Roswell, Chris, and I were lucky enough to spend a long weekend in Jacksonville, Florida in February and we had the best time! Although we have been to Florida numerous times, we had never been to Jacksonville before. I didn’t realize how fun and dog-friendly it is.
I want to thank our partners at Visit Jacksonville for helping us put together this blog post. They have so many great resources for finding the best local restaurants, activities, beaches, parks, and everything in between. I highly recommend checking out their website if you’re considering visiting the area, or just dreaming about your next potential vacation.
Dog-Friendly Activities
- Beaches & Walks
- Jacksonville Beach – This is the beach we stayed at so we may be biased, but it was amazing! Soft sand, warm sun, great surf, and the best part is its dog friendly! We visited in the “off season” (Oct 1 to March 31) where dogs are allowed on the beach at all times. During peak season, they are allowed before 9am and after 5pm. Roswell loved our daily beach walk, lounging in the sun, and even swimming! Did you know Jacksonville has over 22 miles of beaches? Next time we visit we will definitely explore a few more miles.
- Murray Hill Mural Walk – Start at the corner of Edgewood Ave and Plymouth Street, which is the Bill Murray/Welcome to Murray Hill mural (number 4 on the map linked). Walk down Edgewood Ave to see a dozen murals created by local artists. Keep an eye out for some creative mosaics as well. The last 9 restaurants listed below are in Murray Hill, stop at one along the way for a bite to eat.
- Rentals
- Beach Life Rentals – Rent equipment from bikes to kayaks to beach chairs and so much more. I wish we had more time in Jacksonville to rent more from them. Next time I’m trying out one of their paddle boards! We rented two bikes and a bike carriage for Roswell to sit in so he could ride along with us. The carriage wasn’t specifically made for dogs, so I wouldn’t recommend it if you’ve never biked with your dog before. We buckled Roswell in so he was safe, but he’s comfortable biking in general from using our dog bike basket at home. Beach Life offers free delivery to most places and the staff was incredibly nice and accommodating.
- Parks & Dog Parks
- Tide Views Preserve – A nice little park to walk your dog on-leash and take in the nature. If you’re looking for a place to watch the sunset, this could be a good spot.
- Kathryn Abbey Hanna State Park – A pet-friendly park with convenient beach access, over 20 miles of biking and hiking trails and a 60-acre freshwater lake for fishing and kayaking.
- Memorial Park – Located along the banks of the majestic St. Johns River, this six-acre park draws visitors from across the Northeast Florida community. On any given day, families and friends, athletes and yogis, sunbathers, fishermen, and readers enjoy a quiet respite with magnificent views from this landmark open space.
- BrewHound Dog Park + Bar – This was one of our trip highlights! They offer a large fenced-in dog park plus an outdoor bar for the humans, serving beer, wine, coffee, tea, and more. I wish we had one of these where we live, we could’ve spent hours here! The staff was so knowledgable and well-trained. I loved the fact that they have “Ruffarees” to supervise the dogs while they play, and to get dogs excited when they’re acting shy (cough, Roswell, cough).
- Kanine Social – Where dogs and their owners are welcome to stay for a beer, a coffee, a game, or a whole day at the outdoor park. Pre-registration is required to visit. We ran out of time to visit here, but it looks so fun!
- Shopping
- Riverside Arts Market – A weekly arts and local farmers market hosted on Saturdays, rain or shine, that features a variety of small businesses from farmers to artists to makers, bakers and food trucks.
- Bark on Park Boutique – A local boutique offering natural food, baked goods, human apparel, and the most innovative and entertaining accessories in the city for your four-legged friend. Roswell picked out a decorated dog cookie here which he looooved.
Dog-Friendly Hotels
- Four Points by Sheraton Jacksonville Beach – This is the hotel we stayed at, and I can’t say enough good things about it. Every room in the hotel has its own ocean view, and is just steps from Jacksonville Beach. Waking up to a sunrise over the ocean was the perfect way to start each day. We loved the in-hotel service offering happy hour every night. They have a huge outdoor patio with a fire pit and plenty of comfy seating for you and your dog, right next to the beach. It is conveniently located in walking distance to anything you need.
Dog-Friendly Restaurants
Places with an asterisk were visited by us during our trip. The rest have been suggested and approved dog-friendly by our friends at Visit Jacksonville, we just didn’t have enough time to get to them all unfortunately (yet!).
- Breakfast
- *Beach Diner – Offering breakfast and lunch favorites home cooked and made fresh every day. We loved our breakfast here so much we visited twice! Roswell was greeted so warmly by the staff and lounged on their outdoor patio while we ate.
- *Southern Grounds – Local hip coffee/tea joint with great eats, has multiple locations around Jacksonville. We visited their Neptune Beach location which has a nice big patio and delicious breakfast sandwiches.
- European Street Cafe – Family-owned restaurant providing award-winning food, beer selection and service since 1980. Four locations throughout Jacksonville.
- Maple Street Biscuit Company – Restaurant founded in Jacksonville and serving biscuit sandwiches & Southern sides. Multiple locations throughout Jax.
- Cool Moose Cafe – Local coffee serving traditional and unique homemade breakfast favorites with outdoor seating.
- Southern Roots Filling Station – Made from scratch vegan and gluten free items that are locally sourced when available and organic as much as possible. Outdoor seating available.
- Bold Bean Coffee Roasters – Locally roasted coffee place with a variety of light breakfast options.
- Sago Coffee – Local coffee shop with modern atmosphere serving craft coffee & breakfast.
- Lunch / Dinner
- *Salt Life Food Shack – Did you know the Salt Life brand was founded in Jacksonville Beach? Enjoy this surf themed restaurant. They have a sizable outdoor patio which had multiple dogs there when we visited. Roswell was given his own water bowl immediately upon arrival which is always appreciated.
- Flying Iguana – Taqueria & tequila bar.
- The Local – A little bit of everything with a great outdoor patio and drink menu.
- Poe’s Tavern – Edgar Allen Poe themed décor with burgers and pub fare.
- Catina Louie – Wide selection of a la carte tacos, unique burritos, fresh salads, specialty cocktails, and a diverse selection of Mexican Street Food.
- Culhane’s Irish Pub – Modern sports pub that specializes in “comfort food with an attitude.”
- ABBQ – Authentic Texas-style BBQ restaurant, smoking only prime brisket and duroc pork to perfection.
- Dockside Seafood Restaurant – Relaxed spot with great seafood options overlooking the water.
- *Hoptinger Bier Garden – Hip pub with sausage sandwiches & other Bavarian-inspired pub grub, plus lots of craft beers on tap. We visited their location near Jacksonville Beach, but they have a second location in Riverside. Great food and good location!
- Angie’s Subs/Angie’s Groms – Local popular counter-service sandwich shop and diner. Dine on the patio or order to go to enjoy at a park or on the beach.
- TacoLu’s – Local favorite for tacos and tequila.
- Engine 15 – Part of the Jax Ale Trail. Serving locally made beer and bar food.
- Black Sheep – Modern American restaurant that is passionate about incorporating fresh, local ingredients to create beautiful and delicious food and cocktails.
- Corner Taco – Mexclectic taco joint that started out as a food truck.
- Carolina Jax – Known for their Angus smash burgers, the brand is continuously labeled the best burger in Northeast Florida.
- Biscottis – A small bistro style restaurant specializing in eclectic American cuisine infused with Southern charm and some of the best desserts in Jacksonville.
- Mojo No 4 – A premier barbecue, southern food, and craft cocktail destination.
- River & Post – Offering a delectable seafood-forward menu and unique cocktails.
- *Wood Fired Up Pizza – Inspired by the authentic aroma, taste and craft of pizza found on the streets and in the pizzerias in Naples. They have a nice “backyard” type of area with picnic tables for dining with your pup.
- *Fishweir Brewery – Part of the Jax Ale Trail and serving locally made beer with a relaxing outdoor green space.
- Community Loaves – Baking sourdough bread with organic flour, croissants from scratch and serving a menu that highlights seasonal and local produce with outdoor patio seating.
- *Vagabond Coffee – Locally roasted coffee and baked goods (try their homemade pop-tarts) with an outdoor patio.
- Moon River Pizza – Fun, fresh, and rockin’ pizza place with hand-cut veggies, hand-made and rolled dough prepared everyday and stone baked. Order to go and dine in a nearby park.
- Murray Hillbilly – Vegan, gluten free, southern comfort food with a spacious back patio.
- Dreamette – Local favorite for ice cream and treats.
- The Walrus – Juice, smoothies and vegan food.
- Bee Friends Farm – Pure, raw, local honey and a variety of creamed honey.
Final Thoughts
Please comment with any questions, or if I missed any major dog-friendly things to do in Jacksonville! And a big thank you again to Visit Jacksonville for helping make our trip so fun. We will definitely be back!
Looks like you all had such a great trip! What a great idea to have a dog park/bar! I never heard of that before! 🙃
We wanted to stay all day!
Hi! We actually live in Jacksonville-well Ponte Vedra Beach. I’m looking for a long haired doxy like Roswell. Do you have a recommendation for a breeder? We’d even be open to a rescue opportunity, if it were the right situation. Love watching your stories and reading your blog!
Crystal
Hello, we do not live in Jacksonville – this is a travel post 🙂 I don’t know of any breeders. Best of luck!
Roswell is so dang cute. I enjoyed his travel adventures. No one burritos like him💙
Thank you!
Love your blog and now I am intrigued to visit Jacksonville. Now if only I had a pupper as cute as Roswell to take along! 🐶💙
Going solo is just as great!!
That sounds like such an amazing dog friendly trip! I love it!
Sounds like such an amazing trip! We have a long haired dachshund (almost 3) and we are currently working on our training to one day hopefully be able to travel with with him like you and Roswell! 🤞🏼🤞🏼 Thank you sharing your trip because it’s always amazing to know these details before traveling! We love Roswell!!
That’s awesome!!
This is truly a special adventure! Thank you so very much for the very informative information 😊 definitely the food places have to be my favorite with the amount of diversity! Especially seeing little Ros pick out his own treat 😍
Jacksonville is definitely on our bucket list hope to see y’all there ❤️
That’s great to hear & thank you!
So jealous. Last tike we went to FL we went to Fort Lauderdale! But no @mopartheminiween. Your blog post really makes me consider taking him next time!
So fun! I’m sure your weenie would love it too!
That sounds AMAZING! I love the beach would love to take my dogs on a very dog friendly vacay!
Thank you for the recommendations!
Sounds like y’all had a GREAT time!
I live here in Jax and I am so glad you guys had a great time! We also have a mini dachshund! We went to Brewhound today and it was his first time. He had so much fun and is exhausted! If you guys ever come back we’d love to meet you and your sweet guy!
So glad you loved Brew Hound as much as we did, that’s awesome! Definitely message me next time we visit (hopefully next winter) 🙂
Dog vacations are the best! So happy y’all had a great time. Thanks for sharing these recommendations with us!
I love all of those Roswell pics and so good to know it’s so dog friendly! Would be a great vacation for me and my doxie too! I’ve never taken her to the beach and would love to do so especially after this article!! 🙂 what was your fave pizza?
Roswell LOVES the beach! I’m sure yours will too. We loved Wood Fired Up Pizza in Murray Hill, we really wanted to try Moon River Pizza but they were closed when we stopped by on Sunday
Thanks for the vegan restaurant recommendation
Absolutely!
so nice when someone else does the digging for you on dog friendly travel! my parents travel with our doxie so much now and they always struggle with that so having info like this is so helpful!
Anywhere that allows Roswell has a much higher chance that we’ll visit 🙂
I love how many dog friendly activities and restaurants they have in Jacksonville! I can’t wait to visit with my Australian Shepherd, Meeko. Thank you for sharing Roswell with us. He always brightens my day.
thanks for reading!
I love jax beach! I’m from Florida and currently live in Tampa and need to plan a trip to jax soon with my little ween, Buddy!! So glad Roswell enjoyed his stay😍
you definitely need to visit!!
Thank you for all of the reviews!!! I can’t wait to try them the next time I’m down there!! Could use some warm weather right now!! Thanks Roswell ♥️
I had no idea Jacksonville was so dog-friendly! We’re picking up a couple of puppies at the beginning of April, and Jacksonville is definitely on the list for a pup-friendly vacation now. Thanks for this awesome post! 👏
have fun!
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