Downtown Paso Robles Highlights
California is full of dog-friendly towns, but Paso Robles might be one of the most welcoming.
We've visited the Paso Robles area for about 18 years in total, with over 12 of those years accompanied by Archer. It remains beautiful regardless of the time of year. While our recent visits often coincide with New Year's, the fall season is particularly stunning when the leaves have changed, and the vineyards showcase brilliant shades of red and gold.
For this post, I decided to focus on Downtown Paso Robles only because there are so many places in the area where you can spend time with your pup. Even then, it's impossible to cover them all in one post!
The square on a sunny day
The Downtown City Park serves as an excellent starting point, surrounded by dog-friendly restaurants and bars on all sides. The square itself offers lots of green space for walking your dog and getting a sense of the surroundings. Beyond the square, there are charming side streets to explore during your wanderings.
Right across from the square, you'll find Red Scooter Deli, which offers sandwiches, salads, and soups that you can enjoy on their patio or take with you on the go. I long ago lost track of how many times we’ve eaten here. It’s become a staple of our visits.
If you're in the mood for a slightly more upscale experience with wine options, TASTE! has an interesting mix-and-match menu for a customized sit-down meal (they have a sister location in San Luis Obispo that we’ve enjoyed with Archer). Odyssey World Café, a popular long-time option, also provides a sit-down experience, but you can get food to go from almost all the options in town.
Venture down one of the alleys and you’ll find Jeffry's Wine Country BBQ, which has a fun courtyard setting and pretty solid BBQ options. After the first time we ate here, we came back the next day to try more of the menu.
Jeffry’s Wine Country BBQ
Enjoy a glass of local wine with your meal on their very cool patio.
Nearby, The Backyard on 13th welcomes dogs with friendly staff, offering plenty of outside seating options and a unique setting. Within view is Hug a Mug (formerly Sasquatch Coffee) for a drive-thru or walk-up coffee experience if you need a little caffeine jolt. Dracaena Wines offers tastings you can enjoy with your dog by your side. (The winery's name is inspired by the couple's late dog, Draco, serving as a loving tribute in his memory.)
For Your Sweet Tooth
Brown Butter Cookie Company does not allow dogs, but it does offer amazing cookies. We usually send one of us inside to pick up the goodies while the other waits in the park. (Pro tip: take turns going in if they’re handing out free samples.) They also have locations in San Luis Obispo and Cayucos.
Negranti Creamery has really interesting ice cream since they make it using sheep milk. Just like Brown Butter, this is a place you can grab your treat and head off with your dog while you continue walking around since they aren’t permitted inside. However, dogs are allowed on the front patio of their Tin City location, which is a short car ride away.
Just Baked’s downtown location is little more than a block away from Brown Butter. Though dogs aren’t allowed inside at this location—you can still use the same grab and go strategy mentioned above—their nearby Paso Market Walk location shares dog-friendly outdoor seating in the communal seating area.
These are just a few of the options for you to explore in the immediate area, but keep your eyes open as you walk around. There are so many that I haven't covered here, and we always find something new!
