In Kenwood, Sonoma County, Palooza Brewery and Gastropub draws a steady crowd of locals and visitors who come for the house-brewed beer, wood-fired pizzas, and something increasingly rare: a genuinely dog-friendly dining setup that doesn’t feel like an afterthought. The spacious outdoor patio is where you’ll spend your time, and it’s set up so your dog can actually settle in comfortably. Water bowls and treats are available, which makes a difference when you’re sitting there for a couple of hours.

The kitchen takes its work seriously. They make sauces, pickles, mozzarella, and dressings in-house, which you’ll taste in the difference between their pizzas and what you’d get elsewhere. Beyond the wood-fired pizzas, there are small plates and heartier entrees that lean on locally sourced ingredients. The beer list features their own brews alongside a selection of other Sonoma County craft options, and if beer isn’t your thing, they make artisan cocktails with local spirits.

What makes Palooza work as a gathering place is the laid-back vibe. It feels like the kind of spot where you can show up on a weekend afternoon with your dog and not feel rushed, and where the staff actually seems glad you brought them along. This matters more than you’d think – plenty of restaurants allow dogs on patios but make it clear they’d rather you didn’t. The atmosphere here is different. Families cluster around tables, friends linger over drinks, and dogs doze under chairs without anyone treating it like a problem.

Kenwood itself is a quieter part of Sonoma County, closer to wine country than to the coast, so Palooza has positioned itself as a real neighborhood spot rather than a tourist trap. The combination of serious food and drink, genuine hospitality toward dogs, and that relaxed small-town feel is what keeps people coming back. If you’re in the area and want a meal where your dog is genuinely welcome rather than merely tolerated, this is worth the drive.