We were excited to find out in our survey results that many of you live in Houston and are interested in recommendations! Even with two little ones, FMK and I still love to be social and go out to dinner, our idea of ‘social’ has just changed over the years. 😉  We love finding fun, kid-friendly places to eat in Houston to meet up with our friends. Thankfully, we knew quite a few locals (and FMK is from here), so we had a good list to start. With a little trial (and error) we now have a solid list of kid-friendly dinner places around town. I also gathered feedback from some of you over Instagram stories about your favorite spots — thank you for your insight! I hope this list will be a helpful guide for all of you who are looking for new restaurants to try with your kids. Read on below for all of my recommendations!

El Patio

Chances are, you can find us one night a week at El Patio. This is our neighborhood go-to for Tex-Mex + mariachi bands.  Plus, the free face painting and balloon artists on the weekends make this one of the kids’ favorites! We enjoy our margaritas while the kids more or less run wild around the restaurant (oops!). We don’t feel too bad though because they have an adults-only section called “Club No Minor” for those who want some peace and relative quiet. For other Tex-Mex family-friendly restaurants in this area, be sure to also check out Molina’s and El Tiempo on Gessner.

Skeeter’s Mesquite Grill

Skeeter’s is a Houston classic that has been around since 1988 and now has five locations across town. The family who owns Skeeter’s also owns some of our other family-friendly favorites around town like Adair Kitchen and Bebidas. Skeeter’s recently introduced “Framily Fridays” at three of their locations (West U, Sugar Land, and Kingwood) for the month of August offering burger specials and $20 margarita pitchers, plus a balloon artist at the Weslayan location. Skeeter’s has healthy and delicious menu items for adults (like grain bowls and kale salad), plus arcade games for the kids to enjoy while you have grown up convos. 🙂

Mia’s Table

Mia’s Table is part of the Johnny Carraba’s restaurant family, so you know it’s going to be good! It’s counter service which is convenient for big groups, and there are always lots of kids. Mia’s dishes up delicious homestyle favorites like burgers, BBQ, and chicken friend steak, as well as fresh salads. They have a great kid’s menu as well as a patio.

Beaver’s West

Beaver’s is one of those places that is equally as fun for adults as for kids. They have two locations, one off of Washington and one on the west side of town (where we go). The West location has cool decor and an amazing outdoor space with fenced in games for the kids and a fire pit. They also have live music and face painting / balloon artist on the weekends.

Island Grill

This beloved local neighborhood restaurant – there are now four locations – is the ultimate post-school smoothie and snack hangout. Island Grill also serves amazing breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a fast-casual setting. The menu focuses around fresh Mediterranean and American recipes, and the owner Faysal and his wife Maria are so warm and welcoming and know their regular customers by name.

Niko Niko’s

If your family loves Greek food, be sure to add Niko Niko’s to the list. Another Houston classic, this family owned and operated restaurant serves family recipes at all three locations. The downtown location at Market Square Park is great for kids to run around and play, but all of their locations are family-friendly. They have an extensive kid’s menu that has Greek favorites like a mini gyro and falafel sandwich, as well as American classics like grilled cheese, chicken fingers, and a burger.

Barnaby’s Cafe

Another neighborhood staple, Barnaby’s has locations all across Houston and it’s super colorful and decorated with dog cartoons – an immediate kid favorite! There is a kid’s menu as well, but the atmosphere and food is just as appealing to parents looking for a casual bite. Their salads are delicious (and huge!) and they also have lots of entree plate options as well.

Buffalo Grille

If you’re looking for a casual, family-friendly spot for breakfast food – served all day – head to Buffalo Grille. In addition to a huge breakfast menu they also have a wide variety of lunch and dinner options.  When the weather permits, we sit outside so the kids have a little more freedom.

Discovery Green’s Lake House Cafe

The Lake House is a fast casual spot overlooking Discovery Green park that is the perfect spot to eat with your kids if you are spending time downtown. They have a great outdoor patio overlooking the little lake, which of course the kids love! Plus, the prices are very reasonable.

Bellagreen at CityCentre

If you’re in the Memorial / CityCentre area, Bellagreen is a casual counter service spot perfect for grabbing a bite in between shopping or other activities. The menu focuses on healthy fare with plenty of vegetarian and gluten free options. The kid’s menu features items like quinoa mac and cheese and an all-natural beef burger.  We love picking up food and then heading to the large green space for the kids to picnic and play.  Bring a ball or their favorite toys and it’s the perfect spot!

Good Dog Houston

Good Dog has locations in Montrose and The Heights, plus a food truck. As you may have guessed, they focus on hot dogs – gourmet ones – but they also have delicious sandwiches, salads, fish & chips and other options. Both locations have board games and small patios with lawn games.

Luigi’s Pizza & Axelrad Beer Garden

Over in Midtown is a large garden area covered with colorful hammocks that sits between Axelrad Beer Garden and Luigi’s Pizzeria. Let the kids run around the garden and eat pizza while you enjoy live music and an adult beverage.

Other Recommendations: Jus’ Mac, The Hobbit Cafe, Bowl & Barrell, Little Matt’s, Cedar Creek Bar & Grill, Punk’s Simple Southern Food, Frey’s Backyard Cafe

Did we miss any of your kid-friendly favorites? Let us know in the comments below!