The Hunted Cafe

The Hunted Cafe runs along Bonogin Road in the leafy hinterland suburb of Bonogin, a local breakfast and coffee spot away from the Gold Coast strip. Dogs are welcome in the outdoor seating areas, and reviews frequently note the cafe serves doggy cappuccinos, a small foam-topped cup for canine customers.

The dog setup

Dogs sit with their owners at the outdoor tables, which is the practical arrangement for most hinterland cafes: covered outdoor seating, water bowls and a relaxed crowd where dogs are a normal part of the morning. No written pet policy is published, so treat the details as reported by visitors rather than guaranteed by management, and keep your dog on lead and settled at your table. The doggy cappuccino has become part of the cafe's routine offering rather than a novelty, which tells you how regular the four-legged traffic is. Staff are used to asking whether the fluffy topping should come with or without the treat on top.

Worth knowing

Bonogin is a green, residential valley between Mudgeeraba and Springbrook country, so visits here are usually combined with a hinterland drive or a walk rather than a standalone coffee run. Weekend mornings are the busiest windows, and the outdoor tables go first on fine days. If you want a guaranteed table with your dog, arrive before 9am or plan for a short wait with the dog in the shade. Parking is on the cafe frontage and the side street, which is straightforward outside peak hours, and the road into the valley narrows in stretches, so allow a few extra minutes coming in from Mudgeeraba.

Close by with the dogs

For an overnight option in the same valley, Ridge Campaway is a pet friendly hinterland stay. The big fenced run at Hinterland Regional Park Fenced Dog Park is a short drive north, and Shack and Co in Mudgeeraba is the sibling coffee stop for another day. More in the Bonogin guide.