What makes a great kid-friendly restaurant? A menu beyond just hamburgers and chicken fingers? Space to play? iPads to play with? All of the above?! We've assembled a variety of restaurants in The Woodlands, Spring, Conroe, Tomball, Magnolia and Cypress areas that are sure to please the pickiest of eaters, the wildest of rambunctious toddlers and those parents desperate to kick back and enjoy their meal (and drinks!) while their kids play safely.
403 EATS is an exciting addition to Old Town Tomball. They have air conditioned, indoor seating and a 1,000 sq. ft. porch; complete with Wi-Fi and HD TVs and they are family and leashed-dog friendly! Five food trucks serve a variety of food and they have sodas, tea, beer, wine & margaritas inside.
5.ATE Café in Spring is a small restaurant located inside of the inSPIRE Rock Indoor Climbing and Team Building Center serving salads, sandwiches, burgers and pizza. While dining you can enjoy watching climbers scaling the various rock walls.
B-52 Brewing in Conroe (shown in top photo) has outdoor picnic tables as seating and you can pack a picnic, bring in a pizza or eat from one of the rotating food trucks. There is root beer and lemonade on tap for the minors and plenty of shaded woods for kids to play in as well as outdoor games.
Center Court Pizza & Brew on Gosling has a casual dining atmosphere, patio seating, an outdoor playground, and a small indoor arcade.
Center Court Pizza & Brew on Gosling has a casual dining atmosphere, patio seating, an outdoor playground, and a small indoor arcade.
The Butler House (shown in photo) in Spring has a huge outdoor TV screen and green area for kids to play. Chuy's in Shenandoah has free dessert (push pops!) with kids' meals and will also let kids play with tortilla dough (just ask!).
Corkscrew BBQ in Old Town Spring was rated by Texas Monthly as one the 10 best BBQ spots in the state and is a great place to bring out-of-towners. Get there early to avoid long lines (or follow them on Facebook for late afternoon updates). Kids will have fun eating with their hands and exploring the outdoor seating area.
Craft Grill in Tomball near Creekside has a large kids menu with a dog-friendly patio and corn hole game on a little bit of turf.
Crust Pizza Co. in Panther Creek has a wonderful outdoor area for kids to play, including a climbing structure, logs, mushroom pedestals, cornhole and benches. Adjoining patio seating lets you keep a close eye on the action. My kids also LOVE the ice here (similar to Sonic's ice) and Andes Mints. The restaurant is also just a short walk from The Woodlands Children's Museum in the same shopping center. The Rayford location also has a turf cornhole court.
Deacon Baldy's Bar & Food Trucks in Magnolia features permanent food trucks and host daily trucks, so there's something for everyone in the family. They have an open field area for kids to run around with some lawn games (shown in photo).Fielding's Wood Grill in Shenandoah (shown in photo) has an iPad bar for kids and plenty of fun shakes to order.
Goode Co. Barbeque and Goode Co. Kitchen and Cantina in Shenandoah share the same patio breezeway with picnic tables with oversized outdoor games on artificial turf.
Gringo's in Spring (shown in photo) has an outdoor playground that unfortunately does not have seating nearby.
Las Fuentes and Pizzaiolo's Gourmet Pizza in Magnolia on 1488 share a covered playground between their adjoining restaurants.
Maine-ly Sandwiches in The Woodlands features a play kitchen (shown in photo) with kid-friendly seating and a fun kids menu ranging from $2-$4 with unique offerings like Fluff a Nutter.
Red Robin in Shenandoah has been recommended to us by a reader for atmosphere and their kids' menu. Our reader enjoys the free refills on sides and loves that fries can be brought out early like an appetizer. There are also chalk boards at the front that you can take to your seat and sometimes the kids get to take balloons home! There are little screens at the table with games if you'd like.
The Shack Burger Resort on Cypress Rosehill (shown in photo) is a bit out of our area but worth the drive if you're looking for a laid back meal of burgers and fried sides with a hefty beer selection. The restaurant features primarily outdoor picnic table seating and plenty of adventurous equipment for kids to explore, like tires, oil barrels, stumps, old amusement equipment and buses turned into playgrounds with slides coming out of the windows.
Wolfies on Lake Conroe (shown in photo) has a sandbox with slide and swings.
Maine-ly Sandwiches in The Woodlands features a play kitchen (shown in photo) with kid-friendly seating and a fun kids menu ranging from $2-$4 with unique offerings like Fluff a Nutter.The Shack Burger Resort on Cypress Rosehill (shown in photo) is a bit out of our area but worth the drive if you're looking for a laid back meal of burgers and fried sides with a hefty beer selection. The restaurant features primarily outdoor picnic table seating and plenty of adventurous equipment for kids to explore, like tires, oil barrels, stumps, old amusement equipment and buses turned into playgrounds with slides coming out of the windows.Vernon's Kuntry BBQ in Conroe has a play area outside for kids
The Wheel Kitchen on Hufsmith has open field for kids to run around in.
Willie's Grill & Icehouse in Conroe has a sandbox.
Wolfies on Lake Conroe (shown in photo) has a sandbox with slide and swings.Woodson's Local Tap + Kitchen on 1488 has a kid-friendly area to play.
For kid friendly food with arcade games, try Fuddrucker's (locations in Creekside and Louetta) or Cici's on Sawdust.
Need a big restaurant selection with a central place to play? Restaurants at the Creekside Park Village Green (shown in photo featuring Crust, Cupcakes & Bubbles, Fielding's Local, Subway, Levure, Shogun, Jordan's, U-Swirl, Burgerim) as well as the restaurants around Market Street (Levure, Chipotle, Cru, La Madeleine, Potbelly, Schilleci's, Starbucks, Tommy Bahama's, Uni Sushi, Cava both anchor a large central green area with sprayground where kids can explore, run and jump around.Churrascarias are Brazilian-style steakhouses that feature skewer-roasted meats carved table-side. You can experience the fun locally at Avenida Brazil and Fogo de Chão.
Teppanyaki is a style of Japanese cuisine where chefs cook (and perform!) your meal right in front of you at a grill at your table... and it is a hoot for kids. Prepare for the choo-choo whistle, onion volcano and catching shrimp in your mouth! Enjoy locally at Benihana (shown in photo), Shogun, Sakekawa and Kobe.We also list several businesses that are primarily entertainment venues serving food, as well as fast food restaurants with indoor playgrounds at this link.
Want to know where kids eat free (or cheap) every single day in our area? Check out our list here!
If all else fails, we have a great article on Restaurant Delivery in The Woodlands!
Have a great kid-friendly restaurant to suggest for our list? Email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. !
