Kid-Friendly Dining in Baltimore
Skip the babysitter, bring the kids to eat with you.
Looking for a place in Baltimore to take the kids where you won’t have to worry about how loud or messy they might be? Charm City has plenty of casual restaurants with mighty good food so you don’t have to sacrifice one for the other.
R. House
R. House, a popular food emporium in the Remington neighborhood, is not just hopping with twenty-something foodies, it’s a hit with families as well. Order from one of the food stalls along the outer walls, grab a seat where you can and let your kids make as much noise as they want. They’ll be in good company with the adults.
Grab a delicious sweet treat at Taharka Brothers Ice Cream in R. House.
Peabody Heights Brewery
Yup, you read that right. On Friday nights, Peabody Heights’ taproom hosts a family-friendly happy hour, where you can enjoy a local brew while your kids make new friends. With bookshelves, toys and even arcade games, Peabody has everything your kids need to stay entertained. So go ahead, order another round.
Nick’s Fish House
With its open air wood deck and docks overlooking the water, Nick’s Fish House will make you feel like you’ve been transported to a beach town. Between watching the boats sail past the Port Covington restaurant and watching their parents pick crabs (or maybe even picking up the mallet themselves, with supervision of course), there’s lots to keep a kid’s senses engaged. As for the food, you can’t go wrong with steamed Maryland blue crab dipped in butter, smothered in Old Bay and washed down with a crush. But save some room for the tasty a la carte options or fresh catch of the day!
Mother’s Federal Hill Grille
Families won’t have to wait too long for a seat at this casual South Baltimore eatery. Mother’s Grille reserves an entire dining room for kids and their parents and opens up two other rooms during weekends and other busy times. Kids can also draw on white paper on the tables with their crayons while savoring the pasta, chicken tenders and hot dogs from the kids’ menu.
Verde
Kids under 10 get free pizza at this Canton establishment on Wednesday nights and the restaurant will accommodate dietary requests, such as gluten-free, any night of the week. Verde indulges kids’ creativity by offering crayons at the table and chalk to draw on the sidewalks. Or, they can play with pizza dough and watch the experts cook up a pie in the downstairs open kitchen.
Miss Shirley’s Cafe
When you get seated at this breakfast, brunch and lunch spot, little ones will get an activity mat with games and puzzles to keep them occupied throughout your meal. Plus the kids menu at Miss Shirley’s is a great deal—only $9 for an entrée and a healthy side.
Miss Shirley’s has locations in the Inner Harbor, Roland Park and BWI Airport.
Alexander’s Tavern
After a day spent exploring historic Fell’s Point, once the home of Frederick Douglass, unwind and rest your feet at Alexander’s Tavern, an upscale yet casual eatery offering twists on classic Baltimore comfort dishes. Think crab dip, chicken wings, boardwalk fries and loaded tater tots! The items on the kids menu are equally tempting, with your little one able to choose from a host of a child-friendly favorites like chicken tenders, quesadillas, mac and cheese and pizza—all for only $7. As a lighthearted joke, tell your child you’re ordering the “boiled squid, liver and brussel sprouts,” cheekily listed on the kids menu as a whopping $1000 entree. The menu also features several interactive activities, including tic-tac-toe, jokes, word searches and coloring.
Johnny’s
This relaxed Roland Park restaurant, co-owned by frequent James Beard Award nominee Chef Cindy Wolf, was designed with families in mind. It’s spacious enough to accommodate strollers and car seats, and high chairs, crayons and fun coloring menus are on hand to keep children comfortable and entertained. As for the food, the kids menu features classics like burgers, grilled cheese and grilled chicken breasts. They can even sip on “kid-uccino,” a warm vanilla milk while enjoying delicious made-in-house pastries.
