What Are the Best Restaurants for Eating Out with Young Kids?

Great request!! This should be helpful to all of us, so I'll keep checking back...

We have had good and bad experiences at a number of places. We also travel quite a bit, so it's interesting to see what else is out there. It is so frustrating to watch the restaurant staff cringe and grumble when they see a large family walk in the door. (Obviously we steer clear of those places, but usually you have to get burned once to know).

Here are some of our faves:
** On the Border - fun atmosphere, very attentive waitstaff and a variety of selections for the kiddos. The kids menu offers everything from grilled chicken and steamed veggies to enchiladas, rice and beans to a corndog or cheesburger with fries. The kids have a choice of one side, so they could do veggies or a salad with a burger if they (or you) prefer. Kids get a free ice cream sundae with their meal.
** Big Boy/Elias Brothers - they have recently re-vamped their kids menu and they offer a wonderful variety of healthy choices for kids. They have grilled chicken wraps, yogurt, apple slices or kids salads in addition to the usual grilled cheese and fries or mac and cheese. We've been a little "hot or cold" with the service, but every location is different and generally speaking we have been treated well. The kids really like the food and the chocolate malts are a fun bonus ;)
** IHOP - We just went there Tuesday night and discovered that kids eat free on Tuesdays (yeah!). We almost always decide on something from the breakfast menu, so I can't vouch for regular dinner selections, but the kids had a large pancake with fresh banana slices for a smile and a large strawberry for each eye. It was served with a Go-Gurt (yogurt) as a side.
** Corner Bar (in Rockford) - if you're in the mood for a very casual meal of hot dogs and good "pub" food, this is the place! They are known for their hot dogs and you can dress them up however you like (Chili-dogs, Chicago-style, whatever....). The kids basket comes with Smileyface potatoes and the staff does a nice job making sure your family feels welcome.
** Red Lobster - their kids menu is one of the best in the industry. They have lots of healthy choices and nobody walks away hungry. They offer carrots and celery (with ranch dip), salad, steamed veggies and more. Kids entrees range from seafood selections to more traditional Kraft mac and cheese. It's more pricey than many casual dining choices in the area, but you're getting real food and very full bellies.

Many businesses offer coupons or specials that cater to families. I think quite a few also have a kids eat free night or rotating discounts or specials. Check around or do a google search and see what comes up. Also, look into the Entertainment Book. There are a lot of good coupons for half off or buy one get one free offers and they are good for a whole year, so you've got time to use them.

Let us know what else you find....
Bon Appetit!

If you are looking for a sit-down restaurant for a nice meal, we go to the loud ones. That way, the kids don't stand out if they start to get unruly. My faves are Red Robin, Applebees, and Fridays. We save places like Olive Garden for date nights!

We like Buffalo Wild Wings...wednesdays are kids nights. If you join their (free) kids club, the kids eat for $1.99, and get free ice cream mon-thurs. They often have raffles for free stuff...sometimes it is a bike. And the best part,is that it has such a noisy background, being a sports bar/grill that the kids can let loose a bit and not disturb others. They also have video games if your kids are into that sort of thing. They are also quick about getting the food to the table...although there is a lot of fried items on the menu....

Try BW3's, most have family night every Wednesday with activities and kids eat for $1.99, I think they can eat for $1.99 on Sundays also. Logan's and Roadhouse are also good choices because Monday - Wednesday they have the 2 for $12.99 and kids for $1.99 (check your local restaurant to see if they participate). They are usually loud and packed with kids.

Mom of three beautiful children 6, 21/2, and 3 mos who also enjoys eating out with the kids.

Both of my daughters are under 5. One family tradition/habit that we have is eating out every Thursday, and have done that since they were babies. We establish that there are out to dinner rules and house rules - and they are very different. With that said, we've gone everywhere (I still remember the time we took them to Red Lobster and the people at the tables around us didn't even realize they were there until they got up to leave - and my coworkers couldn't believe they were that well behaved). At the same time, we have also found that certain restaurants cater to their needs better than others. IHOP is one, Asian (Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Thai, etc.) restaurants are AWESOME at catering to the needs of little ones. I think it's that family is very important to the Asian culture, and there are times where their needs come first - and they will do whatever to make them happy. Which of course, means that mom and dad are happy and we'll come back. Red Robin is another one that is good for kids.

I love Red Robins!! They always bring fries out with our drinks so our kids can munch on them. As long as you aren't a health nut on the nights you go out, this is awesome! My kids are 2 1/2 years and 15 months by the way, and very active. We also go to Applebees, B-Dubs, Fridays, First Wok, I-HOP, Bob evans, and small bars before they get busy. We love going to small bars because it isn't smokey when they open, usually around 5, the food is good, the service is quick and you are out of there with a bill less then $20 and for a family of four I think that's pretty good. You can find a lot of place that kids eat free or buy one adult meal and get one free. Each place will have it on a different night. As a special treat to my kids, we will sometimes go to McDonalds for dinner and they get to play in the play area. I often tend to use this option as a reward of some great behavior though:) I think as long as you stay away from the "fansy" resturants, you should be good. they are kids, let them be kids!

Hi A.,
I don't know where your from but in Grand Rapids on 28th street theres a restaurant called El Arriero. It's a mexican restaurant that my husband and I love. We have a 5 and 2 and a half year old and need someplace kid friendly as well. The food is ALWAYS served quick. We have been there many, many times and never had to wait more than 10 minutes for food. Plus whenever we go in there there is always alot of families. Plus the food is great. So if you like mexican food I would try it. Good luck.
Chris