Tampa: The Best Dog-Friendly Restaurants, Breweries, Beaches, Bars & More

Reggie at The Velvet Gypsy

While I think Miami > Tampa, Bill is of the opposite mind. And I have to say, if we are going solely on how dog-friendly a city is, Tampa/St. Petersburg wins by a mile. There are SO. MANY. dog park slash bars. As in, dog parks that also have bars. Or bars that also cater to dogs? Anywho, here’s a rundown of our favorites.

Bars

Reggie earned his bar stool at the Velvet Gypsy
The Velvet Gypsy

Velvet Gypsy: The only bar on the list that’s not actually a dog park bar, Velvet Gypsy is Bill’s favorite bar in the entire world. Reggie made himself quite the barfly.

Reggie & Bill at Pups Pub

Pups Pub: This is a sports bar for dogs & their humans. The indoor bar area is astro-turf’d (with a not-so-subtle pee smell permeating from every surface) so we kept to the outside. You do have to buy a membership for your dog )and show vax records) but that can be done onsite and for a day pass. There’s also a small food truck.

Reggie avoiding friends at Hair of the Dog Park

Hair of the Dog Park: I could see myself coming here almost nightly if I lived in Tampa. It’s all outdoors and super laidback. You can bring in your own food or order delivery and grab drinks from the bar.

The Dog Bar: An outdoor, off leash dog park and bar, this spot in St. Pete was packed with dogs cooling off in kiddie pools of ice.

Two Shepherds Taproom: We didn’t make it here, but this indoor/outdoor dog park & bar comes highly recommended by just about everyone with a dog.

Mutts & Martinis: Another outdoor dog park & bar, this one in St. Pete has a waterpark for dogs.

Restaurants

Bill & Reggie at American Social

American Social: Along the waterfront, this is a good spot to hang in the shade outside. The drinks & food are great and so is the people-watching, and they’re super dog-friendly.

Snoozing at the Independent

The Independent: This German restaurant is very serious about beers, has an extensive vegan menu and sells two of my favorite foods: soft pretzels and pierogis. They also welcome dogs on their patio and have heaters for when the temps dip below 70.

True Food Kitchen

True Food Kitchen: We came here for brunch and loved the healthy-ish menu of avocado toast, huevos rancheros, fresh green juice and a smoothie. The covered patio is dog-friendly.

SOHO Juice: The best smoothies, matchas & other ‘wellness’ food. The layered superfood bowl is pitaya, chia pudding and something they call Cloud 9 which is freaking delicious. Just get one. Reggie was welcome inside.

Beaches & Parks

Tampa Riverwalk
Tampa Riverwalk

Tampa Riverwalk: Super dog-friendly and scenic walk along the river.

The Dog Park at the Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park

Dog Park at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park: This off-leash dog park right on the river is a great spot to maneauver to when you’re doing the Tampa Riverwalk. There’a fresh water for the dogs and a few shaded tables & benches.

Davis Island Dog Park: Reggie loved running into the shallow waters at this off-leash dog-friendly beach near a tiny airport.

Share:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *