Local news and fun, every day 6am.
Featured
austonia newsletter
Most viewed

(Yard Bar/Instagram)
It's no secret that Austin loves its dogs—with the most dog-friendly restaurants per capita in one of the most dog-enthusiastic cities in the world, it would probably be harder to find a restaurant that doesn't allow dogs than those that do.
That said, with so many options to choose from, it can be hard to narrow the search down to a few. From dog-themed restaurants to doggy food trucks, here are nine dog-friendly local businesses to try out.
Yard Bar, 6700 Burnet Road
Although this bar has plenty of options for humans to eat and drink, Yard Bar is a cafe made to please Austin pups. With its massive off-leash dog park front and center, Yard Bar aims to make going to the bar just as fun for dogs as it is for people. The doggy playground offers plenty of shade, a cold drink of water, a chance to make new canine friends and obstacles to challenge your pups while you sip on some on-draft cocktails.
Austin Terrier, 3435 Greystone Drive
Though this friendly neighborhood bistro is best known for its American food, specialty pizzas and rotating cocktail menu, your furry friend will remember it for its dog-friendly patio. Order the Spicy Terrier pizza and Pink Poodle Martini if you want to be festive—bonus points if you bring a terrier to match the mascot! 🐶
The Original Dog Treat Truck Company, 1720 Barton Springs Road
Don't visit this truck in hopes of grabbing a bite for yourself because you won't find any—this truck is only for man's best friend. With three locations touting healthy, artisan and organic treats for dogs, The Original Dog Treat Truck Company offers Woof Waffles, which aid digestion and coat health; Breath Bones, which are mint and berry-filled to help smelly breath over time; and the Nutripooch Pouch, a lickable smoothie that boosts the immune system. All three locations are in food parks, so not to worry, you won't go hungry.
Ani's Day and Night, 7107 E. Riverside Drive.
Popping up in a historic 1930s-era Victorian home, the very same house owner Freddy Fernandez grew up in, Ani's Day and Night is a brand-new all-day cafe that serves up coffee, cocktails and local brews. The new cafe has a sprawling outdoor space, perfect for your four-legged friend, and is also home to two permanent food trucks: Mexican food at Las Alegres Comadres and Caribbean at Nyam Sunshine Cuisine.
Perla's Seafood and Oyster Bar, 1400 S. Congress Ave.
Located on South Congress, Perla's Seafood and Oyster Bar's fairy-lit front patio is a bougie spot for your posh pup to nosh. For you and your fellow humans, Perla's is a seafood lover's dream with its fresh oysters, raw bar and array of fancy cocktails. There's no room for your pups to roam though, so make sure they will be content sitting down amid the busy city.
Fresa's, 1703 S. 1st Street
This wood-grilled Mexican restaurant is famous for its avocado margaritas (a must-try!) and its South 1st location not only offers week-long happy hour prices, it also has a huge open patio that is perfect for Fido. The patio is not only dog-friendly but dog-loving, so you're likely to run into some other puppies when you visit.
Better Half, 406 Walsh Street
Between Better Half and Hold Out Brewing, which sits right next door, the two establishments boast a well-spaced, natural patio that is happy to seat you with your pooch. As for the patrons, Better Half's menu is stocked with new takes on classic staples, like cauliflower tots and blue corn snickerdoodles, gourmet coffee drinks and a large wine list to work your way through.
Radio Coffee & Beer, 4204 Manchaca Road
With indoor seating plus an expansive outdoor patio, Radio is another great place to enjoy Austin with your best friend. The garden gives dogs plenty of room to stretch out and flexibility for their owners—Radio opens early, 6:30 a.m. most days, and closes late at midnight. Between the coffee, local beers, food trucks on-site and frequent live music, the coffee shop has a little something for everyone.
Cosmic Coffee + Beer Garden, 121 Pickle Road
With lush greenery, food trucks to choose from and coffee all day, Cosmic is undoubtedly fun for humans, but its massive dog-friendly garden is what attracts so many doggos. The open space is shady and cooled by fans, so there's no need to worry about your hound's health, and lots of exciting sights for two- and four-legged friends to see, like the chicken coop, pond and nature preserve on the property.
- 4/20 friendly: 7 Austin eateries celebrating April 20 in style - austonia ›
- Dogs found sick after swimming in Hudson Bay - austonia ›
- Austin food under $10, cheap eats that are delicious - austonia ›
- Austinites are some of the most sociable pet owners - austonia ›
- 75 dogs die in Georgetown Ponderosa Pet Resort fire - austonia ›
- Keep the heat: 5 heated patios for holiday dining - austonia ›
- Austin FC's 'mascots' find forever homes with Austin Pets Alive! program - austonia ›
- Top dog and cat names in Austin for 2021 - austonia ›
Popular
(MacKenzie Kelly)
Austin’s Homeless Strategy Officer Dianna Gray has apologized after vandals broke into a city-owned hotel in the process of being converted into a homeless hotel.
The break-in was discovered on May 5 at the northwest Candlewood Suites, 10811 Pecan Park Blvd., which had been sitting vacant and unrenovated with no security protocol at the time. A memo from the city said security had yet to be initiated due to a delay in processing the request.
The city is looking at funding six months of renovations at the hotel to prepare for move-ins. The memo also said it introduced security protocols after the incident, which will now be on patrol “day and night.”
“The intent had been to have security on site previous to this event,” Gray said. “It had been requested, and there was a delay in the request, so it had not been initiated. We acknowledge that as a failure and apologize.”
The city bought the hotel—now called Pecan Gardens—in August 2021 with plans to convert it into 80 supportive housing units as part of the Housing-Focused Encampment Assistance Link initiative. The city’s Homeless Strategy Division expects occupants—individuals existing long-term homelessness—to move in later this year or early next year.
The incident came to light after Austin City Council member Mackenzie Kelly, who represents the area, tweeted photos of the damage to the interior. She also said she learned of people sleeping at the hotel without permission.
Here are the photos of the inside of the Candlewood Suites that I shared during my press conference at 3pm today.
I want to encourage anyone with information regarding this incident to call Crime Stoppers at 512-472-8477. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/2bVBoA6Vba
— Mackenzie Kelly (@mkelly007) May 12, 2022
On Thursday, City Council is poised to approve a contract with Family Eldercare, allowing them to begin renovations.
Additionally, Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell shared photos of an adjoining homeless encampment nearby to the hotel.
(Williamson County)
He issued the following statement: “I am deeply disappointed that once again the city of Austin has made decisions regarding their property in Williamson County without involving Williamson County leadership in coming up with solutions. I have heard from our residents that Austin’s property has brought crime to their neighborhood. They sent me pictures of what is going on in their neighborhood. The city of Austin made their problem Williamson County’s problem, so I promise our residents that I will work to find a solution. Our residents deserve to not live in fear.”
Austin's median home price reached another record as housing sales took another dip in April 2022. (Realty Austin/Facebook)
Austin's home sales were on the decline for the second month in a row as the metro's median home price reached an all-time record of $550,000 in April, according to the Austin Board of Realtors' April report.
While home sales were down 6.2% year-over-year, the five-county metro still saw the second-highest number of sales on record.
Austin was its year-over-year median home price raise 19%, while sales were down 6% in April 2022. (Austin Board of Realtors)
Here's a look at the numbers behind the month's housing report:
- The metro saw 3,280 home sales, 216 short of a record-breaking April 2021
- The median home price grew 19.6% year-over-year to $550,0000
- Active listings jumped 52.5%, causing inventory to rise from 0.3 months to 0.8 months
- The city of Austin has a new all-time median home price record of $640,000
- Hot housing market pushes Austin rents to all-time high ›
- Austin's housing market is hot, but buyers feel burned out - austonia ›
- Austin housing market keeps setting new price records - austonia ›
- Bidding wars abound in Austin's housing market with homes ... ›
- Foreign interest continued in Austin housing market despite ... ›
- Austin's hot housing, rental market bleed into southern neighbors ... ›
- Austin's housing market cools with the seasons, sees September ... ›
- Fall breeze hits Austin as housing market begins to plateau in ... ›