ROUTE 21

ROUTE 21 is a casual local cafe at 13 Edgars Road in Thomastown's commercial pocket, pouring coffee from 6am on weekdays and sending out toasties, burgers and a well-regarded brekky burger. It is a genuinely dog-friendly stop, with owners reporting a welcome at the outdoor seating, and the generous servings have made it a trades-and-locals regular.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome in the outdoor seating area on a lead. This is a working cafe that gets busy with locals grabbing a quick coffee, so keep your dog tucked clear of the flow of people coming and going. There is no water bowl out on display, so ask the friendly barista and one will appear.

Worth knowing

The menu covers breakfast and lunch with a name for generous servings, and the drinks list runs beyond the usual, with a banana latte among the signature orders. It is more quick-bite than lingering brunch, and the hours are strictly weekday: 6am to 2pm Monday to Friday, closed weekends, so time your visit for the working week. Get in before the mid-morning rush if you want a table with room for the dog.

Getting there and parking

The cafe sits in a commercial stretch of Edgars Road, with a free parking lot plus free street parking, so a car park is usually easy outside peak morning hours. For anyone coming from the northern suburbs it is a straightforward stop off the main arterials.

Close by with the dogs

The Whittlesea Public Gardens Fenced Dog Park at Lalor is the closest off-lead run, and Workers Hub Cafe is the suburb's other dog-friendly cafe stop on the list.

More northern-suburbs options sit under the VIC cafes listing, and the Thomastown destination page covers the suburb's dog-friendly round-up.