Dogs at The Globe Café & Bar in Coral Gables have their own dedicated bowls, a one-word menu and, on occasion, a burger ordered right off the regular menu.
Weekly dog happy hour started by accident
The weekly canine happy hour at 377 Alhambra Circle started without a plan. Co-owner Danny Guiteras told Coral Gables Magazine it began when a couple of regulars started bringing their dogs, Winston and Louis, on Thursdays. "So it started to be a Thursday thing with two dogs, then four dogs, six dogs, and here we are today," Guiteras said.
Regulars get their own bowls and menu
Now the tradition has its own rituals. Dogs who show up regularly have dedicated bowls waiting for them. The canine menu is a card with a drawing of a master and dog on one side and a single word on the other: Bacon.
Some owners go further. Guiteras said patrons order burgers for their dogs off the regular menu. The occasional martini finds its way to a four-legged guest, he said.
Owners have run the bar since 1997
Guiteras and his wife, Lorraine, have run The Globe since 1997, when they converted a 1950s building into the bar and restaurant. According to the restaurant's website, the bar features hand-painted frescoes, black-and-white films screening behind the bar and live jazz every Saturday night.
Longtime regular brings his dog every week
Among the Thursday regulars is Patrick Alexander, a Coral Gables author who moved to the city in the 1980s and worked at the University of Miami until his retirement in 2006. Alexander has written four novels, three set in the Gables, along with several nonfiction titles. He and his wife, Jude, bring their dog Dylan every week.
Dylan holds another title in the neighborhood. Alexander, who also runs the first tee at the Granada Golf Course near Birdies Bistro, said Dylan serves as the bistro's official bacon inspector. No bacon has been rejected, Alexander said.
How to join in on Thursdays
The Globe Café & Bar is open for Thursday dog night on a walk-in basis with no cover or reservation required.
