Mornings can be ruff, but they’re not so bad when you can have your #1 best bud and favorite a.m. pick-me-up all in one place. Here are our favorite dog-friendly Chicago coffee shops for a cup of coffee and a little *pet-working.*
Ritual Coffeehouse
Ritual comes highly recommended by our community members—and fur good reason. Situated right by the Brown Line in Irving Park, Ritual is home to delicious coffee, shop Poodles, and a human TURKEY BACON dispenser (the owner, Jacob). You read that right, pups!
Star Lounge (and the Dark Matter Mothership)
Both Star Lounge and the nearby Dark Matter Mothership welcome dogs outside on their patios. Serving not only as a coffee shop but also a de facto community center, Star Lounge is a great spot for your dog to run into basically everyone he knows. And if he’s really good, maybe you’ll gib an ice cream from Liz’s Pet Shop on the way home?
Elevate Coffee
The only thing better than Samoas lattes are Samoas snuggles, are we right? Boystown’s Elevate Coffee welcomes puppers and even keeps a stash of Milk-Bones by the door for ‘em. Finally, a coffee shop who knows that good boys and girls can’t wait ’til they get to the counter for snacks.
Gallery Cafe
Your girl is a work of art, so it only makes sense she’d want to have a cup at Gallery Cafe. Enjoy coffee, sandwiches on artisan bread, and creative vibes on the dog-friendly patio. And while you’re in the neighborhood, pop by Churchill Field Dog Park for a zoomie or two.
Pilot Project
Fun fact: during the day, beloved pro-pup brew incubator Pilot Project whips up tasty espresso drinks from 11-4 daily. They serve cold-brew and drip all day and offer pets by the bazillions. With a huge patio, there’s lots of room for your pal to spread out.
Side Practice Coffee
Dog-friendly Side Practice at Damen and Foster offers amazing specialty lattes and is a great stop if your pup is taking you to play at Winnemac Park. Our community loves that the owners welcome pups with open arms. And discerning doggos will appreciate the local art available for purchase.
Smack Dab Chicago
Smack Dab serves yummy coffee and life-changing sandwiches, and your pup has always wanted to change her life. Born as a farmers market pop-up, this fave has options for all kinds of eaters. Hit up the HEATED dog-friendly patio and share something toasty with your #1.
Estereo
Okay, okay. Estereo is technically not a coffee shop. It’s a bar that happens to be open in the day. But we’re not here to judge, and you’re not drinking alone if you bring your dog. Plus, you and your dog are gonna look amazing in your disco wall bathroom selfies, and they have coffee, so start your day your h*ckin’ way. Wrap it up with a leisurely walk through Palmer Square, or if you’re feeling energetic, wander down Altgeld over to the Logan Square Dog Park.
What’s your pup’s favorite dog-friendly coffee shop? Woof at us in the comments and be sure to tag #SidewalkDog in all those roasty-toasty coffee pics.
Featured photo: Daria Shevtsova
Sidewalk Dog’s mission is to help dog parents spend more time with their puppers by discovering and sharing activities they can do and places they can go—together! Sniff out our award-winning newsletter and Instagram, and join our Dog-Friendly Chicago Facebook Group.