Looking for dog-friendly restaurants and bars in the Columbia area? Try these 6 spots
Spring has officially begun, bringing with it warmer weather and more opportunities to take your dog out on walking trips.
But what do you do if you get hungry and want to try one of the Columbia area’s many restaurants? Or maybe you just want a quick drink?
Leaving your four-legged friend outside while you dine is hardly an option.
There is a solution. Some restaurants and bars are dog friendly and even encourage customers to bring their fur babies along to enjoy the atmosphere and tasty food.
Below are six area restaurants and bars that are dog friendly.
Grill Marks
Located at 711 Gervais Street, Grill Marks features a dog-friendly outdoor patio.
Mark and Larkin Hammond founded Grill Marks in Greenville in 2012. The burger restaurant quickly gained popularity, so the two opened a second location in Columbia in 2015. The two opened another location in Greenville in 2017.
The restaurant offers a wide variety of specialty burgers, along with gourmet milkshakes, including versions with alcohol.
Jake’s
This dog-friendly Five Points bar sits at 2112 Devine Street. Besides a variety of beers, Jake’s offers a select menu of sandwiches and other options, like quesadillas, egg rolls and street tacos.
The bar encourages customers on its website to bring their dogs.
“Jake’s takes great pride on being the most dog-friendly bar in town,” the website states. It adds that Jake’s offers a “Yappy Hour” every Tuesday and Thursday for dog owners.
“It’s the most energetic and entertaining happy hour in town – and that’s a promise,” the website states.
However, Jake’s asks that customers register their dogs in advance before visiting to help protect their four-legged friends. Doing so will earn your dog a Happy Hour bandana and a Jake’s collar tag.
Register at joinit.org/jakes-bar-and-grill-1.
Thirsty Fellow Pizzeria and Pub
The pizzeria can be found at 621 Gadsden Street in the Innovista area. It too includes an outdoor patio that will accommodate dogs.
While the restaurant’s focus is on pizza, it also offers a selection of sandwiches, burgers and salads.
According to Thirsty Fellow’s website, the restaurant is the brainchild of Willie Durkin, known for his previous establishments: Shannon’s, Sneakers and Durkin’s.
Durkin completed a pizza course at Johnson and Wales University, a culinary and hospitality business school in Charlotte, NC, and developed the kind of pizza he wanted to bring to Columbia.
Pawleys Front Porch
Like the name infers, Pawleys has an outdoor porch that accepts dogs. Located at 827 Harden Street, Pawleys’ focus is on specialty burgers.
According to its website, Pawleys grinds its beef daily from the highest quality Angus chuck roast, seasons it with a secret blend of special spices and patties the 8 ounce burgers by hand. The restaurant also offers wraps, tacos, sandwiches and more.
Cafe Strudel
This West Columbia restaurant can be found at 300 State Street. Dogs are more than welcome at the eatery’s outdoor patio.
Cafe Strudel has a wide selection of breakfast offerings, from breakfast quesadillas and French toast to cinnamon pancakes, salmon and grits and omelettes. For lunch and dinner, the restaurant provides burgers, sandwiches, tacos and wings.
Owners Trip and Marila Turbyfill opened Cafe Strudel on Oct. 3, 1997 at 134 State Street. They quickly outgrew the small 600 square-foot spot and moved to a former bank building in 2000. Then in 2012, the restaurant opened in its current spot, a 1920s-era building, and added a full bar and expanded menu.
J’s Corner
J’s Corner encourages dog owners to visit.
“Bring the whole family. Even your well-behaved, leashed dog is welcome at outdoor tables,” the restaurant’s website states.
Located a 1015 Rosewood Dr., J’s Corner serves a selection of sandwiches, burgers and wraps. It also serves salads and various entrees, from shrimp and grits to fried chicken, pork chops and chicken tenders. According to its website, J’s Corner is at the spot of Jaco-s Corner, a gas station-turned neighborhood bar that stood there or more than a century. Today, the site’s old gas pump and little bar have been refurbished, but have been dwarfed by the main building of J’s Corner.
This story was originally published March 21, 2022 at 10:33 AM.
