Restaurants for Kids

If you and your kids like Mexican, Chevy's is great for the kids. There's one in Fairfax off Gallows Rd and Rt. 50. They have a great kids menu and can eat free on Tuesdays, I think. They can also watch "El Machino" as it cranks out freshly made tortillas and can even have a piece of their own tortilla dough to play with. My kids (I have 4) love going there especially for their birthday b/c they give them a big Mexican sombrero and, of course, sing Happy Birthday to them.

Joes Crab Shack has great food AND an indoor playground! Ask for a table near the playground and when you kids are done eating, they can play while you enjoy finishing your meal. If you go on an 'off' time, you may be the only ones there and have the playground all to yourself. We also like Silver Diner for kids. However, I must admit that my philosophy since my kids were babies was to take them to nice restaurants, order them "adult" food, and expect that they behave nicely and eat what is offered to them. It's a big dynamic shift from what you are used to, but maybe if you start slowly, your children will learn to appreciate a wider variety of foods and YOU will start enjoying your nights out again. You will often find our family out eating sushi, pho, thai, indian, and a great variety of other things. My children are 2 and 4 and they think nothing of eating a WIDE range of food that many children would balk at. Buffets are great because your child can sample a variety of foods that they may not ever have an opportunity to taste otherwise (and so can you). Many Indian and Asian restaurants have good buffets at lunch time, and that's a good time to experiment with new foods because the lunch crowds are typically in a rush all around you and much less "worried" about you and your kids and what you are doing there (versus a dinner crowd which may be less understanding as they try to enjoy their quiet dinner out). Good Luck and I hope your kids can start to enjoy a much wider palate of food!

I like Bertucci's in Ashburn. They have other locations in No VA. It's still pasta but they have a good kids menu plus the kids can play with pizza dough while waiting for their meal. If you/your kids like Spanish/Mexican food, try Mariachi in Lansdowne. For fast food Mexican, you can order 'sides' (choice of beef, pork, chicken, and/or rice, cheese, etc.) in Chipotle. For Asian (Thai), try My Thai in Brambleton, near the new theatres. For Greek (not that authentic but ok), try Amvrosia in Ryan Park by Home Depot. We take our daughter to different places so she can taste different foods ... but in the end, she still likes the nuggets, pizza, and mac n cheese ... : P

From the December 07 "baby world" article by Renee Sklarew, I found these recommendations for Child Friendly eateries:

Jammin'Java 227 Maple Avenue, Vienna
Generous George Positive Pizza and Pasta Place 3006 Duke St Alexandria
ChuckECheese's
Giorgio Family Restaurant 4394 Kevin Walker Dr Montclair
CiCi's Pizza 50 Dunn Dr Stafford
St Elmo's Coffee Pub
2300 Mount Vernon Ave Alexandria
Cameron Perks Coffeehouse
4911 Brenman Park Dr Alexandria
Rio Grande in Alexandria
Austin Grill in Alexandria
Fireflies in Del Ray, Alexandria

I haven't visited those, I clipped it for future reference (my grandchildren are too little to enjoy going out).
Hope all these eateries are still open. (article dates of Dec. 07)
I hope this helps.
C. Y
Arlington Grandma

Not sure what you like to eat, but we always take our girls to the asian restaurants we enjoy - Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai.

My 5 year old is a big fan of dumplings (steamed, not fried) and some of the other appetizers on the menus. Appetizers are a great kids portion size and usually a reasonable price. My 17-month old eats everything, so whatever we're getting, she gets some of too (cut up well, of course.) A side of steamed veggies also goes over well with my two. Rice and rice noodles are a great alternative to pasta. Many asian dishes are very mildly flavored (like meat/veg in a brown sauce), or the old standby sweet&sour chicken works too.

Don't limit yourselves to places with a kids menu - many times a restaurant has appetizers that work, or you can ask your server for a half-portion for a reduced price. Try Anita's for Mexican, they have excellent food and a wide variety on their menu.

If you look beyond the standard bar-staraunts or 'american' fare I think you'll find many acceptable places. = )

Good luck!

Pie-Tanza, which has locations in Arlington (Lee Harrison shopping center) and in Falls Church (sort of across from the Volvo dealership) offers the usual suspects but also offers grilled chicken with a side of steamed veggies, among other things.

Lebanese Taverna also has interesting items on their kids' menu.

You might also try ordering off of the appetizer menu for your kids...smaller portions but usually more diverse than nuggets, pizza, etc.

Good luck!

My daughter is 3 and she really likes Red Robin. It has a good children's menu with lots of options including friut instead of fries.

My daughter, 5, loves to eat out, but she loves vegetables and most childrens' menus do not have veggies on them. I find that the adult portions are just too big for my partner and I so we ask for an extra plate and share our food with our little girl. It works just great. We find that any loud restuarant works to bring children.

N.,
Check out www.cheapeats.com for restaurants where kids eat for free etc. Ony of my daughter's fave places to eat is Mango Mike's on Duke Street. They have a caribbean theme and they have 3 aquariums that keep her amused. Their kids menu offers the normal fare but also yummy fish items and the kids get a free appetizer, carrots n celery with ranch dressing. Also they have kids' toys and give them leis. My daughter just loves to walk around and look at the palm trees and beach scenes and sand. http://www.mangomikes.com/Pages/m2pg.html
And although we've only been there once we like Generous George's on Duke Street. They also have a new one in Herndon. It is a pasta/pizza place but lively and fun decor. Kids can make their own pizzas in the kitchen.
http://www.generousgeorge.com/location.html
We also like Paradiso( an italian rest.) in Springfield on Franconia Road. They have a kids section where they eat at the little picnic tables and have their own server. The only downside to that is that they do have a kids movie playing, I know some moms dont like their kids to watch tv while eating. BUT it can always be a special treat kinda thing.
http://www.paradisoristorante.com/html/kid_s_section.html
Also check out www.our-kids.com I think they have a restaurant preview section.
Good Luck,
P.

We take our son, 21 months old, to Cheesecake Factory alot. We have for months now. They give little ones a free plate of sliced bananas, strawberries and bread before the meal. They don't have a separate kids' menu, but you can order a sidedish, which is a great size for them. We get him the mac/cheese (with 4 kinds of cheese) and he loves it (about $6.) Or, lets be honest, the portions are so big there, you can share with your kids.

Joe's Pizza in North Arlington is good for kids I hear, so is Red Robin (lots to look at and sepearte kids' menu), Original Pancake House in Falls Church, and there are a few kid-friendly places in Shirlington too (like Aladdin's off the top of my head.) Good luck!

My son's favorite spot is Eggspectations off of Westfields Blvd in Chantilly. Their kids menu is so good I order from it! LOL

Also, Red Robin has a very good chicken pasta w/parm cheese on it. They also have awesome kids milkshakes for a special treat!