Where to eat with kids in the SF Bay Area? Especially Silicon Valley.
Chain restaurants like CPK and Applebees often are great with kids, but where do you like to go that isn't a national chain?
Some of the places we like best with kids:
- Sweet Tomatoes and Fresh Choice in Sunnyvale and elsewhere - buffet-style salad fixins. Our kids eat more veggies here than anywhere else - we fill the kids' plates with garbanzo beans, peas, corn, broccoli, seeds & nuts, cheese, etc., as well as some soup and bread, and they entertain themselves the whole meal with a cornucopia of finger foods
- Giovanni's Pizza in Sunnyvale - great east coast pizza, friendly staff
- Saravannaa Bhavan's in Sunnyvale - the early-dinner crowd, 5:30-6:30, is almost all families with children. South Indian food. Our kids love the cheese dosas and mango lassis.
- Country Gourmet in Mountain View - has a small table with toys and puzzles that you can bring back to your own table or let your kids play on their own not at your table(!) Great for breakfast.
- Hobee's in Mountain View and elsewhere. Crayons and coloring, along with a special kids appetizer plate - a smiley face made out of fruit - that comes for free immediately as you sit down. Again, great for breakfast.
- Garden Fresh in Mountain View and Palo Alto - Vegetarian Chinese that's both tasty and kid-friendly. Our kids like the Generals (vegetarian) Chicken made non-spicy, and the Orange (vegetarian) Steak.
- Rick and Anne's in Berkeley - farther afield, but so yummy and child-friendly I thought it worth mentioning.
Man, a listing like that would be great. Really great idea. I'm always surprised when, say, a Starbucks will have a big, clean, handicap-accessible bathroom with no changing table. Don't they see all the strollers parked at the tables?
We're moving past the stage where we frequently need changing stations, so I can't swear that they're available at the restaurants I listed above. What works for us, if we drive, is to use the back of our car as a changing station in a pinch. I try to keep extra wipes and clothes back there too.
Do you want to ask a question about places with changing tables or surprising places without?
- andrea, Feb 1, 2011
4 Answers
-
Great question!
For Mountain View, our kids love sushi, especially on boats, so Sono Sushi on Castro is one of their favorites.
They also like a little family Mexican restaurant called Los Portales that's on Shoreline.
If it's a burgers and fries and milkshakes kinda night, then Clarke's is great -- our kids can choose what toppings they want on their turkey burgers.
I'd also second Hobee's and some of the other places you mentioned.
-
We've gone to Pizza My Heart a lot lately, especially since they opened a new location in Sunnyvale.
In addition to the kids meals and crayons/coloring options, they also have a pizza making night for kids that we've been meaning to try out.
-
We also frequent these places:
- Crepes Cafe in Menlo Park. Located right by the CalTrain station, so great for train watching. Have outdoor seating, and a corner with toys and books (warning, dirty and used, so bring hand sanitizer!).
- Sky Kitchen Restaurant in San Carlos. Located at the San Carlos airport so kids can watch planes take off and land. Diner like place with breakfast, sandwiches, burgers.
- Sushi is always a hit
- +1 on Fresh Choice
- Hong Kong Seafood Saigon in Sunnyvale or Ming's or any restaurant which serves dim sum
-
Our favorites on Castro Street in Mountain View (especially during off-peak hours):
- Chef Liu - very family friendly and serves up delicious, hot noodles and noodle soups, which our toddler and infant both love. Try the Five Spice Beef Noodle Soup and the Beef Chow Fun.
- Neto Caffe - we've nearly wrecked this establishment with our crazy kids a few times, but they don't seem to mind, plus there's the ever-exciting train watching right outside the window or on the patio. Try the Chicken Shish Kebab with rice and fresh vegetables.
- Fiesta del Mar Too - happy to accommodate children and fast, too (but avoid during peak dinner time). Beans and rice are always a hit.
- Hong Kong Bistro - easy, cafeteria-ish atmosphere, so messes aren't frowned upon and the food is fast. Try any of the rice porridges.
I wish there was a site that listed if restaurants have Koala changers in the bathrooms. Is it universal that a "family friendly" restaurant includes this aspect .. say for listings on Yelp?
- Erin, Feb 1, 2011