Wonderful Afternoon

We were looking for a place to chill after a long hike at Shenandoah and ended up at Bald Top. The outdoor seating area is large and spread out with a nice view. Our dog was welcomed and he loved lounging in the grass. There were two food trucks and while I didn't love the food I ordered from one of them, the beer was good and the atmosphere was exactly what we were looking for. A really nice place to to bring your pup.

Oct. 14, 2019

Great Location

This hotel was a short drive to the battlefields and the downtown area. You can walk to the dog-friendly outlet mall. The room was plain but clean - the bed was very comfy! There are plenty of grassy areas around the outside. The folks at the check-in desk were very friendly and gave us a helpful map of the area. I took a star away because of an extremely rude employee in the breakfast area.

Jul. 16, 2021

Great for a Day with a Dog

Make sure you arrive at the Visitor Center early (like an hour or so before they open!) to get great, crowd-free photos with the beautiful sign and the statue of Abe. There are maps up for grabs without going inside which is really convenient. The trails that branch off the Visitor Center are lovely and we made a really long loop. Getting an early start meant enjoying a lot of great areas with little to no crowds even on a holiday weekend.

Pretty much all the monuments are dog-friendly, just no cemeteries and nothing indoors. When you are done for the day do a tick check- we found one on our pup even though he is up-to-date on his preventions.

Jul. 16, 2021

Beware of the Band

We were seated about 4 feet from where a band was due to play with no warning whatsoever. We had received our drinks and ordered our food when suddenly some sort of battlefield drum group started up, it was the loudest thing I had ever heard and I got an instant headache. Not your typical guitar and keyboard music, but booming drums that sound like gunshots or fireworks. That sort of music would be great from a stage or in a big stadium but on a tiny crowded patio it was terrifying for everyone, especially children and dogs. The kids at the table near us literally curled up in their chairs and covered their ears. My dog was absolutely petrified and tried to make a break for it. The little dog seated behind us was crying in his mama's arms, but our boy is too big for that so my husband immediately brought him back to the car.

I had to flag down the waitress (on foot, impossible to hear anything) and try to explain over the noise that we needed to cancel our food order. I sat back down and waited for her to bring the bill, all while jumping at every drum beat. We left two full drinks behind. There is an area of the patio around the bend from the band and we would have happily waited longer for a table there if we had been given a warning about the drums. Our waitress was kind and understanding, the patio itself was lovely, and the menu looked great but it was a really bad experience for us. Check about live entertainment before taking a table here.

Jul. 04, 2021

Perfect Beer Garden!

At first we weren't sure if we wanted to wait 30 minutes for a table at lunchtime, we figured we would give it a try. Pleasant surprise when we were called after only 15 minutes!

The beer garden has a perfect atmosphere- it is calm, quiet and spacious, big trees and lots of shade. The tables are spaced out so that no other people/dogs are right on top of you which is so nice. Plenty of room for dogs and strollers. The service was really great too, our waitress was very attentive. Food (mac and cheese and pierogies!), beer, and cocktails all delicious. Best thing for us was the vibe- feels like you are just relaxing in a park, but with excellent restaurant service. It is very popular so you may have to wait but worth it!

Jul. 04, 2021

Very Dog Friendly!

We had trouble finding a dog friendly place downtown that was still serving food after 8pm and are so glad we drove past Pike's. They sat us on the end of the patio so our dog had plenty of space and they brought him a big bowl of ice water. The food was good, only tiny complaint is that the fries were a little cold. Service was friendly and the soups were especially delicious.

Jul. 04, 2021

Fall Fun (with our four legged friend!)

We weren't actually looking for a dog-friendly farm when searching for a place to celebrate autumn. After some research we settled on Ort because it had so many different activities available, and when we noticed on the website that it was in fact dog-friendly, we brought Duke along without a second though. The farm is large and even though it was really busy it didn't feel crowded. Duke was welcome in the corn maze, on the hayride (the website says dogs might be turned away but all the dogs we saw were allowed straight through, Duke loved sitting on the hay bales), in the pumpkin patch, and all around the farm. We also enjoyed the apple cannon while Duke watched nearby (tip, the line for this moves much more slowly than the line for the hayride so head here first if the line is short). They also have a train and pony rides for little ones, as well as a monster truck. The concession stand was adequate, everything was reasonably priced and it was so fun to experience it all with our pup. Staff was friendly, grounds were clean and well kept, parking was plentiful. We will certainly be back next season.

Oct. 14, 2019

Great Wines, Great Afternoon

After a morning of hiking at Shenandoah, my husband, dog, and I made our way out to DuCard. Tastings at the bar were cheaper but we really wanted to enjoy the beautiful patio and nice weather so we set up at an outdoor table. We had stopped in town for a pizza and were welcome to eat it here, which was nice, though they do sell some snack and hors d'oeuvres type foods. It was over $40 for the seated tastings of both the white and red flights but both were full of delicious wines and we loved the atmosphere. There was even a live band under the tent. Our dog happily hung out under our table and got lots of pets from employees or other guests. We were told he was even welcome in the tasting room if we wanted to come inside. Seek this place out, it is lovely.

Sep. 10, 2019

Good Food and Atmosphere

This place was teeming with dogs and people on a lovely late summer afternoon. The only patio table available was right in the middle of the space, so our pup had to sit under the table to be out of the way. He didn't mind as he was so tired from our hike. We enjoyed the food we ordered and the waiter was kind, but I'm taking a star away because they didn't offer a water bowl or anything for the dog. Still would return.

Dec. 28, 2018