I kid you not, last week I was looking at yet another list of “best kid friendly restaurants in Dallas” and they put Main Event on the list … SERIOUSLY Y’ALL — Main Event. The place where you go for kids birthday parties and corporate events. To play arcade games, bowling and laser tag. That is where the author of this, so-called, “list” recommended for people with children to go.
In fact, of the 15 places on this list, only 7 were in Dallas proper. Most of the other listed places were in the suburbs of DFW. And this is what I have found most “family friendly” lists I have reviewed, not just for the Dallas area, but other areas we have traveled as well. Either the people publishing these lists don’t have children, or they really don’t think children belong in actual restaurants that serve delicious food. Being foodies — we refuse to downgrade our dining out experiences to fast food, order at the counter, BOWLING ALLEYS, etc.
So we put together this fabulous list of some of our favorite kid friendly restaurants in Dallas that we feel have been great places to take our toddler. Not all of these places have a dedicated kid’s menu or publicize that they are kid friendly, but we’ve have good service, things on the menu for Mila to eat, or a staff that is accommodating enough to bring a side or plate of something else for her.
Because adults deserve to enjoy a tasty meal with their kids in tow and not feel banished to eat mediocre meals for the rest of their kids’ lives.
These are no in particular order.
- Celebration
- Location: Bluffview/North Dallas
- Address: 4515 W Lovers Ln
- Reservations: Recommended but not required
- Why we love it: Farm to table menu with rotating specials, great service, kids menu, crayons and color sheet, great patio with fireplace in the winter, full bar, and reasonable prices!
- Greek Isles Grille and Taverna
- Location: Preston Hollow
- Address: 5934 Royal Ln, Ste 120 Dallas, TX 75023
- Reservations: Not required, but taken over phone
- Why we love it: Family owned restaurant with very sweet staff, kids menu, delicious Greek food, full bar, and cute outdoor patio
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- Cane Rosso
- Location: Multiple but we prefer the White Rock or Carrollton locations for the ample patio space and proximity to where we live.
- Reservations: Recommended but not required depending on location
- Why we love it: If you live in Dallas and have not yet tried Cane Rosso pizza than you need to get your butt over there NOW. There are several good pizza spots in Dallas and people will fight you on their favorite, but Cane Rosso, in our opinion, has been making damn near perfect Neapolitan pizzas for quite some time now.
- Bonus: They have happy hour on Fridays until 6 PM and you can score $7 Margherita pizzas and $3 Peronis. Win all around!!
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- Lovers Seafood & Market
- Location: Bluffview/North Dallas
- Address: 5200 West Lovers Lane Dallas, TX 75209
- Reservations: Recommended
- Why we love it: There’s not a specific kids menu, but they have these cute shrimp “corn dogs” for $4/each that Mila loves, plus macaroni and cheese, french fries, and one of her favorites — calamari. It’s not the cheapest place in town, but honestly it’s one of our favorite seafood spots, toddler in tow or not. The staff is so friendly and don’t bat an eye. Many families dining, particularly in the early evening. They also have a nice patio with a little green area to walk around.
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- Eataly
- Location: Park Cities — North Park Mall
- Address: 8687 N Central Expy #2172, Dallas, TX 75225
- Reservations: Not needed for the café but useful for some of the restaurants
- Why we love it: Eataly opens at 9 AM everyday, a full hour or two even before the rest of the mall does on the weekends! Meaning – it’s overall quiet and empty at that time. Perfect time to browse all the yummy Italian goodies and order some tasty items from the cafe downstairs (ALL the pastries are amazing), or from the counter upstairs. In addition, we’ve tried all 3 restaurants and they’re all decently good and kid friendly (especially La Pizza and La Pasta).
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- Henk’s European Deli & Black Forest Bakery
- Location: Vickery Meadow/Northeast Dallas
- Address: 5811 Blackwell St, Dallas, TX 75231
- Reservations: Not needed
- Why we love it: This family owned restaurant has been around for ages and is right next door to the large Half Price Books — another great spot to take kiddos. They serve traditional Bavarian/German food and have a wonderful breakfast and deli. We had sandwiches and they normally come with chips but offered to replace it with applesauce for Mila, although this was not listed on the menu. The staff are so friendly! Best for breakfast or lunch (they close after 3).
- Klyde Warren Park Food Trucks
- Location: Downtown Dallas/Arts District
- Address: 1909 Woodall Rodgers Freeway Dallas, TX 75201
- Reservations: Not applicable
- Why we love it: Klyde Warren Park is one of our absolute favorite spots to go on the weekends. Fortunately, they have so many dining options now including many food trucks, but also on site dining like Mi Cocina. We particularly like the Greek Lover food truck, the Fletcher’s food truck, and the Salty Donut permanent stand by the newly opened fountains.
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- Zoli’s Pizza
- Location: Addison (additional location in Fort Worth)
- Address: 14910 Midway Rd, Addison, TX 75001
- Reservations: Recommended for weekends especially
- Why we love it: Not very many places do deep dish pizza well in DFW but if you can snag one of their square pies — they are so good! They make a limited quantity every day. They also have great pastas and we’ve heard the burger is outstanding. A fun, family-friendly pizza spot that’s not Pizza Hut or Dominos.
- AT&T Discovery Plaza Food Hall
- Location: Downtown Dallas
- Address: 208 S. Akard St, Dallas, TX 75202
- Reservations: Not applicable
- Why we love it: Options, options, options! We love places with options. This spot in downtown is perfect for good weather days! Huge lawn with fountains and outdoor lawn games. Cocktails and beers for the parents. And every type of food you could want — pizza, burgers, sushi, kabobs, fried chicken, the list goes on!
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- The French Room Tea
- Location: Downtown Dallas
- Address: 1321 Commerce St, Dallas, Texas 75202
- Reservations: Required
- Why we love it: This is one of the ONLY spots in Dallas that does a special kid’s tea menu. The French Room charges about half price for kids and creates the cutest menu for them (like grilled cheese bites and nutella marshmallow fluff sandwiches). It’s best for slightly older children, but even at 2.5 years old, Mila had SUCH a blast drinking out of fancy glasses, sipping tea, and getting dressed up. It’s great for special occasions – Mother’s Day, Galentine’s or just a mommy/daughter day.
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- Smoky Rose
- Location: White Rock/East Dallas
- Address: 8602 Garland Rd, Dallas, TX 75218
- Reservations: Recommended
- Why we love it: Voted best patio in Dallas last year. Live music on weekends. Tasty BBQ and right across from the Arboretum, so it’s a great spot to come after wandering the gardens!
- Flowerchild
- Location: Multiple (nationwide chain) — Addison, Preston Royal, Inwood Village, Rosewood Court
- Address: Multiple
- Reservations: Not required
- Why we love it: While the food is not the most complex or best in taste — we do like this spot for a quick and healthy lunch or dinner that does not break the bank. They have a kid’s menu with healthy options as well. It’s a great post-work, mid-week dining out option.
- Dallas Farmer’s Market Food Hall
- Location: Downtown Dallas
- Address: 920 S Harwood St, Dallas, TX 75201
- Reservations: Not applicable
- Why we love it: Another great outdoor area with lots to see and do for kiddos. Plenty of food stalls to choose from including tacos, pizza, Indian, Middle Eastern, and Banh Mi sandwiches so there are options for everyone.
- Afrah Mediterranean Restaurant
- Location: Richardson
- Address: 318 E Main St, Richardson, TX 75081
- Reservations: Not required
- Why we love it: No dedicated kids menu, but there are always families here with young children. They offer high chairs and the staff are so friendly with Mila. Plus, she loves hummus and pita so she’s happy here.
- Barcelona Wine Bar
- Location: Knox/Henderson
- Address: 5016 Miller Ave, Dallas, TX 75206
- Reservations: Recommended
- Why we love it: While they don’t have a “dedicated” kids menu, they offered to bring Mila a pasta with meatballs that’s off menu — she loved it! Plus there are several kid friendly tapas options like the patatas bravas, potato omelet, ham and cheese croquetas, plus some charcuterie options too. They have a nice outdoor patio, and we always see other families with kids dining here.
- Rise No 1
- Location: Bluffview/North Dallas (second location in Fort Worth)
- Address: 5360 W Lovers Ln #220, Dallas, TX 75209
- Reservations: Not applicable — can call ahead to be put on the waitlist, however.
- Why we love it: No kids menu here, but Mila loves the tomato soup they make and the soufflé is a soft texture that was great for her when she first started out on solids. There’s always a delicious cheese plate option too, in case your kiddo is a cheese fanatic like ours. They have really cute high chairs and the staff were great with Mila. I would recommend to come early in the evening or for lunch/brunch though, as it is also a popular date spot and we try to avoid dining around peak dinner times on Fridays/Saturdays.
- Side note: This is one of our all time fav spots in Dallas, we even took our engagement photos here!
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- Chip’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers
- Location: Multiple locations – Park Cities, Lakewood, Oak Cliff, and Plano
- Address: Multiple locations
- Reservations: Not required
- Why we love it: What kid doesn’t love a good hamburger? We like the simplicity of Chip’s. It’s not trendy or fancy. It’s cheap and consistent and very family friendly. Plus, they have tater tots.
- Public Taco and Botolino Gelato
- Location: Preston Hollow/North Dallas
- Address: 5959 Royal Lane #635A Dallas, TX 75230
- Reservations: Not required
- Why we love it: We listed these together because we can’t seem to go to one without making a stop at the other (they are next door to each other). This is a great weeknight spot — tasty tacos, margaritas, chips and queso and a quick ice cream next door — everyone is happy! Kids quesadilla with your choice of meat is only $5.
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- Loro
- Location: East Dallas and Addison locations
- Address: Multiple
- Reservations: Not required, but recommended especially on weekends
- Why we love it: Amazing happy hour specials Monday-Friday (+ medical professional discount!), particularly love their $5 frozen drinks. They have a large patio and short wait times (you order at the counter). No dedicated kid’s menu, but can order an $8 burger on happy hour. She also like the roasted potatoes and corn dishes.
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- North Italia
- Location: Downtown Dallas/Victory Park Area (additional location in Plano at Legacy West)
- Address: 2301 North Akard Street, Suite 280 Dallas, TX 75201
- Reservations: Recommended
- Why we love it: It’s always easy to get reservations here and they have a great patio overlooking the arts district area of Downtown. Prices are decent and the pizza and pastas are generally good. Pizza and pasta are always a win for a toddler, so we typically share with her, but they do have a kids menu as well!
We’ll continue to update this list as we try more places! If you are looking for some fun without the kids, check out our favorite Dallas date night spots.
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