Pet menus cater to canine restaurant visitors.

It’s a great time to be a four-legged gourmand on the Monterey Peninsula.

That is, canine menu options are becoming part of the dining game, and chains like In-N-Out and Chick-fil-A with their secret pet menus (if you ask), are losing ground to many local sit-down restaurants, usually with patios, water bowls (ice or no ice), dog treats and dog menus.

We counted close to 15 establishments in dog-friendly Carmel and Monterey that not only welcome canine customers – that’s long been part of the reputation of this dog-friendly community – but also offer separate menus for dogs.

Consider Estéban Restaurant in Monterey. There, on a recent Tuesday night, Leon and Sylvia Panetta and their golden retriever Buddy are seated together watching a baseball game. Buddy is very content, having just dined upon two burger patties and an order of scrambled eggs, the bartender confirms. The special dog menu at Estéban includes: the “Pooch Patty” ($12; a ground chuck patty that normally comes just barely seared on the outside, but Buddy’s are cooked to more like medium-rare, upon request), a “Pupsicle” ($8; an all-beef frank), and the “Bone Appetit” ($10; chilled wagyu bone marrow). The scrambled eggs are an off-menu addition for this beloved dog.

Similar treatment awaits canines at Cafe Fina in Monterey, where the doggie menu features three items: grilled chicken breast, a hamburger patty and a New York strip steak. Owner Dominic Mercurio marvels over the two Danes that come for New York steaks with their owner once a month. It would seem that dog-friendly menus are good business.

At London Bridge Pub in Monterey, with its waterfront patio, a dog menu (chicken or burger) has long been part of the landscape. It doesn’t come in writing, but dogs eat at London Bridge whenever the kitchen is open, which is always. If you don’t believe the Weekly, check out a review left on BringFido (an online dog travel directory) by “Bishop, the Lab” who came with his humans. “I mean, I am a lab and I live for attention, but I really loved my server,” Bishop wrote in the review, promising to be back.

Peter B’s Brewpub (at the Portola Hotel in Monterey) not only has a dog menu (which, in addition to your standard piece of meat, offers meatloaf and mash) and excellent dog biscuits, but also offers a Yappy Hour – an hour of furry fun where canine pals can get together to unleash and unwind while the owners enjoy their drinks.

Terry’s Lounge inside the Cypress Inn in Carmel features pillows so doggie visitors can get comfortable in the lounge area, and also offers a “Yappy Hour” – which is every hour – and $9 burger or chicken specials for pups.

The Forge in Carmel offers a robust “Canine Cuisine menu” that offers items such as a cup of kibble, the Hot Diggity Dog, a Quarter Hounder, and Hen House Chicken Strips.

A leashed, well-behaved dog is welcome to join you at a table on the outdoor patio at Toro Sushi in Carmel. That well-behaved dog will be rewarded with the option of enjoying lightly-seasoned and sliced salmon or chicken breast.

Sur (at the Barnyard in Carmel) offers chicken or salmon steak for your dog, and the neighboring Lugano Swiss Bistro in Carmel has grilled New York steak, diced chicken, rice and carrots on their dog menu. Fur babies are also acknowledged at The Grill at Point Pinos, where the menu includes hot dogs, burgers, bacon and scrambled eggs, all on a special menu for pooches.

The list goes on, in cities known for dog-friendly beaches, dog-friendly parks, dog-friendly hotels and dog-friendly wine-tasting rooms. Montrio in Monterey has an outdoor sidewalk patio open for dog-seating and homemade treats for pups. Carmel Belle in Carmel has dog treats, but no dogs are allowed in the inside eating area. Portabella in Carmel similarly has spoils and treats for your dogs – plus the doggy water comes in a silver ice bucket.

But what of our feline friends? It seems that while Four Seasons properties offer a full-page menu for both feline and canine guests, cats living on and visiting Monterey Peninsula must still wait a decade or two for their tuna tapas and Siamese scrambles.