Today I went to Bark Social Alexandria, registered my dog, and went through the whole procedure. My dog arrived from a trip two weeks ago. I mention this detail because there's no one stricter than the airport when it comes to vaccines. Jasmine tells me she can't accept Athenas (my dog) at the establishment because it's not clear when she's due for the next dose of Bordetella vaccine. If you have a business and work with animals, you should educate yourself about this matter. The rabies vaccine is given annually. The Bordetella vaccine boost is annual. The DHPPI vaccine boost is every three years. The vaccine document indicated that my dog was vaccinated on March 5, 2024, which clearly means the next boost is due on March 5, 2025. It's a shame that people who claim to know about dogs actually know nothing.
Service: 1
Sandi Vallely
So much fun for the humans and dogs!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Marissa Gutierrez
Bark Social is always a great time for our pup! The food and drinks are great and they keep promotions throughout the week. The space could be bigger but it is nice for the neighborhood.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Giselle R
Our little guy loved getting to run around! Back when it was Barkhaus, the outdoor area was a little smaller so we were glad to see that they have expanded a little
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tom P.
I really want/need for this place to succeed so I had debated on giving my feedback after two visits. I used to live near Bark Social Bethesda and recently moved to SW DC. And because they are nearby and I want them to succeed, I'm going to give the good and bad. Because the good is great, and the bad is perfectly fixable. The good: Their food is amazing. Bark Social Bethesda's food is something you eat because you are starving and have no other options. Barkhaus food is unique, delicious, and worth a trip even if you don't have a dog. The counter staff are lovely. Friendly and eager to answer questions. The place is small, but clean and organized. The bad: I visited in mid January and it was cold. The two other dog owners who were there with me were as cold as I was and the only working heater was taken by the staff. We left after 20 minutes. Not really worth the visit. The staff don't seem to wander and pay attention to the dogs. I see them with their heads in their phones and not picking up poop. All of this is in stark contrast to the Bethesda Bark Social. There is nothing for owners to do outside. At the Bethesda location, there's a tented area for inclimate weather, heaters, TVs, high top tables. I know we're working with limited space at this location but let's get creative. I can't pay to hang there if it's no different than going to the dog park below my condo. Again, ALL of the above is fixable. Get rid of the teeny parking lot and use it to expand the dog park. Yes, parking is atrocious, but I can live with parking in the neighborhood. I want Bark Social Alexanria to succeed. I hope these thoughts help. We'll be back.
Jana
Cute and fun place. We visited for the Pupper Bowl. The food was very tasty. The dogs were cute.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Peter M.
Came in for the first time with my teen, and while the registration process is a bit onerous (long), it's also reasonable considering they're checking dogs for vaccination and that owners are caring for their dogs. After that, I grabbed a beer (12oz port city optimal wit, $9), our pup started socializing with other dogs, and I met some other people's pups too. The staff are very helpful & friendly, the atmosphere is definitely nice with ambient music, and the furnishings are industrial/minimalist- but considering the number of dogs- perfect for the clientele! This Sunday afternoon included about two dozen dogs, from miniature Pomeranians to Great Danes. Almost all were very social (what we were looking for) and the staff were quick to help on any issues or pup exuberant or aggressive play.
Casey L.
We came here after receiving a free day pass for my pup to try out. The food was amazing, but what was really amazing to me was the service I received from Staff member Lauren. She was so sweet, kind, and attentive. She is an absolutely amazing staff member and I wanted to highlight that! The dog park has an indoor section which was unfortunately closed due to a birthday party, so we stayed in the leashed eating area and outdoor dog park. The biggest plus of the outdoor park was that it had heaters! I avoid dog parks in the winter because of the cold but it was nice my pup could run around and I was relatively warm. Of course the indoor unleashed area I imagine would be great too! Again, the human food was great, fries were super fresh. I had the chicken sandwich which was delicious. They have a dog menu as well which was so cute! All in all a wonderful experience! 10 out of 10!
Jessica Allossery
Great concept. We came from Seattle that had a few of these dog park bars and there’s a few things that Bark Social might benefit from: Better seating for the humans inside the play area (more tables and chairs), a small/timid dog section, and hosting specific breed meet ups - our boy Walter used to LOVE going to the small dog meet ups in Seattle at this place called Dogwood. Once a month they would host meets ups for specific breeds or dog groups, and the entire place would be reserved for 1.5 hrs on a Sunday morning before opening for that specific breed. We really wish we could find something similar here in Alexandria. We’ve been to barkhaus a couple times but our dog is a bit too timid around the bigger dogs and we wished there was a small dog section, also found that the seating and tables inside the play area were limited. With these improvements we would def come back!
Abide by the rules: no treats, no toys. Whatever shoes/boots you wear here should never be worn in your house.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Jessica Booher
My dog loves this place!! He couldn’t stop smiling the whole time he was there. This is going to be our new spot.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Christine L.
Most amazing pup friendly place I can find in the area! To bring your dog in, you need to create an account and upload the vaccination form for your dog, or you can also come in and show the staff the forms.Vibes: 9/10. You can bring your doggo to the dog park, inside while you eat, or upstairs. The dog park is great and super clean. If you want to bring your doggo out to the dog park, drinks only, no food.Food: 7/10. The food is ok, altho the brussels sprouts were fire!Drinks: 9/10: Great selection of beers and wine, they also have cocktails. I went during fall and the cocktail menu was fall-themed, and they all are so delicious! My favorite was the mule!Plenty of parkings on the neighborhood street.
Sammi E.
Regrettably, we had a bad experience here. We were so excited to take our pup Ollie to run and play with others at a place that also provided some good food. We ordered over $100 worth of food to snack on while we were there and once the food was ready it was brought outside to us and placed on one of the picnic tables. Before our family was even able to enjoy it the winds completely blew the food all over the ground. While we understand that this is out of anyone's control, our frustration lies in the response to our situation. When we asked for a replacement order we were billed in full without any consideration or acknowledgement of the issue. We understand bark hause cannot control weather however, we do believe they can control the first time experience and perception of a new and potential repeat customer. It was the lack of empathy and transactional nature of the replacement order and the bill that left us with a perception of poor service.
It was our first time at Barkhaus and we all had a blast. The dogs were all friendly and the staff mediated if necessary. Very friendly staff. Delicious drinks! Great place to bring your dog for the afternoon.
Friendly dogs! Good craft beer!
Today I went to Bark Social Alexandria, registered my dog, and went through the whole procedure. My dog arrived from a trip two weeks ago. I mention this detail because there's no one stricter than the airport when it comes to vaccines. Jasmine tells me she can't accept Athenas (my dog) at the establishment because it's not clear when she's due for the next dose of Bordetella vaccine. If you have a business and work with animals, you should educate yourself about this matter. The rabies vaccine is given annually. The Bordetella vaccine boost is annual. The DHPPI vaccine boost is every three years. The vaccine document indicated that my dog was vaccinated on March 5, 2024, which clearly means the next boost is due on March 5, 2025. It's a shame that people who claim to know about dogs actually know nothing.
Service: 1
So much fun for the humans and dogs!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Bark Social is always a great time for our pup! The food and drinks are great and they keep promotions throughout the week. The space could be bigger but it is nice for the neighborhood.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Our little guy loved getting to run around! Back when it was Barkhaus, the outdoor area was a little smaller so we were glad to see that they have expanded a little
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I really want/need for this place to succeed so I had debated on giving my feedback after two visits. I used to live near Bark Social Bethesda and recently moved to SW DC. And because they are nearby and I want them to succeed, I'm going to give the good and bad. Because the good is great, and the bad is perfectly fixable. The good: Their food is amazing. Bark Social Bethesda's food is something you eat because you are starving and have no other options. Barkhaus food is unique, delicious, and worth a trip even if you don't have a dog. The counter staff are lovely. Friendly and eager to answer questions. The place is small, but clean and organized. The bad: I visited in mid January and it was cold. The two other dog owners who were there with me were as cold as I was and the only working heater was taken by the staff. We left after 20 minutes. Not really worth the visit. The staff don't seem to wander and pay attention to the dogs. I see them with their heads in their phones and not picking up poop. All of this is in stark contrast to the Bethesda Bark Social. There is nothing for owners to do outside. At the Bethesda location, there's a tented area for inclimate weather, heaters, TVs, high top tables. I know we're working with limited space at this location but let's get creative. I can't pay to hang there if it's no different than going to the dog park below my condo. Again, ALL of the above is fixable. Get rid of the teeny parking lot and use it to expand the dog park. Yes, parking is atrocious, but I can live with parking in the neighborhood. I want Bark Social Alexanria to succeed. I hope these thoughts help. We'll be back.
Cute and fun place. We visited for the Pupper Bowl. The food was very tasty. The dogs were cute.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Came in for the first time with my teen, and while the registration process is a bit onerous (long), it's also reasonable considering they're checking dogs for vaccination and that owners are caring for their dogs. After that, I grabbed a beer (12oz port city optimal wit, $9), our pup started socializing with other dogs, and I met some other people's pups too. The staff are very helpful & friendly, the atmosphere is definitely nice with ambient music, and the furnishings are industrial/minimalist- but considering the number of dogs- perfect for the clientele! This Sunday afternoon included about two dozen dogs, from miniature Pomeranians to Great Danes. Almost all were very social (what we were looking for) and the staff were quick to help on any issues or pup exuberant or aggressive play.
We came here after receiving a free day pass for my pup to try out. The food was amazing, but what was really amazing to me was the service I received from Staff member Lauren. She was so sweet, kind, and attentive. She is an absolutely amazing staff member and I wanted to highlight that! The dog park has an indoor section which was unfortunately closed due to a birthday party, so we stayed in the leashed eating area and outdoor dog park. The biggest plus of the outdoor park was that it had heaters! I avoid dog parks in the winter because of the cold but it was nice my pup could run around and I was relatively warm. Of course the indoor unleashed area I imagine would be great too! Again, the human food was great, fries were super fresh. I had the chicken sandwich which was delicious. They have a dog menu as well which was so cute! All in all a wonderful experience! 10 out of 10!
Great concept. We came from Seattle that had a few of these dog park bars and there’s a few things that Bark Social might benefit from: Better seating for the humans inside the play area (more tables and chairs), a small/timid dog section, and hosting specific breed meet ups - our boy Walter used to LOVE going to the small dog meet ups in Seattle at this place called Dogwood. Once a month they would host meets ups for specific breeds or dog groups, and the entire place would be reserved for 1.5 hrs on a Sunday morning before opening for that specific breed. We really wish we could find something similar here in Alexandria. We’ve been to barkhaus a couple times but our dog is a bit too timid around the bigger dogs and we wished there was a small dog section, also found that the seating and tables inside the play area were limited. With these improvements we would def come back!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
Abide by the rules: no treats, no toys. Whatever shoes/boots you wear here should never be worn in your house.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
My dog loves this place!! He couldn’t stop smiling the whole time he was there. This is going to be our new spot.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Most amazing pup friendly place I can find in the area! To bring your dog in, you need to create an account and upload the vaccination form for your dog, or you can also come in and show the staff the forms.Vibes: 9/10. You can bring your doggo to the dog park, inside while you eat, or upstairs. The dog park is great and super clean. If you want to bring your doggo out to the dog park, drinks only, no food.Food: 7/10. The food is ok, altho the brussels sprouts were fire!Drinks: 9/10: Great selection of beers and wine, they also have cocktails. I went during fall and the cocktail menu was fall-themed, and they all are so delicious! My favorite was the mule!Plenty of parkings on the neighborhood street.
Regrettably, we had a bad experience here. We were so excited to take our pup Ollie to run and play with others at a place that also provided some good food. We ordered over $100 worth of food to snack on while we were there and once the food was ready it was brought outside to us and placed on one of the picnic tables. Before our family was even able to enjoy it the winds completely blew the food all over the ground. While we understand that this is out of anyone's control, our frustration lies in the response to our situation. When we asked for a replacement order we were billed in full without any consideration or acknowledgement of the issue. We understand bark hause cannot control weather however, we do believe they can control the first time experience and perception of a new and potential repeat customer. It was the lack of empathy and transactional nature of the replacement order and the bill that left us with a perception of poor service.
It was our first time at Barkhaus and we all had a blast. The dogs were all friendly and the staff mediated if necessary. Very friendly staff. Delicious drinks! Great place to bring your dog for the afternoon.