Earls Deli

Earls Deli is a sandwich-and-coffee bar at 11 Davey Street in Ballarat Central, tucked into the laneway at the foot of the new Nightingale apartments. Opened by local hospitality figures Drew Harry and Teddy Powlett, it has quickly become one of the city's most talked-about lunch stops: a rotating sandwich board with standouts like the reuben, tuna melt, schnitzel sando and three-cheese toastie, bagels, and consistently well-rated coffee. Most of the menu is takeaway, with only a little seating inside, which suits dog owners fine.

The dog setup

Listings describe dogs as allowed outside, and the deli's grab-and-go format makes it an easy stop with a dog at heel: order at the counter or via online ordering, then eat on the footpath or in the neighbouring laneway nook. Bring your own water bowl, since this is a quick-turnover spot rather than a linger-all-morning cafe. The weekday lunch window is busy and items sell fast, so arrive early.

Max: a takeaway sanga and coffee in hand beats chasing a table. Ballarat's shopfront verandas make easy dog-waiting spots.

Getting there and parking

Davey Street sits a short walk from the Armstrong and Lydiard Street food precincts in central Ballarat, with free street parking on surrounding blocks that tightens during business hours. Hours run 7:30am to 2pm Tuesday to Friday and 8am to 2pm weekends, closed Monday.

Pair it with

Take the food for a walk: Victoria Park's dog park is a short drive west for an off-lead run, and Shep St. Sandos is another sandwich spot nearby if the queue is out the lane. For a sit-down drink, Hop Temple is close by. More options are on the Victoria dog friendly cafes guide and the Ballarat Central destination page.