The Early Word on Dog-Friendly Yard Bar

Dog park, restaurant, and bar all-in-one exists with the opening of Yard Bar last month, much to the delight of pet owners in Austin. The canine-friendly restaurant took over the shuttered Putt-Putt Golf and Games in Allandale and transformed it into two parks for big and small dogs, a dining patio, and bar with cocktails and beer. Read on for the early word.

The dog park — The setup for the puppies overall worked well. For The Statesman’s Arianna Auber’s visit, she saw "a variety of mutts pranced about the big dog park, exploring the large wood-chipped space (and each other) that provides them plenty of water, toys and supervision by watchful Yard Bar employees." Those Bark Rangers are tasked with "scooping duties and watching the pups," as noted by The Chronicle. Yelper Amanda K. described it as "well monitored, well maintained, clean, and the agility equipment is awesome." Many people, though, noted that they still had to clean up after dogs. Otherwise, Austinite Tips loved the dog-forward details: "I was impressed by the thoughtful small touches – bowls of water for the dogs, animal-friendly bug spray on each table, etc."

The food — The hush puppies are the must-order dish on a menu full of "ample vegetarian items, and, of course, doggie snacks," said a TripAdvisor user. Kelly S. on Yelp described it as "fresh and hot and moist and a little spicy." The dog snacks worked well, and the puppy ice cream won over Yelper Kimberlee A.'s dogs.

The drinks — The "good-sized selection of craft beers" did the trick for Auber. On Yelp, Ali B. seconded the sentiment, although she added that the cocktails weren’t as strong as she would have liked.

The atmosphere — The dog park and restaurant combination is a welcome addition to the city, or as Yelper Jon C. described, "It's a fantastic place that just screams Austin, it's shorts, craft beer, dogs and a good time in the sun." Despite that, there were some complaints about the lengthy lines and separation of the dog parks and dining area. On FourSquare, Josh A. wrote and asked, "Restaurant is separate (what about your dog?)" Yelper Amanda K. suggested creating a separate line for members.