Attention, commenters who enjoy announcing your relief that your favorite (fill in the blank) was not an item on one of these lists — you'll have a field day with this one, as some of the city's best-known food and beverage establishments at which you'll often see dogs present are not listed. Why? Because unless those dogs are service animals, San Francisco's Department of Public Health enforces California's food code prohibiting such activity, and this list isn't intended to open businesses up to scrutiny, citations, and fines. However, as of 2015, restaurants are allowed to serve guests with non-service dogs seated in outdoor areas accessible in a way that doesn't send the animals through any food preparation areas — i.e. sidewalk seating or patios with separate egress. (In a city with notoriously more dogs than children, such exceptions are necessary.) That doesn't mean the restaurants or bars must, so drinking or dining at the below (or any other) patioed places with your pet is a courtesy being extended to you by the venue. Follow the laws of both the land and civilized society: keep your pet leashed, make sure he or she behaves, and if you have any doubts, keep them safe at home. — Eve Batey

Cafe Flore
This popular Castro patio spot has long been dog-friendly thanks to said patio and the row of sidewalk seating along Noe Street. And now that you don't have to order inside anymore it makes it all the easier to grab a seat with Bingo and just wait for a server to come by. They don't mind if you're just there for drinks, and this is a cafe that boasts a full bar. Also, if you haven't been in a while, the menu has changed quite a bit under new owners. — Jay Barmann
2298 Market Street at Noe

Kitchen Story
The small yet adorably shaded sidewalk dining area at Kitchen Story is the perfect pet-friendly brunch spot, albeit a crowded one. Expect a wait on sunny weekend mornings. This Castro spot serves up popular classics, including the recommended Millionaire's Way bacon, stuffed French toast, and $19 bottomless mimosas. Yelpers indicate that Kitchen Story is indeed pet friendly, although pretty low-key about it. A small water bowl is available for pets and as long as they're well behaved and mellow, and pets are more than welcome on the seated sidewalk section. Note: a notice on the website alerts us that Kitchen Story is temporarily closed due to electrical problems. Call before showing up. - Beth Spotswood
3499 16th Street at Church

Outerlands
After a long day of dog-surfing, frolicking in the Pacific or Corgi Con rallying at Ocean Beach, canine-accompanied brunch munchers have the sweet outdoor parklet and patio seating arrangements of Outerlands. This rustic Outer Sunset brunch and dinner hotspot is right adjacent to one of San Francisco’s most scenic and frequently used doggie congregation areas, and your pooch will surely lap up plenty of attention from strangers while you wait for your outdoor seating. Just be aware that Outerlands does close daily between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. — Joe Kukura
4001 Judah Street between 45th Avenue and 46th Avenue

Park Chalet
Warm evenings pack Park Chalet's back lawn with unrelated picnickers, and the dogs who love them. Even on the lawn, you get access to their full menu and bar, but you'll have to go in to order your food and beverages, so make sure someone in your party can stay behind with your pet. Dotted with tables, you can also lay a blanket out on the grass for a Brideshead-feeling lawn brunch, and in the evening you can snuggle with your animal pal (and snuggle you will, because the park and beach gets coooold at night) as you chomp into a burger and drink any of their eight housemade brews. — Eve Batey
1000 Great Highway

Park Chow
An Inner Sunset hotspot for brunch, lunch, and evening comfort food, Park Chow features semi-enclosed sidewalk tables that are perfect if you want to stay warm as you dine with your dog. The tables are set far enough from the street that you won't inhale too much exhaust from busy Ninth Avenue, giving you and your four-legged companion a chance to consume that "fresh air" you've heard so much about about as you stuff your face with salad, fries, burgers, and/or beer. — Eve Batey
1240 9th Avenue between Lincoln and Irving

The Ramp
Where better to go with doggo on a bright and sunny day than over to Dogpatch for a trot around the burgeoning neighborhood and a nice Bloody Mary at The Ramp. The large outdoor patio overlooking the Bay makes for easy dog-in-tow dining or drinking, and the place thus gets a seal of approval from DogTrekker.com. — Jay Barmann
855 Terry Francois Blvd.

Revolution Cafe
Revolution Cafe is one of those cult-favorite legacy places that can get away with having surly bartenders and the frequent smell of marijuana, because it remains such a perfect distillation of the classic 1990s San Francisco hipster ethos. People-watching and dog-walking go hand-in-paw on the Revolution Cafe patio, with live jazz or random piano-playing often in effect and beers on tap. The menu is pretty standard cafe fare, you’ll smell cigarette smoking, and it is not the goal of Revolution Cafe to be the tidiest place in town. But these are factors your dog won’t mind nearly as much as you will. — Joe Kukura
3248 22nd Street between Mission and Bartlett Streets

Starbelly
Another Castro spot, basically across the street from Cafe Flore, offers the combination of both great food and a couple of available slots for pooches at a small handful of sidewalk tables. Obviously not ideal for SF's windswept summer evenings, but it's a good option on warmer nights when you and your canine BF need to get out of the house. Be warned, though: This place is popular, and the tables fill up quick. — Jay Barmann
3583 16th Street at Market

Zuni
Oh la la! Market Street's most glamorous spot for roast chicken is dog-friendly. Pets are welcome at the limited number of outdoor tables along the sidewalk, and it's advised that animal owners bring a little bowl of water for their four-legged friend. Other than that, there's nothing else for pet-possessing Zuni customers to do but sit back and let the service come to them. Obviously, the spot's roast chicken for two with a bread salad is this long-time restaurant's official go-to, but Zuni serves up a ton of great options for lunch and brunch, not to mention their killer cocktail program. In perhaps a perfect San Francisco twist, Zuni offers diners an afternoon-specific menu, served between 2:30 and 5:50 p.m., a.k.a. dog-walking time. — Beth Spotswood
1658 Market Street

Or Just Leave Your Dog At Home
As the only dog guardian on SFist's staff, you might expect me to argue that people should take their dogs everywhere all the time because dogs are just so so so great. But I'm not going to do that, for two reasons: First, because I don't expect everyone to love my dog as much as I do and expecting the world to constantly hang out with my pet seems like a big ask. Second, because — stick with me here — pets often prefer to stay conked out in the comfort and safety of their own home than seated on the sidewalk beneath a table as you eat, drink, and make merry. But she gets so upset when I leave! Does she really? If your pet runs to the door thinking you're going to take her out for a walk when you grab your keys, I promise you, she'll be back in her bed napping before your Uber driver has even arrived. And if she has separation anxiety, you're not helping her with it by taking her to a restaurant, seek help from a professional. Sometimes it's fun to bring your dog places, and everyone has a good time — that's why we made this list! But you don't need to bring your non-service dog, cat, chinchilla, or kangaroo places just because you can. A lot of the time, they'll be safer and happier at home. Think about it. — Eve Batey

Kitchen Story (Image: Yelp's Ivan Z.)