio and beer garden serving over 50 handcrafted local beers, a bocce court, and a state-of-the-art 18-lane indoor bowling alley. The restaurant also features more than 40 HDTVs and comfy booths to catch the latest sporting event, an array of interactive video games, and a VIP boardroom equipped with music, private bowling lanes, a billiards table, and a private bar and lounge with spectacular views over the bay. 99 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94607, Phone: 510-817-0980,

16.Portal Restaurant

Portal is a casual restaurant and beer garden with a large dog-friendly outdoor patio and breathtaking views of Lake Merritt. Serving dinner and weekend brunch, Portal offers a menu of creative New American cuisine ranging from fresh salads and small plates of tortilla chips, Brussels sprouts and chicken wings to entrees of avocado quinoa, pork belly, and flat-iron steaks. The cuisine is accompanied by a wide range of craft beers, artisan wines, and signature cocktails, and guests can relax on the dog-friendly outdoor patio in warmer weather and soak up the views. 1611 2nd Avenue, Oakland, CA 94606, Phone: 510-663-7678,

17.Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe

Rudy’s Can’t Fail Café is a modern late-night diner that serves fun food and homey comfort eats in a hip atmosphere. Boasting bright, kitschy décor and an upbeat ambiance, the second outpost of Rudy’s Can’t Fail in Uptown Oakland serves diner-quality fare such as fresh salads, cold and hot sandwiches, burgers and fries, breakfast specials, and starters along with a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Rudy’s Can’t Fail Café has a small outdoor patio area where dogs are welcome. 1805 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94612, Phone: 510-251-9400,

18.Restaurants that allow dogs near me: Speisekammer

Speisekammer is a quaint German restaurant and bar that offers classic German-inspired dishes, a variety of draft beers, and occasional live music. Owners Peter and Cindy Kahl take pride in serving traditional German food and beer in an elegant indoor space, which flows out onto an outdoor patio with ample seating where dogs are welcomed. The menu features German-centric fare such as spaetzle, red cabbage, pickled herring, Nürnburger bratwurst, as well as vegetarian options accompanied by some of the best selections of German beer on tap in the East Bay. Conveniently located right off Park Street in Alameda, with plenty of free street parking, the restaurant features local musicians and Gypsy jazz musicians on Friday and Saturday nights. 2424 Lincoln Ave, Alameda, CA 94501, Phone: 510-522-1300,

19.Tamarindo Antojeria Mexicana

Tamarindo Antojeria Mexicana is a trendy upscale Mexican restaurant that serves gourmet Mexican cuisine and tapas and signature margaritas in a modern, airy space. Nestled in the historic Old Oakland neighborhood, the Mexican restaurant and bar offers a refreshing take on authentic Mexican flavors with a menu of food from Mexico’s seven gastronomical regions. Steeped in tradition, the restaurant serves dishes in a classic antejoria style, which are meant to be shared among friends as they would be in one of Mexico City's bustling markets. Tamarindo Antojeria Mexicana is home to Oakland's first mescal bar, which serves a curated selection of rare mescals, tequila, and fresh seasonal cocktails. 468 8th St, Oakland, CA 94607, Phone: 510-444-1944

20.The Fat Lady

The Fat Lady is a cozy, softly-lit restaurant in sultry, Victorian-style digs that serves New American cuisine and a selection of wines in a relaxed, elegant environment. Named after the madam of the famous 1880s brothel, this favorite Victorian establishment in Jack London Square serves a creative menu of prime steaks and fresh seafood, homemade pasta, and fresh salads along with a selection of handcrafted cocktails, craft beers, and fine wines from around the world. One of Oakland’s finest lunch and dinner establishments, The Fat Lady has a lovely outdoor patio area where guests are welcome to bring their four-legged friends. 201 Washington Street, Oakland, CA 94607, Phone: 510-465-4996,

21.The Grand Tavern

The Grand Tavern is a well-loved neighborhood spot on Grand Avenue that serves award-winning burgers and seasonal favorites along with hand-crafted cocktails, craft beers, and fine wines. Grand Tavern boasts a comfortable atmosphere where diners can tuck into expertly crafted pub-style cuisine and Prohibition-style cocktails created from only the freshest locally sourced ingredients for nightly dinner or weekend brunch. Innovative cocktails, refreshing craft beers, and eclectic wines are paired with pub-style cuisine such as IPA beer-battered fish and chips, mouth-watering burgers, shepherd’s pie, and organic quinoa spinach mushroom burgers. The Grand Tavern has an inviting outdoor area that is dog-friendly, and patrons can relax over hearty burgers with their pooches. 3601 Grand Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610, Phone: 510-444-4644,

22.The Trappist

The Trappist is a Belgian restaurant and bar that serves a variety of Belgian-inspired fare and specialty beers in a beautifully restored 1870s Victorian building. Owned and operated by Aaron Porter and Chuck Stilphen, The Trappist serves a bar menu of a rotating stock of around 100 American, Belgian, Scandinavian, and Dutch craft brews as well as 25 rotating taps that feature Belgian, California, and several local specialty microbrews from the US. The establishment has two bars, one of which is modeled after two pubs in Belgium and the Netherlands and the second of which reflects a true beer café in Amsterdam. 460 8th Street, Oakland, CA 94607, Phone: 510-238-8900,

23.Tomate Cafe

Located in West Berkeley on the corner of Bancroft and 5th Street, Tomate Café is a relaxing eatery that serves fresh, simply prepared cuisine and drinks for breakfast and lunch, seven days a week. The café offers a menu of non-traditional American food with a variety of organic, vegetarian, and vegan choices, such as homemade soups and salads, quiches, gourmet sandwiches, burgers and fries, wraps and vegan plates, and quesadillas. The Tomate Café has a lovely outdoor patio where dogs are welcomed with food and water bowls and plenty of shade. 2265 5th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710, Phone: 510-549-9885,

24.TrueBurger

TrueBurger is a modern-day hamburger joint with two locations in Oakland that serves classic American burgers, crispy french fries, fresh salads, and thick hand-spun milkshakes. The small, well-crafted menu offers house-ground hamburgers made with prime beef and served on toasted egg buns, large portobello mushrooms stuffed with smoked mozzarella, all-beef kosher hot dogs, chili-cheese fries, and hand-spun milkshakes made with strawberries, marshmallow, hot fudge, and more. TrueBurger is a comfy, family-friendly restaurant chain that has open outdoor spaces where dogs are welcome. 146 Grand Ave., Oakland, CA 94612, Phone: 510-208-5678,

25.Cafe Underwood

Café Underwood is a casual café that serves American snacks and light meals and freshly roasted coffee in an open, collaborative workspace. The laptop-friendly restaurant in North Oakland was established by by Oakland-based writer and bartender Dominick Scala and features an upstairs mezzanine level, phone booths for private calls, and an Italian-inspired menu of light snacks that includes frittatas, grits, sandwiches, and a Ploughman's platter of meats and cheeses, while beverages include creamy-headed Howling Wolf nitro cold-pressed coffee and coffee and espresso options from Highwire Coffee Roasters. 308 41st St, Oakland, CA 94609, Phone: 510-995-6660,