Ocean Rolls

Ocean Rolls is a counter-service Vietnamese spot at 48 Semaphore Road, doing banh mi, fresh rolls and iced coffee from 10am to about 3:30pm, Tuesday through Sunday (Mondays are closed). The footpath tables out front welcome dogs, and with the beach a few minutes away it slots neatly into the post-walk lunch slot rather than a long sit-down.

The dog setup

Dogs take the outdoor footpath seating; the small interior is people-only. The tables sit on the busy main strip, so keep your dog on a short lead and tucked in close while you order and eat. Bring a travel water bowl as a matter of course, though staff are generally helpful if you ask.

Worth knowing

Order the namesake fresh rolls: prawns, vermicelli and peanut sauce, made to go. The roast pork banh mi with crackling is the other one people come back for, and the Vietnamese iced coffee is worth the wait. It is quick, cheap food by design, so think of it as the refuelling stop on a Semaphore walk rather than the destination.

Getting there and parking

Street parking runs along Semaphore Road but the strip gets busy on weekends; the side streets off the main road usually have room. If you are already wandering the shops and cafes you will likely walk right past it.

Close by with the dogs

Semaphore Beach and the foreshore are a short walk down the road for a proper run first, though check the council signage for current on-lead rules and dog-free zones. On the same strip, Cafe Froot does a dog-friendly pavement breakfast, Swedish Tarts is the pastry stop nearer the beach end, and Heart of Semaphore rounds out a full dog-friendly lap of the street.

More options are on the South Australia dog friendly restaurants guide and the Semaphore destination page.