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The Salty Dog Saloon in Port Aransas. (Photo by Will van Overbeek)

Folk wisdom maintains that one year in a dog’s life equals seven for you. Some experts say that the math is not so simple, and that a dog’s aging rate differs according to size and other factors. What better place to hash this out than a beer garden that allows pooches?

Bonus treat:

The Salty Dog Saloon in Port Aransas (showin in photo above) and Little Woodrow’s (sign shown here) are pet-friendly, too.

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Here are seven dog-friendly spots around the state that will welcome the discussion—and your pet.

Friendly Spot Ice House, San Antonio

A few minutes’ walk south of downtown, The Friendly Spot exudes a completely different vibe than the touristed spots along the famous River Walk. This al fresco ice house offers more than 250 bottled beers and almost 80 on tap, with frequent outdoor movies and a menu full of things like lamb sliders, pulled-pork tacos, and burgers. Your dog will love it, and so will you.

Uncle Billy’s Brewery and Smokehouse, Austin

A longtime resident of Austin’s bustling Barton Springs Road, this dog-friendly tavern makes all of its signature beers in house, from scratch, and just this past summer began canning a few so you can enjoy at home.   Menu items run the gamut from beer-battered oysters and smoked-chicken salads to brisket, pulled pork, chopped beef, and ribs by the pound. And yes, that dog gazing up at you with soulful eyes while you polish off that rib plate loves you very, very much.

Ino’z Brew and Chew, Wimberley

This ultra-casual restaurant on the banks of Wimberley’s Cypress Creek allows pets on the outside deck, which is shaded by sprawling oak trees and usually decorated with twinkling lights. Play bocce ball, listen to live music, enjoy cocktails and a selection of local beers on tap, and dig into a menu full of dishes like burgers, wraps, salads, baby-back ribs, and pies baked by the Texas Pie Company in Kyle.

West Alabama Ice House, Houston

This open-air icehouse north of the Museum District has been delivering ice-cold beer and a place to exercise your jaw since 1927, no small feat in a city known for rapid change and spaghetti-bowl freeway interchanges. It’s pet-friendly and flip-flop-friendly, and it’s a blast to the past. And no, there’s no website. Call 713/528-6874.

The Trinity River Tap House, Fort Worth

Dogs are welcome on the patio of this easygoing joint on West 7th, and while your pooch may not enthuse about 75 craft beers on tap, you certainly will. Enjoy them with burgers pasta, hotdogs, wings, and slider baskets, then take a break to play a game of darts, shuffleboard, or pool.

Stingray’s Tap House & Grill, Port Aransas

When the island’s quiet in the off-season, head to this bustling joint near the beach, where flat-screen televisions inside broadcast sports all day long, bar staff make a mean cocktail and maintain a solid selection of local and national beers, and the kitchen sends out plates ranging from peel-and-eat shrimp and pizza to ahi tuna sliders. You can come with sandy feet, and your dog can, too.

Katy Trail Ice House, Dallas

With an outdoors beer garden affording a view of the Katy Trail— a linear public park that stretches nearly four miles through the heart of Dallas— the dog-friendly Katy Trail Ice House boasts 50 beers on tap, which you can enjoy along with burgers, salads, and specialties like venison chili. Thursday through Sunday, the joint serves barbecue, including turkey, brisket, sausage, sliced rib-eye, and ribs.

From the February 2016 issue

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