Dog Friendly Des Moines, Iowa
Over the past few years the number of dog friendly spots in Des Moines, Iowa has continued to increase! We will cover our favorite spots below, but there are a couple of items to note:
- There are very limited indoor dog friendly establishments. This is unfortunate for the long, cold winter months we have. We will touch on a few indoor options you can check out during the winter below.
- Not all outdoor patios are dog friendly – lame! I know… unfortunately there are quite a few popular places with nice patios that do not allow dogs. We recommend calling the business first before heading out as sometimes Google reviews are not accurate.
- There are plenty of dog parks and trails for outdoor activities but in our opinion, that’s an obvious dog friendly spot so we won’t cover those.
Our Favorite Des Moines Dog Friendly Patios
Confluence Brewing Company
Confluence Brewing Company is the OG of dog friendly patios in Des Moines. They have a huge outdoor beer garden with plenty of room for you and your dogs. They are located right on a biking/walking path next to Gray’s Lake park. They don’t have their own kitchen but often will have food trucks – you can also bring in your own food.
Getting to the patio:
The patio is confusing to get to with dogs. The brewery is located in the middle of a long warehouse building with the patio out back. Dogs are not allowed to walk through the taproom. There are two options to get to the patio:
- Park as far East in the main parking lot as possible. There is a fence line to the street you will need to walk around to get to the gravel road. Follow the road West.
- You can also park as far West in the main parking lot as possible. Here, there is a walking path towards Grey’s Lake that will lead you to the gravel road. Follow the road East.
- Park at Gray’s Lake in the far Southeast parking lot. Upon entering Grey’s Lake, keep driving straight/clockwise around the lake. You’ll end in a parking lot. Head West from the parking lot and you will see a walkway to the patio. Watch out for bikers.
Lua Brewing Company
Lua Brewing Company has great food and beer along with ciders and wine. They have a very nice outside space but it’s somewhat smaller and can fill up quick on a nice day. It is located right down the street from the next brewery on our list and so you can hit both up with your dogs if you’re looking to try a few spots out.
Big Grove Brewing Company
Big Grove Brewing Company has a large outdoor space with both uncovered and covered patios (a nice option for a rainy day). There are also several large fire pits for the chillier nights. There is a full food menu plus a full bar in addition to their beer. This is a popular spot and can get crowded fast, but there are non-reserved areas that you can typically find a place to grab a beer and hang out at while you wait for a table.
Hessen Haus
If German bier and food is your thing, Hessen Haus is the place to be! Named one of the best German bars in the country and located right in downtown Des Moines, this is a great spot to grab some drinks and authentic food with your pups. They have a patio on the side of the building with many umbrellas and we were thrilled when it became dog friendly just a few years ago!
Kinship Brewing Company
Roughly 20 minutes west of Des Moines in Waukee, IA. Kinship Brewing Company offers an on-site dog park that you can take your drinks into. There is also a nice size patio space with plenty of seating options and big screen TVs. Note there isn’t a ton of shade on the patio so take that into account if visiting on a hot today. The brewery does offer a smaller food menu and many drink options besides beer.
Gezellig Brewing Company
Roughly 35 minutes East of Des Moines in Newton, IA. Gezellig Brewing Company has a small patio plus a unique large open courtyard with plenty of tables and a pretty constant rotation of food trucks. If you’re looking for a short road trip out of the city to try something new, this brewery offers a great selection of award winning beer and is a fun stop with the dogs.
Confluence Brewing Company’s large dog friendly patio. Lua Brewing’s dog friendly patio in Des Moines, Iowa Big Grove’s large dog friendly patio in Des Moines, Iowa Hessen Haus in Des Moines’ dog friendly patio. 
Kinship Brewing Company’s dog friendly patio (also has a dog park right outside!) Gezellig Brewing in Newton, Iowa allows visitors to also hang out on the many tables in the large courtyard.
Indoor Options
Paws & Pints Dog Bar
Paws & Pints is the best of both worlds with a great patio and dog park and a smaller inside dog hangout! They also have onsite grooming and boarding options. The restaurant inside is not dog friendly but there is a small indoor dog play area where you can order drinks. This place is hopping in the summer with a huge outdoor play area and dog park (bar area available as well) and an additional dog friendly patio where you can order food and drinks.
Shopping
- Scheels (Jordan Creek Mall) – dogs are welcome inside! Customer Service may even have treats available.
- Bass Pro Shops (Altoona) – dogs are welcome inside!
- Outlets of Des Moines (Altoona) – check the store directory for the paw prints! Dogs are welcome everywhere OUTSIDE but please know not all stores allow dogs INSIDE. We only bring dogs when we have 2 people so someone can wait with the dogs if we need to run inside a non-dog friendly store.
Other Things To Do
Valle Drive-in Movie Theater
Pack up the car with your favorite snacks and drinks and head out to Newton, IA for one of the few remaining drive-in movie theaters. Check their website before you go as reservations are now required to get a spot. Bonus: Gezellig Brewing Company is close by too. Grab some cans to go or stop by before the movie.
Des Moines Farmer’s Market
The Des Moines Farmer’s Market runs May-September every Saturday morning in Des Moines. Dogs are welcome but it does get VERY busy. We usually stop by early to beat the heat and larger crowds.
Dog Days of Summer
Twice each summer dogs are invited to the iCubs baseball game for the annual Dog Days of Summer events. If you get there early, you can even walk the bases! Check the Animal Rescue League of Iowa’s events calendar to find the next one.
Drive Through Goodies
- Scooter’s Coffee – Scooter’s are popping up all over the Midwest and offer puppy cups (whipped cream) complete with a milkbone
- Dairy Zone – A staple East Des Moines stop. They offer ‘pup cones’ which are miniature ice cream cones with vanilla soft serve.
“Every drive-thru should offer puppy snacks.” – @ThoseTempletonCorgis
We highlighted our favorite stops but there are many other options (mainly patios) to check out as well. Dog Spot DSM does a great job at keeping up with all things dog friendly.
Check out our dog-friendly travel posts for more trip ideas and tips.