Walking tours are one of my favourite things to do in any new city I’m visiting – and that’s especially true when the walking tours allow dogs to tag along. Dog-friendly walking tours are on my radar but rarely are food tours. Dogs aren’t allowed on most food tours until…

Bitelines Atlanta Food Tours contacted me about its unique dog-friendly food tour called Barks and Bites: Doggie Crawl along the Beltline in Atlanta, Georgia. Admittedly, I have not participated in this tour with my dog (nor have I been to Atlanta – it’s on my list), but I had to contact founder and CEO Nicole Gustin to find out more.

As far as we both know, Bitelines Atlanta offers the only dog-focused food tour in North America. According to Gustin, this option is a “tour for the dogs where humans are permitted.”

Curious? So was I. Here’s what I learned.

BiteLines Atlanta Food Tours

BiteLines Atlanta Food Tour is a small business owned by Nicole Gustin, an Atlanta resident who spent 13 years in Boston before moving back to Atlanta prior to the pandemic. Watching the Atlanta BeltLine develop, she had a eureka moment: start a food-focused walking tour along the developing BeltLine.

To date, Gustin claims to have walked more than one thousand miles along the Atlanta BeltLine and tried almost every restaurant. Originally, she launched Atlanta BiteLine Tours in 2019, then relaunched in 2021.

She’s also a dog-lover and knew dogs had to be part of the Bitelines Atlanta Food Tours – both because so many dogs lived in the apartments along Atlanta’s BeltLine and so many patios were dog-friendly. Therefore, in addition to the Atlanta BeltLine food tour, she added Barks and Bites: Doggie Crawl for dogs who bring their people along in March 2023.

But first, you’ll need to know what the Atlanta BeltLine is.

What is the Atlanta BeltLine?

Apparently, the Atlanta BeltLine is the most comprehensive revitalization project ever initiated in the city of Atlanta, Georgia. Since the early 2000s, hundreds of millions of dollars have been invested in this 22-mile urban redevelopment project repurposing old railway corridors into trails, parks, and mixed-use spaces including residential space and yes, restaurants.

New residents and those burning calories along the Eastside Trail, got to eat. The Eastside Trail is the more established part of the Beltline designed to hug the perimeter of Atlanta’s downtown core. (Fun fact: by the time the entire project is completed in 2023, the estimated cost is 4.8 billion US, according to the Atlanta BeltLine financial statements). The BeltLine has made Atlanta a more walkable city.

Opportunity knocked when Gustin moved back to Atlanta and watched the BeltLine urban renewal and greenspace project evolve. The signature BiteLines Food Tour (for people only) stops at four popular restaurants along the BeltLine and includes six tasting-sized portions. Food tours, like this one, are popular with visitors to the city.

But you’re here to learn about the dog-friendly food tour. The dog-focused food tour is popular with locals, and, according to Gustin, people with pups have travelled from neighbouring areas such as North Georgia to participate. (However, Atlanta is an easy day trip from Alabama, South Carolina, and Tennessee).

Dog-friendly Food Tour in Atlanta

The BiteLines Atlanta Food Tour’s Barks and Bites: Doggie Crawl food tour is for dogs who can bring their people along. Yes, you must bring a dog to be on the tour. Yes, you can accompany someone with a dog, but there’s a maximum of two people per dog. This tour is for the dogs – leashed dogs, of course. ($69 US per adult with dog. $39 US for a companion person. $39 US for an additional dog).

Every other Sunday throughout the year, Gustin runs the Doggie Crawl food tour where you’ll stop for bites for both you and your dog at two pet-friendly restaurants and two pet boutiques. You and your pup will walk 1.2 miles (3.5 km) for about 2.5 hours.

“Atlanta is a very dog-friendly city,” states Gustin. “Dogs are not allowed inside restaurants, but most permit dogs on the patios and provide water bowls.” To join Doggie Crawl, participants must book online in advance. Spots fill up because there’s a maximum of 15 dogs per tour.

Have there been any issues between dogs on the tour? “No, not really,” says Gustin. “Often when dogs arrive, they are excited but then settle in. The tour is for the dogs. When they realize the trays of prepared food coming out of the kitchen are for them, they are extra happy. Dogs are smart that way.”

What do you get on the Barks and Bites Tour?

On the Atlanta Doggie Crawl food tour, you’ll get two tasting bites and one craft beer or soda. Your dog will get the following:

• a bone broth “Barkarita” served in a margarita glass with cucumber (not lime).
• two prepared snacks at each restaurant such as a hot dog, a grilled hamburger, a chicken Philly steak sandwich with dog-safe cheese, or a pup cup. (Exact bites vary seasonally).
• a swag bag of local and national pet company products.

Giving back is part of the BiteLines Tours’ mandate. According to Gustin, since March 2024 a portion of all proceeds each month (except August) is donated to an animal rescue, shelter, or adoption organization such as Paws Atlanta, LifeLine Animal Project, Atlanta Humane Society, and the National Brittany Rescue & Adoption Network.

In conclusion

Atlanta BiteLine Tours offers a dog-friendly food tour called Doggie Crawl every other Sunday along Atlanta’s BeltLine featuring prepared people-grade food snacks for your dog. Private tours are new. If you and your dog’s friends want a tour together, or a special ‘barkday’ or ‘gotcha day’ celebration, that can be arranged through Atlanta BiteLine Tours.

Also new: a ‘Barkday’ add-on to the regular tour. If your dog is celebrating a birthday or gotcha day when you are on the tour, you can let the entire BeltLine know by purchasing a “Barkday” package from WoofGang Bakery, which includes some extra treats and a birthday bandana and hat.

Writer bio: Sherri Telenko has been a professional writer for decades and a travel writer for the last two. She’s a member of TMAC (Travel Media Association of Canada) and Dog Writers Association of America and travels almost weekly with her canine companion, Victoria. Contact Sherri at dogtrotting.net here. All written content is original, written by a person, and based on experience and research. Please subscribe!