Dog Cafe Near Me on the Sand: Monty's Dog Beach in Long Beach

Most dog cafe near me searches end at a sidewalk table. In Long Beach the answer can be a beach. Monty's Dog Beach & Bar sits directly on the sand at 5000 E Ocean Blvd in Belmont Shore, next to the Granada launch ramp, and its whole premise is that dogs are guests rather than accessories. The slogan on its website says it plainly: where dogs are people too. Coffee, food and a dog menu are served all day.

The idea did not start in California. Monty's began in 2015 as a small family-run dog beach concept in Crikvenica, on the Croatian coast, then added beaches on the island of Rab and in Portoroz, Slovenia. Long Beach is the fourth location and the first outside Europe. Local press credits the married couple Igor and Ruby Montanari-Knez, and the Long Beach site lists Ruby as founder and owner. It opened here in 2024.

The rule that defines the place is off-leash. The website states that off-leash is allowed, so only friendly dogs are welcome, and the rules page asks owners to keep aggressive, sick or in-heat dogs at home. If your dog is nervous, the FAQ says you may keep it on a leash, with the warning that other dogs may still approach freely. Small-dog owners are told not to assume every big dog is friendly.

There is no ocean frontage at Monty's itself, a point the site makes up front. For swimming, Rosie's Dog Beach is about 150 feet away by the website's count, a short walk across the sand. That is the city's off-leash dog zone on Ocean Blvd between Granada and Roycroft avenues: 4.1 acres, open daily from 6 am to 8 pm, with dogs leashed on the way in and free to run once inside.

The dog menu is printed alongside the human one, and the prices are real. A Pup Cup is $3.50, a Puppuccino $6, and a Dog Patty $10. The Dogtini is $12, the priciest item on the dog side of the board. There is also organic homemade ice cream for dogs at $7.50. Water bowls are set out, and an agility area with obstacles gives energetic dogs something to do between snacks.

Coffee is the cafe half of the business, and it is priced below most beach bars. An Americano is $3.50, a double espresso or drip coffee $4, a cappuccino or cortado $4.50 and a latte $6. The matcha latte is $6.50, and a 16-ounce iced cold brew is $6.50. Flavors such as vanilla, hazelnut, caramel and chai can be added, and there is a seasonal option.

Weekday afternoons have a happy hour from 3 to 6 pm, with draft beer at $8, wine at $7 and a cheese pizza at $12. In the evening the bar side takes over with spritzes at $15.90, sangria and a 12-ounce Ola Sol margarita slushy at $12. Seats are the scarce resource at peak times, and the menu asks guests to keep tables to 90 minutes when it is busy.

Hours run 10 am to 10 pm Monday through Friday, and 8 am to 10 pm on Saturday and Sunday, so it works as both a weekend breakfast stop and a sunset drink. Entrance is free. There are no reservations for tables or sunbeds; everything works on a first come, first served basis, and payment in advance is not accepted.

Rentals are how the regulars stake out a whole day. Sunbeds, beach chairs and cabanas are priced in blocks of 1, 4 or 8 hours, and the rules ask you to put a towel down before a wet dog climbs on. Keep the receipt, since staff may check. Outside food and drink are not allowed, and private tents or sunbeds cannot be set up on Monty's sand. No refunds are given for rain.

The FAQ also lists the events that keep the calendar busy: Paint & Whine, Clay & Whine, Salsa Sundays and seasonal holiday parties. Over the summer, DogTrekker listed a beach meetup at Monty's in July with a special dog menu. For a calm first visit, skip event nights and come on a weekday morning, when the sand is quieter and the agility area is easier to have to yourselves.

Parking is better than most beach spots. The FAQ says there is free street parking along Ocean Blvd and a 600-space lot next door that costs about $2 an hour; the city calls it the Granada Avenue lot. Belmont Shore's shops and restaurants on Second Street are a short drive or a longer walk inland, and the beach path along Ocean Blvd is good for a leashed cool-down walk.

Leash discipline changes when you step off Monty's sand. Long Beach rules require dogs to be leashed whenever they are outside designated dog zones, and dogs younger than four months are not allowed in the dog beach. The city also requires dogs there to be vaccinated and licensed. Bring a long leash for the walk over, your own waste bags, and a towel for the drive home.

A few practical notes. Monty's lists montysdogbeach@gmail.com as its contact and does not publish a phone line on its website, so email ahead about group visits. Cards are accepted, delivery runs through DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber Eats, and the site describes walkways along the terrace for easier access. The kitchen fries calamari and French fries in the same oil, which matters for shellfish allergies.

Monty's suits social, well-socialized dogs and owners who want to spend more than an hour, especially anyone pairing a cappuccino with a swim at Rosie's. It suits anxious or reactive dogs poorly, since off-leash play is the whole point. Treat it as the LA County version of a European beach club, with a Dogtini on the table and sand in every paw by the time you leave.