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Kid-friendly restaurants

Dai
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Reagan Pinkerton, Ainsley Pinkerton

Five-year-old Reagan and 8-year-old Ainsley Pinkerton stay entertained at this kid-friendly American restaurant with a game room. (Photo: lawellphoto.com)

McDonald’s and Chick-fil-A aside, there are restaurants that provide room for a kid to be a kid. Amy Campioni has a short list of places where her 6-year-old daughter can play while Mom visits with her hubby or BFF without feeling rushed or dreading the imminent,  “Mom, I’m bored!”

Trying to prolong the dining experience is a losing battle. No amount of beseeching can dissuade a bored, determined tyke. With a hyper 5-year-old daughter of my own, I’ve learned to eat quickly or visit places with a playground, patio or expanse of green, like one of Campioni’s favorite eateries, Tiny’s No. 5 (3636 Rice Boulevard). Here, kids can do somersaults after chomping on wood-fired margherita pizzas and warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies.

CityCentre’s Ruggles Green (801 Town and Country Lane, Suite 1B) also attracts throngs of families. It has a stellar kid’s menu with such items as all-natural chicken tenders and quinoa linguini with olive oil or marinara sauce and optional turkey meatballs, and the patio feeds into CityCentre’s green lawn.

“I also love Little Matt’s in West U,” Campioni says. “It has a little game room for the kids.” Its motto is “Where food meets fun.” The American eatery (6203 Edloe) attracts parents for another reason. Located near West University Elementary, this BYOB establishment “sometimes offer free wine and margaritas,” Campioni said. 

Cedar Creek Bar and Grill (1034 W. 20th Street) in the Heights is another Campioni haunt with sloping Hill Country landscaping and a bridge over a little creek that allows children to get close to nature under watchful eyes.

An hour or more of fun can be expected at Überrito Mexican (formerly Mission Burrito) (2245 W. Alabama) with its giant mulch playground. Children can run it off at the Discovery Green urban park, home of the Lake House (1600 McKinney), overlooking Kinder Lake, where, after polishing off burgers and kobe hot dogs, diners can ice skate from November through early February. The rest of year, folks can rent motorized model boats or kayaks or play in the shady playground and soaking fountains on the 12-acre urban park.

Dai Huynh is a James Beard food-journalism award winner and longtime restaurant writer. Her visits to restaurants in our Buzz Dining Guide were anonymous, and she paid for her meals to maintain objectivity. We’d love your thoughts too. Write to [email protected] with your own dining opinions and suggestions. Also, you can contribute in the Comments section below.

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