The Barking Dog Alehouse — Restaurant in Seattle

The Barking Dog Alehouse is not a dog friendly place. Also, be aware if you are not white people. We came here for the first time and when asking for a seat, we clearly mention we had our dog with us. After the host explained to us that barking dogs are welcome on the patio seat, we took the offer to respect the inside dinning area and expected a dog friendly environment. The situation quickly went to the total opposite side. We sat outside and ordered food. A tiny dog walked by our table and started coming at my dog, peed a bit, and it got my dog all excited. That dog continued barking and my dog barked back. Our boy is an American Bully, and while his barks were loud, he did stop after we addressed him. However, all the other dogs started to bark, and honestly, we understood the situations and did not blame anyone, after all, this is a dog friendly bar so we expected the noise. The table across us with some men who already had quite a feel drinks started talking trash about us and our dog, then yelled at us that we should take our dog away. At this point, I was still trying to be very respectful so I stood up and walked my dog away so the dog could calm down. After 10 mins, we came back to the table and my dog already got his calmness back. We got couple dog owners and other dogs walked by our table, complimented our dog, played a bit and walked away, including children, and my dog did not bark at them at all, not even once. During this time, the drunk table continued staring at us and talking trash about my dog, 2 tables next to them also had 2 dogs who continued barking really loud, several times, but no one seemed to care. While we felt very uncomfortable, we tried to finish our meal and made sure our dog was under control. At one point, some dogs barked for a long time, again, no one addressed them. However, out of no where, a waitress came out, walked straight to our table and told us if my dog bark one more time, we need to walk our dog away because my dog barked three times (not sure how she counted that). We explained she might get it wrong because my dog had barked before, and we knew he was loud, but we walked him already and ever since he got back, he stopped, but she gave us a look and said it was the rule of the bar, then quickly walked away. We felt very disrespected not only because she did not listen to us, she also obviously did not take a minute to observe who made noise before walking right to our table where my dog was laying down quietly. She also did not address any other dogs except ours. Not only I was not sure why this happened at a friendly dog bar called "the Barking Dog Alehouse", I could not help but noticed we were the only non- white couple in the bar, and while we were "being addressed", that drunk table and their near by people laughing at us and enjoying this incident. Their trash talks to us were louder than my dog, why no one addressed them? After we paid, we put the dog in our car and came inside to explain the situation to the manager. We politely explained that it was not our dog and not sure why the thrice barking penalty rule was only addressed to us and not to other dogs. She repeated the 3 barking penalty rule, which was again not posted on the website or anywhere in the restaurant, said it was a standard procedure. We asked if she counted, because we did have a recording after the other men kept talking trash to us and while he was doing it, it clearly showed the dogs barking were from other tables next to him, not ours. She did not look at the recording, repeated to us that she heard both our dog and others and explained maybe our dog was louder so the other waitress mistaken it was him. We honestly did not have any issue with other dog, for God sake, this is a barking dog Alehouse after all, but clearly we were targeted and mistreated for a paid experience. Respectfully, we will take our business and our dog elsewhere, but ask the restaurant's owner to consider addressing rude and racist people before doing it to innocent dogs and...

Unfortunatly experience started off terrible due to lack of communication. Wasn't informed it was QR, didn't get offered a menu or Wifi code to access it and I was seated in a corner on patio so I couldn't see their signs.

A quick heads ups from a server would have solved all this - instead I got a very warm welcome, water for myself and my dogs and then complete radio silence for over TWENTY MINUTES before someone came to check - by that time I'd already figured it out but was pretty pissed no one said anything.

It was doubly annoying when I had to pay first or order through the website - couldn't ask questions about food or anything before and had to ask hostess to bring me a server who seemed annoyed I wanted to talk to a real person.

Place doesn't seem to accept cash either, considering the server refused to take my order without a card on file. Everyone was very nice after I mentioned the wait, of course, but I'm just miffed no one said a thing and just expected me to know. Again, there are signs but, again, I was seated in a corner and had never been before. Would have taken a couple seconds to let me know.

After the fumble, I will say they were on it with getting food and checking in, but when that's just standard restraunt service and you had to remind them to provide it, the whole experience just felt off. Especially since I was charge a hefty 22% tip (lowest option) for fast-food level service.

Food was only okay - bland, not seasoned well - but after all that, I was starving and it definitely hit the spot. Overall just a pretty mediocre experience - took so much longer than needed and made me feel like I was inconviencing the restraunt - for a $40 tab I expect better.

Its too bad because the place is cute and doggo friendly - food isn't the best but with their ambiance and good service after the fact, it could have been a great experience if only they'd...

I love this place, but HATE the movement towards ordering online by scanning a QR code at the table. The staff is very friendly, I love the ambiance, but I absolutely hate the impersonal ordering system. And don't enjoy feeling so torn when it comes time to tip. On one hand, I really appreciate the friendliness of the wait staff and want to show that appreciation with at least a standard tip. But on the other hand, since I have been using the QR code for ordering, the only moment of engagement with them is when they bring the food. To pay 15-20% tip for this on top of already overpriced food (this is true for almost all restaurants these days - definitely I'm not singling out the Barking Dog at all here) seems excessive and unnecessary. PLEASE do away with the QR code ordering, and I'd be very, very happy here. The food is delicious. Really delicious. Prices are "reasonable" (equally overpriced with every other place these days). Staff is friendly. Neighborhood is great. I'll be back, but really am turned off by the need to have to use the online ordering system. At least greet us and mention it's an option if we'd like, but otherwise you'd be happy to take our order. This seems so out of place here for a relaxed, friendly, neighborhood restaurant. I'm a software engineer and appreciate great technology, but in this case it really feels like it takes away the personal touch this restaurant is capable of, and makes me more conscious of my already-strong tipping fatigue when it comes time to pay the...