Dog Friendly Restaurants in Wake Forest

Are you wanting to go out to eat and your dog wants to come too? Sometimes our dog Finn wants to tag along and tugs at our heartstrings when we try to leave. If the weather is cool enough, I am all for taking him to a restaurant with us.  He gets to get out and see other faces and even some dog friends. Dogs get stir crazy just like humans so a change of scenery is very beneficial.  

We have taken Finn to The Burger Shop in downtown Wake Forest and he was very welcomed by the staff.  We sat outside and the burgers were super delicious! The ambience of being in downtown Wake Forest is always a treat too. We walked up and down South White Street after supper and had such a nice relaxing evening with the kids and Finn.  Finn has also been to Panera in Wake Forest. It was a positive experience and there was plenty of shade for him.  They even had water bowls for dog customers :)

More and more restaurants are allowing dogs in their outdoor spaces. There are definitely pros and cons to a business owner when making the decision to allow dogs or not. Some owners are even catering to dogs by offering “dog menus”--that is so cool!  I am sure Finn would be up for a juicy piece of meat :) Bringfido.com is a great resource to finding the perfect restaurant to bring your dog to---just type in your location and it will pop up the dog friendly restaurants in your area. Some other favorite restaurants of ours are Over the Falls, Real McCoys, Gatehouse Tavern, Stewart’s Bistro, Charlie’s Kabob Grill & The Village Deli---all in Wake Forest! 

Of course you always want to respect other patrons at the restaurant and keep your dog on a leash. Some people just don’t care for dogs--make sure your dog is not bothering customers sitting nearby. They may not love your dog and that is ok.  You can tell right away which people are receptive to your dog. 

When you are looking for your next caffeine fix, go to Starbucks in Wake Forest! They offer a SECRET menu item for dogs---it is called a PUPPUCCINO!! Basically it is a cup of whipped cream served in a small cup for your dog. I think that it is awesome they think of our furry friends and a bonus is that it is FREE!

So next time your dog makes you feel guilty for leaving when you want to go out to eat, you now know there are options available. Maybe if they are lucky, they may score a bite or two off your plate :) Enjoy your meal…..Ruff ruff!

Keri Nelson keri@peterkima.com

keri.welcometocarolina.com