Easy, casual & carefree – best restaurants to dine at with kids
Dining with a family in Phoenix is easy, casual, and carefree. Most of the year, dining al fresco is the norm, giving kids the option of getting up and moving around. And while you’re here, make sure to hit at least one Wild West steakhouse for both the cowboy fare and ambience.
1. O.S.H.O Eatery & Nano-Brewery
4900 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix
With 40+ brews on tap, O.S.H.O. – which stands for Outrageous Homebrewer’s Social Outpost – is a great place to grab lunch, especially if you’re dining with multiple families. There’s a big back patio, where kids can play cornhole and ping pong. There’s also stationery bikes that power water misters. Additional locations: Paradise Valley, North Scottsdale. $$
2. Rustler’s Rooste
8383 S. 48th Street, Phoenix
When a slide delivers you to your table, how can this western steakhouse not be family-friendly? Located ten minutes from downtown Phoenix atop a butte in the foothills of South Mountain, the views at Rustler’s Rooste are as good as the food. Try the rattlesnake appetizer or the family-style Cowboy Stuff dinner. Kids will enjoy the live country western band, a strolling magician, and the doorman, Horney, an enormous longhorn steer. Kids eat free, every summer from Memorial Day through Labor Day. $$$
3. Organ Stop Pizza
1149 E. Southern Avenue, Mesa
Organ Stop Pizza is Mesa mainstay. Every night, a live organist plays the world’s largest Wurlitzer theater organ with its 6000 pipes. The organ is one of the most expensive instruments in the world, valued at $5 million! The organist even takes requests from rock to Bach to Disney! And when Little Mermaid’s Under the Sea pipes out, bubbles magically fall from the ceiling. The menu includes pizza (gluten-free, too), pastas, salads, and sandwiches. It’s a meal and a show! $$
KidTripster Tip: Go early and bring cash or check; Organ Stop Pizza doesn’t take credit or debit cards. (There’s an ATM outside.)
4. Superstition Restaurant & Saloon
1 Main Street, Tortilla Flat
After visiting Goldfield Ghost Town, drive east to enjoy the views at Canyon Lake and the food at Superstition Restaurant & Saloon in Tortilla Flat. We love the saddle bar stools and the walls covered in dollars bills from around the world. Kid-friendly burgers and Sonoran-style Mexican food are on the menu. After your meal, walk down the street to the General Store & Ice Cream Shop for some prickly pear gelato. $$
5. Joe’s Farm Grill
3000 East Ray Road, Gilbert
I love Joe’s Farm Grill. The 60s-style burger stand is situated on a 12-acre urban farm. Families dine al fresco with patio heating in the winter and water misting in the summer. The food is seriously delicious: BBQ, burgers, pizza, salads, and shakes. But I’m betting your kid will want to try the Grilled Peanut Butter & Banana Split Sandwich on Texas toast. Yum! $
6. The Farm at South Mountain
6101 S. 32nd Street, Phoenix
The Farm at South Mountain is another farm-to-table option. Located on the grounds of a pistachio farm, there’s actually three restaurants that serve at different times of the day: Morning Glory Cafe (breakfast), The Farm Kitchen (lunch), and Quiessence (dinner). The first two restaurants are family-friendly with plenty of space for kids to run; Quiessence is more of a date night choice. $$
7. Rocket Burgers
12038 N. 35th Avenue, Phoenix
Rocket Burgers serves made-to-order burgers. Or you can try one of its specialty burgers, including the Cali, Baja or Afterburner, which features pepper jack cheese, horseradish mayo, and jalapeños. Burgers come with single, double or (if you’re feeding a hungry teenager) triple patties. Rocket also serves subs, hot dogs, and salads. If you’ve got any room left, there’s cones, shakes, sundaes, floats, and freezes. Oh, and don’t forget to check out their Soda Shop, one of the largest selections of bottled sodas I’ve ever seen. It even stocks some really rare novelty pops. $$
8. True Food Kitchen
2502 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix
Simple, clean, and pure meals. That’s the mantra at True Food Kitchen, where they serve up vegan, vegetarian, naturally organic, and gluten-free options along with dishes for those following a paleo or Mediterranean diet. On the kids’ menu, we like the turkey sloppy joe and the almond butter-apple-banana sandwich. It’s a great spot, if you have a vegetarian in the family. Additional location: Scottsdale. $$
9. Chelsea’s Kitchen
5040 N. 40th Street, Phoenix
Ask for a table on the patio at this canalside, neighborhood restaurant. The kids’ menu features innovative creations, like PB&J sushi rolls. But we’d recommend going for weekend brunch: huevos rancheros, crab cake benedict, or their mouth-watering wood-fired rotisserie chicken. If you miss dining at the canal location, there’s another Chelsea’s Kitchen in Terminal 4 at Phoenix’s Sky Harbor Airport. $$$
10. Beckett’s Table
3717 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix
Chef Justin Beckett has created a haven for foodies while still being welcoming to families. The farm-to-table menu is rich with high-quality meats and seasonal vegetables. Seriously, the plates are like works of art. There’s two patios, complete with water misters, ceiling fans, heaters, and a fireplace. If you’re looking for an upscale restaurant that’s not too pretentious, Beckett’s Table is for you. $$$
For Top 10 Plays in Phoenix, click here.
For Top 10 Stays in Phoenix, click here.
Nicole Crites is a television news anchor in Phoenix, wife, and mom to two kids, ages 6 and 8. She insists that one of the most important secrets to a successful marriage and happy family is being intentional about taking time-out to make memories; vacations are often the very best medicine.
Shellie Bailey-Shah also contributed to this article. She travels with her husband and two sons, who can put a way Cowboy Stuff dinners like nobody’s business!
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