Coastal and Co. Takeaway

Coastal and Co. Takeaway is the fish-and-chips shop on Vales Road in Mannering Park, a short walk from the Lake Macquarie foreshore on the lake's southern shore. It opens early for breakfast and coffee, then rolls through the day on a classic seafood-and-burgers menu, and dogs are welcome at the outdoor seating on a lead.

The dog setup

This is counter service with a handful of mostly outdoor tables rather than a sit-down cafe, and dogs on leash are fine at those outdoor spots and on the footpath while you wait for your order. There is no enclosed courtyard and water bowls are not set out, so bring your own. The simplest plan with a dog: order at the counter, then walk your wrapped parcel a few minutes downhill to the foreshore picnic tables and eat by the water.

Worth knowing

The kitchen's reputation rests on generous serves: fish cocktails, calamari, seafood sticks, potato scallops and a seafood basket big enough to share, plus takeaway burgers and cheesy chips. There is a well-rated Caesar salad if you want something greener, and the coffee service means an early coffee-and-walk run works too. Hours are 8:30am to 7pm Tuesday to Sunday, closed Mondays, and Friday and Saturday nights run busiest. Call (02) 4359 1419 ahead on a weekend evening so you are not queuing with a restless dog.

Getting there and parking

The address is 74 Vales Road, Mannering Park, with street parking directly out front and in the surrounding residential streets. It is flat, easy walking from the lakeside paths, and wheelchair-accessible through the counter area.

Close by with the dogs

The Mannering Park waterfront and grassy foreshore are minutes away on foot. For a proper leg-stretch, Wyee Dog Exercise Area is a short drive south, Budgewoi Dog Beach puts a swim on the menu to the northeast, and if you are making a weekend of it, Monterey Tourist Park takes dogs in the same suburb.