Want to treat the family to a special dinner soon? You don't have to rely on fast food for delicious dishes that will satisfy everyone.
Sure, dining on that cheeseburger or Chick-fil-A sandwich in the gentle chaos of a play room is enticing for many parents. But sometimes, we want a good, old fashioned experience, where you can sit down, order from a waiter ... and maybe even get dressed up.
To provide moms, dads, grandparents and other caregivers with a little solace, OpenTable curated a list of the country's 50 most kid-friendly restaurants in 2019. And many are not what they seem.
Among the 16 most-winning states (plus Washington, D.C.), New York and Florida ranked the highest — each state boasts seven kid-friendly restaurants on the list. Hawaii had the second most, with six restaurants on the list. California and South Carolina both had four.
A few of the winners were more popular chains, where even celebrities can be seen with their little ones.
Benihana, where Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis celebrated her daughter Jade's birthday last year, had multiple locations make the list. Other resort-friendly chains the like Hard Rock Cafe, Max Brenner, Rainforest Cafe and Carmine's also made the cut. Sugar Factory, which has a star-studded Instagram account featuring visits from the Kardashians and J.Lo, was also deemed a kid magnet.
But more surprising than any restaurant devoted to sugar were the kid-friendly restaurants that many might think to reserve only for date night.
Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen, for example, was ranked as welcoming to all ages. With the Ramsays having just welcomed their fifth child, it's hard to imagine him turning away a wee one.
Another upscale Las Vegas restaurant owned by "Cake Boss" star Buddy Valastro, Buddy V's Ristorante, was voted as a family favorite, too. And Tavern on the Green, the timeless establishment in New York City's Central Park known for its luxurious decor and garden-like setting, also made the list.
To procure its 50 kid-friendly restaurants, OpenTable analyzed more than 12 million reviews by verified diners who use the digital platform. Over 30,000 restaurants were surveyed and the 50 with the most amount of "kid-friendly" or "child-friendly" rankings won.
So, before making that next birthday reservation, think about more than just the play set. The overall experience might surprise you.
Here are the top 50 kid-friendly restaurants in America:
- Aquarium Restaurant - Multiple Locations
- Becco - New York, New York
- Benihana - Multiple Locations
- Bill's Bar and Burger - New York, New York
- The Boathouse - Lake Buena Vista, Florida
- Buddy V's at The Venetian - Las Vegas, Nevada
- Cap City Fine Diner & Bar - Grandview - Columbus, Ohio
- Carmine's - Multiple Locations
- Cattle Company Steakhouse - Pearl City - Pearl City, Hawaii
- Columbia Restaurant - Multiple Locations
- The Dead Fish - Crockett, California
- Farmers & Distillers, Washington, D.C.
- Farmers Fishers Bakers, Washington, D.C.
- Fire + Ice Boston - Boston, Massachusetts
- Fleet Landing Restaurant & Bar - Charleston, South Carolina
- Founding Farmers - Multiple Locations
- Frankenmuth Bavarian Inn Restaurant - Frankenmuth, Michigan
- Hard Rock Cafe - Multiple Locations
- Hell's Kitchen - Caesars Palace Las Vegas - Las Vegas, Nevada
- Henry's Louisiana Grill - Acworth, Georgia
- House of Blues Restaurant & Bar - Orlando - Lake Buena Vista, Florida
- Keoki's Paradise - Koloa, Hawaii
- Kobe Japanese Steakhouse - Multiple Locations
- L. Woods Tap and Pine Lodge - Lincolnwood, Illinois
- Little Goat - Chicago, Illinois
- Loveless Cafe - Nashville, Tennessee
- Maggiano's - Multiple Locations
- Mama's Fish House - Paia, Hawaii
- Max Brenner - Multiple Locations
- The Mill House - Waikapu, Hawaii
- Monkeypod Kitchen - Multiple Locations
- Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner - Buena Park, California
- NINJA NEW YORK - New York, New York
- Old Lady Gang - Atlanta, Georgia
- Old Oyster Factory - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
- The Pirates' House - Savannah, Georgia
- Raglan Road Irish Pub - Lake Buena Vista, Florida
- Rainforest Cafe - Multiple Locations
- Sea Captain's House - Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Skull Creek Dockside Restaurant - Hilton Head, South Carolina
- The Smith- Lincoln Square - New York, New York
- Sugar Factory - Multiple Locations
- Tavern on the Green - New York, New York
- Tony's Di Napoli - Midtown - New York, New York
- True Food Kitchen - Palo Alto - Palo Alto, California
- Ulele - Tampa, Florida
- Uncle Julio's - Multiple Locations
- Virgil's Real BBQ - New York City - New York, New York
- Wolfgang's Steak House - Waikiki Beach - Honolulu, Hawaii
- Zehnder's of Frankenmuth - Frankenmuth, Michigan