Forking Espresso

Forking Espresso is a small weekday coffee stop in Sumner, in Brisbane's southwest, and the local dog crowd has adopted it accordingly. The cafe is listed as dog friendly in local guides, and visitors regularly report calling in with their dogs at the outdoor alfresco seating during the morning rush for a long black.

The dog setup

Dogs are allowed at the outdoor alfresco tables, which is where most of the morning trade with dogs happens. Because hours run 6am to 10:30am on weekdays only, this is a before work or mid morning stop rather than a weekend brunch destination, and the crowd reflects it: tradies, walkers and regulars who know their order. Staff have a welcoming reputation with visitors and their dogs alike.

The menu is built for the morning shift: a breaky burger, a falafel wrap with vegan options alongside, and coffee that visitors rate for consistency. The layout squeezes in a cosy nook or two inside if the weather turns, though with a dog in tow the alfresco side is your bet, and reviewers even mention the chooks that give the corner its semi rural feel. Find it at 1/24 Spine Street, Sumner, closed weekends, with straightforward parking in the commercial pocket and quiet footpaths that make the stop easy with a dog on lead.

While you're out there

Sumner is a working corner of Brisbane rather than a dining strip, so plan the dog's outing around the stop itself: an on lead wander along the local streets before coffee works well. For other tables in the area, Roll&Wrap Kebab is nearby, our Sumner guide lists what else takes dogs in the suburb, and the wider Queensland dog friendly cafe list covers the rest of the state.