Jerrys Milkbar

Jerrys Milkbar is a long-running Elwood cafe on Barkly Street, set among the residential streets rather than the main strip, and a genuine piece of Melbourne cafe history in milk-bar clothing. The covered rear courtyard is what makes it work for dog owners, and it is one of the few setups that holds up on a grey Melbourne morning.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome in the rear courtyard, which is undercover and contained, so it suits dogs far better than an exposed footpath in the wind. Your dog stays in the courtyard rather than the main indoor room, and staff are known to bring water bowls out without being asked. Keep the lead anchored to your chair; the space is snug and the traffic to the counter flows past the tables.

Worth knowing

The menu is the reason people queue: chilli scramble, corn fritters, bacon and egg rolls, croissants and banana bread, with old-school milkshakes in metal cups and proper specialty coffee. It gets busy, and the courtyard fills early on weekends, so an early arrival is the difference between a table and a wait.

Getting there and parking

Hours run 7am to 3pm on weekdays and 8am to 3pm on weekends. Free street parking is available on Barkly Street and the surrounding streets but gets tight on weekends; it is best reached on foot if you are local, or combined with a walk from the beach end of the suburb.

Close by with the dogs

Elwood Beach Dog Off Leash Area is a short walk away for a proper run, M.O. Moran Reserve Fenced Dog Park gives a fenced option, and the Bay Trail from Elwood to Sandringham turns breakfast into a full morning. For a second coffee stop, Combi Elwood is on the same strip. The Elwood destination page lists the rest.

More options across the state are under the Victoria cafes listing.