Pet-Friendly Restaurants in Grand Rapids

Blue Dog Tavern

Befitting its name, this Bridge Street Entertainment District restaurant welcomes canines on its spacious, secluded patio, which boasts its own bar, big-screen TVs and live-music performances. Fill your pet’s water bowl at the patio water station and order a treat from the pup menu, which features such doggie delights as the Porky Pig (two slices of bacon), Cluck and Carb (chicken and rice) and Here’s the Beef (cut-up hamburger patty). Blue Dog even features a rotating TV slideshow of customer’s dogs.

City Built Brewing Company

Featuring many food dishes, beers and other craft beverages influenced by Hispanic, Latino and other global cuisines, City Built Brewing Company is “where cultures collide.” That includes dog culture, given the number of pooches lounging about on the outdoor patio in warm weather. Sixth Street Bridge Park, just across Monroe Ave. from City Built on the banks of the Grand River, is a great place to stretch two and four legs after your meal. You can also check out “Fido & Stitch,” a pet store boutique right next door.

Foxtail Coffee Grand Plaza

Bring your furry friend along on your next coffee run! Foxtail Grand Plaza in downtown GR joins five other area locations – Foxtail Ada, Foxtail Byron Center, Foxtail Eastown Wealthy and Foxtail Grandville – in offering a free pup cup of whipped cream with any order. All six Foxtails have dog-friendly warm-weather patios.

Grand Rapids Garage Bar & Grill

The outdoor covered patio at Grand Rapids Garage Bar & Grill welcomes dogs in just about any weather. Servers will bring your furry friend a water bowl and often a treat while you partake of craft beer and delicious pub grub.  

Roam by San Chez

This global street food restaurant has a dog-friendly patio right across the street from DeVos Performance Hall and DeVos Place Convention Center. Roam’s sister restaurant, the Mediterranean-flavored San Chez Bistro, also has a dog-friendly patio, just a 10-minute walk away. 

Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea

Coffee, tea and pastries for you, a pup cup featuring made-in-house whipped cream over ice for your dog. Settle in on Sweetwaters’ streetfront patio to enjoy – just beware that there are apt to be cars passing by pretty closely.

Tupelo Honey Cafe

Dig into scratch-made Southern dishes at this restaurant on the ground floor of the Hyatt Place Grand Rapids Downtown Hotel. Ask for Tupelo’s dog menu and order your pet a bite to eat on the outdoor patio.

Furniture City Creamery

This year-round ice cream parlor turns out homemade ice cream in creative flavors – including a tongue-smacking, all-natural, peanut-butter banana frozen yogurt just for dogs. Furniture City Creamery allows dogs on their back patio, which includes an ordering window so you can stay with your pup and order your ice cream at the same time.

Harmony Brewing Company

The sunny patio at Harmony Brewing Company is perfect for a doggy date and the brewery has hosted several patio etiquette seminars for pets and their owners. Harmony offers its own craft beers and house-made spirits plus delectable pizzas, sandwiches and other pub fare.

Vivant Brewery + Spirits

Situated in a refurbished funeral chapel, Vivant Brewery + Spirits is known for its Northern France/Southern Belgium-inspired food and drink. And its pet-friendly patio, of course. Vivant has hosted several “Dining with Your Dog” classes – four-week training sessions designed to get you and your pup used to eating out together.

Archival Brewing

Dogs are always welcome on the wraparound deck and the outdoor biergarten at Archival Brewing, which pairs historical beers and other beverages with hearty, rustic fare. They have dog burgers for purchase and the servers are known to distribute dog treats. Every Monday in good weather, the brewery hosts Pups & Pints, inviting humans and their pets to socialize in the biergarten.

Vander Mill

Your pooch will get a bowl of water while you peruse the menu at Vander Mill, which offers its own artisanal hard ciders, beers and cocktails in addition to burgers, wraps, sandwiches, charcuterie and more. The patio is spacious and the tables well spaced to give you and your dog plenty of room.

Pink Barrel Cellars

Pets are allowed in the beer garden in front of the barn at Ed Dunneback & Girls Farm, where you can enjoy beer, wine and hard cider crafted right on site by Pink Barrel Cellars, as well as a hearty menu of home-cooked food. Pups are allowed into other areas of the farm during occasional special events.

The Mitten Brewing Company

“The Outfield” patio at this baseball-themed microbrewery has recently been reconfigured with more green space, new furniture and shade sails offering relief from the sun, pleasing people and pets alike. The Mitten is known for expert pairings of its handcrafted beers with awesome pizzas.

Hop Hog Backyard Brewpub

Lowell’s Big Boiler Brewing is now Hop Hog Backyard Brewpub, featuring a new menu of sandwiches, burgers, BBQ and gluten-friendly items along with favorite Big Boiler brews and signature cocktails. Hop Hog continues the Big Boiler tradition of welcoming dogs on its outdoor patio.

Biggby Coffee

There are 30+ Biggby Coffee locations in the Grand Rapids area – including stores in Kentwood and Cascade in southeast GR – and most offer some variation of a “pup cup,” featuring whipped cream, sprinkles and sometimes a dog treat for good measure.

Alebird Taphouse and Brewery

The covered patio at this restaurant and brewery was the first official pet-friendly patio in Byron Center. Enjoy burgers, sandwiches and other delicious fare paired with beers from Alebird and other featured brands.

Farmhaus Cider Co.

Sip delicious ciders made right here in a rustically beautiful outdoor setting on a 150-year-old farm. The roomy Farmhaus Cider cidergarten is pet-friendly and it’s serviced by a curated selection of local food trucks. Grand Ravines Dog Park, a 21-acre off-leash dog park, is just two minutes away.

Outdoor Refreshment Areas – aka Social Zones or Social Districts – allow you to enjoy beer, wine and cocktails from participating businesses as you stroll around city neighborhoods. Well-behaved, leashed pets are generally allowed to walk with you in public spaces and parks within Refreshment Areas. However, individual restaurants in these zones might not allow animals in their outdoor dining spaces – always check first.

Here are some tips for enjoying the Downtown Grand Rapids Refreshment Area with your dog.

If you do plan to bring your dog to an approved outdoor dining area, your dog must:

• Be licensed

• Be up to date on rabies vaccinations

• Be on a leash and under your control at all times

• Enter directly into the outdoor area (not through the restaurant)

• Stay on the ground (not in your lap or on furniture)

• Avoid contact with reusable plates, cups, or utensils

It’s always a good idea to bring a travel water bowl, a waterproof mat or towel for your dog to lay on, and poop bags and cleanup wipes just in case your dog makes a mess. Let staff know if there’s been an accident, they’ll have to sanitize the area.

Michigan restaurants must apply for a special permit to allow pet dogs in designated outdoor dining areas, so you can’t assume you can bring your pet to any restaurant patio.

Visit our Restaurant page and click “Pets on Patio” under Narrow Your Search on the left side of the listings to find approved patios. This is not an exhaustive list – when in doubt, confirm with a restaurant before you go.

Traveling with your pet? Browse our list of 50+ pet-friendly hotels, campgrounds and B&Bs, and explore some dog-friendly spots you may want to hit during your stay.