Montclair gives dog owners more than patio seating. There is a legal place to go off leash, a downtown pet market that grooms and washes dogs on site, and at least one restaurant that puts your dog on the menu. This guide covers where to eat, where to walk, what the leash law really says and where to shop.
Where to eat with your dog in Montclair
New Jersey law keeps dogs on outdoor patios only, which means Montclair’s patio season does a lot of the work here. These are the spots that consistently welcome dogs at outdoor tables, with the detail that makes each one worth the trip.
Egan and Sons, on Walnut Street, is the pick if you want a full pub menu and a beer list to match. The Irish pub seats dogs at 10 outdoor tables and pours 28 draught beers, alongside a full bottle list.
Just Jake’s is the neighborhood bar version, family run, with a patio that has TVs for whatever game is on. The menu runs burgers, quesadillas, ribeye and pizza, and happy hour runs every weekday afternoon. Dogs are welcome on the patio.
Dan & Day’s Burgers and Shakes is the one that actually feeds your dog. Order the grass fed beef patty alone or topped with american cheese off the dog menu, add a side of fries, and wash it down with one of the shop’s milkshakes yourself.
Ray’s is the old school luncheonette move, three outdoor tables and a menu that has kept locals coming back for generations. Get the Cheese Omelette in the morning or the Freddy Fred Burger at lunch, eight ounces of beef with caramelized onions and white sharp cheddar on a soft roll.
Bluestone Coffee Co. covers the lower key option. Bluestone roasts its coffee in house and has two outdoor tables for a quick morning stop.
Halcyon, on Walnut Street, runs a seasonal patio from late spring through late summer. Mention that you are bringing a dog when you book, since the restaurant recommends noting it at reservation.
And if your dog wants dessert, La Fontaine has one. You can choose between the peanut butter flavored cookie or a smoothie, made with goat milk, kefir, banana, blueberry and peanut butter, for five dollars. That’s a good deal for a dog smoothie.
Montclair itself skips the dog bakery, but two are close enough to make the drive worth it: Pupcake Grooming & Dog Bakery in Caldwell and La Pet-isserie in Wallington.
If you want to see every pet-friendly option in town, BringFido keeps an updated list of Montclair spots that welcome dogs.
Is there a dog park in Montclair?
Yes, and it is the only official off-leash location in town. Brookdale Dog Park, inside Brookdale Park, opened in November 2007 on 1.2 fenced acres split into two sections, 0.8 acre for large dogs and 0.4 acre for small dogs. Both sides have stone dust surfacing, a water fountain and safety enclosures at the entrances so dogs cannot bolt out while the gate is open.
What are Montclair’s leash laws for dogs?
The rule is simple: your dog stays on leash everywhere in Montclair except inside the fenced sections of Brookdale Dog Park. That’s spelled out in Montclair’s township code, which covers every sidewalk, street and park in town. Montclair’s own animal control officers enforce the rule within township parks, while Essex County reservations, the county’s protected parkland outside the dog park itself, are never off leash for any dog and fall under the Essex County Sheriff’s Department instead.
Edgemont Park is worth a specific note here because its history sometimes gets mistaken for official policy. A group of dog owners, calling itself Montclair PUPs, has pushed the township council to designate official off-leash hours in the park. For the moment, no designation has been adopted and Edgemont remains an on-leash park under the same ordinance as everywhere else in town.
Where else can I walk my dog in Montclair besides Brookdale?
The wooded paths on Brookdale’s western half offer a quieter option too, away from the dog park itself, if your dog wants to sniff around rather than run with the pack. For more distance, Mills Reservation in Upper Montclair has four marked trails totaling several miles, including one that climbs to a cliff overlook with a New York skyline view. Anderson Park, a small green space also in Upper Montclair, is less a walking route and more a place to sit, stroll and let your dog people watch. For a real hike, Eagle Rock Reservation borders Montclair on its western edge, accessible from Undercliff Road, and offers leashed trails through Watchung Mountain woods. For the full rundown of every park in town see our complete guide to Montclair’s 23 parks.
Where to Shop, Groom and Board Your Dog
L&B Healthy Pet Markets, at 15 S. Fullerton Ave. downtown, is the one-stop option. The store specializes in natural pet nutrition, stocking raw frozen, freeze-dried, canned, and kibble foods alongside treats and supplements, and it offers full grooming plus a self-wash station for owners who want to skip a full appointment.
Montclair Pet Grooming, in the South End at 322 Orange Road, is a family run alternative for owners who want a full-service groomer with a longtime local track record. Owner Collette has run the shop for more than 10 years and draws a steady base of repeat clients.
For a full grooming appointment instead of a self-wash, City Dog Spa & Boutique in Upper Montclair is worth the drive up Valley Road. The salon is cage free, using individual doggie suites instead, and books by appointment only.
When it’s time to leave town, Pups @ Play on Walnut Street covers daycare, overnight boarding, training and grooming under one roof. Dogs who board overnight still get to join the daycare pack during the day, no additional charge, so nobody’s stuck alone in a suite while their people are away.
For owners working through behavior issues or just starting puppy basics, Generation Pets Dog Training has been working with Montclair area dogs since 2001. Owner Adena Misiewicz is a certified canine behavior counselor who specializes in the psychological side of dog behavior as much as the physical, and the business travels to you rather than running out of a storefront, private and group sessions cover puppy basics through advanced obedience, Canine Good Citizen and Rally-O work.
Which Montclair hotels allow pets?
The MC Hotel and The George are the two hotels actually in town that take dogs, and they make a nice contrast. The MC Hotel is the modern, downtown pick, with a non-refundable $100 pet fee per stay and its own rooftop bar with New York City views. The George leans more classic, a Georgian-style inn with an easier walk to Montclair’s restaurants and public transit, and a $75 pet fee per pet, with the exception of service animals, which are exempt of fees. Either one makes a reasonable base for visiting family with a dog in tow.
Thinking About Adopting?
All of this assumes you’ve already got a dog. For anyone still looking, the Montclair Township Animal Shelter at 77 North Willow St. is the place to start. The shelter is open to the public 1 to 4 p.m. daily except Wednesdays, and adoptions now go through an appointment process. Adoptable pets are posted on the shelter’s Facebook and on Petfinder, so check there before making the trip. The shelter provides spay/neuter and microchipping as part of its adoption process.
Between the patios, the fenced acres at Brookdale and a downtown pet market that will wash your dog for you, Montclair covers most of what a dog owner actually needs day to day.
Know a patio, groomer or trail that belongs on this list? Tell the Pod so we can keep this guide current for every dog owner in town.
