Every year on Mother’s Day, my mom wants to go to a restaurant. And every year I tell her, that’s the last thing I’d like to do. Dealing with antsy toddlers and babies, asking that they sit still and use their inside voices (impossible), cleaning up the inevitable spilled juice and milk, making a million trips to the potty, and managing meltdowns over broken crayons and dropped French fries is not my idea of a relaxing mother’s day.
But sometimes, trips to restaurants can’t be avoided. Birthdays, family get togethers, it’s gonna happen. I can’t save you. But, I can recommend a few restaurants that will be more than accommodating with you and your little ones. And surprise, none of them are Chuck-E-Cheese!
1. Lazy Dog Café
Compared to dogs (which this restaurant also accommodates) toddlers are no biggie! Every time I’ve been here with the kids, the staff has been super helpful and kid-friendly. They always offer me a spot to park my stroller, they have a great coloring book/kids menu, and the kids also love the food. The kids mac and cheese and the kids noodles are two favorites.
For the adults, the beer selection is pretty good, and you get served quickly, which means no waiting around with screaming kids while the server takes forever with the bill. And save room for dessert and order the butter cake. Trust me.
2. Souplantation
Bring back-up because you do have to serve yourself from the buffet line, so you don’t want to come here alone with the kids. But other than that, this place is super convenient. You can get a mountain of food for a good price, get back up and get a quick dessert that the kids will love, and then when you’re done, you leave.
It’s an easy way to get kids to eat their vegetables (they’re everywhere here!) and don’t worry about the dinner rush. This restaurant’s normal clientele usually eats dinner around 4:30, 5. (I’m looking you, nana.)
3. Stacked
No need to wait on your server to come and ask if your kid needs a refill on their apple juice, Stacked asks customers to order their food and drinks via iPad. Scroll through the options and when you’re ready to order, you tap “Send to Kitchen” and you’re done. You can also pay your bill on the iPad which means leaving in a hurry is easy too.
Be sure to ask the host for the kids silly stix that they can provide in lieu of crayons. They’re bendable brightly-colored sticks that can be shaped and stuck together to make anything from glasses to a necklace. They are great for keeping the kiddoes occupied (and quiet). And while they’re busy with that, scroll through the iPad and order yourself one of their adult milkshakes. Send to kitchen!
What is your favorite kid-friendly restaurant?