If you are utterly obsessed with your pet and consider it part of your family, date nights without its constant tail wagging just feel incomplete.
Given the limitations posed by many restaurants and bars, we often find ourselves at wit’s end when it comes to taking our furry friends with us on off-leash outings. So much for a fun date night, right?
We understand just how difficult it can be to look up spaces that you and your pet can enjoy. To help you out, we’ve put together this deep dive on dog-friendly date hotspots in Dallas, Texas.
Here are our top picks for your next day out:
White Rock Lake
Make your way to White Rock Lake to enjoy some quality downtime with your furry buddy. If you want to go all out, you can even pack a picnic to go. If you don’t want to make your own food, worry not. The area has some fantastic restaurants where you can grab a gourmet sandwich or two.
Make sure to bring a blanket to watch the beautiful Dallas skyline from a comfy spot and carry water and treats for your fur baby. If your dog weighs under 50 pounds, you can also take it with you on a rented kayak.
If your dog loves being in the water, you can “dog launch” it into the lake at the recently opened White Rock Dog Park for a bit of refreshing fun. You can also take your pet to the leash-free dog park at Mockingbird Point to bird-watch.
With so many places to go and things to do, there’s no doubt that White Rock Lake will be great fun for you and your family!
Mutts Canine Cantina
Mutts Canine Cantina is a top-tier pup-friendly restaurant. If your idea of a date night is good food paired with an enjoyable walk around a dog park, this unpretentious food place with two giant, off-leash dog parks is the perfect spot.
Your furry friend can run off-leash, meet new friends, and frolic while you enjoy some sustenance in the form of delicious burgers, beers, margaritas, and wine.
That's not all. Pets also enjoy peanut butter popsicles, bite-size beef franks, and popsicles between all their tail-wagging and ball-chasing.
This pet-friendly restaurant also hosts Dog Days of Summer events from June to August. Pet parents can try out the best local draft beers while their dog enjoys taking dips in the wading pool. And it comes at a price of just $6 per dog for entry! A definite winner, wouldn’t you say?
Pic Courtesy: Mutts Cantina
Klyde Warren Park
A 5.2-acre green space connecting uptown to downtown, Klyde Warren Park is the go-to park for adventure. This central public space offers an eclectic mix of active and passive areas for all to enjoy with their pets.
With access to full-service dining and food trucks serving a range of delicacies, an array of daily activities like yoga lessons, and an off-leash dog park where you can play games with your dog and socialize with other pets and humans—the Klyde Warren Park is bound to be a hit for you and your pup.
The Grove at Harwood
Pic courtesy: The Grove
A backyard away from your backyard, the Grove at Harwood is a new pet-friendly, mega-yard located on the edge of downtown Dallas. The spacious outdoor destination offers pets and pet parents the perfect spot to play games, sip on some refreshing drinks like margaritas and other cocktails, grab a quick bite, and binge on snack plates.
With an impressive number of picnic tables and blankets, guests can also camp in this outdoor oasis to have the time of their lives with their furry friends. The Grove at Harwood, a one-stop shop for sun, fun, and games, has something to offer to everyone.
Katy Trail
The 3.5 mile Katy Trail is a fan-favorite of Dallas locals for all the right reasons. Guests can enjoy a long, romantic walk along a tree-lined urban greenway, where you’ll be blessed with the sight of all sorts of blooming wildflowers. The trail’s blooms are bound to change according to the seasons, so one visit every few months promises different views each time.
The long trail can be tiring for you and your furry friend. So, if you’ve worn your dog out after a stroll, it’s time to bring that energy back by finding a seat at one of the many picnic tables at the laid-back Katy Trail Ice House.
Guests can make up for the calories burned at the stroll with a Lone Star, Jester King, Titos, Dripping Springs, and Revolver Blood and honey. You can also opt for old-school chips and salsa on the expansive patio of the Ice House. Casual exploration never tasted so good!
Coyote Drive-In
Watching movies at home while cuddling with your fur baby can be very enjoyable. But have you ever wanted to take it to a drive-in fur-friendly outdoor cinema?
An outdoor film showing has a vibe few indoor date nights can live up to. Take the trip to Lewisville or Fort Worth to enjoy classics and new releases at prices that won’t break the bank at the Coyote Drive-In.
The drive-in offers a double-feature each night, so if you’re looking to extend the fun, you know what tickets to book. Bring a blanket along if you plan to enjoy the experience underneath the canopy of stars. Or you can opt to stay warm and cozy in your car.
If you want to treat your outing as a proper date, consider following up the movie by grabbing dinner at a restaurant nearby.
We love an all-around date night experience, especially when it comes to spending time with our pup.
K9 Cinemas
Is your fur baby too enthusiastic to enjoy an outdoor movie night? Are you scheduling a date night for the gloomy rainy season? Well, a drive-in will only offer you so much coverage. Consider making your way to a world-class dog-friendly movie theater to enjoy a paw-fect movie night experience.
The cinema has enough space to host 30 humans and their furry friends. The limited seating arrangement ensures that you and your furry friend are at your comfiest while enjoying the cinema experience. And it only costs $15 for a pet parent and up to two dogs. And yes, it includes unlimited wine!
If you want to purchase dog-friendly treats or enjoy some snacks yourself, the cinema has a wide range of choices available for purchase.
Please note: guests will have to bring their dog's vaccination records, clean up after their pets, and keep their dog on the leash for the duration of the movie.
Cedar Ridge Nature Preserve
Located at an elevation of 755 feet, the Cedar Ridge Nature Preserve is a 600-acre park located a short 20-minute drive from downtown Dallas. The preserve is a beautiful slice of the hill country, a true gem of the area.
The nature preserve offers outdoor fanatics over nine miles of easy-to-difficult scenic trails and a butterfly garden, along with multiple romantic spots for a fur-tastic date night.
The abundance of native trees, wildflowers, a wide variety of wildlife, and magnificent views of the natural habitat is bound to offer you and your furbaby the hiking experience of a lifetime.
If you’re a bird watcher, this is one attraction you shouldn’t miss out on. After all, the preserve is home to the rare black-capped Vireo. Imagine getting up close and personal with this snazzy songbird, sneaking a picture to add to your collection, and sharing the sighting with fellow bird enthusiasts! There’s undoubtedly no better souvenir.
Toulouse
Nobody does celebrations of love better than the French, and Toulouse took it a step further by including state-of-the-art French-influenced Belgian cuisine, including mussels, croque madames, bouillabaisse, and frog legs. This excellent cafe and bar also offers an extensive wine by the glass selection to add a bit of glam-quotient to each meal.
The outdoor area of the restaurant is refreshingly unpretentious. You can opt for indoor seating, choose a seat on the terrace to observe the action along the Katy Trail, or opt for the covered and heated patio to enjoy a delicious and pleasing feast with your pup.
Did we mention their price range is very affordable? You, your partner, and your dog are sure to have a relaxed, soothing, and fulfilling dining experience here.
Barking Hound Village
The world has not been a good friend to our furry friends these past months, robbing them of the chance to socialize with other pets. But with restrictions easing, you can now schedule a fun playdate for your pooch instead of bringing it along for romantic outings with your significant other.
With multiple doggie daycares in the city, your pet can cash in on some quality bonding time with other canines while enjoying a great deal of much-needed exercise. From a fun daytime experience to a pampered night out, options for a home away from home abound.
Girlbossing dog moms who rarely find the time to catch forty winks will find this arrangement to their liking.
Peaceful Paws Pet Massage
Your good boy deserves the best rubdown, and Peaceful Paws Pet Massage promises to provide just that. While this service is the most beneficial for senior dogs or dogs with arthritis, your overactive four-legged friend and even your lazy bum who calls the couch his home and refuses to leave his cozy spot will benefit from a rubdown just the same.
The deliberate and focused hand movements of the massage easily target specific trigger points to relieve hyperirritability, increase circulation and lymph movement, promote wellness, and improve quality of life by offering comfort. The best thing? These services are provided right from the comfort of your home!
So, go ahead and book a consultation today. Once the session is over, watch how your contented little furry baby thanks you in its sweet way. A dog’s enthusiastic gratitude is worth all the gold in the world.
AC Hotel Dallas by the Galleria
Pet-friendly staycation opportunities are few and far between. Sadly, not all hotels and resorts accept dogs in their properties.
If you are seeking a luxury stay with your puppy in tow, there are still many options. After all, Dallas is one of the most pet-friendly cities in the state.
The AC Hotel Dallas by the Galleria is a great example. It offers dog-friendly accommodations and features a monthly “yappy hour” to engage pet owners. Good room service, a comfy bed with treats on the pillow for your fur baby, and access to a wide range of pet-friendly activities can take your staycation to the next level.
This excellent hotel will give you an experience that you will actively seek out whenever you want to clock in some quality downtime with your pet.
You can also explore other options by checking out Virgin Hotels Dallas, HALL Arts Hotel, Canopy by Hilton Dallas Uptown, and other pet-friendly properties in the city.
Truck Yard
Pic courtesy: Plano Magazine
Crack a cold one with your furry friend at the dog-friendly Truck Yard. With plenty of outdoor space in Lowest Greenville and The Colony locations, along with a staff that would be thrilled to offer your pet its own bowl, the Truck Yard provides the ultimate bar experience for you and your fur baby.
Their complex housing food trucks in a retro outdoor space offer an incredible menu to satisfy the foodie in you. The Truck Yard offers everything you may want and need for a fun date night with your pup in Dallas!
Wrapping Up
We hope this guide has provided deep insight into everything you can do with your pet for your next doggy date night. In addition to the many bonding opportunities they offer, the activities detailed above also serve to give your dog plenty of physical exercise and socialization opportunities.
While we’re on the subject, don’t forget to get your dog cakes from the Simba's BARKery for an extra delicious treat. After all, everything’s better with cake!
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