Top Five Family-Friendly Restaurants
The best restaurants for food, fun and the entire family.
When you want quality family time at dinner, loading up the little ones for a restaurant outing can be challenging. Lucky for you, Austin has a lot to offer when it comes to suitable family-dining destinations.
Hat Creek Burger Company
Hat Creek Burger Company offers something for every member of the family while dining at the family-friendly burger patio. Aside from the delicious burgers, parents can enjoy a craft beer or wine while the kids enjoy the Hat Creek play scape. The restaurant also has several TVs displayed throughout the dining area to keep adults entertained while children play. Although the Chicken Flashers are rising in popularity at Hat Creek, the burgers remain the most popular menu item. If you aren’t in the mood for burgers, Hat Creek also serves chicken sandwiches, gluten-free Chicken Flashers, breakfast tacos, platters and even pancakes.
“We use a ton of local ingredients, we have a partnership with local craft brewery Strange Land Brewery and local craft coffee Cuvée, and we make all of our own pickles through Hat Creek Pickle Company,” says Seth Duncan, marketing and brand director of Hat Creek Burger Company.
Hat Creek Burger Company, 5400 Burnet Road, 512.452.2025
Ski Shores Cafe
Established in 1954, Ski Shores Cafe has been serving families since day one. Popular dishes include fresh seafood dishes like catfish, shrimp and crawfish tails, fried shrimp, fried catfish and fried crawfish tails, but the top picks are the Border Burger and the Big Kahuna Hamburger. Located on the shore area of Lake Austin, Ski Shores has an environment that is perfect for families. On a clear day, dozens of turtles, swans and ducks can be found by the restaurant’s outdoor area, a popular attraction for children. Ski Shores has always featured a play scape but now includes a beach area where children can build sandcastles and play. Aside from the outdoor area, there is a game center, which includes foosball, air hockey, a crane game, Tic-Tac-Toe and numerous video games. The patio area of Ski Shores is great for parents to relax and enjoy music, with live bands playing every weekend. Every Friday is family night, when children and parents can enjoy free activities such as making s’mores, watching movies and playing games.
“There is nothing better than relaxing by the lake. We’re proud to be a lakeside gathering spot for families to have a great meal and lots of fun since 1954,” says Cory Miers, operations director for Ski Shores Cafe.
Ski Shores Cafe, 2905 Pearce Road, 512.394.7511
Freddie’s Place
With seating for 100 guests inside and 160 outside, there is plenty of room for parents and children to dine at Freddie’s Place. Freddie’s features a full bar, a patio area and live music for kids during the summer months. The restaurant is pet-friendly, so guests can bring their dogs, cats and other animals for children to play with. The most popular menu items for the little ones are chicken nuggets and hamburgers, while adults tend to order chicken-fried steak, chicken and waffles, and chicken-fried chicken. On the weekends, breakfast is a big seller and is served until 2 p.m.
“Our kids’ meals seem to trend up every year, our business seems to continue growing and we are definitely a good outdoor place,” says Fred Nelson, owner of Freddie’s Place.
Freddie’s Place, 1703 First St., 512.445.9197
Austin’s Pizza Westlake
Established in 1999, Austin’s Pizza has 12 Austin area locations, with the Westlake location being the best for families. It has a recently remodeled playground, overlooked by a large outdoor patio so parents can watch their children while they sit back and relax. Families are able to choose from fresh-made sauces and 29 different toppings and cheeses to create a pizza that satisfies everyone.
“It is just great, dependable, affordable, high-quality pizza,” says Reid Umstattd, events and marketing coordinator of Austin’s Pizza.
Austin’s Pizza, 3638 Bee Caves Road, 512.632.9643
The Midway Food Park
Meet your friends at The Midway Food Park, a venue suitable for picky eaters or children with different cravings. The open area is surrounded by food trailers, including Dock & Roll, Royal Roots, One Taco, Thai Kitchen, Cheesecake Experience, Widespread Dave’s Burro Cheese Kitchen and Cool Haus. By summertime, there will be a total of 10 trailers at the food park. The location offers a playground, plenty of parking and ample space to sit at a table or set up a picnic blanket. Each trailer features a unique kids’ menu and several food options. It is BYOB, so adults can even bring a cooler with drinks to enjoy while listening to live music.
“It is a great coming-together place,” says Sarah Hannon, owner of The Midway Food Park.
The Midway Food Park, 1905 S. Capital of Texas Hwy., 512.228.2315
Hat Creek Burger Company photo by Seth Duncan. Freddie's Place photo by Fred Nelson. Austin Pizza Westlake's photo courtesy of Austin’s Pizza. The Midway Food Park photo courtesy of The Midway Food Park.
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