A Table for Two and a Water Bowl

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IT’S A DOGS WORLD

At Sawa, Dogs Get a Menu of Their Own

There Are Few Things More Difficult Than Enjoying Lunch While Your Dog Stares at You as Though You Have Personally Betrayed Him or Her by Ordering Food They Cannot Have. At Sawa Restaurant & Lounge in the Shops at Merrick Park, That Particular Form of Guilt Can Be Avoided.

The Mediterranean-meets-Japanese restaurant has long welcomed four-legged guests to its outdoor patio, but the real draw for dog owners is a menu designed specifically for them. For humans, Sawa blends Mediterranean dishes with sushi and Japanese- inspired plates; a table can fill up with mezze, rolls and grilled specialties. Its shaded patio, lined with palms and bright green umbrellas, makes it an easy place to settle in with your dog in tow.

But while humans work their way through Sawa’s tapas, sushi and cocktails, pups can order from a lineup that feels surprisingly close to an actual restaurant menu: baked biscuits and grain-free jerky strips to start, followed by grilled chicken breast kebabs, an Angus burger patty or, for the particularly discerning dog, filet mignon. My husky naturally went for the filet.

I ordered the Royalty roll for myself, a $29.99 combination of lobster tempura, lump crab tempura, salmon tempura, avocado, masago arare, and cream cheese. It is an appropriately over-the-top order when your dining companion is having filet mignon.

For $12, the filet mignon kebab arrives simply prepared, cut into generous chunks and served in a dog bowl. There are no unnecessary garnishes, sauces, or attempts at culinary theater here, just freshly grilled beef and a very attentive diner. Fendi inspected it for approximately half a second before deciding it met her standards, then proceeded to clean the bowl with an enthusiasm usually reserved for something she had stolen off the kitchen counter.

Dogs with bigger appetites can add a side of white or brown rice for $6, while dessert comes in the form of a $6 True Acres dessert cup. On a hot Coral Gables afternoon, the restaurant also suggests ice cream as a fitting finale.

Sawa’s affection for its canine clientele goes beyond simply allowing dogs on the patio. The restaurant regularly encourages diners to tag photos of their pups enjoying the dog menu on Instagram or Facebook for a chance to become its next doggy menu cover model.

Sawa is that rare dog-friendly restaurant where bringing your pup feels less like asking for a favor and more like making a reservation for an additional guest. And judging by Fendi’s empty bowl, she would give the filet mignon five paws.

Sawa Restaurant & Lounge
360 San Lorenzo Ave.
(Shops at Merrick Park)
305.447.6555