The Black Cat Eatery

The Black Cat Eatery is a casual, American-leaning cafe at Shop 4/5 Biggs Avenue in Beachmere, serving coffee and hearty soul food with a rustic outdoor setting. It opens early, from 6:30am through to lunch most days, and dogs are welcome across the outdoor seating, which makes it the easy breakfast stop before a foreshore walk in this small bayside town.

The dog setup

Dogs settle on the deck and in the yard area shaded by umbrellas. One local quirk matters: the yard has roaming chickens and ducks, so if your dog is prey-driven keep them close-controlled and on lead the whole visit. Bring a travel water bowl to be safe. The cafe also has a children's cubby house, so it handles families and dogs at the same table without fuss, and the staff have a friendly reputation with regulars and their dogs alike.

Worth knowing

The menu runs to American-style comfort plates, corn fritters with maple syrup, poached eggs, vegan options and a pecan pie worth saving room for. Free street parking and a car park sit close by, and the entrance and seating are wheelchair accessible. Hours shift slightly between Monday-Tuesday and the rest of the week, so check the Facebook page before a special trip, since this is a small-town kitchen whose hours bend with the seasons and staffing.

Round out the morning at Clayton Park Fenced Dog Park on the same street, or take the dog for a proper splash at Beachmere Offleash Dog Beach. Silver Spoon up the road covers the waterfront brunch alternative. More are in the QLD cafes index.

Pepsi: corn fritters on the deck, one eye on the ducks, zero regrets.