Family-Friendly Restaurants

Recently Parents magazine wrote an article on the "10 Best Family-Friendly Restaurants" and what makes them so. As part of our Mommy Monday series I wanted to highlight this article and the restaurants we can frequent here in Las Vegas:

1. Mimi's Cafe' - This chain's got just the thing to settle down hungry, antsy kids -- a free appetizer plate filled with Cheerios, oranges, and crackers. Kids' menu options include a turkey dinner, soup and salad, and spaghetti; all come with a choice of sides such as fresh veggies, fruit, mashed potatoes, and applesauce.


2. Sweet Tomatoes - Sweet Tomatoes is particularly wonderful because it's cheap (less than $10 for adults and $5 for kids 3 and over), fast, and focused on healthy food. It features a pasta station, eight soups, a 55-foot salad bar with plenty of fruits and vegetables, a bakery section with focaccia pizza and low-fat muffins, and a soft-serve "fro yo" machine.


3. Chili's Grill & Bar - The kids' menu keeps growing: The chain recently added three more sides -- corn, mandarin oranges, and pineapple -- to the seven options it already had. Entrees range from grilled chicken to pasta to pizza.


4. Red Robin - With balloons galore, Red Robin has long been a fun place to take the family. Grilled chicken with Parmesan noodles, veggie burgers, and five side choices, including cantaloupe wedges, carrots with dip, and apple slices, are new to the menu. For families with food allergies, Red Robin offers a detailed yet easy-to-understand ingredient guide.


5. P.F. Chang's China Bistro - The food at this chain is meant to be served family-style -- where everyone eats a little of this and a little of that -- so there isn't a separate menu for children. But there are plenty of kids' favorites, including the ginger chicken with broccoli, chow mein, and crab wontons.


6. Denny's - While your kids are waiting for their star-shaped chicken nuggets, anti-gravity grapes, astronaut applesauce, or any of the other space-themed fare to arrive, they get to sip their milk or juice from a rocket-shaped cup. On the serious side, the chain puts complete nutrition and allergy info for all its dishes online.


7. Claim Jumper - The only chain on the list to have separate menu options for younger and older kids. Children 2 and under get a free plate with turkey, cheese, applesauce, and mandarin orange slices since the chain thinks that even the smaller kids' meal is too big for toddlers.

To read the full article, including the honorable mention list, click here.