Outdoor dining at restaurants has always been a good option for families. Messy, noisy young kids are less bothersome to other diners when eating outside, and there’s often distracting scenery that keeps a fast eater in their seat longer. Patio season typically correlates to warm weather, and boy, are we ready for some of that sunshine.
The number of restaurants offering outdoor dining has increased, so finding that perfect combo of kid-friendly, good food, and an outside eating area has gotten easier. Whether you’re planning brunch, burgers, pizza, or tacos in the sunshine, these spots are worth adding to your warm-weather list.
Agua Verde Café
- Hours: Opens at 11 a.m. daily for dine-in, 10 a.m. for take-out
- Phone: 206-545-8570
- Address: 1303 NE Boat St, Seattle, WA 98105
The burritos at Agua Verde are big; so are the restaurant’s awesome views of Portage Bay. Kids’ fare is simple: bean and cheese burritos or their famous “mangodilla,” a mango and your-choice-of-meat-filled quesadilla.
The Agua Verde Marina Cantina is on the east side of the cafe with entry by the water. You can get many of the cafe’s menu favorites from their food truck. Open May through September, call or check their Instagram for updated information.
Tip: Agua Verde gets crowded during the summer. Grab a basket of chips and go wait for your table at the adjacent waterfront park.
Kids will love a paddle around Lake Union (older kids, anyway). Rent single and double kayaks and paddleboards from Agua Verde Paddle Club, just below the restaurant, March through October.
(Photo courtesy Agua Verde Cafe/Facebook)
Anthony’s Beach Café
- Hours: Open every day beginning at 11:30 a.m.
- Phone: 425-771-4400
- Address: 456 Admiral Way, Edmonds, WA 98020
Anthony’s main restaurant might be a bit sophisticated for a casual family meal but head downstairs to the Beach Café and you’ll find a lovely spot for outdoor dining while enjoying the splendid view of boat activity on Puget Sound. The menu is basic, but that won’t matter when you’re sitting on a sun-soaked patio, sipping peach lemonade, chowing down on comfort food – clam chowder, fish tacos, and deep-fried calamari – and enjoying delicious marina views. A large sandbox for the kiddos is available for play on the patio in warmer months.
They don’t take reservations for the Beach Cafe, but at least if you have to wait for a table, it’s a fabulous place to do so on a warm day. Or you can always order to-go and head to the beach for a picnic. Or if you are feeling adventurous, walk on the nearby Edmonds/Kingston ferry for a scenic, short ride.
Patio is open (unless raining).
(Photo courtesy Anthony’s Home Port & Beach Café in Edmonds)
Elemental Pizza
- Hours: Open daily at 11:30 a.m.
- Phone: 206-524-4930
- Address: 2634 NE University Village St, Seattle, WA 98105
U-Village is a popular hangout for Seattle families: There’s shopping, a playground, and fun water fountains. When you need to refuel, enjoy outdoor dining on the patio at Elemental Pizza. Their pizzas are made from fresh ingredients, and you can watch them bake in the open wood-fired ovens.
Elemental has both indoor and outdoor seating, and a nearby grassy play area that is a great place for kids to cavort before the pizza arrives. Call the restaurant to see if outdoor seating is open, which it usually does in May.
(Photo courtesy: Elemental Pizza/Facebook)
Humble Pie
- Hours: Opens at 11:30 a.m. on weekdays and 12 p.m. on weekends
- Phone: 206-329-5133
- Address: 525 Rainier Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144
Humble Pie is an unassuming pizza joint right off Rainier Avenue. This place has offered only outdoor dining at picnic tables beneath a solar panel roof – no indoor seating. It’s wonderful in the summer but even on a cold, rainy night it’s a great place to stay cozy and enjoy some of the best pizza in town.
Try the prosciutto, egg, and arugula pizza. If you want to hold the meat, no problem: Half of their pizzas are vegetarian-friendly. Pair your pizza with one of two flavors of local favorite Rachel’s Ginger Beer – original and blood orange.
Kids will love watching the chickens scratch and peck in the nearby coops. Be sure to check their Facebook page for the latest updates.
The outdoor patio is always open and has heaters!
(Image courtesy Humble Pie/Facebook)
Ivar’s Salmon House and Fish Bar
- Hours: Opens at 11 a.m. every day
- Phone: 206-632-0767
- Address: 401 NE Northlake Way, Seattle, WA 98105
There are many Ivar’s restaurants around Seattle, but this one in the Northlake/Wallingford neighborhood sits right on the water with a patio offering up-close views of Lake Union boat traffic and the downtown Seattle skyline. Whether you’re in the mood for a quick, take-and-go lunch or sit-down dining, you have options: Order deliciously deep-fried seafood at the Fish Bar window, then take your pick of picnic tables around the corner on the patio barge. Half of the patio is reserved for guests of the Salmon House – a full-service restaurant with the same fried goodness, plus healthier options such as Portobello Caesar salad and grilled salmon.
Tip: Bring out-of-town guests here. The sweeping views and seafood menu will check off two items on every Seattle tourist’s bucket list.
Kids will love watching the seaplanes take off and the water taxis drop off passengers at the restaurant dock.
Outdoor patio is open now, but weather dependent, so call before heading out!
Little Chinook’s
- Hours: Open daily at 11:30 a.m.
- Phone: 206-283-4665
- Address: 1900 W Nickerson St #103, Seattle, WA 98119
Chinook’s at Salmon Bay offers indoor and outdoor seating and is very family-friendly.
The patio is open based on the weather; call before arriving to make sure it is open. They are right on the water, and there is a breeze, so they want to make sure people are comfortable.
(Photo courtesy: Chinook’s Facebook)
Little Water Cantina
- Hours: Open at 11:30 a.m. daily
- Phone: 206-397-4152
- Address: 2865 Eastlake Ave E, Seattle, WA 98102
This family-run Mexican restaurant in Eastlake has been featured on the Food Network and the Travel Channel for its picture-perfect, mouthwatering food and knock-out view of Lake Union from the large outdoor seating area. It’s also known for its top-notch tequila bar and making the ‘Don Juan of margaritas so a popular place to grab a drink on a summer evening, but the food and setting are kid-friendly. Kids will love the made-fresh guacamole and chips; quesadillas; and the rice and beans with avocado skillet.
They serve local and organic food when feasible, use environmentally friendly cleaning products, compost their food waste and use green technologies to minimize water and energy use.
Tip: Kids like to roam around the patio, and that’s okay! It’s gated off with only one means of egress, so you won’t have to worry too much if the children are socializing while you’re sipping a margarita.
The patio is now enclosed and heated so you can enjoy food, drinks and views all year round.
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Marination Ma Kai
- Hours: Open at 11 a.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. on weekends
- Phone: 206-328-8226
- Address: 1660 Harbor Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98126
Hawaiian food by the beach? Yes, please! You might be familiar with Marination’s big, blue food truck, which became popular for its melt-in-your-mouth Hawaiian-Korean cuisine. Marination Ma Kai is their brick-and-mortar restaurant in West Seattle. Sit on the patio for a great view of the Seattle skyline, and try their popular tacos or fish and chips with miso-infused tartar.
Tip: Take the King County Water Taxi from downtown extends the fun.
Kids will love the mac and spam and Hawaiian shaved ice for dessert.
The covered outdoor patio is open now, but check first, as this is weather-dependent!
(Image courtesy Marination Ma Kai/Facebook)
Red Mill Burgers
- Hours: Tue-Sat. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday, 12 p.m. – 8 p.m.
- Phone: 206-783-6362 (Phinney) 206-284-6363 (Interbay)
- Address: 312 N. 67th St. (Phinney Ridge) and 1613 W Dravus St, Seattle, WA 98119 (Interbay)
Red Mill has long been on various culinary reviewers’ lists of “best burgers in Seattle.” GQ and the Oprah Show declared their Double Bacon Deluxe with Cheese one of the “20 hamburgers you must eat before you die.” One Yelp reviewer said, “My kid just wolfed a blue cheese bacon burger wrapped in lettuce, no buns man… and she doesn’t even like any green leafy things. Needn’t say more.”
Tip: Red Mill used to be cash-only, but they now accept credit cards. They have two locations, both with outdoor seating: Phinney Ridge and Interbay. The outdoor setting isn’t anything special – picnic tables on a busy street – but the exceptional burgers make it worth it.
Or it’s easy to take your meals to a nearby park:
The park with a great playground that sits just north of Woodland Park Zoo – about 6 blocks south of Red Mill on Phinney Ridge – is a good place for a picnic. Just west of the Interbay Red Mill, there’s a field where you can picnic or, better yet, drive to one of the most spectacular parks in the Seattle area – Discovery Park, about a 5-minute drive away.
Smarty Pants Garage
- Hours: Open at 11 a.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. on weekends
- Phone: 206-457-8181
- Address: 626 SW 152nd St, Burien, WA 98166
This motorcycle-themed American fare pub with “dang good sandwiches” is tucked in the alleyway behind Grand Central Bakery in Burien. There’s a grilled cheese, cheeseburger and popcorn chicken on the kids’ menu. The regular menu has lots of options, and portions are plenty big to share with your littles. Their spacious patio welcomes dogs, too.
Tip: They now have a changing table in the bathroom!
Kids will love the motorcycles on display and more garage-themed décor.
The patio will be open, weather permitting. As of now, they are predicting opening the patio in late May.
(Image courtesy Smarty Pants Garage/Facebook)
Uneeda Burger
- Hours: Open at 11 a.m. daily
- Phone: 206-547-2600
- Address: 4302 Fremont Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103
As the name suggests, you need this burger in your belly. The beefy, locally sourced burgers come in all sorts of worldly variations: Try the Monsieur, the Philly Smash or the Medi-terra lamb burger. They also have hearty veggie burgers, sandwiches, and salads.
Kids will love: Hand-dipped shakes made with Snoqualmie Gourmet Ice Cream.
Tip: All the tables at Uneeda are outside, but about half are under cover, so it is fine on a rainy day. If you want to picnic, Woodland Park is a 5-minute drive north, and Green Lake is 10 minutes away by car.
Patio is now open!
(Image courtesy Uneeda Burger/Facebook)
Woodshop BBQ
- Hours: Open daily at 11 a.m.
- Phone: 206-485-7381
- Address: 2513 S Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98144
Nothing says summer like barbecue, and the Woodshop BBQ has you covered with some of the best in town. Try the wood-smoked, Texas-style brisket with creamy mac and cheese on the side. Their spacious picnic table patio has plenty of room for the whole family – even the family dog.
The covered, heated patio is open year-round.
Kids will likely love the fried mac-and-cheese balls and five different barbecue sauces to try.
Woodshop BBQ. (Image: Joshua Huston)
