Jones Street Kitchen

Jones Street Kitchen is the neighbourhood cafe at 1 Jones Street in the middle of Mooloolah Valley, and it treats dogs as guests rather than an afterthought. The outdoor tables are shaded and roomy, the kitchen runs a proper dog menu, and the hours are built around breakfast: doors open at 6am, so an early walk followed by eggs benedict is entirely achievable.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome in the outdoor seating area out front. There is no indoor access, which is normal for a working cafe kitchen, so bring a lead you are happy to loop around a chair leg. The real draw is the dog menu: regulars order the doggy donut (around $4) and a puppaccino for their four-legged dining companions. Water bowls are not guaranteed, so pack a portable one.

What to order

The kitchen covers breakfast and lunch, with the menu running long on coffee, brunch plates and generous vegetarian and vegan options. Regular call-outs include the hash browns, the hollandaise, the scones and a beetroot dip that people ask about. There is a kids menu too, which makes it an easy family stop. Weekday mornings are noticeably quieter than Sundays, when the town turns up for brunch.

Getting there and parking

The cafe sits on Jones Street in the centre of Mooloolah Valley, with free onsite parking and easy street parking as a backup. Hours run roughly 6am to 2pm Monday to Friday and 6am to 1pm on weekends, so this is a breakfast and brunch spot rather than a dinner one. Confirm current hours before a special trip, as cafe hours shift.

Pair it with a walk

Maddock Park on Ewen Maddock Dam is minutes away at 221 Connection Road, and its shaded forest tracks make the natural pairing with breakfast. Dogs stay on lead and cannot swim in the dam, but you can walk as far as the 1km markers suit. After the meal, Didi's Coffee Haus and Landsborough Pub in neighbouring Landsborough give you more dog-friendly tables, while Pioneer Park Fenced Dog Park is the spot if your dog needs an off-lead run before sitting still at a table.

Max: the doggy donut is the whole reason I behave at the table. Order it first.