The Best Kid-Friendly Restaurants In Houston

If your two-year-old is hell-bent on destroying a night out, they will—even at a nice restaurant serving chicken tenders and buttered noodles. That’s where these places come in handy. Along with exceptional kid-friendly amenities—playgrounds, sand, and atmospheres loud enough to mask a toddler shrieking the Daniel Tiger theme song—a lot of them also make excellent adult food, too. No matter what brand of chaos your kid chooses, these Houston restaurants will help make it OK.

THE SPOTS

Cochinita & Co.

The East End taco spot Cochinita & Co. makes a great, quick stop, especially if your kids love freshly squeezed juice, bright colors, and deeply flavorful roast pork. Or if you just picked them up from the Yes Prep next door and need to fill them with a couple of fajita chicken tacos before soccer practice. The kids menu here is mostly cheese-based, but also considerably cheap, with the most expensive item only setting you back $5.50. The next time you want Houston’s best cochinita tacos and or mini cheesy quesadilla, go here.

Good Dog Houston

When you’re tired of blowing your paycheck on berries and yogurt, head to Good Dog for the best Texas franks in Houston. Your kid will be into hot dogs or grilled cheese, both of which are served in baked buns that fit perfectly in their little hands. This Heights mainstay serves a ton of brews on tap and a slew of the best dogs, too. Go for the Guac-A-Dog, topped with creamy avocado and crisp jalapeños, or their sweet, homemade chow chow and briny bacon braised collards on the Southern Comfort Dog. Finish the night with a rocky road milkshake while your kids play board games out on the patio.

The '401 Table and Tap

Bellaire is a family-friendly neighborhood, so any meal you eat here will probably involve kids—yours or someone else’s. The ‘401 and Tap’s menu has southern crispy chicken that’s way better than what’s normally served at places catering to kids and families. The dining room is large, with plenty of tables, and room for high chairs. But it’s the kid’s lounge filled with books and a TV to watch Ms. Rachel that provides you with the much-needed quiet time, where you can spend an evening (or at least 10 minutes) with a Tito's drink called Drop It Like It’s Hot. Make sure to go in on a Monday when your kid eats free.

Feges BBQ

Feges BBQ in Spring Branch has three thing that make getting trays of barbecue with kids a little easier. A large patio, a playground, and no pesky order-as-you-go lines where you might have to force a child to make food choices under duress. Here, you can plop the little ones down (with your most responsible friend) and order everything at the counter without worrying if little Timmy is going to chuck a toy car over the sneezeguard. And while Feges makes some of the best barbecue in town, the kids menu keeps it simple, just in case you have some picky palates.

Nonno’s Family Pizza Tavern

The main thing to know about Nonno’s Family Pizza Tavern is that it has an arcade. So feel free to release your children upon the twinkling lights and buzzing sounds of Crusin’ The World or fight with the demons on Rampage. There’s also crispy, cheese-pull-ready pizza , hand-breaded mozzarella sticks, and cheesecake the size of, well, a small child. And while your kids lose their minds over a bowl of pasta with giant meatballs, you can do a shot of Malört on top of a little racecar.

Tia Maria's

While most Tex-Mex restaurants are equipped for children, both food and decibel-wise, Tia Maria’s in Spring Branch takes it one logical step further. It has a free soft-serve machine right by the front door. So if your children aren’t loaded on too many cheese enchiladas and refills of Sprite, you can let them explore some creativity by attempting to pour a vanilla-chocolate swirl themselves. Just make sure to grab extra napkins for the car ride home.

LuLoo’s Day & Night

Luloo’s Day & Night in Garden Oaks is the brainchild of the folks behind Blood Bros, and it’s the perfect place for a family lunch at the Stomping Grounds. After the kids have completed a pacer test’s length run on the green, refuel on giant smashed meatball subs, club sandwiches piled with a mountain of sliced turkey, and bakery items made daily. Swing by when you need a weekend meal for the entire family, but try to form a physical barrier between your kid and the dessert display case, unless you’re cool with them having a cinnamon roll for lunch.

Crisp

Even though Crisp looks relaxed, whoever runs the playlist wants everyone to feel like they’re locked into a high-energy spin class that doubles as a rave. Not only are adults getting into the music, but the kids are too. After a small pepperoni pizza or a bowl of (specifically) Kraft macaroni and cheese, everyone can let loose on Crisp’s combination patio-playground. Bust a few moves with your kindergartener until they can no longer stand the level of cringe. Embarrassment is what brings a family together, after all.

d’Alba

Who says you can’t enjoy brunch anymore as a parent? At D’Alba in Garden Oaks, you can throw back a couple of mimosa carafes and ricotta pancakes on the massive patio while your kids absolutely tear it up on the playground. And with the outside being pet-friendly, you can also unleash your Australian Shepherd named Bluey and let it herd kids around in a non-stop chase-game ouroboros. It’s just like your backyard, but with truffle oil and jammy egg pizza.

1891 American Eatery & Bar

At 1891 American Eatery & Bar, there’s something for every dining companion in your life, including that highly opinionated second-grader you know. The Heights restaurant has a long menu of kid-friendly classics, the best of which is a colossal smashburger served with crispy, golden french fries. Occupy your tiny humans with soft pretzel bites served with queso while you have a much-needed adult conversation, or sugar them up with an ice cream sandwich held together by two massive cookies and let them run off the sucrose-fueled energy at Donovan Park.

Wakefield Crowbar

Along with most spots in Garden Oaks, Wakefield Crowbar is kid-friendly, at least until 10pm. The low-key sports bar has two giant areas, so your kids can run around without spilling anyone’s drink. Plus a large outdoor play place, so your kids can run around without spilling your drink. There's also a hefty menu of bar food, snacks, and plenty of beer on tap so everyone can have a little post-playground snack.