Big Pig Canteen

Big Pig Canteen is a warehouse-style American BBQ joint on Ebden Street in Moorabbin, set in a redbrick industrial space that runs loud and lively, often with music. The reason to bring the dog is the adjoining beer garden: covered, weatherproofed for year-round visits, and openly dog-welcoming, with slow-smoked meats as the reward for a settled dog.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome in the beer garden, where water bowls are usually out, and they are also allowed in the bar area Monday to Saturday. Keep your dog on a lead and with you in the outdoor space. The room runs with long shared tables and a saloon-style buzz, so a crowd-comfortable dog will do far better than a nervous one. Bring your own bowl and a mat to be safe.

Worth knowing

The kitchen is built around low-and-slow smoking: brisket with a proper bark, hickory baby back ribs, pork belly bites and mixed meat sharing platters, with southern fried chicken thighs, jalapeno poppers and thin-batter onion rings alongside. Sides do their share of the work too, from Big Pig mac and cheese and New Jersey poutine to cheesy cornbread. Drinks run to rotating taps of Victorian craft beer and cocktails. Hours are dinner-led: closed Monday and Tuesday, from 5pm Wednesday and Thursday, and from midday Friday through Sunday.

Getting there and parking

Find it at 35 Ebden Street, with free street parking in the surrounding industrial streets and Moorabbin station a short walk away if you would rather leave the car. Book ahead through OpenTable and ask for an outdoor table if you are bringing the dog, since the garden fills on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Close by with the dogs

For an off-lead leg stretch before dinner, Moorabbin Reserve Dog Off Leash Area has unrestricted off-lead access with a water tap, and G.R. Bricker Reserve on Rowans Road adds a signed off-lead area and a water station. Turner Road Reserve in Highett is a few minutes away if you want an unfenced oval to tire a young dog out. On the food side, The Tradesman Cafe covers daytime coffee nearby when the canteen is closed.

Pepsi: I judge BBQ joints by whether the water bowl arrives without asking. Big Pig passes.