The story below is from our March/April 2025 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!
Discover the best places to enjoy with your furry friends in Roanoke.
Virginia may be for lovers, but Roanoke is for pet lovers! And that’s never been truer than it is today. As workers returned to the office and businesses opened their offices to post-pandemic pets, the rest of the world has followed suit.
Now you can find not only the usual trails, parks and occasional outdoor-themed stores with a bring-your-dog policy, but stores that specifically cater to pets, cat cafés and more restaurants and shops than ever that allow — nay, encourage — you to bring your animal companions along.
Here are some of Roanoke’s favorite spots to pass the time with your best friend or make a new one.
Walk & Wag
Courtesy of Black Dog Salvage
Walk your pet through Black Dog Salvage for some fun socialization practice and local shopping!
Take a “sniffari” on these trails and parks that are perfect for a stroll with your dog.
The greenway and other Roanoke trails and parks: Roanoke is so full of trails that a whole article could be devoted to them alone. At the same time, it’s not as if any trail is inappropriate for your dogs. Instead, what matters here is you and your dog’s physical ability, so if you’re new to it, check out the Adventure Roanoke article on page 60 for some suggestions.
Grandin Village: If you enjoy the fresh air but not the woods or wilderness or just don’t want to go too far, there’s nothing like a walkable street to take your dog for a stroll. And few are better for you and Fido than Grandin Village.
While walkability is key, so is having spaces to get behind and relax away from others if your dog is overstimulated, and Grandin delivers on both counts.
Farmers markets: A farmers market is the ideal segue between a walk in the park and a pup’s first visit to a store. You’re still outdoors, but there are more people around. Just don’t forget it’s all new to your dog, so keep an eye on them. Roanoke boasts several farmers markets in Grandin Village, the Historic Roanoke City Market, Salem, Botetourt County, Vinton, West End and more.
There are no parks like dog parks when you have social dogs. Remember that you should supervise your dogs carefully while they play with others and ease them into interacting with other dogs, ideally from a young age. Roanoke has Thrasher, Highland and Salem Rotary dog parks.
Social Spots
Courtesy of The Toebean Cat Café
The Toebean Cat Café is an excellent spot for cat lovers to find their new family member.
Breweries, distilleries and cafés are a great way to socialize your dog while enjoying time with friends.
Twisted Track Brewpub is known for its food and beer, and has a dog-friendly patio.
Big Lick Brewing Company, Starr Hill Brewery and Twin Creeks Brew Pub have large outdoor, dog-friendly areas.
In Salem, dog and beer lovers can choose between Olde Salem Brewing Company and Parkway Brewing Company when they want to take their canine for a cold one.
Like many of the dog-friendly spots on this list, co-owner (and oldest of the titular Brady brothers) Tim Brady brings his dogs, Lucy and Josie, to work at Brady’s Distillery. But customers’ well-behaved dogs are welcome inside and out while you sip your favorite local bourbon or custom cocktail.
Sweet Donkey Coffee House has been dog-friendly from the beginning, and co-owner Ann Marie White was richly rewarded for it when she met her current dog Boca through a visitor. There’s plenty of outdoor space to enjoy a drink and they generally won’t raise an eyebrow if you walk through or place an order with a leashed dog at the counter on your way to an alfresco table. They draw the line at emus, though. If you know, you know.
RND (Roasters Next Door) Coffee Lounge has Vinton and Wasena locations. Both offer outdoor tables where you can sip with a four-legged friend.
Roanoke’s largest and perhaps most well-known coffee chain, Mill Mountain Coffee and Tea, has multiple locations offering outdoor seating where you can sit with your pups. They also often have water bowls available.
Cat Cafes
Our community recently celebrated the opening of not one but two cat cafés specifically designed to be spots where you can get smitten with kittens while you enjoy a beverage and socialize.
Courtesy of Toebean Cat Cafe
Not a café by the traditional definition, Itty Bitty Kitty City offers customers with reservations snacks from Big Lick Exotix and a chance to hang out with adoptable cats from Angels of Assisi and maybe find their next adoptee! You’ll find Itty Bitty Kitty Cat Café inside of Blue Ridge Indie Market on Salem Avenue.
Two veterinary professionals started The Toebean Cat Café to help local shelter cats get adopted. Toebean’s logo is a cat paw with a coffee bean as one of the toes, and the cozy coffee shop will get you your coffee fix, even if that’s all you’re looking for. You can walk into the Walnut Avenue spot for a beverage, but they recommend reservations to chill with the main attraction: adoptable kitties from Barn Cat Buddies, HEART Rescue and the RCACP.
Al Fresco Dining
Allowing dogs inside a restaurant is a health code violation unless, of course, it’s a service dog. But with outdoor dining, some establishments welcome your dog and even offer pet perks like treats or water bowls.
Courtesy of Toebean Cat Cafe
Bobby’s Hot and Cheesy pizza shop in Towers Mall has several sidewalk tables where you can sit with your dogs and enjoy a pizza or other dish. They also provide dog water bowls.
The eclectic Green Goat, located just off of the Greenway, in the Wasena Neighborhood has a large wrap-around deck that’s perfect for a fancy night out or a meal after you’ve worked up your hunger on a hike!
Grandin’s Village Grill has outdoor seating that includes a covered area, so even rain won’t stop you from taking your four-leggers out for dinner.
When you scream for ice cream and your dog whines for a ride, you have plenty of options. Bruster’s on Williamson Road, Kippy Custard on Electric Road, The Salem Ice Cream Parlor on Main Street and Dilly Dally on Eddy Avenue in Salem all offer outdoor seating where you can both enjoy a pup cup. Just don’t let them overdo it!
Our Daily Bread’s locations in Salem, Roanoke and Vinton offer al fresco seating reminiscent of their French bakery and café roots. So grab a water bowl with your omelette or baguette.
Crystal Spring’s Fork in the Alley pairs hearty burgers with a patio where everyone is welcome, while Crystal Spring Grocery has a lovely little outside space to sip and wag.
Shop & Sniff
Local shops and stores that are pet-friendly make errands more enjoyable with furry friends in tow.
Courtesy of Blackdog Salvage
You can’t get more dog-friendly than Black Dog Salvage, a nationally famous salvage shop (thanks to Salvage Dogs) named after the owner’s pooch, Molly. While Molly has now sadly passed, you can usually find one of her spiritual descendants, Sally Mae or Stella, ready to greet you and get a head scratch. But it’s not just for store dogs. You can also bring your own.
Unleashed provides healthy dog treats made from human-grade ingredients and other products while “celebrating dogs” and giving back to worthy charities. You can shop Wednesdays through Saturdays from noon to six or book a private shopping experience on their website.
Sun and Spruce shares the owners’ love of their dog, Buffy, and led to opening the shop to other pets too; get your natural soap and other products with the only friend it’s appropriate to force into a bath.
2nd on Main’s owl logo greets customers and welcomes them into the eclectic Salem shop. While avian friends are absent while you shop for products from local artisans, your dog is welcome to visit with you.
And finally, Roanoke’s only local pet store, Nature’s Emporium, covers everything from food and snacks to grooming, harnesses, leashes and toys. Take your pups with you to pick out their favorites.
Roanoke’s pet-friendly atmosphere has grown by leaps and bounds, offering pet lovers more ways to enjoy the city with their companions. With a blend of outdoor spaces, pet-friendly restaurants and even cat cafés, the city has something for every type of pet owner.
Whether strolling along the greenway, sipping coffee with a furry friend or shopping with your dog, Roanoke has become a hub for pet-friendly experiences. (Check ahead at your destination spots to make sure pets are welcome!)
Keep an eye out for even more pet-friendly spots to explore — there’s always something new for you and your four-legged pals to discover.
The story above is from our March/April 2025 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!