My Top 7 Family Friendly Restaurants | Houston Family Photographer
Anybody with children has been there at one point or another. You want to take the family out to dinner, but you start to wonder if your little cherubs will behave. If this is going to be that one time when everything goes wrong. I've been there! There's been a couple of occasions where my kids and I have come out of the ladies room, and they're left wearing only their diaper due to the mess that happened on or before the changing table. Or other times when they just won't stop crying, or trying to get out of their high chair! It's frustrating, it's exhausting, and it's can be a bit embarrassing, to say the least. While I have no control over how your child behaves, I can offer some insight on some restaurants that are more kid friendly, to help put your minds at ease. I've compiled a list of 7 different family and kid friendly restaurants all around the Houston area that we have found to be great fun for our whole family. Places where mom and dad aren't stuck eating chicken nuggets with the kids, but they also have plates that cater to children of all ages, as well as offer some sort of entertainment. So, the next time you consider taking your whole family out to eat, or to meet up with friends, keep these awesome, and might I add, delicious places in mind! To learn more about each restaurant, just click the images and that will take you straight to their websites.
Let's Begin with the Best Burgers in Town!
Easily my favorite restaurant in Sugarland!
Guru Burgers and Crepes is a quaint little restaurant with just the right amount of noise to allow your children to be their noisy selves. It also has a very laid back vibe, and a small patio for when the weather is nice. I definitely recommend going early on the weekends, as they get busier later into the evenings. However, their food is certainly worth the wait should you run into a waiting list. Their burgers are fantastic, and the menu offers several different burgers as well as savory and sweet crepes. Yes, I said burgers and crepes. The owners of this establishment have several restaurants in the Sugarland Town Square, and they are all fusion restaurants. (See Jupiter below as another example of their fantastic concept) I've only ever had the sweet crepes, and I HIGHLY recommend the Ying Yang!! You can check out their menu by clicking on their logo above. Their kids menu has chicken tenders, and they also offer sliders that are perfect for the little ones.
You can let the kids play while you enjoy some nice adult conversations, making everyone happy!!
With two locations in cypress, and plenty of patio spaces, it makes it easy to get a good spot to where you can keep an eye on your children while they run around on their fantastic play area! Giving you a little more freedom to relax! They've converted old school buses into colorful playgrounds, which is so unique and fun! Our kids love going down the slides and waving to us out of the windows of the bus! Their burgers are delicious, and there are so many options to choose from for both adults and children! They even have a burger with mac n cheese on it. How can you go wrong?? It's such a fun place to enjoy an evening in the outdoors!
We used to chase those tasty burgers around town when they were just a food truck company!
You can imagine our excitement when we found out Bernie's Burger Bus was building a store front at the La Centerra in Cinco Ranch (Katy)! They also have a location in Bellaire that we have yet to go to. The thing I love most about the Katy location, other than the amazing food, is the patio. Their restaurant backs up to a big open area for the kids to play in as well as a duck pond. Our kids love the ducks, and climbing on the rocks that surround the pond! You definitely have to keep a close eye on your kids with the water around, but it's a good 30 or so yards from the edge of the patio to the water, so it gives them a little room to roam around. They have mini-burgers on their menu for the kiddos, delicious shakes, and a great selection of fries to choose from.
Best Pizza Around!
Pizza and waffles, who would have thought?
Remember the owners of Guru Burgers and Crepes that I mentioned up above? Well, this is one of the other restaurants that they own and operate in the Sugarland Town Square. They have an awesome kids menu, but really, even if they didn't it's pizza and waffles! You have very little to worry about in the way of finding something your little one will happily devour! Their pizza is really great, and they have the best chicken and waffles I've ever had!! The other really wonderful thing about this place is it's very family friendly! The restaurant has just the right amount of ambient noise, and they have a nice patio that looks out onto the Town Square, offering a wide open space for your children and you to explore or even take in an outdoor movie at one of their many events! It's a great place to spend in the morning, afternoon or evening!
Did someone say pizookie??
If you haven't had pizza at BJ's Brewhouse, you're missing out! They have several menu items, not just pizza, and a great kids menu! We love their pizza dough, and topping options. And then there's the pizookie! It might be diabetes in a plate, but man oh man, is it delicious!! The atmosphere is great for your kiddos as well, and there are several locations all around Houston and beyond.
Best Mexican Food!
The best queso in town!
Anyone who knows me well enough will tell you that I have a major queso obsession!! If a Mexican restaurant doesn't have good queso, then I likely will not be going back. Lupe's has perfected this tasty dip, and when combined with their charro bean and bacon dip, it's heavenly! Some of their locations are more kid friendly than others, as they can be a bit tight in the way of being able to move around freely. The noise level is great for little ones though! I'm pretty partial to the locations in Spring/Tomball, and Katy(Kingsland). They both have pretty open dining areas, making it easy to make your way to restrooms and what not. Their kids menu is a pretty typical selection of Tex-Mex dishes, but the quesadilla's are usually a big hit with my little ones!
Play area for the kiddos is like music to my ears!
Gringos has a delicious assortment of Tex-Mex dishes to choose from! It's a fun atmosphere, and while I don't know about all locations, the one in Spring off of I-45 has a playground in the front. It's perfect for times when there's a wait, and that's the one location that we frequent when we visit Grandma and Paw Paw. Their kids menu has a number of different menu options outside of the standard Tex-Mex meals, including chicken tenders and mac n cheese. It's a great spot for the whole family! They also have a drawing contest for the children to have their Gringo's menu art displayed in the restaurant, providing a bit of entertainment for your little artist.
Did someone say creamy jalapeño?
Chuys is another family favorite of ours! It's a little different from your typical Tex-Mex flavors, and oh so delicious! It's so bright and colorful, and fun! They don't typically have a play area, but the volume level in the restaurant is certainly suitable for children who might be a little noisy. They also have a great kids menu with burgers, Mac n cheese, as well as the typical tacos, quesadillas, etc. For the older kids, they have a coloring contest that could land their art on the wall, which is exciting for the kiddos! It's also a great way to keep them occupied:)
I'm all about helping myself and others maintain their sanity when it comes to family activities, and I hope that you have found this list helpful. Now that I've talked about all of these great restaurants, my tummy is calling for me to grab a bite! You know how they say not to go grocery shopping when you're hungry. Well, apparently the same is true for blogging about your favorite restaurants! Haha
Some of my favorite memories as a child were going out to eat as a family on Sunday afternoons after church, or having our family meet up with another family to have breakfast for dinner with family friends on Friday evenings at Jo Jo's(does anyone else remember that place?). It's now time for you to get out with your family, and create some fun memories! You can always invite me along, as well, to document those special times! Click the button below, and we can start planning our time together!!
