Next time you take a road ride with your pooch, consider making a pit stop at these dog-friendly restaurants. He'll definitely love the special treat!

8 Dog-Friendly Restaurants That Didn’t Forget About Fido

When you hit the road, do you usually bring Fido along? Personally, I take at least one long road trip each year, with several shorter ones in between. And guess what? My canine companions are right there by my side. I like to call them my little co-pilots! Next time you take a car ride with your fur kids, consider making a pit stop at these dog-friendly restaurants. While they aren’t all the healthiest options, your dogs will definitely love the special-occasion treat!

Dog-Friendly Restaurants

 1. Johnny Rockets

I love Johnny Rockets and the entertaining 1950’s vibe. It’s great knowing that, not only can I get a burger and fries, but, they’re prepared to serve my pooches too! Fido won’t be able to eat inside, but if they have an outdoor patio, you’ll both be able to enjoy your meal there. If not, you can take it to go. According to bringfido.com:

“If eating outside, mention you brought your dog and they will bring your dog a bowl of water and a menu where you can order treats from threedog bakery and order meat items as well. From grilled chicken to a bunless hot dog.”

I know that on our next road trip I’ll be hunting down a Johnny Rockets! 

2. Starbucks

Ready to get your Latte on? Don’t go yourself, bring Fido! In case you didn’t know, Starbucks has a secret dog-friendly menu and, although it only has one item on it, your pooch will love it! It’s a”Puppuccino.” Served in an espresso cup (some locations may use a single-serve sample cup), your pooch will get a cup full of whipped cream. How fun is that?!

3. Dairy Queen

I don’t know about yours, but my pups will be the first ones to scream for a lick of ice cream! So, an occasional trip to Dairy Queen is always a pleasant surprise for them. Just ask your server for a Pup Cup and your pooch will be given a small size serving of soft vanilla ice cream. Now that’s sweet!!! And depending on where you live, some locations even offer a Pup Pat, which is a burger without any salt or seasoning.

4. In-N-Out Burger

If you’re not just looking to snack, then grab Fido and head down to In-N-Out Burger. They’ve got your pooch covered. Although you can’t take him inside to eat, they do make it easy to order for him. Dog-friendly choices include:

  •  A Pup Pat, which is a plain burger with no salt added.
  • The Flying Dutchman, which is two beef burgers and two pieces of cheese. This one is actually on the human menu, but it is said that it was first created with the canines in mind.
  • Cheese Patty, which is a plain patty with a slice of cheese.

I called the customer relations person at In-N-Out and she did suggest to remind the person taking your order not to use any salt or extras on the burgers. Some people, and the staff at certain locations, are just not that familiar with dogs and/or people ordering for their dogs. I thought that was excellent advice!

5. Lazy Dog Restaurant and Bar

It doesn’t get any better than this for being dog-friendly. You and your dog are welcome to dine on the patio. They’ll give you a fresh bowl of water and a dog menu with entrées to choose from. There are  Patio Rules that you must adhere to, which is only right if you’re eating in a public place. After reading them, I’d call them table manners. Although most of their locations are on the west coast, they are slowly making their way across the country. Keep those locations coming, Lazy Dog!

  • Grilled hamburger patty & brown rice
  • Grilled chicken breast & brown rice
  • Plain brown rice

6. Shake Shack

This place is so dog-friendly that they even have a special dog section on their website. Now that’s my kind of restaurant! Kudos to you…Shake Shack!!! Your choices include:

  • The Pooch-ini®, which is “ShackBurger® dog biscuits and vanilla custard. Includes dairy, egg, and sugar.” Their website states this one is not intended for small dogs, but they can certainly enjoy a lick or two.
  • The next choice is called Bag O’ Bones. It’s 5 ShackBurger® dog biscuits that are made just for Shake Shack by Bocce’s Bakery in NYC. 

7. Sonic

Since Sonic is a park-and-eat drive-thru where you’ll enjoy your meal in the privacy of your vehicle, Fido is definitely welcome. Some Sonic locations will give you dog treats, but even if they don’t you can always order a plain burger for you and Fido to enjoy. Make sure to remind them…no salt or seasonings! According to a reviewer on bringfido.com, some locations will offer you a Pup Cup as well.

8. Rita’s Italian Ice

Yum … who can resist a little cup of custard? Certainly not Fido (or me)! Many of Rita’s locations offer a Pup Cup that consists of a swirl of vanilla custard with a dog biscuit or two on top. If your location doesn’t offer the Pup Cup, you can still treat Fido by ordering a small or sample size serving of vanilla custard – it just may not have the biscuits.


Food For Thought

It’s important to remember that most of the fast-food places are franchises and are independently owned. With that in mind, depending on where you go, they may not all serve the same items. If they don’t have what you want at your location, don’t be shy about asking if they can prepare your items with no salt or seasonings on them. It never hurts to ask.


Grilled Chicken: Yes or No?

I just wanted to cover grilled chicken for a moment, since many of us think of it as a healthy choice on the fast-food menu. For us humans, yes it definitely is. But for your canine kids, not so much. Unfortunately, the chicken is normally marinated or seasoned with spices that are not the best for our dogs. I’ve copied and pasted the ingredient list from Chick-Fil-A and MacDonalds below so you could see for yourself.

Grilled Chicken Nuggets Ingredients from Chick-Fil-A taken from their website.

“Chicken (boneless skinless chicken breast [water, apple cider vinegar, soybean oil, modified corn starch, salt, yeast extract, sugar, chicken broth, dehydrated onion, dehydrated garlic, sea salt, cane molasses, spices, chicken fat, natural flavor {including smoke}, lemon peel, red bell pepper, paprika, lemon juice concentrate, parsley and vinegar solids]).

Artisan Grilled Chicken Fillet Ingredients from MacDonalds taken from their website

Ingredients: Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast with Rib Meat, Water, Salt, Sugar, Garlic Powder, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Honey, Onion Powder, Natural Flavor, Dried Vinegar, Rice Starch. Grilled with Clarified Butter (Pasteurized Milk [Butterfat]).


Do you dine with your dog? Let us know your favorite dog-friendly restaurants in the comment section below!