It’s winter and it’s freezing. Quite literally. ❄️

As temps drift down to below 5ºc/40ºf, our high-energy 8 month old beagle still needs entertaining.

We bundle up for walks (and right now we’re desperately trying to find paved trails that aren’t muddy 🙃), him decked out with some coats we found at PetSmart because he walks too slowly to fully keep himself warm…

(…seriously, you’d think this boy would have some kind of survival instinct to walk quicker in the snow.)

We’ve taken him around Lowe’s a few times, letting him sniff to his heart’s content, and practicing some training commands.

We play plenty of enrichment games indoors. Fetch. Tug. “Go find it”. Puzzle toys. Sniffwork.

What’s missing is the ability to just sit outside a coffee shop or brewery or restaurant, like we could do in the milder-weathered autumn, so we can relax and he can people-watch (one of his fave activities).

It is gutting that New Jersey has such strict rules about where dogs can go, and it’s so far removed from my home country of England where dogs are allowed in so many places, including pubs and cafes.

But on our hunt for dog-friendly places we have found a handful of places that do allow our boyo indoors. They are:

Saxbys, Haddonfield

While I’d much rather support a smaller, independent coffee shop like Common Grounds or Royal Mile (and I do… frequently ☕️), you can’t beat chain Saxbys for the fact it has welcomed us with our pup inside.

And, in the grand scheme of things, they are a smaller chain — they’re certainly no Starbucks or Wawa. They are also a B Corp and do a lot for the community.

The cappuccinos and lattes are tasty, and they actually have a huge menu of speciality coffees, with lots of new things to try.

The baked good selection is small but consistently good. We’ve still not tried the sandwiches — next time we will! 🥐

The seats are spaced out fairly well, which is perfect for bringing a dog. Louie is a highly nosy pup who likes to try and sneak his way over to strangers for free pets, so having some space between us and the table next to us reduces the chance he is succesfully without permission 🙃

Overall, I give it an 8/10 only because it gets very busy and can be hard to get a seat indoors sometimes, even on weekday afternoons (there’s many people who’ll be working and studying during the day time).

Bonus: there’s a fantastic bookshop literally right next door, Inkwood Books, which is also dog friendly! 📚✍️

Tonewood Brewing, Oaklyn

Being just a few minutes’ walk from our house, you can imagine Tonewood is a place we frequent a lot.

Inside is cozy and welcoming in winter, as they keep all the doors closed. It’s a world of difference from summer when they open the huge sliders and it’s a real indoor/outdoor atmosphere ☀️🍃

In the wintry weather, they keep the heat blowing so despite its industrial decor, it’s comfortable and warm.

The beer selection is ample, and they refresh their menu regularly. In some ways this is good (lots of new things to try) and bad (just as you find one you really like, it’s gone 🥲).

I love how everyone is SO friendly in the Oaklyn Tonewood (I’ve not yet been to Barrington). There’s a lot of regulars as well as new faces, but everyone got the “be kind” memo. Everyone is always so happy to meet Louie and give him a huge fuss — I feel like this place always attracts dog lovers! 🐶

Oaklyn Tonewood usually always has at least one dog inside so if your dog is dog-reactive, might want to give this one a miss. I love how dog-friendly this place is!

Giving it an 8/10. Stools instead of chairs, as the tables are high-tops. It’s not comfortable if you’re planning on sticking around for a while, and also it means you’re further away from your dog so you can’t easily be leaning down and petting your pup while they lay at your feet!

I’m also not hugely into beer and they don’t offer ciders, shandys or seltzers like a lot of the other breweries in the area do. I would love to see them offer an alternative option in the future, though I of course understand they are a brewery and are going to make what they’re best at!

Red, White & Brew, Audubon

In a beautiful old bank building in downtown Audubon is one of the best breweries around (imo). And they just so happen to be dog friendly!

Red, White & Brew has a unique and tasty yet small menu, and I love that they regularly offer shandies and seltzers… it’s nice to have some alternative, lighter drinking options than just beer.

Indoors has a lovely atmosphere and they also provide a whole shelving unit of board games. The last time we visited we enjoyed several beers over a casual game of Battleship (I won! 🙌🤣) which was such a nice option to have!

I particularly love their different seating options: they have high tables and stools one end, and regular-sized tables and chairs the other end. I’d much prefer to sit in regular chairs than stools when we have the dog with us, as it gives me closer access to Louie and I can keep an eye on him better.

The staff were very welcoming when we went in with Louie, and straightaway brought a water bowl over for him.

On Friday nights they offer quizzes, and there’s all kinds of different events happening so follow them on Instagram to keep up to date.

10/10. Red, White & Brew is the most comfortable place to take your dog! 🐶

---

Can you recommend any places you can take your dog indoors in South Jersey? Please tell me in the comments! 👇