Moon Dog Wild West

Moon Dog Wild West is the western-themed brewery bar from Moon Dog Craft Brewery in Footscray, a big, rowdy space with a mechanical bull, pool tables and a saloon fit-out indoors. For dogs the drawcard is upstairs: the rooftop beer garden, where dogs are welcome on lead.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome on the rooftop beer garden, on lead at all times. The indoor saloon, where the dining room and mechanical bull live, is not a dog area. Because the dog space is on the roof, it is weather-dependent, so check conditions before heading over on a wet or scorching day. Bring your own collapsible water bowl rather than assuming one will be on hand.

The vibe

This is a big-venue experience rather than a quiet local: a cactus-filled rooftop bar, Moon Dog's own beers brewed on site, arcade games, trivia nights and live music, all wrapped in the wild west theming. Hours run from 3pm Monday to Thursday, from 11:30am Friday to Sunday, with late close on Friday and Saturday. Weeknights or an early rooftop sitting are the easiest way to get a table with a dog in tow; weekends fill fast once the bull and the bar are going.

Getting there and parking

The venue is at 37-41 Moreland Street, Footscray, close to Footscray station, so train or bus is the easy option. On-site parking is limited and street parking gets tight on weekend nights, so plan to walk, catch the train or ride-share.

Close by with the dogs

The Maribyrnong River trail through Burndap Park is a few minutes away for a riverside walk before a drink, and the off-leash area at Footscray Park covers the run-around part of the day. If the rooftop is weathered off, the fully fenced Francis Street dog park in Yarraville is a short drive over.

More dog-friendly spots around the suburb are on the Footscray destination page, with the full list in the VIC pubs index.