Seattle's Child

Your guide to a kid-friendly city

Fat’s Chicken and Waffles

Craving something savory? Look to Fat’s Chicken and Waffles. (Photo by Joshua Huston)

7 kid-friendly Seattle-area restaurants to try this summer

Varied, tasty eating in beloved local restaurants.

There’s no better way to spend summer days scoping out the food scene at kid-friendly Seattle restaurants. Escape home cooking and order some take out or dine-in and let someone else take care of the dishes.

Check out these 7 kid-friendly restaurants around Seattle.

Fat’s Chicken and Waffles

(Central District)

If you’re craving something savory, like shrimp and grits (or red beans and rice, or catfish, or a fried-green-tomato sandwich), or a mix of sweet and salty, like fried chicken and waffles, you’re in luck for dinner or brunch at this Seattle Southern favorite. One of many popular kid-friendly Seattle restaurants, children love the fabulous mac and cheese and fried fruit pies for dessert. Highlight: The honey butter chicken biscuit sandwich. Open now for dine-in. 2726 E. Cherry St.

 

Elliott Bay Brewing Company

(West Seattle, Lake City Way, Burien)

The pub fare for grownups — rotating chili specials, the tempura fish and chips, and the burgers — is outstanding, and the kids’ menu is about as extensive as I’ve seen, including chicken tenders as well as the fancier grilled chicken with sautéed veggies. (Extra perk: In a brewpub, no one can hear your kid screech.)

 

Jade Garden

(International District)

Dine in this legendary staple in the International District. The clinking of the steel bowls filled with dumplings, boa, rice and veggies are a delight as waiters rush around with wheeled carts offering that day’s dim sum variety. Pork buns are a favorite kid snack as is fried rice and noodles. For the more adventurous try the chicken feet or beef tripe. 424 7th Ave S, Seattle

Mioposto

(Mount Baker, Admiral District, Ravenna, Mercer Island)

My husband and I are East Coast transplants — and visited Naples last year — so we have all sorts of haughty assumptions about pizza. Mioposto is doing a great job, both with feeding the kids and keeping the pizza real. (Noteworthy: the beet, feta and orange salad, and curbside cocktails to go.)

 

Uneeda Burger

(Fremont)

With shakes for kids and beers for grownups, it’s a burger place you won’t tire of quickly. Highlights include all the burgers, with toppings ranging from plain to the usual lettuce-tomato-onion to the fancy, like blue cheese and caramelized onions. There are a few non-bovine standouts, namely the Buffalo chicken sandwich, quinoa bowls and the rockfish sandwich. 4302 Fremont Ave. N.

 

The Comfort Zone

(Columbia City)

A mother-daughter team presents soul food with stellar menu items like fish and cheese grits, hush puppies, black-eyed pea dip, oxtails with rice and a variety of po’ boy sandwiches. (Pickier kids love the mac and cheese and cornbread.) 5016 Rainier Ave. S.

 

Issian Japanese Stonegrill

(Wallingford)

A great adult restaurant you can also take little ones to. Our gourmet child’s favorites have included chirashi don (sashimi on rice), takoyaki (fried octopus dumplings) and grilled baby octopus on a stick, while the fussy one sticks happily with other izakaya fare like yakitori (grilled chicken on a skewer), JFC (Japanese fried chicken) and gyoza. 1618 N. 45th St.

Published July 2020; updated for 2022

For more places to go and things to see check out our 66 days of summer ideas

About the Author

Jillian O'Connor

Jillian O’Connor lives in Seattle with her husband, two sons and a dog named after the Loch Ness Monster.