Doggie Dining: 27 Arlington Restaurants Now Allow Dogs in Outdoor Seating Areas

You might not see dogs playing poker in Arlington (yet), but now there's a chance you'll run into one at a saloon — at least in the outdoor dining area.

Following a policy shift in April, Arlington County announced this week that 27 restaurants have been granted a variance to allow "doggie dining" in designated outdoor seating areas.

The restaurants:

• American Seafood
• Arlington Capital View Renaissance & Residence Inn
• Arlington Capital View Renaissance - Illy
• Asia Bistro
• California Pizza Kitchen
• California Tortilla (Crystal City)
• Chasin’ Tails
• Elevation Burger
• Faccia Luna
• House of Steep
• Jay's Saloon & Grille
• La Côte D’Or Café
• Lyon Hall
• Mexicali Blues Restaurant & Bar
• Nando’s Peri Peri
• Rappahannock Coffee
• Rhodeside Grill
• Rockland BBQ and Grill
• Saigon Saigon
• Samuel Beckett’s Irish Pub
• Sine Irish Pub & Restaurant
• Thai at Corner Restaurant
• THAI Shirlington
• The Green Turtle
• The Liberty Tavern
• William Jeffrey’s Tavern
• World of Beer

“Arlington’s restaurant dining culture is fun, festive and increasingly, includes outdoor seating,” Arlington County Board Chairman Walter Tejada said in a statement. “Arlingtonians love eating in our great restaurants. Now, those who own dogs, and who take appropriate precautions, have the option of bringing their pets along when they dine at restaurants that meet all the requirements and have obtained a variance.”

Restaurants granted a variance must meet a number of conditions to minimize public health and safety risks, according to a news release. They must use signs to indicate which tables are dog friendly and have outdoor seating areas that wouldn't require the animal to go inside to gain access, for instance.

Dogs are not allowed on chairs, seats or tables, the news release states. And tables cannot be preset with cutlery or dishes; they must be set only when diners are seated.