Neighbors Dog Park & Cafe - Austin, TX
Neighbors Dog Park & Cafe: Austin’s Favorite Spot for Dogs and Owners
Neighbors Dog Park & Cafe brings together the best of both worlds for pet lovers in South Austin, Texas—serving as a lively coffee shop and a welcoming dog park. Located on S Congress Ave, this unique, Black-owned and women-owned business fosters a vibrant, inclusive community that’s LGBTQ friendly, wheelchair accessible, and dedicated to safety and fun for both pups and their people. The spacious, mostly turf-covered dog park is known for being very clean, offering ample seating, shade, portable fans during the summer, and heaters during cooler weather. It’s perfect for those looking to work remotely or just relax while their dogs play.
Dogs are allowed off-leash in the fenced, secure area, and there’s a welcoming policy for all breeds and sizes, although the park does not offer separate enclosures for small and large dogs. Staff, known as wranglers, actively monitor play to keep the atmosphere friendly and safe, and complimentary water bowls are always available. Owners can enjoy high-quality coffee, wine, and snacks while their dogs socialize, making this a top destination for anyone seeking a dog park and cafe in Austin. Memberships and day passes are available, and the park is praised for its genuine sense of community and convenient amenities like free Wi-Fi, restrooms, and plenty of parking.
FAQ
- Are dogs allowed off-leash at this park? Yes, dogs are allowed off-leash within the fenced area.
- Is there a fenced area for dogs? Yes, the entire dog park is securely fenced.
- Are there breed or size restrictions at this dog park? There are no breed or size restrictions, but there are no separate enclosures for small and large dogs.
- Are there water fountains or bowls for dogs? Yes, staff ensure dogs have full water bowls within reach at all times.
- Is there shade or shelter available? Yes, there are both shady spots and areas with sun, plus portable fans and heaters as needed.
- Are there benches or seating areas for owners? Yes, there are ample seating areas and picnic tables throughout the park.
- Are restrooms available for owners? Yes, public restrooms and gender-neutral restrooms are available onsite.
- Is the park wheelchair accessible? Yes, there is a wheelchair accessible entrance and parking lot.
- Is there a fee or membership required to enter? Yes, day passes and affordable memberships are offered.
- Is the park regularly cleaned and maintained? Yes, the park is praised for cleanliness and attentive staff.
- Are there staff or rangers present at the park? Yes, wranglers are present to monitor dogs and help owners.
- Where is the best place to park? There is a free parking lot and available free street parking.
- Are there pet-friendly cafes or stores close to the park? Yes, the cafe is part of the dog park, offering coffee, wine, and snacks.
Reviews
Happened to find Neighbors on Google Maps and popped in here randomly while traveling through on a road trip.
My dog happily scouted the place while I talked to the friendly staff to get checked in. I ordered an iced matcha which was quite good, and also purchased some wine to drink later.
The park itself is spacious and well organized. There are features for the adventurous dogs, and places to rest for the calm ones. It was noon in July so I was happy to see plenty of shady spots, and even a few portable fans. The workers were happy and attentive, making sure each dog had a full water bowl within reach.
My dog is on the smaller side. He’s older and pretty chill. He often has trouble at dog parks because the big dogs will gang up and chase him. But here the dogs were calm and got along great.
There were tables to sit, and free WiFi. I brought my computer and caught up on some work while my dog socialized.
10/10 was a great experience. I wish I had something similar back home.
I’ve been coming to Neighbors Dog Park and Cafe for a while now with my pup and I’m also a monthly unlimited member. It’s been a consistently great experience. The staff does an excellent job keeping the space clean and welcoming, and you can tell they genuinely care about the dogs and the community.
This is a small business with a small but dedicated team running it everyday, so if you’re signing up, just remember to show a little grace, it goes a long way. The unlimited membership is very reasonably priced, especially in today’s economy, and offers real value you won’t easily find elsewhere.
The wranglers are attentive and kind, they do their best to keep the dogs company, help out if an owner is tied up, and step in if any scuffles break out. Of course, it’s still up to us as dog owners to be responsible and pay attention, but this is such a nice spot to work, read, or just hang out while your dog burns off energy.
The park is secure, and although I did have one close call where someone didn’t latch the first gate properly, there’s a second gate before the actual exit that prevented anything from happening.
Highly recommend this place if you’re looking for a laid-back, well-run spot to bring your dog and relax!
I jokingly refer to this as my country club, office, and favorite place, but I’m also not joking. I am at this park almost every day sometimes twice a day. It’s clean, it’s beautiful, the community is unparalleled. The people who work there truly love dogs and so does everyone that attends. The coffee is incredible, but the community is what will always keep us coming back. my American bulldog lab mix has a ton of energy and is very social— but he can be a lot! He is treated like family when we come here and so am I . 10 billion stars
My partner and I wanted to love this place and incorporate it into our daily routine since we live in the neighborhood.
Our quality of experience seems to depend on the staff outside that monitor the dogs and keep the play friendly during peak times when there are 8+ dogs present. Some staff are wonderful and engaged while some are completely checked out or simply inside on their phones for long stretches of time.
For NULL membership fees, I’d expect more trained staff outside at peak times.
There is no weight minimum for the dogs, and there are no separate small dog/large dog enclosures. So if you have a very small dog, I would not recommend this place to keep your dog safe as the average dog there is 30/40+ lbs. I have observed this multiple times over with different very small dogs when a group of big dogs swarm a smaller one, creating a potentially unsafe situation.
Additionally, while the gates are heavy duty, they are almost always unlatched and sometimes partially open.
Great coffee shop/dog park. Tons of space, almost all is turf, lots of seating, they even have heaters, nice mix of shade and sun. Some of it was a little weird, maybe unexpected coming from a regular dog park. They ask for collars, not harnesses as the harnesses are easier for dogs to get caught on; not a big deal but caught us off guard. NULL for a day pass, NULL/mo for a membership, NULL for any additional dogs. A fun spot that is very welcomed in South Austin.