Hog's Breath Cafe Cleveland

Hog's Breath Cafe Cleveland is the waterfront steakhouse in the Raby Bay Marina precinct at 152 Shore St W, with outdoor tables looking over the harbour and the marina boardwalk running past the door. It is a casual, family-friendly spot and dogs are welcome at the outdoor seating, so a slow lunch or dinner by the water can include the dog without any compromise on the meal.

The dog setup

Dogs join you in the designated outdoor seating area, which overlooks the marina; the indoor dining room stays dog-free, as is standard for Australian restaurants. Keep your dog leashed and settled beside the table, and ask staff for a water bowl or bring your own so there is no gap on a hot afternoon. Confirming an outdoor table when you book avoids any shuffle on a busy evening.

The vibe

The kitchen is built around the signature prime rib, slow cooked for up to 18 hours, and the menu spreads out from there: chicken parmigiana, pan-fried salmon, battered barramundi and calamari, garlic prawns, a solid burger list and share plates, plus a kids menu. The curly fries have a following of their own. There is a late afternoon happy hour, a value lunch menu and occasional live music on weekends, which makes it as much a marina evening out as a steak dinner.

Getting there and parking

Hours run from 11:30am to 8pm Monday to Thursday, to 8:30pm on Friday and from 11am on weekends. The restaurant sits in the Raby Bay Marina with a free car park that includes wheelchair accessible spaces, and Cleveland Station is a short ride away if you come by rail.

While you're out there

The marina boardwalk runs straight past the door for an on-leash stroll before you order. For a proper run or swim first, Raby Bay Dog Beach is a few minutes away, with calm shallow water, shade trees and water taps, and GJ Walter Park Beach Dog Off Leash Area is close by too. Other tables around the harbour include The Lighthouse Restaurant, K Soul BBQ and Fish on Fire if you are planning a return trip.

Pepsi: swim the dog at the dog beach first, then claim a harbour-side table and let the 18-hour prime rib do the rest.

More water-edge eating is on the Queensland dog friendly restaurants guide, or browse Cleveland for the full set.