For some, the best drinking buddy is the four-legged kind. Luckily, there are several bars, pubs, and restaurants in and around Houston that welcome our furry friends with open arms (and sometimes even treats).
Even better, these watering holes also offer deals on everything from sips to bites, if you know when to go. Austin Eastciders has rounded up a few of the best events and specials at dog-friendly bars, so mark your calendars, grab a leash, and get ready to make some new friends.
Cedar Creek Bar & Grill
Two things to raise a glass to this month: first is the August specialty cocktail, the Bayou City Blush, and second is the Puppy Brunch on August 24. All proceeds from this adorable event will benefit Houston PetSet, and who knows? You might leave with a full heart in addition to a full belly.
Cottonwood
Post up with your pup at this gigantic patio, which hosts live music on the weekends and is a popular brunch spot. Fido will be begging to share on Steak Night Wednesdays, but it's humans-only for the Austin Eastcider bucket specials and the summery Watermelon Tan Lines cocktail.
Deacon Baldy's Bar & Food Trucks
This open-air food truck park also boasts a curated collection of 40 beers on tap, which you can enjoy for even less ($3) until 6 pm, Tuesday through Friday. Those $3 drafts return all day on Wednesdays — there's trivia that night, too — and you can sample to your heart's content on Thursdays with $6 flights. Saturdays are for $20 buckets of craft beer, while $2 will get you "old-school beers" on Tuesdays. Not a beer fan? Then swing by on Fridays for $3 wells or Sundays for $5 Bloody Marys and $4 mimosas.
FM Kitchen & Bar
The cocktails, beer, and wines at this Southern-flavored spot are thoughtfully paired with the food, which ranges from starters like street corn and Frito pie to the eatery's celebrated burgers, gumbo, and chicken fried steak. All throughout August, you can cool off with the Watermelon Froze, or sample other refreshing bevvies during happy hour (Monday through Friday, 3-6 pm), when Texas drafts and house wines are $5 and classic and frozen cocktails are $6. Hungry during happy hour? An FM burger or sandwich will only set you back $3, and you can make it a meal with fries or tots for $2 more.
Outside of happy hour, indulge in half-price wings on Mondays, $18 steak with a twice-baked potato on Thursdays (add a glass of house wine for only $3), and three pieces of fried chicken with a side and biscuit for $14 on Fridays. Brunch it up on Saturday and Sunday from 10 am-3 pm.
And what does your pup get out of all this? The "Good Boy," a dog-safe beer brewed specially for him.
Front Porch Pub
Just as its name implies, this gathering spot is incredibly dog-friendly, providing dog bowls and treats for each four-legged customer that trots in. Two-legged patrons get to enjoy August's specialty cocktail, the Porch Watermelon Cooler, as well as ongoing events such as Bingo Mondays (when wings are 50 cents) and Trivia Tuesday, which also doubles as Steak Night.
Tapped Drafthouse & Kitchen
At both the Spring and Conroe locations, expect to find a whole work week's worth of discounts. Happy hour runs 11 am-6 pm, Monday through Friday, with $1 off drafts and glasses of wine, $2 off all appetizers, and $3 off all 12-inch pizzas. Monday night is Wing Night, where you can get eight wings for only $5, or 12 wings for $7.50. Brush up on your obscure knowledge for Tuesday Night Trivia, held from 7:30-9:30 pm, or drop in on Wednesday nights, when select drafts are only $4 from 6-11 pm.
