Dining with the dogs 

For the next stop in the brunch series, we travel to our second spot, not far from last week’s restaurant, Bernie’s. Located only two doors down, this restaurant displays with elegance what almost everyone loves: man’s best friend. 

You might have guessed it based on the hint; this week’s review is about a place called White Dog Cafe, once again in University City. There are three locations altogether, one not too far from St. Joe’s in Haverford, Pennsylvania.

The White Dog Cafe in University City has a history dating back to its opening in 1983. It was the first restaurant in Philadelphia to use environmentally sustainable, organic and local foods from farms within 50 miles of the restaurant, according to their website. 

After hearing a lot of good things about it, I have wanted to try this place out. However, I was a little worried about going, because I have found it to be too expensive for my budget. 

What changed my mind? The fact that I was writing a brunch column and I wanted to try somewhere new. Enter: White Dog Cafe.

As soon as you walk into the restaurant, you are greeted by a dachshund door handle and bulldog heads mounted on the wall. 

This place is dog paradise and as a dog person, I was all for it.

The restaurant itself is very large with a lot of nooks and crannies, and it seems that each separate room has completely different furnishings.

One room has walls lined with booths and paintings of dogs in royal outfits, another has a white wall with frames to decorate it, and another is full of plants.

We were seated in a space that is surrounded by dark wooden walls, green paneling and black and white watercolor paintings of, you guessed it, dogs. It is a darker setting compared to rooms next to us that have open windows letting a lot of light in, but it is cozy and close with other customers.

While we were waiting for our food, the waitress brought us a mysterious bread that turned out to be a delicious coffee cake that I wanted to eat for the rest of my time there.

I ordered the pork belly benedict for $16, which is house-smoked pork belly, poached eggs, toasted brioche and pickled onions with home fries on the side.

The pork belly was cooked perfectly. It was sweet and went well with the sweet pickled onions; it melted in my mouth with every bite. 

The brioche got a little soggy underneath the poached eggs, but it added a nice touch to the plate full of delicate foods. 

The potatoes were also cooked perfectly. The saltiness was great for when I needed a break from the sweet cream that came on top of the eggs benedict. 

All in all, the dog theme is a great touch to the restaurant, but without it, I feel it would be a very average place. I would not have had as much of a desire to go, especially for a fun day of brunch-ing. 

It works better as a date place because of the close spaces. Due to the small rooms, I don’t know how practical it would be for large groups. There was a group in the room where we were eating that looked a bit too snug. 

The food was delicious and definitely worth the $16, however it’s not somewhere I will likely return to knowing there are better deals out there for the same kind of food.

Their brunch hours are Saturday and Sunday 9:30-2:30, about as long as brunch lasts at most places.

If you’re a dog lover, it’s definitely a place you should go to at least once just to see what it’s all about. The friend I went with is obsessed with dogs, so she was in heaven.

I recommend trying this place out at least once to see for yourself what it has to offer. It is a must-see, but not necessarily a go-to place.