We found 9 dog friendly bars & restaurants in Put-in-bay, Ohio we think you should try!
Take the Jet Express (or Miller Ferry) from Port Clinton over to Put-in-Bay on South Bass island & enjoy a day trip or weekend getaway with your little furry bestie. We took Sadie over for a Friday island Funday. We weren’t sure what to expect taking her along for the day but we were pleasantly surprised. Here are the deets from our day trip.
Getting to South Bass island, Put-in-Bay, Ohio
We opted to take the Jet Express ferry which is dog friendly and also the quickest ride to the Island. They don’t charge anything extra to bring your pooch – HECK YES, we love FREE! The boat leaves from the jet express dock located in Port Clinton and Sandusky, Ohio. We were closer to Port Clinton so we left out of there. You can park your vehicle in the lot near the ferry, and head to the ticket booth to pay their fare then wait for the boat to launch. Super easy to park and load the boat. Enjoy the scenic little 30 minute ride over to the island.
For more information on getting to the Island visit: https://putinbay.com/ferry-boats/
Put-in Bay is just a short roadtrip from many cities in and around Ohio:
- Toledo – 55 miles away
- Cleveland – 75 miles away
- Columbus – 130 miles
- Akron/Canton – 110 miles
- Youngstown – 137 miles
- Pittsburgh – 196 miles
- Athens – 206 miles
- Wheeling – 201 miles
9 Dog friendly restaurants & bars in Put-in-Bay, Ohio.
We did a day trip and were just hoping to find a few places that were dog friendly that we could enjoy while bopping around the island. To our surprise SO MANY places were dog-friendly. We cant wait to go back and find a few more. Here are 9 of our favorites from the day!
- Margaritas on the Rock
- Joes Bar & Restaurant
- Mojito Bay (dog friendly Mon-Thursday ONLY)
- Mossbacks & The Fishbowl PIB
- Rita’s Cantina
- Last Resort Engine Co.
- The Round House Bar
- The Keys
- Boat House Bar and Grill
Day trip essentials.
The forecast was 85 and sunny for our day trip. That being said we wanted to be prepared but not overloaded. I took a backpack purse and my husband took a small backpack too. Here’s what we took along.
- Comfy casual outfits & shoes (I wore air soft bottom birks and my husband wore tennis shoes)
- Collapsible water & food bowls for Sadie
- Frozen bottled water (thaws during the day for both us and Sadie). Most of the bars offered water for Sadie or had dog bowls on the patio but we wanted out own just in case.
- Dog treats, chew toy & sticks
- Little baggie of food for Sadie since we knew we would be there all day and she would need dinner.
- Dog collar with tags, harness & leash
- Poop baggies for Sadie (there are plenty of grassy spots for potty breaks and a large park on the island)
- Frozen peanut butter in a Kong ball – this is a staple to keep our pup entertained in super social settings.
- Cash, ID, credit cards
Tips for a successful day trip with your dog in Put-in-bay.
- Check the ferry schedule ahead of time. Make sure you know exactly what time the last ferry leaves the island. You don’t want to miss it, or you’ll be scrambling for a hotel last minute.
- See “packing list” above for some essentials to help make the day easier.
- During busy season call ahead for reservations. We visited in May so it wasn’t too busy yet but I’ve been there in July and its a good idea to have them.
Getting around the island.
Once on the island, the best way to get around is by golf cart or simply walking. Golf carts can be rented by the hour, the day or overnight and can accommodate two to eight people. We opted to walk to a centrally located rental place for our cart because they seemed to be cheaper than the rental options that are immediately off the ferry and we didn’t mind starting off our day when it was cooler with some walking.
Sadie is only 4 months (at time of this blog post) so she can walk just fine, but not a crazy amount, especially in the heat. We rode the cart back into some of the more remote areas to see where the locals live, visit the lighthouse and any restaurants/bars off the beaten path and then we returned it after a couple hours. We thought it was well worth the $30 we were charged for the rental!
The island is 4 miles long and 1.5 miles wide. You can easily cover the entire island in just a day trip, but for more fun stay overnight a couple days to get the max experience.
Escape to an Ohio island asap!
Who doesn’t need a weekend getaway every once in a while? And bringing your pup for a Friday Funday is just what we needed. Put-in-Bay offers so many great things to do why not go ahead and plan your day trip or weekend getaway on South Bass Island, you deserve it! You’ll feel like your on vacation, Jimmy Buffet style and you can take your dog too! This blog post has 9 dog friendly bars & restaurants in Put-in-Bay Ohio. There are so many more options – it’s the perfect escape to drink, eat, explore and shop local with your furry friend!
Looking for more roadtrip or lakeside getaways? Check out my post about Summersville Lake area in West Virginia here.
