Hellobee

One of our favorite family activities is trying new restaurants. At almost four, Little Cotton Candy is getting to the age where it’s not as easy to take him places as it once was. (As a baby and as long as he would sit still in a high chair, he loved going out to eat.) But we’re becoming experts on the places that are fun and safe for kids, and the ones that serve food our LO will actually eat. Here’s a quick roundup of our favorite restaurants to take Little Cotton Candy too, as well as a few juice & dessert places we save for special occasions.

EATS

Mod Pizza – This restaurant is technically a chain (started in Utah, I believe), but it serves fresh, custom-made pizzas, including a smaller version for kids. Little CC always gobbles his up. The location we frequent has a large outdoor space for Little CC to run around in, and they also give kids stickers to scribble on and add to their big wall.

Don’t miss: The caramelized pear lightly sweetened tea.

P. Terry’s – A local chain started in 2005, P. Terry’s is thriving and building new locations all over the city. We are partial to the N. Lamar location for its gorgeous mid-century style and the super fun sandbox located on the front patio. The burgers are among our favorite in Austin (and they are cheap as heck).

Don’t miss: Their breakfast egg burger!

Mueller Trailer Eats – We hang out at Mueller Park all the time anyway, so it’s a no-brainer to grab a bite at the food truck park located next to an old airplane hangar. Little CC loves the communal riding toys and slides, and the grownups love the yummy empanadas from mmmpanadas (try the pumpkin!).

Don’t miss: The nearby Mueller Park, where you can stroll around, play on the playground, and burn off a few calories.

Flyrite Chicken – Austin’s locally owned answer to Chick-fil-A, Fly Rite does fast food chicken so well, using only all-natural chicken raised without hormones. They also offer delicious alternatives like veggie and vegan wraps that are just as delicious. Plus, their kale slaw side dish it out of this world! Oh yeah, and they have several yummy local craft brews on tap. This place is a parent’s dream.

Don’t miss: The awesome selection of yummy dipping sauces.

Central Market Cheese Section

Central Market – The location on N. Lamar has got a lovely shaded playground, which is adjacent to the cafe where you can grab a quick coffee or smoothie, or choose from a full menu of lunch and dinner options. We like Central Market more for the fun and convenience factor then the food, but it’s not bad. There’s even a walking path behind the playground that takes you to a beautiful old tree and a little pond with ducks. The last time we went, the whole place was swarming with people playing Pokemon Go.

Don’t miss: Central Market’s insane cheese section.

HEB Meuller Cafe – This HEB is our regular grocery store, so it’s a great option to be able to stop in for a quick dinner and a beer on occasion. There are a ton of options for kids on the menu, like cheese pizza, a hummus plate, chicken fingers, spaghetti, and more. There’s an indoor and an outdoor dining area, and the outdoor area is quite pleasant with misters, a play area for kids, and often live music.

Don’t miss: Taking home a growler of local craft beer.

Southpark Meadows – I’ve written about this playground before but it merits a mention here because it is just that awesome. It’s definitely Little Cotton Candy’s favorite playground in Austin, and even though it’s pretty far from our house, it makes a great family adventure destination. Surrounding the always busy and fun playground are a mix of restaurants from sandwiches to Asian-inspired to burgers to pizza to Mexican. You can grab a burrito from Chipotle, or sit down and have a full service meal at Waterloo Ice House, then grab some ice cream at Amy’s (see below) if it’s a special night and you don’t care if your child sleeps ever again.

Don’t miss: Any of the slides (there are at least five or six).

Hopdoddy – This one’s for the parents! I had to include this restaurant even though it doesn’t have a playground or even a kid’s menu. It has my absolute favorite burger ever, plus the best milkshakes that have ever hit my lips. I don’t even bother with non-Hopdoddy milkshakes anymore. Luckily, Little Cotton Candy likes going here with us, and even though they don’t cater specifically to kids, Hopdoddy is kid friendly, offering high chairs and curating a “family” section so that your LOs can be a little rowdy without disturbing the kid-free diners. I usually pack Little CC some fresh fruit and a PB&J, and let him share our french fries when we go here.

Don’t miss: The truffle & parmesan fries.

See? He loves Hopdoddy.

Tamale House – There are literally dozens if not hundreds of places to get amazing tacos in Austin. I could probably do a whole post on them. Torchy’s and Tacodeli are both amazing and uniquely Austin. But I would be remiss not to mention Tamale House, a place with the humblest of beginnings. When I was in college, I lived within walking distance from their original location, just a tiny hole in the wall that didn’t even have air conditioning. Their new location, which opened a few years ago, boasts the same absolutely delicious tacos (and still for an incredible price). My favorite dish is their migas, which are divine, and if it’s before noon, I usually get their Mexican iced coffee, a sweet, spiced brunch treat. The restaurant has a super casual vibe, and a fun fish tank that Little CC loves to check out.

Don’t miss: The salsa bar.

Austin Daily Press – Quirky delicious sandwiches, tortas, and salads, jalapeno hush puppies, and refreshing iced beverages make ADP’s menu stand out among the glut of local sandwich offerings. But their outdoor-dining-only, food-truck-like setup with ping pong tables makes this place fun and fairly kid friendly, too. (Plus, they have free beer on Fridays!)

Don’t miss: The fact that you can make any sandwich into a salad.

Hat Creek Burger Company – Located in an abandoned Arby’s, this burger joint popped onto the Austin scene in 2008 and immediately became a family favorite. The restaurant offers easily the coolest play structure in town, and the burgers are not too shabby. (I would know—Mr. Cottton Candy and I have tried over 40 burger places in Austin since 2010!)

Don’t miss: The Cuvee Coffee milkshake (if you’re not a milkshake snob like me).

SWEETS

This post wouldn’t be complete with a list of some of our favorite places to get special treats. Lately, we’ve had to limit these as Little Cotton Candy will be up ALL NIGHT if he has sugar in the afternoon. But for special occasions, these local Austin sweets options cannot be beat.

Amy’s Ice Creams – Amy’s is an Austin institution. From the quirky and creative staff (they toss your ice cream in the air while scooping it!) to the fresh ingredients to the delish mix-ins—like Oreos and fresh strawberries—Amy’s is on a level of its own. The Burnet Road location is nestled in with a Phil’s Icehouse (a local burger place), and there’s a great playground on the premises where kids can burn off all the sugar.

JuiceLand – JuiceLand is a cornucopia of deliciously refreshing and fruit/veg-filled made-to-order beverages. They even have kid juices that come in a special kid size. So if your kid likes to mainline sugar like mine, but you want to let them do it in a healthier way, JuiceLand is your spot.

Casey’s New Orleans Snowballs – In my opinion this family owned stand has the best snowballs in town. They have totally creative flavors like chocolate covered cherry and banana fudge pop. Yum. What kid doesn’t love snowballs?

Ice cream at Lick’s former S. Lamar location

Lick – I can’t get enough of this artisanal ice cream shop. Some of the flavors sound insane (goat cheese, thyme, and honey?), but the ingredients are top notch and the ice cream is always fresh and delicious as heck. As fun as it is to try some of the more adventurous flavors, I’m partial to the dark chocolate with sea salt. Little Cotton Candy has yet to meet a flavor he doesn’t love.

Daily Greens – Another favorite juice spot, this one is a favorite of Little CC because they always let you try some free samples in fun little paper cups before you choose your flavor. (Trying free samples is one of Little Cotton Candy’s favorite things.) They have a hemp “juice” that tastes like vanilla and is out of this world.

Voodoo Doughnut – Originating in Portland, this hipster donut joint made its way to Austin in the past couple of years. We’ve never taken Little CC into the location (it’s in the heart of the seedy bar district on 6th Street), but we’ve picked up donuts from here a couple times and they are just amazing. They have some super fun flavors, like one coated in Fruity Pebbles and another maple + bacon concoction. Definitely a fun treat to have every now and then.

Do you have favorite kid-friendly places to dine? How kid-friendly is your hometown?