Fishtales Seafood Cafe

Fishtales Seafood Cafe is the village chippy at 11 Obi Obi Road in Mapleton, up on the Blackall Range behind Nambour. The covered alfresco area out front is where dogs are welcome, shaded and easy to reach straight off the street, so it works as the lunch stop on a hinterland day trip with the dog.

The dog setup

Dogs join you at the outdoor and alfresco tables. The cover keeps them out of the sun, and access from the footpath is flat and simple. Staff will often bring water out for a dog, but carry a bowl of your own to be safe. Counter service means you order, grab a table and settle the dog before the food lands.

The vibe

Classic seafood cafe done well: battered or grilled fish with chips and potato scallops, the Reef Pack with whiting, seafood sticks and calamari, homemade-patty burgers and pineapple fritters. Check hours before you drive up the range, because the opening pattern is short: dinner service Thursday and Friday from 4:30pm, plus lunch and dinner on Saturday and Sunday, closed the first three days of the week.

Getting there and parking

Mapleton village sits on Obi Obi Road, the main run through town, with free street parking along the strip. Everything in the village is walkable once you park.

Close by with the dogs

Mapleton Lilyponds on Delicia Road is the dog win of the day: a council-run fenced off-leash dog park open around the clock, with easy on-lead paths around the lily ponds outside the fence. Note that Mapleton Falls National Park prohibits dogs entirely, lookouts included, so skip it if the dog is along. The Mapleton Public House covers dinner drinks nearby, and the Mapleton guide rounds out the village.

Pepsi: Fenced dog park before the fish and chips. Then I sit under the table like a professional.

More hinterland options sit in our Queensland restaurant listings.