There are restaurants that have a children’s menu but then there are restaurants with a children’s menu and are kid-friendly. You don’t have to sacrifice a decent meal because your kids are all of a sudden starving (after they just told you 1 minute shop that they weren’t hungry), out of control and bored of the crayons that EVERY restaurant gives them.
- Denny’s
- California Pizza Kitchen
- Mimi’s Cafe
- Wood Ranch
Denny’s
We’ll start with the inexpensive “restaurant”. Denny’s (Camarillo). I don’t go often. Maybe twice a year (actually, the first time I went to one was this year after not going to one since living in Texas 10 years ago). They will give your tot a little snack such as oyster crackers. All you have to do is ask. I don’t like this place very much because their idea of a healthy food item is pancakes with a ton of sugar added to make it look appealing. But if you’re on a budget and don’t mind a once-in-a-while unhealthy meal, visit them.
California Pizza Kitchen
I think California Pizza Kitchen (Ventura) is kid-friendly because they don’t mind the HUGE mess that some kids, like mine, leave behind. I haven’t seen a toddler plate here but they are still pretty accommodating with their plastic drink cups and food offerings. One word – edamame. 🙂 Oh and the waiters/waitresses actually speak to your little one sometimes.
Mimi’s and Wood Ranch
Mimi’s Cafe (Ventura) and Wood Ranch (Camarillo) both have toddler plates. The toddler plate includes sliced oranges and cheerios. Best part is that you don’t have to ask for it. They just give it to you when they see a little one in tow. They also provide the kids with their own set of silverware minus the knife! As an added bonus, they also don’t mind that there’s a huge mess on the floor! Now that’s what I call kid-friendly.
So run out and enjoy a nice meal. If you know of a kid-friendly place, tell us about it! If you want to just find a place that offers free foods to your kids, click here (tell Joe we said “hi”).
Mamas at Work 