11 Dog Friendly Patios on Nashville's East Side
Updated 7/13/23
East Nashville, Donelson, Hermitage & Mt. Juliet Neighborhoods
We are based in Nashville, Tennessee and love that it's super pet-friendly. We often get asked by people new to the area and tourists where are the best places to take your dog. Since Nashville is so spread out, we're offering a few different blog posts on some of the best dog-friendly places take your pup in Middle Tennessee.
For starters, we'll start with the east side of Nashville which offers some super cool and fun neighborhoods that have pet-friendly restaurant patios where you can bring your dog, eat some great food, watch the latest sports, listen to some local songwriters and relax with a few cold beers.
See the list below for some of our favorite spots to go with your furry friends.
Want to see other spots around the Nashville area?! Check out our growing list of Dog Friendly Patios in Greater Nashville.
East Nashville Brew Works - East Nashville
Located in East Nashville, this brewery is an awesome place to bring your dogs and it's family friendly too. They are super dog friendly - even the entrance has a cutie Frenchie. They offer a great food menu featuring pizza and salads and a variety of beer selections. There is a covered patio and a garden area with Adirondack chairs for you to enjoy your cold beverage with your pups. This is one of our new favorite spots! Patrons are super friendly here too!
Tennfold Brewery - Donelson
This is a newly built Donelson brewery and craft pizza restaurant quickly becoming a popular neighborhood hotspot. Who doesn't love pizza, wings and craft beer?! They offer options other than pizza on their menu. The meatballs are awesome! They have lots of sandwiches, mouth-watering BBQ Ribs, sandwiches, bowls and a tasty celery caesar salad and freshly made hummus for those that are looking for something on the lighter side. Their brews are crafted on site and they offer two options for flytes. Try the Blessed Rain IPA or the Business Hippy. The patio is large and covered so you can stay out of the heat in the summer or warm up under their heated patio in the winter. This a new favorite pet-friendly spot for our dogs – they meet lots of other pups chill’n on the patio.
Urban Nectar Cantina - Donelson
We love this Donelson cantina! They feature Mexican-inspired cuisine, fresh juices, craft cocktails, and locally roasted coffee. Everything is freshly made - from the tortillas to the carefully crafted margaritas. This place has a big covered patio and a huge grass area for you and your dogs to enjoy. They host lots of community events on their outdoor patio and lawn area which include movie nights, concerts, and seasonal celebrations. It’s a great pet-friendly place in the fall to sip on a freshly-made margarita and listen to live music. It's also the sister restaurant of Tennfold Brewery.
JBs Pourhouse - Hermitage
Located in Hermitage, this a great place to go to watch sports, have some food & drinks and enjoy their big patio with your dogs. It has a laid-back vibe and offers some old school favorites like potato skins and fried mozzarella along with some chargrilled burgers, sandwiches etc. We recommend the loaded tots - with queso, bacon and jalapenos! They also offer some decent drink specials and they usually have plenty of beers on tap. They'll even bring a cool bowl of water to your pups. It's definitely a neighborhood hangout - the patrons here are very friendly and we always meet new furry-friends big and small. The patio is decent size and is partially shaded. It's also a popular spot for volleyball players as it has a huge beach volleyball area in the back of the restaurant. Check out this dog-friendly sports bar when you are in the Hermitage area.
Sam's Sports Grill - Blue Turtle Bay - Old Hickory
Sam's Place is a great spot to enjoy get outside and enjoy lake views at Blue Turtle Bay on Old Hickory Lake. Their pet-friendly patio is covered and floating on the water. It's great to watch the boats coming and going on Old Hickory. They have many tv’s to watch the latest sporting events and games. The menu has variety - ranging from fish dip and shrimp cocktail to burgers, pizza and fish sandwiches. Food is okay...nothing spectacular - we go for the fresh air, people watching, lake views and sunset cocktails. They do have a full bar for refreshing drinks and a decent happy hour. The wait staff is usually very welcoming to your four-legged friends and provide cool, fresh water upon arrival.
Cedar Creek Marina- Mt. Juliet
This hangout spot is right on the lake in north Mt. Juliet at Cedar Creek Marina. It is an open-air restaurant with food, a full bar, and a covered patio. Part of the patio is actually a floating dock with tables. The menu ranges from burgers and grilled chicken sandwiches to queso dip and fish tacos. Food is okay - but it's really a fun hangout. If you are out on the lake or just looking for a place to gaze at the lake, this is a great location to bring your dogs. They even have boat rentals at the marina that are also dog friendly! We'll be trying that soon. Please note that is place is seasonal and closes during the winter months.
Update: 7/13/23 - This place is under new management and no longer allows pups on their patio. They do offer picnic tables a few feet away on the dock, where you can order food and drinks. Or, you can sit within the covered patio area on the inside and have your dog on the outside of the fenced-in area. Due to the recent changes, we will be removing this listing from our pet-friendly patio recommendations.
Calabria Brickoven Pizzeria - Mt. Juliet
This is a newly renovated spot in Mt. Juliet and one of our favorite places for pizza. We're kind of pizza snobs, and to be honest, this pizza joint is tied as our #1 spot for pizza in Greater Nashville with Five Points Pizza located in East Nashville. This place usually wins out because they have a dog-friendly patio. But don't just take our word for it, it has been the winner of Best Pizza Place in Mt. Juliet for the last few years. It's a great family-owned restaurant - you'll often see the owners behind the lines cooking up their family recipes. They offer authentic Italian pizza straight out of the brick-oven. It takes three days to make their dough. The pizza crust is super light and so delicious. They also offer some of the best garlic knots we've ever had and freshly made salads. You'll want to lick the plate after you eat their garlic parmesan wings (at least our friend Bill did). Their patio has several tables, but it is not fully covered. They do have sunshades on-top that provide plenty of shade. We highly recommend this place. If you go on a weekend...get there early - they are usually on a wait.
Jonathan's Grille - Mt. Juliet
Hands down - BEST HAPPY HOUR IN NASHVILLE! Jonathan's is a family-owned chain of upscale sports grilles based in Nashville. Most of their patios are dog-friendly. We frequent the Mt. Juliet location but have visited the Germantown and Green Hills (now closed) locations. All locations have plenty of tv’s for you to enjoy any sport. Their food is consistently good, and they offer 2-for-1 drinks every day. Did you catch that - every day - two for ones on draft beer, bottled beer, liquor, white claws, wine etc. They even offer 2-for-1 Pizza every Tuesday. The outdoor patio at the Mt. Juliet location is covered and is a great spot to chill with your dogs, watch sports and meet new people.
Hunter's Station - East Nashville
Hunters Station has 6 fast-casual, locally owned Food Hall Tenants — Vui's Kitchen, Hugh Baby’s BBQ & Burger Shop, The Grilled Cheeserie, Tacos Aurora, and The Picnic Tap. PLUS - there are two covered patios, a built-in bocce ball court, cornhole, pet-friendly patios, and a dedicated off-leash dog area. It's a fun place to hang out especially if you have a group of friends who want to eat something different.
Noble's Kitchen & Beer Hall - East Nashville
This cool joint is located in the Five Points neighborhood of East Nashville. It serves up plenty of great food including smoked pork and brisket, wings, burgers, salads, meat + 3s, and more. You'll also find more than 100 craft beers on tap & bottle. Their outdoor patio is a great spot to enjoy some tasty food and hang out with your furry friend.
BoomBozz Craft Pizza & Taphouse - East Nashville
Pizzas, pasta bakes, salads and sandwiches, and most importantly, plenty of beer on tap. It's a great spot to catch a game on the large-screen TVs, and they have a couple of outdoor heated patios for you to hang out with your furry friends. This place is a very popular family-friendly spot to bring the kiddos - they offer large tables and a children's playground out back.
