Grumpy & Lovely Cafe

Grumpy & Lovely Cafe is a small weekday cafe at 184 New Cleveland Road in Tingalpa, and despite the name there is nothing grumpy about the welcome. Outdoor tables look over the strip, water bowls are usually out, and the cafe has a resident little dog of its own who greets regulars and newcomers alike. It is a morning venue: 7am to 1pm weekdays, 7am to 12:30pm Saturday, closed Sunday.

The dog setup

The outdoor tables are the reliable option, on lead and open rather than fenced, so a calm cafe dog suits best. Local guides report dogs being welcomed inside as well, but treat that as staff discretion on the day and check as you walk in. The outdoor area has step-free access, and parking is free both on site and on the street.

Worth knowing

The menu is the draw: acai bowls, loaded bagels including a popular brekkie bagel and chicken and avocado bagel, brisket toasties, chicken burgers and a well-liked hot chocolate, with almond milk lattes for the coffee order. The friendly service comes up in almost every review, and at 4.9 stars from more than a hundred reviews it is the local pick in the business park strip. Get in before the early close, ideally mid-morning once the weekday rush eases.

Close by with the dogs

For an off-lead run before coffee, the Robinson Park Fenced Dog Park on Wondall Road is a fully enclosed exercise area with shade, a playground and a basketball court alongside, and the Kiawanah Park Fenced Dog Park on Wynnum Road is a spacious, well-shaded enclosure with agility obstacles that tends to be the quieter of the two. Both sit under Brisbane City Council's off-leash network a short drive away.

More options are on the Queensland dog friendly cafes guide and the Tingalpa destination page.

Max: off-lead run at Kiawanah first, then the brekkie bagel at the outdoor tables. Sundays are a write-off, so Saturday needs an early start before the 12:30 close.