
I. Love. Dogs. I mean, who doesn’t love dogs? If you don’t like dogs then I still respect — you but I’m going to have to also respectfully disagree, and ask you to step out of this dog friendly cafe blog post, because dogs are just great. And this coffee shop has “dog” in its name… so that already makes it pretty cool…
But in all seriousness, Top Dog is one of my favorite coffee shops to hang out in the SLO area. There are two locations: one in Morro Bay and one in Cayucos.
This locally owned cafe’s ambiance is tranquil and serene (just like the rest of the Central Coast). There’s an outdoor back patio with greenery, and Central Coast sunlight shining down that will warm your soul, with enough shade to provide sight of your laptop so that you can be productive.
Free WiFi and ample outlets make it a place you can plant yourself comfortably with the purchase of yummy food or drink. There are SO MANY choices of what to try, from coffee to tea to food to beer/wine, all of which will go toward supporting this local business. You could seriously come here every day for a whole month and never order the same thing twice.
Top Dog also offers friendly service (I mean of course it does, this is the happiest place in America, right?!). The baristas always patiently wait while I consider every single type of combination of syrups and espresso… One of my favorite drinks to order is a Yerba Mate tea au lait. It’s steamed milk topped on Yerba Mate tea. Great for a caffeine fix if you’re not feeling like investing in a coffee-based beverage.

The interior of the shop is decorated with fido photos — most of which were taken right on the Morro’s adjacent beach (great motivation to stare at when you’re studying/working to finish quickly, so that you can take a trip to Morro Rock!).
The exterior garden patio is filled with plants, flowers and a gentle breeze. It’s a relaxing place to hang out and enjoy the authentically laid back, cozy and artsy atmosphere of Morro Bay.
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