America’s Favorite Family Friendly Restaurants
By Lygeia Grace
Food Network has the scoop on dozens of kid-friendly restaurants from coast-to-coast.
Kids Welcome
Chicken fingers aren’t the only game in town. Dozens of child-friendly restaurants around the country are serving up delicious, sophisticated meals that are winning raves from kids and parents alike. With dishes like wood-grilled shrimp and quinoa pilaf as well as gourmet pizza, the younger set is enjoying the fruits of the farm-to-table revolution. Pull up a chair at one of these welcoming spots and tuck into the new happy meal.
Atlanta: Osteria 832 Pasta and Pizza
A spacious patio strung with winkling lights is the draw at this cafe. Just as enticing: the reasonably priced menu filled with Arugula and parmesan salad, Rigatoni Bolognese, and thin-crust pizzas in adult and kiddie sizes. The management’s friendly instructions to parents on curbing little ones - “Thou shalt not run around the dining room” - keeps the place buzzing with mix of couples, walk-ins and families.
More About: Osteria 832
Austin: Franklin Barbecue
Lunch at this Austin institution, hailed as the best barbecue in the country, is always worth the wait. The line starts assembling an hour or so before the 11 o’clock opening. Once inside, you have a choice of fall-apart tender brisket, smoky ribs and deliciously moist turkey cut to order. Save room for dessert if you can: The individual 4-inch pies come in Key Lime, Bourbon Banana and not-to-be-missed Lemon Chess.
More About: Franklin Barbecue
Boston: Rialto Restaurant and Bar
Bostonians make a beeline to this Cambridge institution for date nights, but James Beard Award-Winning Chef Jody Adams also has a soft spot for children. On family-focused holidays, kids can sample her delectable cooking from a children’s brunch menu. Other nights, the school crowds dine on half portions of dishes like tortellini with sugar snap peas, and cavatelli with sausage, eggplant and tomato.
More About: Rialto Restaurant and Bar
Boston: The Cottage
High ceilings, white woodwork and sunny windows exude a beachy vibe that is matched by the casually elegant food: think Maine Lobster Cobb Salad, Ale Battered Haddock and Chips and the signature Laura’s Meatloaf. Kids feast on above-average standbys like Cheeseburger Sliders, Chicken over Garden Salad and Fruit Salad. Bonus: Both the men’s and women’s rooms are equipped with baby changing tables.
More About: The Cottage
Charleston, SC: Hominy Grill
Housed in a historic red clapboard house, this gem is a standout in a town famous for Iow-country comfort food. Though there isn’t a children’s menu, Charleston’s youngsters have been happily gobbling up kid-friendly dishes like the Pimento Cheese Sandwich on a Pretzel Roll, Macaroni and Cheese, and Friend Green Tomatoes with Ranch Dressing since the place opened in 1996.
More About: Hominy Grill
Chicago: Wishbone
At this family-owned Southern-style restaurant, brunch picks for kids include Fruit Pancakes, Crunchy French Toast (coated in Corn Flakes) and a Rabbit Patch plate made up of any three sides. Further proof these folks understand hungry kids? The basket of warm corn muffins dropped off at your table as soon as you take a seat. Tuesday night, children eat free.
More About: Wishbone
Dallas: Chicken Scratch
Place your order at the walk-up counter, take a number, then let the little ones run free in the courtyard while you grab one of the picnic tables. When dinner does arrive - juicy fried chicken, locally sourced vegetables and homemade ranch sauce- the kids will have worked up an appetite. Grownups can imbibe in an icy brew from The Foundry, an adjacent bar, while the junior set grabs house-made fruit ice pops.
More About: Chicken Scratch
Denver: Steuben’s Food Service
Housed in a converted auto body garage, this uptown restaurant serves retro cocktails, deviled egg apps and kid’s meals on old-school cafeteria trays. Children’s dinners come with carrot sticks, cucumbers, edamame and fresh berries. For adults there are elevated comfort classics like Chicken Marsala, BBQ Beef Brisket and a Monte Christo that earns rave reviews.
More About: Steuben’s Food Service
Detroit: Local Kitchen & Bar
“Life is short. Eat real food.” That’s the motto that graces the menu of this Ferndale spot. And while there is no official children’s menu, restaurant-savvy families will find plenty of tempting ways to put this farm-centric philosophy to the test, including Sweet “Potater” Tots with Chipotle Ketchup, BBQ Beef Brisket Sliders, Carnita Nachos, and a decadent Baked Mac and Cheese available with or without Candied Bacon.
More About: Local Kitchen & Bar
Fort Worth, Texas: Cafe Modern
After a morning of gallery hopping, treat your burgeoning art lover to a truly tasteful meal at this throughly civilized dining room in the Modern Art Museum’s striking Tadao Ando-designed building. Menus change by the season - snap up the Moroccan Chicken Salad if you see it. For kids, there are enticing options like Grilled Chicken Breast with buttered vegetables, as well as a Mac and Cheese made with cavatappi.
More About: Cafe Modern
Houston: Amazon Grill
There’s plenty to love about this West U go-to, starting with the bar of warm plantain chips and cilantro, salsa and chimichurri sauces. But don’t fill up! Generous plates of South American-style grill and grilled chicken with crema fresca all win applause. Having customers order at a counter keeps prices low; a kid’s menu filled with popcorn chicken and quesadillas (served with cotton candy) keeps the place bustling.
More about: Amazon Grill
Miami: Essensia
This romantic spot tucked inside the Palms Hotel, Chef Julie Frans welcomes young visitors to her poolside kitchen gardens for tours during the growing season. The children’s menu veers toward the sophisticated: Salmon Teriyaki, Black Thai Rice, Quinoa and Caesar Salad are among the healthy options, making indulging in a Chocolate-Dipped Rice Crispy Treat Pop or a Banana Split feel practically guilt-free.
More About: Essensia
Miami: Yardbird Southern Table & Bar
The shared plates trend takes a family-friendly turn at this South Beach hot spot, where heaping platters of crisp fried chicken, tender waffles and juicy watermelon seem custom-made for little fingers. Request a seat at one of the huge round banquettes and dig in. Souther-style drinks - sweet tea, bourbon spiked lemonade -served in cute Mason jars provide ample refreshment.
More About: Yardbird Southern Table & Bar
New York: Blue Smoke
“Blue Smoke loves kids!” the menu proclaims, and the proof is evident the minute you sit down and your little one is given a cookie dough pig to decorate. There are craft sticks for busy fingers and a kids’ menu that offers Grilled Salmon and Memphis Baby Back Ribs in addition to the usual grilled cheese. Meanwhile, adults can savor Southern fare overseen by superstar restaurateur Danny Meyer.
More About: Blue Smoke
Philadelphia: Marathon Grill
Sure, there are chicken fingers on the kid’s menu. But you’ll also find less expected options, like Matzoh Ball Soup and a Thanksgiving Dinner complete with turkey and mashed potatoes. All are made with ingredients from the restaurant’s farm or locally sourced. Add a festive cocktail menu and food options like Cheesesteak Wontons, and you have the makings of a neighborhood joint that never fails to satisfy.
More About: Marathon Grill
Phoenix: Joe’s Farm Grill
How do you improve on crowd-pleasers like burgers, dogs and salads? Make them with fresh, organic ingredients you grow on your own farm. That’s the formula that keeps Arizona families flocking to this suburban oasis for grilled thin-crust pizzas, barbecued ribs and crisp onion rings that have achieved legendary status. Place your order, then find a seat at one of the picnic tables among the tall trees.
More About: Joe’s Farm Grill
Washington, D.C.: 2Amys
If there’s one thing kids and parents can agree on, it’s pizza. And there’s not shortage of options to please both generations at this Cleveland Park classic. For timid palates, there’s a sublime wood-fired Margherita made with Italian plum tomatoes, mozzarella di bufala and fresh basil. The more adventurous can sink their teeth into a Vongole Pie blanketed with fresh garlic, capers, hot peppers and cockles.
More About: 2Amys
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