Bar-K in the Park: A review of the restaurant and dog park, Bar K

The self-proclaimed park full of fun for dogs — Bar K. 

I decided to venture downtown to 501 Berkley Pkwy with my two labs Harper and Finch — their tails wagging and faces slobbering with anticipation.

I was joined by my mom, sophomore Emmerson Winfrey and junior Jackson Fausett. We were only guests for the evening, but there are annual and monthly passes available. Or, you can come alone with no charge just to hangout with the pups.

Upon walking in we were greeted by the puppy playground, a jungle gym structure — no humans allowed. Harper happily started climbing up — a shock to us, considering she spends her day happily asleep in bed.

As the four of us explored, we found a giant silver dog bowl full of tennis balls and different throwing toys. Finch had disappeared by this point trying to make friends wherever he could. 

Harper ran up and down the castle as I found a water jug and metal bowls to fill up for the dogs.

We took a lap around to look for the splash park — a bulldog was lounging in the shallow water. The pool is about one foot deep, not really suited for larger dogs. The Brundige dogs were a little more skeptical, cautiously walking around the edge of the water.

Dogs ran around with their owners and took a rest on top of tables — that’s right, on top of the tables. That isn’t something you see everyday, I thought it was adorable.

While tennis balls and water bowls are common at a dog park, what stood out was a literal stage for the dogs. The stage was built from light gray cement and is covered in paintings of red, pink and yellow flowers. A choice of stairs or ramp is available — leading up to flashing lights and music in case a dog felt like performing.

After running around the park, all six of us — yes, including the canines — sat down for our dinner. The restaurant is separate from the dog park but only by a gate. Indoor seating is available, however, no dogs were allowed inside. Inside sat a bar and multiple empty tables, due to most people staying on the patio with their furry friends.

We chose outdoor seating and hooked the dogs’ leashes onto our tables. The menu featured different salads, sandwiches and bowls. However, the food wasn’t just for us, as a menu for the dogs is included. A feast of stew, pasta and jerky is prepared for the pups — including cookies and ice cream for dessert.

While we all scarfed down our meals, we listened in on the trivia night, which included questions for the dinner guests to answer while enjoying their food. For my meal, I had a Bar K bowl full of chicken, tomato, beans and rice. The bowl was very fresh, with an assortment of protein which warmed the meal but the tomato being cool to balance out the chicken. Emmerson and Jackson shared warm pretzel bites and a peanut butter chocolate smoothie. Our waiter mentioned other weekly events like music bingo, “doga”, — dog yoga — running club and puppies night out. I’ll definitely be coming back for some bonding time with Harper and Finch.

My bowl was $13 and the service was spot-on. We were checked on by our waiter multiple times during our meal to make sure everything was satisfactory. 

After finishing our meal, we took a couple to-go boxes — which were not allowed back in the park to prevent a human-food-hungry dog stealing my lunch for the next day.

Bar K was nothing but pure joy for them — and us. The four of us loved being able to run around with the dogs and even sit down for dinner with them. We were provided with a night of puppies and a delicious meal. To have a place combined with not only a place for dogs to play and a restaurant, it’s a park very unlike the rest.

Harper and Finch left panting and wagging their tails — completely worn out. I’m here to declare Bar K a haven for pups and people alike.