Seattle Kid-Friendly Restaurants

This list of kid-friendly places to eat in Seattle is always growing and you can stay current with where we’ve been eating lately on my Emerald City Life instagram feed. I also have a list of other things you can do in Seattle with kids too. I will admit to eating out quite frequently every week and here are some of our favorite Seattle kid-friendly restaurants :

Kid-friendly restaurants and eateries in SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, USA

MY TOP 5 KID-FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS IN SEATTLE :

Tutta Bella, Portage Bay Cafe, Molly Moon’s or General Porpoise,  The Armory at Seattle Center House (There is a children’s museum below, a science center nearby and a monorail to ride and an abundance of good fast food eateries so everyone can get something that they like) and Din Tai Fung. And if you’re in the city and want to see one amazing foodie thing you need to stop at Starbucks Roastery too!  (also as of fall of 2022, Youth 18 and under in Seattle ride transit for free, including ferries and light rail so this might help with transportation to kid-friendly restaurants in Seattle too.)

(If you’re going to splurge any Tom Douglas Restaurant or Salty’s breakfast buffet  are fabulous options and Eques in Bellevue too. We used to dine at the Space Needle with kids for a celebration evening but it sounds like there is no longer a restaurant there.  We also have a soft spot for Loulay (oh this one is closed now in 2021 maybe go to Ascend or Charlotte Restaurant or Ben Paris now) for special breakfasts because although it’s not really a kids’ restaurant they were kind enough to split the french toast for my guys and my kids ate every last morsel!)

And here are some Seattle kid-friendly restaurants we frequent a lot (it’s coffee and bakery heavy, but that’s what we love most):

Agua Verde Paddle Club:  I love their Mangodillo (a mango quesadilla but it’s a little spicy for kids).  My guys like the quesadillas and chips and it’s just lovely sitting on their patio after kayaking with the family.

Airport Dining: Here are some of our favorite places to eat at Seatac Airport and I’ve heard from a great source that the food options are going to keep getting better and better!

Asean Streat Food Hall: this opened up at the end of 2022 and it looks so promising for downtown Seattle. The food is Southeast Asian and reminds us a little of the places we visit with family in Singapore. We’ve only taken out so far but there is plenty of seating-with kids I would go before 6pm as it might not be as busy.

Beecher’s Cheese: how fun is it to sit on a galvanized milk bucket and watch cheese curds being made in the market?  It is unpredictable how busy it will be so sometimes we just stop in for curds alone, but if there’s a spot we grab mac and cheese and a sandwich and sit for a little while.  If I’m totally craving mac and cheese I pick some up from the freezer for home and you can get frozen Beecher’s Mac and Cheese at most Seattle grocery stores.

Bottega Italiana: This is a great ice cream stop near Pike Place Market and I have a small but healthy addiction to their mint and strawberry basil ice cream. 

Blue C Sushi: (this suddenly closed in 2020 too!)It was also known as Round and Round Sushi in this house.  My guys could live off their avacado rolls and chicken katsu.  We used to like the one in Fremont the best.  It wasn’t the most fabulous sushi but the kids like the experience.  Kura Sushi opened up in Bellevue and it is very popular and it might be the replacement we needed for Blue C.

Boba Up: Self serve bubble tea near the University of Washington. It also has food and snacks.

Cactus: This place has Southwestern/Mexican food and I really like their decor.  The kid’s meal has a reasonably priced bean burrito that is yummy.  I like the drinks, fajitas, tortilla soup and fry bread.  Our favorite Cactus is the one on Alki.

Cafetal Quilombo Cafe– If you ever have a soccer game at Cleveland High School this is a great place to get takeout tamales.  My kids’ soccer teammate’s mom recommended them to me and they are magnificent.

Cafe Flora: this is a really sweet vegetarian restaurant with a beautiful enclosed patio and a little toy/reading nook for kids that has also been having a few afternoon teas lately.  I love that it’s non-vegetarian friendly-think hearty delicious meals with a southern influence and not piles of grassy weird stuff.  They have amazing beignets and cheesy grits and the surround neighborhood is quite cute too.  (PS. this is where I first saw Kate Endle’s art displayed and totally fell in love!). They now have Floret at the airport too and the Flora Bakehouse as well.)

Cafe Vivace: This used to be our go-to place to stop for coffee as a family because of it’s kid-sized table.  My guys would feel VERY at home here.  One time one of them fell off a chair and hit his head and a dear worker at Cafe Vivace who has since passed (you can still see his picture on the wall) gave him a giant bag of ice and made him feel better.  I still feel grateful every time I come to this coffee shop and it is still one of our favorites.

Chocolate factories in the Seattle area and other fabulous places to get chocolate treats. We have so many that I had to give them their own post in the link.

Chinooks and Little Chinook’s window at Fisherman’s Terminal- it’s a really lovely thing to sit at Chinooks in Fisherman’s Terminal and have a sit down meal but usually we do the takeout window from Little Chinooks. (It tends to close early evening so make sure you check before you go or go for lunch)It’s fun to walk the docks while we wait for food. With the kid’s meal we used to order root beers to go with the vanilla ice cream so we could make floats.

Columbia City Bakery: I am in love with their cardamom cake and the boys adore their cinnamon twists and their easy to look in pastry case.  Olive bread when available is divine too!  And you can get the olive bread in the bread plate at Macchiavelli’s where we celebrated an interview in Seattle that brought us to the city ages and ages ago.

Commons Cafe in Woodinville:  this is the cutest little cafe in a sweet part of Woodinville that I know we need to explore more.  It’s made by the Heavy Restaurant Group who made Barrio and Purple (my kids also like this place for celebrations) and the menu here has a Southern feel.  They have big breakfasts and an emphasis on decor.  On my last visit I spotted some Bloody Mary’s in Mason jars that were totally enviable.  The changing tables in the bathrooms are even stocked with diapers.

Cookies: all the cookie stores in and around the Seattle area you need to know about and another updated cookie list too

Crabpot Seattle: this is an iconic Seattle waterfront restaurant on Pier 57 known for its “seafeasts” that you eat off your table using mallets and wearing bibs.  There is a carousel and arcade right nearby that kids will probably love and the market is close by as well.

Din Tai Fung: This place is one of our family’s favorites and we’ve been eating at Boom Noodles and Blue C a little less at Uvillage since it opened there.  The guys love the dumplings and the green beans.  They taste better than French Fries!  And since there are always line ups, if we get there around 5pm and put our names in, we have time to shop for about 20-30 minutes before the kids get too hungry and the restaurant texts us to let us know a table is ready.

Drive through Cinnamon Buns: You don’t even need to get out of your car to get these cinnamon buns so this might be a great place to visit even if the kids are napping in the car.

Deru Market: After COVID this is takeout only and their cakes are still incredible.

Eating out near soccer fields: this is a blog post I’m working on and always updating because we play a lot of soccer and who needs to feel like they just live for sports? This post has restaurants and activities near soccer fields in Seattle and beyond and having places to pop into in the hour while my guys warm up has made me look forward to rather than dread soccer game days on precious weekends.

Evergreens: you’ll find these all over the place in our city and they make salads and wraps that are customizable and delicious.  Sometimes we order the wraps for easy lunches.

Eltana Bagel: a bagel restaurant in Capital Hill that seriously serves the best bagels we’ve found outside of Vancouver.  Then, you’re competing with Sollys and Seagels.  But here, my heart belongs to Eltana.

Fisherman’s Restaurant on Pier 57: this used to be a destination for my family when we lived in Vancouver BC and it’s so cool that I can still bring my kids here.  There are lots of exciting things that will happen at Pier 57 in the next few years, and there are great kids’ menu items at Fisherman’s Restaurant if you bring your family to eat here too.  The Great Wheel and Seattle Aquarium are very nearby as well.

Fresh Flours: This is a sweet little bakery near the Woodland Park Zoo that has French/Japanese pastries.  Our favorites are the muffins, matcha and bean-paste filled anything, macarons and pain au chocolate.  There is now another location in South Lake Union too but my favorite is still the one near Woodland Park Zoo.

Fresh Udon:  If only we lived closer to the Udistrict or Capitol Hill.  Or if this place existed in my neighborhood.  Yummy and reasonably priced freshly made udon, with all sorts of delectable toppings.  I love the oroshi udon (hot in winter, cold in summer) and the boys love the soup udon. (A similar place if you’re in Honolulu: Marukame udon.)

Fuji Bakery: We stop in this place too often.  I love the pear and apricot tarts.  The boys love the milk sticks and shokupan.  The hubby gets a pain au chocolat.  The one in Interbay has takeout comfort Japanese food and if I get there between 12-2 I love the vegetarian curry rice and I get it with a pastry for a perfect meal.

Fremont Bowl-we get this one for takeout so I’ve never been in but it’s right near Woodland Park Zoo. My kids love their chicken katsu and it’s so big we can order 2 dishes and share between the three of us (and they are teenagers now.)

G.H. Pasta Co: we go to the one in South Lake Union and it doesn’t have a ton of seating and it gets busy with the business lunch crowd but it’s a great place to grab fresh noodles and sauce which are two of my kids’ favorite things.  The focaccia is messy but delicious too. And now I think they have one in West Seattle too.

HaiDiLao at Pacific Place: it’s a little spendy (I haven’t figured out totally how to order properly yet) but it’s a fun food experience, you can make reservations, there are toys and treats for the kids, free ice cream at the end and a robot that brings part of your meal.

Ivar’s: Yes for any of the fish and chip stands but especially yes for the Salmon House and Acres of Clams sit-down restaurants.  Both have dreamy water views and excellent kid’s meals. And their happy hours are pretty incredible.

Katsu Burger– (I have this restaurant as part of a list of Seattle Kid-friendly restaurants with play areas.  The one in Ballard used to have a small play area (I’m not sure if they still do) and the food here is tasty. We currently pick up from the one on the way to the Museum of Flight.

Kitchen and Market – this one isn’t a restaurant but a market within Pike Place Market that has ingredients for meals as well as meal-kits to make dinners that my family absolutely loves. I buy the turkey sandwiches here for my kids’ lunch sometimes when I don’t feel like making lunches.

Lola: this Greek-themed Tom Douglas restaurant has a fantastic kids’ meal.  It might not be considered a totally Seattle kid-friendly restaurant, but it’s a restaurant the whole family will probably enjoy.

Lowells: if you’re in Pike Place Market and want a tucked away perfect window at lunch go to Lowells and go way up the stairs. This might be tricky with a stroller in tow, but if you can get upstairs mid-week there aren’t usually many crowds, there is a bathroom  and big windows and good food.

Luna Park Cafe: burgers, milkshakes, fries and a Batmobile.  Totally kid-friendly but can get super-busy too.

LunchBox Laboratory: fun milkshakes, burgers and free kids’ meal nights.  Check their website to see the days.  There are locations in Seattle and Bellevue and my kids love their mac and cheese.

Macrina Bakery: the hubby and I have loved this place since we moved to Seattle. It’s harder to do their brunch with kids in tow, but we love their rocket muffins, their roly polys and their orange hazelnut pinwheels (and practically everything else on the menu!)  It’s also one of my favorite places to buy birthday cakes.

Maggie Bluffs: it’s on the water in the Magnolia neighborhood and it’s a great place to eat with kids.  We like to bike there and make it an afternoon/evening adventure.

Mod Pizza: cheap, yummy and fast pizza.  Kind of like a ‘subway’ for pizza but better and one of the most kid-friendly restaurants in Seattle.

Molly Moon’s ice cream: yummy ice cream, cool flavors, and adorable logo.  Expect long lines.  The one in Uvillage is close enough to Amazon books that if we pick up the kids a book and an ice cream we can almost have a grown-up date with them.

Next Level Burger: This is a VEGAN and delicious cafe located in Whole Foods in Roosevelt Square Seattle.  Parking is free and easy and you can eat then shop or shop then eat so it’s perfect for families trying to multitask. They just opened a second Seattle location in Ballard Blocks.

New China Express: this is our recent go to for take out Chinese food because they’re convenient for us and have some great deals when we order through their website. We really love their hand pulled noodles and they’re usually pretty quick.

Nuna Ramen: I keep going here without the kids because they are now in school but it has a great selection of Ramen including one that is vegetarian with vegetarian broth.  They have booths and roomy spaces between tables so I don’t think a stroller would be too problematic.  I did not see high chairs so you might want to check before you visit if you need one.

Nutty Squirrel Gelato: If you head to Magnolia and play at Ella Bailey Park you can now follow your visit up with fabulous ice cream.  The kids think this gelato place is the best ice  cream in Seattle.

Pasta Casalinga: this was the last place we ate at before the pandemic in 2020 and it’s one of the first places we went to once we felt like we could eat out again.  They have delicious pasta and we love pasta. It is in Pike Place Market and has a bit of seating but you can always take it and eat at one of the outdoor tables at the market too.

PCC deli in Ballard: if you go to the deli here they have foccacia sandwiches that are under $10 in 2022.  I pair these with a takeout salad for lunches and they’re really really good.

Piroshky Piroshky- this local bakery has a few outlets around the city but the most famous is in Pike Place Market.  Did you even visit Seattle if you didn’t go to Piroshky Piroshky? PS the original Starbucks is also right next door.

Playdate Seattle: if you’re looking for a play cafe near REI and cool restaurants in South Lake Union, I’d grab a cup of coffee here on a rainy day and let the kids get some energy out.  There is food, drinks and snacks and my kids have fun being kids in this place. As with any kid-themed cafe, I get there early or hang out there during typical nap times so it’s not as crowded.

Portage Bay Cafe: if you’ve stayed with us in Seattle, chances are we’ve brought you here.  One of our favorite breakfast places in Seattle and awesome for large groups (with kids!).  We love their pancakes, their toppings bar and their amazing French Toast.

Purple: The Heavy restaurant group has an amazing beverage list for the grownups.  Purple restaurant has an amazing kids’ menu and their beverage options for the kids?  Two words: Milk Flight.  Seriously awesome. (I heard they may have gotten rid of the milk flight! OMG OMG!  Tell me this isn’t true.)

Red Robin:  How did a ‘chain’ restaurant get on my list?  I love the one on the Seattle Waterfront.  It has lovely views, a great kids’ menu and it’s the perfect amount of touristy/kitschy/familiar when you’re eating out with kids. (OH NO! THIS ONE MIGHT BE CLOSED NOW IN 2022 but the one in Northgate is still open.)

Sea Wolf Bakers: this is a beautiful space to grab a pain au chocolat and bring home a gorgeous loaf of bread.  This is more of a grab and go place but it is near the EVO skatepark where the kids have had birthday parties and it could be a stop on the way to the zoo.

Spaghetti Factory: *closed*

RIP to my kids’ childhood favorite.  This was one more chain restaurant the kids loved on the waterfront.  We used to bike there. Sadly it closed but I managed to snap a picture of the caboose on it’s way out…and there is still the one in Tukwila

Serious Pie:  You could add the rest of Tom Douglas’s restaurants to our fave list, but we order from the one in Ballard (I think the South Lake Union one is gone now) but hoping to see more and more from Tom Douglas as things get back to normal.

Takeout Food Ideas: I’ve included our favorite food delivery apps and some of the things we’ve ordered.

Tavolata Stone Way: Our current favorite thing is going to happy hour between 4-6 pm on the nights we have soccer or the hubby and I will go while the kids are at soccer and order a takeout pasta for them to take home.  The pasta dishes are hearty and delicious and the salad with peppers has a little bit of heat. We always order the Sea Wolf bread and butter here too.

Thanh Son Tofu: this is a takeout place in the International District that has the best Bahn Mi’s and fresh housemade tofu.  Every time I go here I come out with something new to try and everything has been delicious.

The Fat Hen: I’m not sure I’d be adventurous enough to wait for a table with kids in tow- I’ve never seen this place not lined up.  However, it’s super close to Ballard Pool, and now Frankie and Jo’s vegan ice cream is near here too.  Fat Hen is otherwise perfect in every way and I love their baked eggs so it makes a compelling argument for Saturday morning swim lessons for the kids.

Too Good to Go: this is actually not one restaurant or cafe but a way to rescue food from food waste and a way to get some really delicious local pastries and other goods for very good discounts. Too Good To Go is not only in Seattle but in other places around the world too (like Vancouver BC-and a lot of our favorite places up there are using the Too Good To Go app as well!)

Touba Bakery: this is near Paine Field if you are heading out from that airport and maybe need some treats for your trip. Both Alaska Airlines and Kenmore Air fly from Paine Field.

Trophy Cupcakes: I will love this place for life.  Especially the one in Wallingford Center. They have macarons and cupcakes and beautiful aesthetics.

Tutta Bella Pizza: yummy pizza, fun atmosphere and tons of highchairs.  Love their beet salad, namesake pizza, Chianti and a dish of nutella Gelato.  Life doesn’t get much better than that.  (PS our favorite location is the Wallingford one.). They also have a kids menu. The Bellevue location is open really early for coffee and has delicious Sonrisa donuts.

Uneeda Burger: this is a great burger restaurant near enough to the zoo that it’s a great stop pre or post adventure.  There are many burger varieties (their turkey and vegetarian burgers are quite good!) and milkshakes and fries.

Wild Ginger: Passion Tofu is amazing even if you’re not a vegetarian and maybe even if you’re not a current tofu fan.  The kid’s satay is the same as the satay appetizer on the adult menu.

(Sans kiddos add Spinasse and Canlis to the list.  And the Whale Wins or the Walrus Bar.)

PORTLAND, OR

Grilled Cheese Grill: we can’t go to the city without a trip to this bus/food cart/decadent cheese-y sandwich delight.

Salt and Straw: Seriously yummy ice cream with very inventive flavors.  There isn’t a lot of seating, but the treats are so worth it. (They also sell Woodblock Chocolate here, a Portland Bean to Bar chocolate.). Salt and Straw is now in Seattle too, but I think I’m still partial to the Portland one.

FAMILY-FRIENDLY FOOD IN VANCOUVER, BC  (I have to shout out the hometown and we have so many favorites here too! And I now have a designated list for Vancouver BC.)

Beaucoup Bakery:  this place has such delightful pastries

Bunny Cafe: if you like bunnies, you will love this place.

Cora: this is a neat breakfast place that seems like an IHOP or Denny’s but has a huge focus on fruit and healthier options.  The kid’s menu has pictures so the kids can see what they’re getting.

Chambar: If I get babysitting, this is where I want to be. Yummy drinks, delicious food…get the “dessert tasting platter” and you will swoon.  (PS. their Dirty Apron cooking classes are on my bucket list and I love love love their Cafe Medina next door.)

Elysian Coffee: yummy coffee close to Granville Island, and they make a lot of their baked goods on site.

Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company: It has a little kitchen area that the kids can play in and it is on every list of where to eat with kids in Vancouver.

JamJar: I went with a friend and loved this restaurant and I think my kids could handle it here too.

JapaDog: I just love it because I’m half-Japanese and think the toppings are cool.  And who doesn’t love a good hot dog?

OEB-it’s a breakfast chain you can find all over the city and we go to the Brentwood one because it opens early and at opening we’ve never had a wait. A little bit later and it gets very lined up.

Stephos: I am still not sure what Veggie Briami is, but I adore it and crave it in Seattle.  This is not fancy, and there is often a huge line for its cheap Greek food.  With kids we order take out and eat on the beach in the summer.

Sophie’s Cosmic Cafe: this place has evolved from a fun breakfast date-place in our college days (my claim to fame is once I saw “will” from Will and Grace here.  We breathed the same air!) to a place that we can bring our kids if we show up super early.  They love the kitchy decor and the yummy food.  FYI: there is always a line, but it is oh so worth it.

White Spot: This is a Canadian chain that is headquartered in Vancouver and it’s my guys’ hands down favorite because of the pirate packs and it’s nice to eat here sometimes and reminisce about being little and hope they bring the grownups an extra chocolate coin. At some locations you can still order outside and eat in your car.

Anywhere Granville Island.  I love Dockside for sit-down but tend to grab soup, coffee and pastries and a table by a window in the market with the guys so we can all sprawl out and take it all in.  Also, if you love dumplings, Richmond BC has its own Dumpling Trail.