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Food

The Best LA Restaurants To Eat Brunch With Your Dog

A pitbull mastiff licks his lips while seated on the ground near a wood slat table with a bud base of roses.
Camacho licks his chops during brunch at Melrose Umbrella Company.
(
Caroline Pardilla for LAist
)

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In sunny Los Angeles, dining outside is almost always an option and one thing we like as much as our weather is our dogs. Throw in a little day-drinking and you've got one of our favorite Angeleno pastimes. But only a few restaurants hit all the marks for dog-friendly brunch spots. We looked for good food, good drinks, a canine-friendly staff and a welcoming outdoor patio. Having recently adopted a 100-pound pitbull mastiff, that last requirement is key.

A pitbull mastiff stares at food on an outdoor table.
Camacho eyes his odds of snagging at sandwich at Highly Likely in West Adams. (Caroline on Crack for LAist)

Highly Likely

This West Adams cafe has several tables out front to accommodate you and your furry BFF. The staff here loves canines. They'll coo compliments into their furry ears as they bring them water bowls. The brunch menu is an eclectic mix that includes a Japanese breakfast bowl, a tempura fried fish sandwich and the Ubiquitous Avo Toast (that's what it's called). Coffee drinks range from the familiar to the inspired, like the horchata latte, and there are wine and beer options for dog parents. The cafe has a wide entrance with a roll-up door and wheelchair-compliant gender-neutral restrooms. Street parking only.

  • 4310 W. Jefferson Blvd., West Adams. 310-622-4550.

Simonette at Palihotel Culver City

Have brunch with your pup at this Instagram-ready hotel restaurant anchored by a gorgeous jungalow-style courtyard. Well-behaved dogs are sometimes allowed in the main dining room, which has glass doors that swing open to the street out front. The staff seems to love dogs and welcomes four-legged patrons with a water bowl. The proximity of Culver City's Boneyard dog park makes Simonette the ideal spot to eat after your canine runs around. The restaurants wheelchair accessible with valet parking out front. The restroom is on the second floor and you can get there via a nearby elevator.

  • 3927 Van Buren Pl., Culver City. 424-321-8000.
A large dog on a leash sits on concrete as three people talk at an outdoor table
"Please tell my human companions I am ready for bacon," Camacho says while brunching at Melrose Umbrella Company.
(
Caroline Pardilla for LAist
)

Melrose Umbrella Company

The Melrose Avenue coffeehouse and cocktail bar recently debuted a beautiful dog-friendly courtyard with string lights, fountains and greenery in what used to be chef Eric Greenspan's Maré. It's a lovely backdrop for an evening, or morning, of al fresco drinking. There's no dedicated brunch food menu but the bagel sammies, sandwiches and salads are available all day and mimosas cost $5/glass or $20/bottle. The tables are generously spaced so pups have plenty of room to stretch out. There's no ramp from the main bar in front to the back patio so you have to go to the back entrance through the alley. The restrooms are handicap-compliant. Metered parking out front is available but valet service doesn't start until the evening.

  • 7465 Melrose Ave., La Brea. 323-951-0709.

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The Rose Venice

Drop by chef Jason Neroni's Venice cafe for sips and sustenance after strolling the boardwalk. The spacious cafe doesn't take reservations on weekends so once you order at the counter, you'll have to hunt for a table on one of the patios. This being Dogtown, you'll find plenty of cute pups to keep you and your furbaby company. You can also order a cocktail and hang out until a table opens up. The restaurant is wheelchair accessible and offers valet parking in its private lot out back.

  • 220 Rose Ave., Venice. 310-399-0711.

Ashland Hill

Perhaps no restaurant in L.A. loves dogs as much as Santa Monica's Ashland Hill, which aims to spoil your dog with "Pupper Bites" such as a Niman Ranch beef patty over brown rice. To maintain its happy dog paradise, the establishment enforces rules for all pups -- "no barking, no biting, no begging." Good luck with that last one. Brunch fare for humans includes chicken and waffles, breakfast burritos and burgers. There's wine and local craft beer to wash it down. The gender-neutral restrooms are out on the patio and accessible but only street parking is available.

  • 2807 Main St., Santa Monica. 310-392-3300.

Fat Dog

This gastropub is so dog-friendly that in addition to its canine-themed decor and outdoor patio, the names of its cocktails are pooch-inspired. The Italian Greyhound, Seeing Rye Dog and Pick of the Litter. Brunch cocktails are $6 and a mimosa flight (four 2-ounce sips) costs $12. Fat Dog has two locations, one in West Hollywood and one in North Hollywood. Although the NoHo spot has a larger patio, it only has street parking. The Fairfax restaurant offers both street and garage parking.

  • 11050 W. Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood. 818-985-3644
A pitbull mastiff lies down next to a person in a hat seated with their back to the camera at a picnic bench.
Camacho catches some shade at The Trails cafe in Griffith Park.
(
Caroline Pardilla for LAist
)

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The Trails

The outdoor cafe off Fern Dell is the perfect place to fuel up before or after a hike to Griffith Observatory. Ample picnic benches and the fact that you're in the middle of massive Griffith Park mean your dog has lots of room to belly flop and take a dirt nap while you enjoy a cold brew coffee and an avocado sandwich. A handful of parallel spots are your only parking spots in the immediate vicinity. If you can snag one, rejoice in the lack of meters. Stairs alongside a driveway lead up to the front of the cafe.

  • 2333 Fern Dell Dr., Griffith Park. 323-871-2102.

Sqirl

The long line out the door of this East Hollywood foodie favorite doesn't deter dog parents from queuing up for the breakfast hash and ricotta jam toast. The cafe's canine clients are so adorable and plentiful they have their own Instagram account. Grab a table out front or on the side patio and make friends. The interior is small and often packed so it may take some maneuvering to get to the handicap-compliant restroom. There's only street parking available.

  • 720 N. Virgil Ave. #4, East Hollywood. 323-284-8147.

The Front Yard

The beautiful terrace patio in the Garland Hotel can accommodate almost any well-behaved dog, whether a teacup Chihuahua or a Golden Retriever. Trees and umbrellas keep it relatively cool on sunny days, while heaters and an outdoor fireplace warm things up on chilly nights. Although the brunch menu features a mix of breakfast and lunch options, from granola to pork tamales, you'd be to skip the Nutella-stuffed French toast.

  • 4222 Vineland Ave., North Hollywood. 818-255-7290.
A bull mastiff looks up at the camera while stretched out next to a circular table with a square water bowl near his paws.
Camacho, a fan of Eggs Benedict, waits for the opportune moment to strike while brunching at Ray & Stark's at LACMA.
(
Caroline Pardilla for LAist
)

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Ray's and Stark Bar

What better way to cap off a puppy promenade around the Tar Pits than with a spritz and eggs benedict at Ray's and Stark Bar? Located in view of LACMA's Urban Light installation, (the vintage streetlights where everyone takes a selfie), the bar's outdoor lounge area has the added benefit of a carpeted floor, which makes it comfy for canines to take a load off. Word to the wise, the outdoor tables are low and bacon may be within swiping distance of naughty dogs.

  • 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Miracle Mile. 323-857-6180

Updated April 29, 2023 at 10:44 AM PDT

This story was a originally published in 2019 and has been updated to remove restaurants no longer in operation.

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