The best dog-friendly restaurants and bars in Johnson County, according to my pup

Dear canine super fans, casual pet owners and cat people:

I’m not oblivious to the fact that I may be wading through controversial waters here. Few are as obsessed with their dog as I am, and I understand why everyone can’t start bringing their Shih Tzus inside the neighborhood Olive Garden. (Not even I, a devoted dog person, am arguing for that setup.)

But I’ve been through a lot with my 1-year-old golden retriever named Winston. When I moved to Kansas City as a recent graduate, he was my only friend within 150 miles.

For the first couple of months, I sought out places to take Winston so I never felt alone. “Dog-friendly near me” remained at the top of my Google search history list. I found plenty of Johnson County restaurants with patios to enjoy quality meals alongside my faithful sidekick.

My pup and I created this list to celebrate your furry friend. We tried most of these for the first time, but all overwhelmingly received Winston’s stamp of approval. (That is, a wagging tail and a hearty paw shake.)

Transport Brewery

11113 Johnson Drive, Shawnee

This brewery opened in 2019 and quickly became known for allowing pets inside. But when state law changed last year so breweries were treated like restaurants — regardless of whether they serve food — the dogs had to go. Transport pushed for legislative change.

Last month, Gov. Laura Kelly signed a bill changing health code rules and allowing dogs in the brewery again.

“I think that dogs just make the brewery a happier place,” said Christie Jackson, Transport’s operations manager.

To celebrate the Winstons of the world being allowed back in, we made Transport our first stop.

I’m not a huge drinker, especially when it comes to beer, but I was pleasantly surprised by my glass of Ring around the Rose ($7). Sweet and not too strong.

Winston could walk around the brewery on a leash. He instantly sniffed out a corner designated for treats and toys, which kept him occupied for a while.

With another location in Gardner at 131 E. Main St., Transport’s comfortable booths and high-tops are spaced out enough to prevent wiggly puppies from crawling through neighbors’ legs. Winston sat contently and even reached over to sniff my brew. He approved.

Rock & Brews

5701 W. 135th St., Overland Park

This place may have been Winston’s favorite of the bunch. Not only did they have a delicious Gastropub burger for me ($14.95), but they gave Winston a menu of his own.

The inside opens up via garage-style doors to a large patio, where pups can sit. The restaurant in Prairiefire serves classic American food and plays to a rock ‘n’ roll theme.

Winston’s food options included four strips of bacon, mini hamburgers and roasted chicken. We chose “Addie’s Feast” ($4.95), and he gobbled down the chicken, rice and veggies blend.

At the end of our meal, we were given a treat bag to take home. Winston, of course, realized that I had the bag and demanded I hand over a couple of Milk-Bones immediately. The to-go bag didn’t make it out the door.

Prairiefire has several other restaurants with patios, and we enjoyed walking around the shops for a while afterward. Rock & Brews was a singing success.

Bamboo Penny’s

5270 W. 116th Place, Leawood

I had never been to the Thai restaurant Bamboo Penny’s, but I had heard about the large grassy space next to it where Winston could trot around.

I ordered a Penny’s salad ($8) to-go and picked it up at the front. The friendly hostess told me the patio was dog-friendly and a popular spot for pets during the summer, but I decided to let Winston stretch his legs on the grass.

There, families played cornhole and chatted in lawn chairs while children ran through a nearby fountain. The area transforms into an ice skating rink in the winter.

Winston sat in the shade and watched the activity with perky ears. He begged for a few cucumbers from my salad, but there weren’t any snacks just for him.

After we finished, we walked around the other shops in Park Place. Much like Prairiefire, several other shops and restaurants had outdoor seating. We enjoyed our stroll, and Winston was only slightly offended that he was never offered a treat.

McLain’s Market

5833 Nieman Road, Shawnee

Just down the street from Transport Brewery, McLain’s sells coffee, bakery items and healthy breakfast and lunch options.

It also has locations in Overland Park at 10695 Roe Ave. and in Kansas City at 201 E. Gregory Blvd. The Shawnee location has a notably large patio with games and space for little ones to run around.

Not only was the staff exceptionally friendly, but they adored Winston. To him, that’s better than a thousand hickory smoked sausages.

Thankfully, they did offer him a dog treat, which he enjoyed while I ate my chicken salad sandwich ($11). And they had no problem talking me into ordering a fresh doughnut ($2).

All of their pastries are to die for, including their chocolate drop cookies, which an employee gave me to try for free.

Winston seemed satisfied to sit on the cool, covered patio, and this might have been my favorite stop.

Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers

Multiple locations

Simple, cheap, fast, this burger chain has over a dozen restaurants in the Kansas City area.

While the steakburgers are popular for humans, dogs rave about the free puppy custard.

It’s fast food, so I don’t have anything special to say about my combo meal ($9.49), but Winston enjoyed the casual experience of getting to sit at the outside tables and be his rambunctious self.

They gave him quite a bit of custard and placed a little dog bone on top. He quickly licked his bowl clean.

There are dozens of places you could take your pooch in the Kansas City area. If you’ll allow me a moment to be corny, I think it matters less where you treat your pup, and more that you do.

I hope this helped someone, regardless. And if not, thanks for giving me an excuse to eat out with my best friend.

Winston contributed to the reporting of this story.