Let’s face it, children can sometimes be a handful—especially at the dinner table. There’s nothing like sitting down at a nice restaurant to enjoy a meal, when before you know it your child (or maybe even a child at a nearby table) takes it upon themselves to decide that now is the perfect time to throw a temper tantrum. Que the crying, que the screaming, and que the dirty looks from neighboring patrons in the restaurant.
To avoid this disastrous situation and potential others, we’ve compiled a list of the top 5 family-friendly restaurants in San Antonio, Texas. If you’re searching for a good place to celebrate your child’s next birthday dinner, or maybe you’re trying to find a fun spot to take the little league team to celebrate their win after the game, or maybe you’re just looking for a nice place for a family meal, you’ve come to the right place.
The Friendly Spot Ice House
First up on our list of family-friends restaurant coincidently happens to be the Friendly Spot Ice House. With over 250 bottled beers to choose from and over 76 drafts on tap, the Friendly Spot is not just a great place to grab a beer, but also a great place to bring the kids. Why is that? Well, it may have something to do with the restaurant’s very own children’s playground. Kids also love the weekly special events that feature movies or games on the big screen. Thanks to free wifi, children are also able to stay connected and distracted on their iPads and other devices. The Friendly Spot is not just kid-friendly and adult-friendly, they also encourage you to bring your pets along as well.
The Friendly Spot is open from 3pm to Midnight on Monday through Friday, and 11am to Midnight on Saturday and Sunday. For more information, visit the Friendly Spot Ice House.
Dough Pizzeria Napoletana
If there’s one food that all kids love, it has to be pizza. If you’re in search of some delicious pizza and a great family-friendly environment, head over to Dough Pizzeria Napoletana. Children’s food and pizzas are free and complementary (only an additional charge will be added for toppings), and they also allow the children to make their own pizza—they can roll out their own dough and the chefs will do the rest. While waiting for their pizzas to bake, kids can also play with a ball of dough.
Adults will also enjoy this restaurant thanks to its seasonal and changing menu options. Dough Pizzeria Napoletana also offers beer and wine, and is open from 11am to 9pm on Monday through Thursday, from 11am to 10pm on Friday and Saturday, and from 12pm to 9pm on Sundays. Overall, this is one pizzeria with a very laidback atmosphere that you should feel more than welcome to bring along the entire family. To find out more, visit Dough Pizzeria Napoletana.
The Big Bib BBQ
Everyone knows that the state of Texas has always been praised for our BBQ, so you know we couldn’t finish out the list without including one of our favorite kid-friendly BBQ joints: The Big Bib BBQ. To give you a good idea about why your kids might like this place, we’ll just start off by saying that they serve Kool Aid. What more could you ask for as a child? Big Bib also offers Family Packs, including a sampler platter that is great for sharing or carrying out for family dinners. The platter includes 1/4lb of meat, two pieces of chicken, and two medium sides, and there are also two additional platter options to choose from.
If your kids clean their plates, feel free to reward them with a piece of Big Bib’s peach, strawberry or pecan cobblers, or maybe some banana pudding. Big Bib BBQ is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11am to 9pm, and Sundays from 12pm to 7pm. To learn more about all of Big Bib’s menu items and to plan your next family meal, visit the Big Bib BBQ.
Fattboy Burgers & Dogs
Ice cream, hotdogs, hamburgers, onion rings, French fries, and soda—if that doesn’t scream kid-friendly then we don’t know what does. Despite their lack of a children’s menu, Fattboy Burgers & Dogs is the perfect weekend spot to bring the family. Fattboy’s serves Hewbrew National kosher franks, but your children are bound to be more excited about the Fattboy ice cream bar. From ice cream cones, to cups, sundaes, ice cream floats, banana splits, and endless topping choices, they won’t leave without getting a sugar high. Adults might also enjoy Fattboy’s new beer floats, which combine your favorite craft beer with your favorite ice cream flavor.
Fattboy’s is closed on Sundays, but is open all other days of the week from 11am to 10pm. To find out more, visit Fattboy Burgers & Dogs.
Pancake Joe’s
When it comes to breakfast foods, kids always enjoy a tasty stack of pancakes. At Pancake Joe’s, they’ll be able to try their dream breakfast: a waffle sundae, fully topped with ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate chips, and strawberries. But that’s just the start. There are plenty of breakfast options to leave your family’s mouths watering, including kid’s french toast sticks covered with blueberries and strawberries, pigs in a blanket, pineapple upside down pancakes, eggs, bacon, and much more. The prices are also very reasonable, and the wait staff is very patient—a good trait to have when dealing with children. Also, parents can rejoice: Pancake Joe’s makes a good, strong cup o’ joe to start your morning off right.
You can visit Pancake Joe’s anytime between 7am and 3pm on Tuesday through Saturday, or 8am to 3pm on Saturdays. For more information or to plan your next family breakfast, visit Pancake Joe’s Facebook Page.