Crackerjack Cooroy

Crackerjack Cooroy sits alongside the bowling green on Opal Street, and it turns the bowls club idea into something more ambitious: barefoot bowls, live music and a kitchen running from udon noodles to massaman curry. For dog owners the arrangement is straightforward and stated on the venue's own site: leashed dogs are welcome at the outdoor tables and verandah, and you are asked to mention your dog when booking so the party is seated in an outdoor space. That last detail makes it one of the more organised dog setups on the Sunshine Coast hinterland circuit.

The menu crosses continents, with prawn toast, massaman curry, udon noodles and a parmi all on the cards, and the kitchen takes a bow on each of them according to the regulars. Wednesday to Sunday lunch starts at 11:30am, with dinner service running to 9pm midweek and later on Friday and Saturday. The pool table and the green give the venue its rhythm, and the verandah position means a dog can watch the world go by between rounds of bowls.

Worth knowing

Cooroy is a half hour drive north of Noosa and the venue is a short hop from the town centre, with street parking on Opal Street and around the bowls club. The Monday and Tuesday closure is the main scheduling trap, and Friday and Saturday evenings book out when there is live music, so a booking that mentions the dog doubles as your seat guarantee. The verandah is uncovered in part, so on hot afternoons aim for a shaded table or an evening sitting.

Close by with the dogs

Cooroy keeps good company for a dog day out. Kauri Park's dog off leash area is the local run before lunch, Fox and Hound Espresso is the morning coffee stop with a fittingly dog friendly name, and the Queensland restaurant list plus our Cooroy guide fill in the rest of the map.