Mercado

Mercado is a Cali-Mexican brunch cafe at 88 Markeri Street, Mermaid Waters, in the Mermaid Plaza precinct, and it welcomes dogs at its outdoor tables. The early close is the draw for dog owners: it opens at 5:30am and shuts at midday, which makes it a natural first stop around a morning walk rather than a lunch destination.

The dog setup

Dogs sit with you at the footpath-style tables out the front, not inside. Staff may bring a water bowl out, but pack your own water to be safe, especially in Gold Coast summer. The plaza foot traffic passes close to the tables, so this one suits a dog that settles around people and other dogs rather than a reactive one.

The vibe and the menu

The menu leans Latin: drowned eggs (a green shakshuka), breakfast and chorizo burritos, the birria torta, avo toast and papaya bowls, with coffee that holds its own against the bigger Gold Coast roasters. Service is quick and the kitchen turns brunch over fast, which is handy when you have a dog on a short lead under the table.

Getting there and parking

Mercado sits inside Mermaid Plaza on Markeri Street, with ample free parking in the plaza car park, so arriving with the dog in the car is easy. It runs 5:30am to midday daily, so plan the dog walk before rather than after your visit.

Close by with the dogs

Pizzey Park is a short drive away, with both the Pizzey Park fenced dog park and the broader off-leash area to run the dog before coffee. The quiet residential streets around Markeri Street also work for a quick loop. If you want a second stop, Fala Fels is another dog-friendly cafe in the suburb.

More of the area's dog-friendly venues are on the Mermaid Waters destination page, with the wider list in the QLD cafes index.