Ten Best Dog-Friendly Denver Patios and Beer Gardens

Who says you can't have your puppy and an alfresco lunch at the same time? While city regulations prevent restaurants from welcoming man's best friend inside, Denver gives a pass to some patio and outdoor spaces. Feel free to bring your pooch along for a bite and a beer this summer at these ten dog-friendly spots.

Banded Oak Brewing Company
470 Broadway
720-479-8033
The patio of Will Curtin's brewery and tap house is spacious and uncluttered, both welcome features when it comes to having your animal at your side. Sip a cold American IPA laced with sweet Crenshaw melon, a refreshing blood-orange gose or one of head brewer Chris Kirk's barrel-aged beers. Not a bad way to spend the day or evening, and most Saturdays the venue hosts a food truck so you can dine while your pooch enjoys the shade.

Call to Arms Brewing Company
4526 Tennyson Street
720-328-8258
Prepare to sit back and enjoy craft beer on the patio with your pooch at this charming Berkeley brewery. There are three long, twenty-person tables to sit at, tacos and pizza to be had next door at Mas Kaos, and treats for your dog right there in the taproom. With more than a dozen rotating brews on tap and cold Colorado water in the dog bowls outside, neither hound nor human will go thirsty at Call to Arms, which is exactly how owners Jon Cross and Chris Bell want it.

Denver Beer Co.
1695 Platte Street
303-433-2739
It shouldn't surprise anyone that owners Charlie Berger and Patrick Crawford's seven-barrel brewhouse downtown would have room for dogs; after all, it boasts 3,400 square feet. The outdoor biergarten is where it's at, though, and the place for you and your puppy to relax with a cold pint of Princess Yum Yum or a Graham Cracker Porter. People-watch while munching on giant Bavarian-style pretzels or something from one of the weekly rotating food trucks, a lineup that includes El Gallo Blanco (Wednesdays), Basic Kneads Pizza (Thursdays), and Coastal Summit Fish Tacos (Saturdays), to name a few.

GB Fish and Chips
2175 Sheridan Boulevard, Edgewater
303-232-2128
The crew at this fast-casual fish-and-chips shop in Edgewater love dogs so much, they suggest bringing all the dogs — ours, our friends', our neighbors' and so on. The dog-friendly patio looks out toward Sloan's Lake, and between the view and the employee enthusiasm, bringing your pup feels just as good as downing a hearty basket of British-style fried fish and potatoes. The venue also boasts fried oysters, bangers, meat pies, baked beans, coleslaw and more, plus a great kids' menu, so not only can the family dog come, but the tots can, too.

Great Divide Brewing Company Barrel Bar
3403 Brighton Boulevard
303-296-9460

Great Divide Brewing Company
2201 Arapahoe Street
303-296-9460
Sometimes the need to wander with your pup proves strong, and at both the Ballpark and RiNo Great Divide locations, you can bring your dog in for a refresher on the patio. Order the newly released HeyDay Modern IPA, the strawberry-rhubarb sour ale or a classic Yeti stout. While you imbibe, nibble something tasty from one of the many food trucks that park during business hours; just don't forget to share some with your four-legged companion before continuing your walk.


Highlands Cork & Coffee
3701 West 32nd Avenue
303-477-3382
This cute independent coffee shop in the West Highland neighborhood serves humans and dogs alike, as long as you stay outside on the large garden patio. Order iced coffee, Bhakti chai, wine, beer, a panini or breakfast burrito and enjoy the buzz of the busy neighborhood. It's a great place not only to relax, socialize or work while keeping Fido nearby, but also a hot spot for dog owners, so you just might find man's best friend's best friend lurking by one of the other tables in the cool evening air.

Homegrown Tap & Dough
1001 South Gaylord Street
720-459-8736
There's no need to choose between that hankering for stuffed shells with a glass of wine (or a pizza with one of the 21 beers served on tap) and hanging with your dog; at the Washington Park location of this red-sauce joint, you can have both. That is, as long as you're up for sitting on the left side of the patio at one of the charming tables facing the street. And, yes, you can attempt to re-create that scene from Lady and the Tramp by ordering the spicy meatball marinara, though you might want to get your pooch his own bowl — or run the risk of becoming an instant meme.

Just Be Kitchen
2364 15th Street
303-284-6652
If you head to the back patio of this LoHi paleo restaurant, you can also bring your dog. In fact, owner Jennifer Peters encourages it, since her own pups, Savi and Oreo, like to hang out there as well. The pups also love the paleo dog treats (50 cents each), a great pairing with the paleo human treats that include a grass-fed beef burger, a green goddess salad and a brownie trifle, to name a few. Enjoy alfresco dog dining for breakfast, lunch and dinner (from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.) every day of the week.

Ratio Beerworks
2920 Larimer Street
303-997-8288
The outdoor drinking area at Ratio is large and perfect for RiNo-bound imbibers looking to get a pint with their four-legged friends. If you're enjoying a sunny day or cool evening on the patio, you're likely to be joined by an array of canines, from Dalmatians to golden retriever puppies to pocket-sized poodles. Ratio's only request is that people clean up after and keep an eye on their animals. Enjoy the lime gose or the slightly fruity Dear You, a French saison, while indulging in street eats from a rotating selection of food trucks.

Recess Beer Garden
2715 17th Street
720-638-0020
As long as you're not planning to hit this LoHi hot spot after 3 p.m. on Friday or Saturday, then you are welcome to bring your dog. The giant patio outside is perfect for bonding since it's spacious, shady and fully enclosed. Take your fur baby to brunch and get a beermosa made with Avery White Rascal and orange juice and a breakfast burrito filled with eggs, bacon, potatoes, housemade pork green chile and cheese. Or come by for happy hour and get a Moscow mule and a side of tater tots or chili fries.