Eating Out with Kids
Eating out with young kids is a different experience than eating out with adults. Kids usually have a different palate than adults, so there’s the need to find food that they’ll like. While the adults may be tired or looking for a chance to relax, the kids are likely to be energetic or bouncy, so the atmosphere must be conducive to occasional childish outbursts or just the expression of youthful energy. Additionally, side activities are often highly desirable to keep the kids occupied while waiting for the food to arrive or the bill to be paid. That’s all well and good. A person could just go to Chuck E. Cheese’s. Or they could break their own legs just to avoid that trauma. Or they could try to find a place that meets the needs of the kids and the needs of the adults. A listing of some of the places I’ve tried with kids along with observations is below the jump.
Do you have ideas on places I should be sure to try with the kids? or sure to avoid?
Bar Abilene offers a great Sunday brunch with a special twist: kids eat free! Good food in a fun atmosphere that accommodates the energy of kids well. The brunch has stuff that the kids like, too.
Joe’s Garage offers a large children’s menu in a good setting. Joe’s is a surprise favorite for me. I had eaten there several times without the kids before I brought them, planning to split an entree between them. Upon our arrival, a children’s menu was presented, along with crayons and paper for the kids to use while waiting.
Manny’s Steakhouse takes first prize as the place I least expected to see people bring children to eat, but I did once see a family eating there with their 7 year old son. The environment is high energy, so it looked like it worked okay. I don’t know if there is a children’s menu or not.
Perkins. An old standby and especially beloved by the kids due to the presence of a clown doing balloon art or face painting on kids night. Tuesday night seems to be the default kids night at the Perkins restaurants I’ve tried in town. They have a children’s menu and offer crayons and paper.
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Good post! I’ve been surprised to see waiters doing balloon animals at both Champs and Green Mill.
hands down the best place for kids dining is QCumbers in the Centennial Lakes area of Edina. It’s buffet eating, but nothing is fried. The frozen yogurt sundae bar is a huge hit. We’ve been going there since before the kids could walk. Monday nites they only charge 99cents for kids 12 and under.
I read an article last year about how more restaurants in NYC were actually offering playrooms for kids, pre- and post- main courses. It was something like $10 per hour per kid. Not a bad idea–you come in, drop off the kids upstairs for a bit, summon them down for the actual eating, then send them back upstairs to place while you relax.
–Steve (http://grossreport.blogspot.com)
I would never have guessed at balloon animals at Champps or Green Mill.
Q.Cumbers has a great website, I’ve just discovered. Monday is kid’s night, but even on non-kid’s night, they’re pretty cheap: $0.65 per year of age. They also offer links to coupons online.
Highland Grill off Ford Parkway and Cleveland in St. Paul will bring out bins of toys for your wee lassie or lad(s) to enjoy. As did Hell’s Kitchen in Downtown Minneapolis, the last time I brought my little lady out.
Both, coincidentally, are local restaurants with great food both kids and grownup palates enjoy. Total score.
Out Woodbury way…we love to take our 3 year old to Buffalo Wild Wings. He loves the chicken strips, and the place is so loud that he can scream his head off and even the tables closest to us can’t hear him!
I hope some people read this article, as parents of young children can be somewhat… obtuse to others situations sometimes.
Another thing you might mention is the time you take your kids out to eat. At the restaurant I cook at, you’d be surprised how many parents bring their kids in at 9 PM or 10 PM to dine. Other adults are much more sympathetic when you’re bringing you kids at a reasonable time.