The Spotty Dog Roadhouse in Retreat, Cape Town, is a whimsical and much‑loved landmark whose origins trace back to 1937–1938, when musician Ralph Barnes and his wife Enid created South Africa’s first dog‑shaped roadside restaurant. Designed with the help of an architect and built in secrecy, the two‑storey white dog with black spots quickly became a popular stop between Wynberg and Muizenberg, serving simple roadhouse fare and attracting families, sailors, and local farm communities. Its hollow cement‑and‑wire head, later the subject of wartime spy rumours, added to its mystique, while decades of pranks, repairs, and weather damage shaped its evolving appearance.
After Ralph’s death in 1947, Enid managed the business until selling it in 1963. The original structure deteriorated and was nearly destroyed in 1972 when a runaway lorry crashed into it, leaving only memories and fragments cherished by local children. In 1988, Andrew Louw of Cape Concrete built a smaller ferro‑cement replica as a nostalgic tribute, later joined briefly by a “puppy” statue. Today, the 2.5‑metre replica still stands outside BUCO on Honeywell Road as a non‑functional but iconic symbol of local heritage. Maintained by Louw’s daughter, it remains a beloved reminder of Cape Town’s quirky roadside history, complete with enduring legends of wartime espionage.