Celebrate the Dog Days with 8 dog-friendly places to bring your pup in Delaware

Krys'tal Griffin, Delaware News Journal
Updated ·5 min read

One great side of good weather is hanging out on the patio or rooftop of your favorite restaurant, bar, brewery or other destination.

But do you know what would make it even better? If your four-legged friends could come along too!

If you’re a pet owner who loves to take your best friend everywhere, or someone who just needs extra emotional support from an animal when trying a new food (it can be daunting, we understand), here’s a list of Delaware spots that allow dogs to enjoy the summer fun, too.

Crooked Hammock Brewery, Lewes and Middletown

Crooked Hammock Brewery has Delaware locations in Lewes and Middletown and allows patrons to bring their dogs.
Crooked Hammock Brewery has Delaware locations in Lewes and Middletown and allows patrons to bring their dogs.

At Crooked Hammock Brewery, dogs are welcome in the screened-in porch bar, the deck and yard as long as they are leashed. Service dogs are welcome inside.

You and your four-legged friend can stop by for upcoming music events or farmers market days.

Crooked Hammock in Middletown hosts a Pups on the Porch weekly event in partnership with the Brandywine Valley SPCA. On Thursdays from May 25 to Aug. 31, proceeds from the night go directly to the organization. There will be on-site visits from volunteers and adoptable animals.

To make this deal sweeter, a special Chasing Tails brew was created to honor the furry friends over at the shelter. It’s a fruited Kölsch with mango and raspberry that’s light and sweet.

Middletown: 316 Auto Park Drive, Middletown, (302) 601-7837. Lewes: 36707 Crooked Hammock Way, Lewes, (302) 664-7837; crookedhammockbrewery.com

Dogfish Head Brewery, Lewes, Milton and Rehoboth

Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton.
Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton.

At Dogfish Head Brewery, dogs are more than welcome to join the fun inside all of the company’s restaurants.

Dogs can be inside or outside the tasting room of Dogfish Head’s Tasting Room & Kitchen in Milton. Note that your pooch is not allowed on brewery tours (no one wants dog hair in the new brews).

At Dogfish’s Brewing & Eats and Chesapeake & Maine locations in Rehoboth, dogs are allowed on the patio and at the outdoor dining tables, respectively.

The Dogfish INN is dog-friendly, too.

Tasting Room & Kitchen:6 Cannery Village Center, 6 Village Center Blvd., Milton, (302) 684-1000. Brewings & Eats: 320 Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth, (302) 226- BREW. Chesapeake & Maine: 316 Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth, (302) 226-3600. Dogfish INN: 105 Savannah Road, Lewes, (302) 644-8292; www.dogfish.com

Grain Craft Bar + Kitchen, multiple locations

A look inside the sixth Grain Craft Kitchen + Bar, which opened in early May at University of Delaware's STAR Campus in Newark.
A look inside the sixth Grain Craft Kitchen + Bar, which opened in early May at University of Delaware's STAR Campus in Newark.

At Grain Craft Bar and Kitchen, dogs are not only allowed, but also are fawned over by staff members!

At Grain on Main and the Grain Exchange @ STAR Campus in Newark and Grain Trolley Square, well-behaved dogs are welcome on the patio while leashed.

At Grain H2O in Bear and Grain On The Rocks in Lewes, leashed dogs who mind their manners are allowed on the waterfront patios.

At any Grain location, be sure to ask staff for a water bowl for your pooch!

 Grain has locations in Newark, Trolley Square, Lewes and Bear; meetatgrain.com.

Catherine Rooney's, Wilmington

A blue and gold "Tap House" mural was added above a new full-size shuffleboard table in the middle room that connects Catherine Rooney's and Trolley Tap House in Wilmington.
A blue and gold "Tap House" mural was added above a new full-size shuffleboard table in the middle room that connects Catherine Rooney's and Trolley Tap House in Wilmington.

Catherine Rooney’s is another spot to hit up in Wilmington if your furry roadie is coming along for the outing.

Rooney’s allows dogs on the upper-level uncovered patio. At the Tap House, dogs are allowed on the main patio. The latter also has treats on deck and pup cups available for purchase!

1616 Delaware Ave., Wilmington, (302) 654-9700; catherinerooneys.com

Constitution Yards, Wilmington

Brownie and her owner Annie Page enjoy the sand at happy hour on a warm day at Constitution Yards Beer Garden in Wilmington, Wednesday, April 12, 2023. In addition to beer, visitors can enjoy food and games, such as axe throwing and cornhole, and, at times, listen to live music.
Brownie and her owner Annie Page enjoy the sand at happy hour on a warm day at Constitution Yards Beer Garden in Wilmington, Wednesday, April 12, 2023. In addition to beer, visitors can enjoy food and games, such as axe throwing and cornhole, and, at times, listen to live music.

Constitution Yards in Wilmington is a popular hangout spot known for its vast outdoor space filled with party games, accompanied by tasty eats and good drinks.

If an all-outdoor establishment doesn’t scream dog-friendly, we don’t know what will.

Pack up the gang and leash up your dog before heading down to the Riverfront for night of fun against scenic city views.

308 Justison St., Wilmington, (302) 407-5192; constitutionyards.com

Hagley Museum, Greenville

Homemade peach ice cream from Woodside Farm Creamery.
Homemade peach ice cream from Woodside Farm Creamery.

This summer Hagley Museum is hosting Summer Nights weekly event in partnership with Dogfish Head Brewery.

On Wednesday evenings, everyone in the family, including pets, can visit the museum for a stroll along the mile or to relax on a picnic blanket after sampling local food trucks.

Dogfish Head craft beer and Woodside Farm Creamery ice cream are available for purchase.

Admission is $5 per person and free for Hagley members and children under 6 years of age. Tickets are available at the gate. The event is weather-dependent.

Upcoming dog-friendly days are Aug. 9, 16 and 23 and 30.

200 Hagley Creek Road, Greenville, (302) 658-2400; www.hagley.org

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Wilmington Blue Rocks at Frawley Stadium, Wilmington

Ricky waits for his owner Madelyn Wojnisz to return from the concession stand during the Wilmington Blue Rocks South Atlantic League home opener against the Hickory Crawdads at Frawley Stadium in Wilmington, Tuesday, April 11, 2023. Hickory won 3-2.
Ricky waits for his owner Madelyn Wojnisz to return from the concession stand during the Wilmington Blue Rocks South Atlantic League home opener against the Hickory Crawdads at Frawley Stadium in Wilmington, Tuesday, April 11, 2023. Hickory won 3-2.

Brews, baseball and buds. Sounds like a perfect summer day, right?

Well, now that deal just became even better because Frawley Stadium has select Blue Rocks games allowing pets in attendance as part of their Bark in the Park program.

Presented by Concord Pet Foods & Supplies, Frawley is asking all attendees during Bark in the Park games to bring their dogs along for the fun.

Upcoming Bark in the Park games include:

  • Tuesday, Aug. 22, against the Jersey Shore Blue Claws. 

  • Tuesday, Aug. 29, against the Hudson Valley Renegades.

Stay tuned for giveaways and special presentations during some of these dates!

801 Shipyard Drive, Wilmington, (302) 888-2015; www.milb.com/wilmington

Salty Paws, Rehoboth Beach

We can’t talk about places to take your dogs without mentioning a spot designed specifically for the doggy Delawareans.

Salty Paws is the hangout spot for all the beach pups needing a dose of ice cream along with their humans, offering dog-friendly menu items as sweet as your sweetie pies. (Shout out to all the dogs named Sweetie Pie!)

Flavors like peanut butter, vanilla, pumpkin and maple bacon are available and can be topped with dog treats like chicken and sweet potato.

While your pup is pigging out, enjoy the furry friends trotting around the shop waiting to devour their scoops, too. Perhaps your pet will make a bestie or end up a part of a whirlwind summer romance.

43 Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth Beach, (484) 667-7122; www.saltypawsicecream.com

If your establishment is dog-friendly and you would like to be featured in another story like this one, contact Krys'tal Griffin at kgriffin@delawareonline.com.    

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This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Dog-friendly places to visit with your best friend around Delaware