Every parent has war stories from the dining-out trenches: the baby who let loose a banshee wail 15 minutes in, the toddler who would rather climb the host stand than sit at a table, the kid who loudly announces they hate spaghetti as you order. It’s enough to make you resign yourself to takeout forever.

But dining out with little ones doesn’t have to mean defaulting to the Chick-fil-A drive-through. Around Denver, there are plenty of restaurants with hidden perks, over-the-top kids’ menus, and a family-friendly vibe (so you won’t get side-eye from the child-free). Skip the white table cloths and experimental tasting menus—here are 10 local spots where kids can have fun and parents can actually enjoy a meal.

Related Articles

Casa Bonita

Chef Dana Rodriguez’s sopaipillas at Casa Bonita
Chef Dana Rodriguez’s sopaipillas at Casa Bonita. Photo by Patricia Kaowthumrong
  • Where: 6715 W. Colfax Ave., Lakewood
  • Hours: Reservation-only seatings from 11 a.m to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday
  • Price: $$$

We’d be remiss not to include Colorado’s Disneyland on a restaurant list for kids. This legendary Lakewood landmark reopened in 2023 under the ownership of South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, leaving every bit of the eatery as chaotic, kitschy, and kid-thrilling as you remember from your own childhood birthday parties. Guide your kids through the winding pink palace to discover puppet shows, an arcade that time-traveled from the ’90s, and divers leaping off a 30-foot cliff. Parents, meanwhile, can enjoy margaritas for the table. Is Casa Bonita loud? Chaotic? Overstimulating? Absolutely. But while its not the bargain it once was, it’s also a rite of passage for Denver families—and one that your kids will talk about long after their sopapillas are gone. —Barbara O’Neil

The Cherry Cricket

Cheeseburger with bacon and avocado in a basket with a paper liner with sides of pickles, tomato, and lettuce
Cherry Cricket’s quarter-pound burgers are a hit with kids. Photo by Mark Antonation
  • Where: Cherry Creek, Ballpark, Littleton, and Broomfield
  • Hours: Cherry Creek, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily; all other locations, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. (midnight on Fridays and Saturdays) daily
  • Price: $$

In a region where upscale burgers joints are plentiful, the Cherry Cricket is a rare combination of flavor without the pretense. The laid-back, VFW-style sanctuary gives families and regulars a comfy place to coexist, where a smear of spilled mustard on the table won’t make you feel like you’ve committed a parenting fail. Kids chirp over quarter-pound, build-your-own Little Cricket burgers ($9.50) while adults nurse one of the 20-plus beers on tap within an environment that always feels like the best kind of neighborhood get-together (Littleton’s outpost has a sprawling, turf-topped, kid-friendly beer garden with corn hole and fire pits to boot). Create-your-own burgers and baskets of fries and onion rings satiate the pickiest of palates, while the “burger of the month” options ($18.50 for the shredded beef-quesadilla birria burger) and adult-themed milkshakes ($15 for the Lebowski, with coffee liqueur, vanilla vodka, and Oreo cookie) bring a touch of adventure for the oldies in your group. —Robert Sanchez

Chook Chicken

Several restaurant plates and bowls with roast chicken, sauces, potato wedges, a salad, and roast vegetables
A balanced meal at Chook Chicken. Photo by Barbara O’Neil

Having kids doesn’t sentence you to a lifetime of mediocre dining. Proof? Chook, the rotisserie-chicken joint from Snooze co-founder Adam Schlegel and James Beard–winning chef Alex Seidel. The menu is simple: Order a quarter, half, or whole bird (sustainably sourced from Colorado farms) and add sides like charred veggies or smashed cucumbers with feta. Children 10 and under score their own lineup—like chicken sliders and buttered noodles—before scurrying over to the designated kids’ corner (available at all three locations), which includes books, games, and plenty of space for chalk art. That’s right: you eat in peace while they draw on the wall. Parenting win. —BO

Cinzzetti’s

A plate overflowing with Italian food from Cinzzetti’s
An impressive first course (from a grown-up patron). Photo by Maren Horjus
  • Where: 281 W. 104th Ave., Northglenn
  • Hours: 5 to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 4:30 to 9 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday
  • Price: $$

Like a little piece of Las Vegas tucked in a strip mall off I-25, Cinzzetti’s overwhelms grown-ups with a dimly lit labyrinthine interior, eight buffet stations, and no apparent rules or procedures. But all of these qualities register as perks to little ones, who scurry around the food court-style dining area with plates overloaded with pizza, pasta, seafood, and—if you’re a good negotiator—perhaps a small pile of Caesar salad.

Cinzzetti’s is all-you-can-eat, which is helpful for pickier eaters who may want to try a few things. It has the basics—pizza quattro formaggi and spaghetti—but there also plenty of options for folks with more distinguished palates. The pink sauce gnocchi are pillowy soft and swimming in a creamy tomato sauce topped with fresh basil, and the sausage cavatappi has a nice kick. And the price is right: Adults eat for a flat rate of $23 and children for $11. Kids under four eat for free. —Maren Horjus

Farmhouse at Breckenridge Brewery

A child in a stroller on a turf-covered restaurant patio with picnic tables and closed umbrellas
Outdoor seating at the Farmhouse. Photo by Barabara O’Neil
  • Where: 2990 Brewery Lane, Littleton
  • Hours: Monday–Friday, 11 a.m.–10 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.–10 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.–8 p.m.
  • Price: $$

When you walk up to this sprawling Littleton campus with its rustic dining room, production brewery, and general air of adult-ness, you might assume it’s not for kids. But keep walking past the front doors and head for the back patio, where you’ll find cyclists disembarking from the nearby South Platte River Trail, dogs weaving between tables, and plenty of Littleton’s young families pushing strollers. Order directly from your picnic bench using the QR code (no wrangling a toddler while talking to the server) and dig into classic brewery bites like burgers and wings as well as a surprisingly solid kids’ menu with offerings like a mini meatloaf and popcorn chicken. And keep an eye on the event calendar for live music and outdoor movies—because nothing drowns out squeals like a good cover band. —BO

Homegrown Tap & Dough

A child playing with dough while sitting at a restaurant table with a mini pizza
Kids get free dough at Homegrown Tap & Dough. Photo by Jessica LaRusso
  • Where: Washington Park, Arvada, Westminster, Littleton, Parker, Castle Rock
  • Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily
  • Price: $$

Some kid-friendly restaurants market themselves to parents in obvious ways: weekly kids-eat-free deals, a play area on the patio, or lawn games like cornhole and Connect 4. But at Homegrown Tap & Dough, a pizzeria and beer bar in Olde Town Arvada, the family perks are a little hidden. Find, for example, a small arcade with retro video games tucked away in a nook not much bigger than a phone booth. Your kid and your nostalgic Millennial husband will both be lured in by the ’90s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game while you’re left in peace with your fizzy grapefruit mocktail.

For a tactile replacement for all the toys you normally lug from home, balls of pizza dough are free for your kid to play with upon request. Rotating seasonal offerings share menu space with classics like a margherita pie and creative house specials. If you can, snag the table set up inside a former ski gondola. All locations have an arcade and offer free play-time dough, with all of the outposts except for Wash Park having gondolas. But don’t worry, where it lacks gondolas, Wash Park does have some ski lift dining. —Rose Cahalan

The Radiator

Child with tray of food and pink drink at a restaurant patio table with playground in the background.
The kid-friendly patio at the Radiator. Photo by Jessica LaRusso
  • Where: 2139 W. 44th Ave., Denver (Sunnyside)
  • Hours: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily
  • Price: $

There comes a time in most parents’ lives—generally when their children are between 14 and 24 months old, i.e. physically capable but emotionally unstable—that they decide going out to restaurants is simply off the menu. For that trying period, the Radiator, a laid-back, counter-service cafe and bar in Sunnyside, is the exception to the rule. In addition to lots of spread-out picnic tables, its large, turf-clad patio hosts a backyard-style play fort. This, we all agree, makes it socially acceptable to allow your feral children to alternate trips down the slide with bites of their $8 grilled cheese or PB&J or your admittedly mediocre pizza. The food isn’t the point; the ability to sit while your children don’t and actually enjoy a matcha or glass of Pinot Grigio is. —JL

Sushi Train

Several plates of sushi, rices, sauces, and side dishes at a sushi bar with miniature train track
Sushi and train at Sushi Train. Photo by Barbara O’Neil
  • Where: 3460 S. Locust St., Denver (Hampden)
  • Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 10 p.m. daily
  • Price: $$

If your kid is in their train era, buckle up—you’ll be here often. While you’ll find model trains on display throughout this laid-back joint, ask for a spot at the bar, where you’ll get a view of the chefs as they prepare your California rolls before delivering them atop a miniature locomotive. Adults will enjoy the all-you-can-eat menu featuring endless appetizers, sushi rolls, entrees, and ice cream for $31. Kids age 10 and under can opt for the children’s plate ($10 for lunch, $13 for dinner), which offers a mix-and-match selection of teriyaki, tempura, gyoza, and sushi rolls. And when the inevitable “Can we go to Sushi Train again?” question pops up, you’ll probably say yes—the crunchy scallop roll alone is worth it. —BO

The Table Public House

A giant wooden beehive labeled "pollen nation" next to a mural depicting bees inside a restaurant
The Table’s bee-themed indoor play area. Photo by Jessica LaRusso
  • Where: 2190 S. Platte River Dr., Denver (Overland)
  • Hours: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday
  • Price: $

If you’re driving, the Table Public House feels hidden away in a semi-industrial area off Santa Fe Drive and West Evans Avenue, but if you’re taking a family bike ride along the South Platte River Trail, it’s squarely on the beaten path. Hop off at Grant Frontier Park to refuel at this 2,300-square-foot community hub, which opened in April 2021 and is owned by the Table Urban Farm, a nonprofit co-op micro-farm. Locally sourced ingredients show up in breakfast goodies like avocado toast until 11 a.m., salads and sandwiches, and a kids menu with options such as a Tiny Tenders Basket and the Lil’ Cutie Board with sliced turkey and cheese, veggies, crackers, and hummus—and also in a fridge by the entrance, where free produce is available for patrons to take home.

While you wait for your food to come out of the patio trailer, sip on a latte or craft beer from one of more than a dozen taps as your youngsters explore the play area, which is outfitted with a giant beehive, wearable butterfly wings, and an interactive wall with toddler-height gadgets and gizmos. (Light-up buttons! Twisty knobs! Stretchy cords!) Older children can pick out a board game from the rack for screen-free bonding. —JL

World Famous Dark Horse

A little boy and an adult male at the Dark Horse in Boulder
Having children is no reason to miss a big game. Photo by Maren Horjus
  • Where: 2922 Baseline Road, Boulder
  • Hours: 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Wednesday; 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday
  • Price: $

We know what you’re thinking: A sports bar?! But hear us out, this place rocks, and minis request it by name. Here’s why: The Dark Horse is a multi-level, cavernous space that, most of the time, is seat yourself. Responsible kiddos can roam around the different rooms, checking out old Boulder artifacts—a giant bison, a clown, a tricycle, lots of neon—hanging from the walls. There’s foosball (free!), arcade games, pool, and dozens of flatscreens throughout the space playing all of the higher-profile games. It’s stimulating in the best way.

As for the menu, grown-ups can enjoy standard bar fare (the patty melt is next-level; special request the chicken tenders tossed in Buffalo sauce for a tasty twist on a classic), and kids eat for $5. Their choices: corn dogs, chicken fingers, grilled cheese sandwiches, or fish and chips. If anything, it’s a recipe for a good car nap on the way home. —MH