Summer Guide Eats & Drinks Listings

Summer’s the time to let your dog out of the closet, dust him off and take him for a walk. If you can’t part with the little guy even for well-priced booze, here are a few places that won’t make you check him at the door. For those who think ingestion and ass-sniffing don’t go so well together, you may want to avoid the following joints.

Hudson Beach Café Riverside Park Promenade (at W. 105th St.) 212-873-1900 With portable grills searing burgers and ’dogs—the pork variety—and on-tap beers being pumped from kegs, this split-level outdoor restaurant will help prepare family dogs who’ll be seeing Junior off to college in the fall. Live music and adjacent sand volleyball courts complete the spring fling ambiance.

Double Down Saloon 14 Avenue A (betw. 1st & 2nd Sts.) 212-982-0543 The New York branch of Las Vegas’ homage to punk rock boasts a mean Ass Juice shot and a Bacon Martini. Dogs who rock a studded leather collar and harness will fit right in. You can play pool, and Rex can take a ride on the coin-operated mechanical horse, or visa versa. Obviously a classy joint like this has one rule: you puke, you clean. We assume the same goes for your dog, should he have an accident.

The Gate 321 5th Ave. (betw. 3rd & 4th Sts.), B’klyn 718-768-4329 Just a short jaunt from Prospect Park, this unpretentious bar is great for single guys who love their dogs, but not as much as the girls who fawn over four-legged creatures. The expansive outdoor patio nearly doubles the space of this cozy pub-like joint, and canines are welcome inside and out (so long as they’re on a leash). With 24 beers on tap, both pooch and master will be satisfied.

Welcome to the Johnsons 123 Rivington St. (at Norfolk St.) 212-420-9911 With its ’70s living room theme, Welcome to the Johnsons is perfect for shaggy dogs and their owners. Digs include plastic-wrapped couches, vinyl avocado barstools and wood-paneled walls. With orange soda and root beer on tap, mix in some JD with the latter and enjoy a game of tabletop Ms. Pac-Man or pool. Casually ask if your canine counterpart can come along, and you’ll get an authentic answer: It’s cool.

Von 3 Bleecker St. (betw. Bowery & Elizabeth Sts.) 212-473-3039 You might be surprised that a wine bar is pet-friendly, but this place goes so far as to keep the bar stocked with doggy treats. For patrons of the human variety, Von has a dozen affordable wines by the glass and a comprehensive offering of Eurobeer—like Chimay, Duvel and Schneiderweisse. With a pit bull named Happy as co-owner, you know your furry friend will feel right at home. That is, unless he’s a non-neutered male—they’re not allowed. So make sure you snip before you sip.