Griller's Mark - The Grillhouse

Griller's Mark is a wood-grill burger and steak house at 58-60 Lydiard Street North in the heart of Ballarat Central, and it is about as dog-set-up as CBD dining in Ballarat gets: printed dog menu, water brought to the table, and a footpath terrace that is properly dog territory.

The dog setup

Dogs join you at the sidewalk-frontage seating out front on Lydiard Street North; as footpath dining, dogs stay outside, but the staff are well practised and will bring water. The standout is the dedicated doggie menu, published on the venue's own site: a wagyu-mince bowl, a chicken-and-bacon bowl, ham and cheese toasties and pup-paccinos, so your dog gets an actual order rather than scraps. The Dog Pound serving is generous enough to keep a dog busy while your own meal lands.

Pepsi: ask for the water first and let your dog settle before the food arrives, because the Lydiard Street footpath gets busy around dinner.

Worth knowing

The kitchen is built on wood-grilled steaks, ribs and big burgers: ribeye, the Fiery Beef Burger, chicken wings, loaded fries and onion rings all feature. It is a popular CBD spot, so the footpath tables fill at peak meal times; booking slightly off-peak gives you and the dog more room. Hours run 11am to about 8:45pm daily, extending to 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

Getting there and parking

The venue sits on Lydiard Street North, Ballarat's heritage strip, walkable from most of the CBD. Street parking runs along Lydiard and the surrounding streets, some of it free, and the centre can be busy on weekends. The footpath terrace is flat and step-free off the pavement.

Pair it with

For a run before lunch, Pennyweight Park Fenced Dog Park in Ballarat East is fully enclosed with agility equipment and paths, and Victoria Park's dog park offers the big open off-leash option on Ballarat's west side. Back in town, Hop Temple and The Turret Cafe are other dog-friendly places to eat within a couple of blocks.

More options are on the Victoria dog friendly pubs guide and the Ballarat destination page.