River Cruz Cafe

River Cruz Cafe sits on Quay Street right on the Burnett River, with the riverfront walkway at the door and an outdoor deck looking straight over the water. Bundaberg Regional Council describes it as a pet friendly restaurant on the river, and it is one of the better central Bundaberg stops when you want the walk and the coffee in the same outing.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome on the outdoor decked area, which has plenty of room for a dog to settle beside the table rather than squeeze under it. Water bowls sometimes appear but are not guaranteed, so bring your own. Keep your dog on the river side of the seating and out of the service lanes, and the deck is calm enough for most easygoing dogs.

The vibe

The kitchen runs a broad breakfast and lunch menu from 5:30am, with eggs benedict, bacon and eggs, steak sandwiches and seafood baskets, plus a local pastry chef baking the sweets on site. Live music turns up on weekends and the river view does the rest of the work. Hours run from around 5:30am to 4pm daily, with a slightly later 7am start on Thursdays.

Getting there and parking

Quay Street runs along the river just below the Bundaberg CBD, with street parking along the frontage that fills during peak breakfast hours, so arriving early makes a deck table and a park easier to land together.

Close by with the dogs

The Quay Street river walk is right outside for a pre- or post-meal stroll on lead, and the Bundaberg Riverside Parklands continue the riverfront circuit. For proper off-lead time, the Bundaberg North Dog Park is a short drive across the Burnett. Back on the food side, Grindstone Coffee House and Cafe 1928 are fellow dog-welcoming cafes in Bundaberg Central.

More options are on the Queensland dog friendly cafes guide and the Bundaberg Central destination guide.