Jackson Dodds Cafe Melbourne

Jackson Dodds is Preston's brunch heavyweight on Gilbert Road, with a 4.6 rating built across more than 800 reviews and a menu regulars recite from memory: the Halloumi Stack, Chilli Scrambled, shakshuka and the Frankenstein Fritters. Dogs are welcome at the outdoor seating with water bowls set out, and the big footpath setup handles the suburb's serious dog-walking trade.

The dog setup

Dogs settle in at the outdoor tables, on lead, with water bowls typically available and staff who are visibly used to animals at the tables. Weekend brunch runs hot, so the front tables fill fast; weekday mornings before 9am are the easy slot for a dog with room to lie down. If the footpath is packed it is worth checking with staff before queueing, since the outdoor strip is the dog-friendly zone here. There is no dedicated dog menu, but the welcome is genuine rather than grudging.

The vibe and the menu

The kitchen is the draw: Halloumi Stack, Chilli Scrambled, shakshuka, fritters, red velvet hotcakes and a chai that gets its own mentions, with presentation that explains the review count. Hours run from 6:30am weekdays, 7am Saturdays and 7:30am Sundays, all closing at 3pm. Expect a wait at peak weekend brunch and put your name down early.

Getting there and parking

Gilbert Road runs through the residential heart of Preston, with street parking on the surrounding blocks and the Mernda line a short walk away. For the dog leg, the off-lead area at G.H. Mott Reserve is the local run-around under Darebin's shared-space rules, Red Bean Coffee Roaster and Moon Rabbit Cafe are the other dog-friendly stops nearby.

More of the suburb's dog-friendly venues are on the Preston destination page, with the state list in the VIC cafes index.