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General Restaurant Survival Tips - Booths are great for trapping rambunctious kids. Bring crayons and "favorite toys" bag. Bring sippy cups to transfer drinks. Noisy places provide camouflage, but take the kids outside if they act up. Consider bringing newspaper to spread on the floor under child's seat. Tip very, very generously.
Mexican. "Our best place is Chevy's! The Alameda one is the nicest (and the first) on the water and the kids can watch the boats on the estuary. They have a very good kids meals and the regular food is great (fajitas anyway)."
Christopher's Nothing Fancy Cafe, 1019 San Pablo.
Mexican. Good food, and very child-tolerant. Parking lot at back.
Cugini's, 1556 Solano.
Italian pastas and pizzas. A small family run business. High chairs
and boosters but no booths. Very noisy. Child friendly.
Daniels 827 San Pablo.
Italian. Great, reasonably priced food. They have booster chairs.
Friday evenings they feature jazz. The chef there is a very nice
woman named Diane who has several children and is willing to make
quick pasta with cheese and butter upon seating to keep kids
occupied.
Sam's Log Cabin, 945 San Pablo Ave.
For breakfast, they use organic eggs and coffee and make their own
muffins, scones and coffee cakes. They have nice smoked meats as
well. They are in the process of putting in a beautiful garden out in
the back, complete with vegetables. Best of all, they are very kid
friendly and go out of their way to get my two year-old a muffin
before anything else. (They did not have any high chairs just yet, so
you may want to call ahead to see if they have them now if you are
taking a baby.) They are open for breakfast and lunch (from 8 am to 2
pm) and are closed on Mondays. Breakfast is around $5.50 and lunch
specials start at around the same price. Their phone number is
558-0494.
Cactus Taqueria, 1881 Solano.
Mexican. Very informal, counter service. High chairs. Fountain to
amuse kids.
Cafe de la Paz, 1600 Shattuck, at Cedar
Spanish style. Good and plentiful tapas for the kids. Go early and
try to sit back in the corner near the fountain. This is a place that
feels like going out to the grown-ups but is relatively kid-friendly.
Paper tablecloths, crayons.
Chez Panisse Cafe, 1517 Shattuck
California Cuisine. $8 kids menu - salad, pizza and dessert. They're
very accommodating, but get there early, 5 or 5:30 PM. Reservations
are taken Monday -Thursday at 4:30 PM only.
Fat Apple's, 1346 Martin Luther King, at Rose
American - milkshakes, burgers, etc. Beware - long lines at prime
time. Finally has a kid menu, but otherwise not known to be
particularly child-friendly.
Jimmy Bean's, 1290 6th, at Gilman
Gourmet quesadillas, sandwiches, good breakfast spot.
Juan's Place, 941 Carleton
Mexican food. Table service. Noisy and busy.
Kirin, 1767 Solano
Chinese. Interesting, fresh-tasting food. Best to come early and sit
in the back. High chairs.
LoCoco's, 1400 Shattuck, at Rose
Italian - pizza and pasta. Good for adults too. Small portions can be
ordered. Lively but not loud.
Long Life Veggie House, 2129 University
Vegetarian and seafood Chinese. Nowhere near as good as Kirin, but
much less formal.
Maharani, 1025 University, below San Pablo
Indian. They'll seat you at the back. Chef coos over children.
Mel's, 2240 Shattuck, at Kittredge
American mediocre food. There's a kid's menu, crayons, balloons.
Mongolian Barbeque, University i
Once kids are older, though (5+) it is a great time. You get to
pick all your own meats or vegetables and either cook them on a
skillet on your table or cook in water/broth at your table. Slightly
expensive, but worth the money you are hungry. They have cheaper
prices for kids. Great fun if your kids are willing to try new foods
or like experimenting with sauces, seasonings, etc. O Chame,
1830 4th Street, near Hearst
Japanese influenced California Cuisine. Ask to sit in a booth and get
the stash of toys they have across from the restroom. Kids love some
of the appetizers - especially the portabello pancakes. Parking
lot.
Picante, 1328 6th, near Gilman
Mexican. Very noisy, counter service. Get the kids an "agua fresca"
of watermelon or other fruit. Excellent food. Kid's menu. Parking
lot.
Pierro's, Shattuck
Cheap Italian, not fazedat all by kids. Kid menu. Tolerant of all
sorts of chaos. Also sells discounted movie theater tickets.
Pyramid Alehouse, 901 Gilman
American eclectic. Very noisy, like a German biergarten. Kid's menu,
crayons and etch-a-sketches. Good beer on tap, but the food tends to
be greasy/fried. Outdoor eating area. Parking lot.
Saul's Delicatessen, 1475 Shattuck, between Vine and Rose
Jewish deli. Crayons, booths.
Skates on the Bay, 100 Seawall Dr., near Berkeley Marina
Seafood, pasta - grown-up food, but friendly. Good place to take
visiting grandparents. Great views. Parking lot.
Smart Alec's Intelligent Food, 2355 Telegraph, at Durant
Vegetarian. "Healthy" french fries. Very casual.
Sushi Bonzai Ninth & Camelia.
Japanese. Very good, fresh sushi. It is a small, family run business
where the owner's eight year old canfrequently be seen hanging out.
Boosters and high chairs available. Child friendly.
Venezia, 1799 University, near AAA
Italian. Get there early! They put paper under high chair, provide
kid's antipasto. There's a fountain toexplore and kitchen behind
glass window (complete with minor grease fires to keep kids amused!)
Kid's menu, crayons. Cute decor. Another good place to take
grandparents, visitors. Small parking lot.
Vik's Chaat House
Indian.
Westside Bakery Cafe, 2570 9th Street, at Parker
Creative American. Great breakfast spot on weekends. High chairs,
boosters, banquettes, very kid-friendly waitstaff. Come early to
avoid the crush!
Baker's Square, San Pablo Ave.
Dinners, pies, and breakfast are notable.
Fat Apple's, 7525 Fairmount
American. Same menu as in Berkeley, but larger space, seems more
accommodating to kids. Parking lot.
Katana-Ya San Pablo.
Japanese. Reasonably priced.
Kensington Circus Pub, 389 Colusa Circle
English and American pub-style food. Huge beer menu. Rarely crowded.
Food is not cheap. Big carpeted play area with trucks and other toys.
Informal atmosphere. Go early in the evenings to avoid the
dart-throwers!
Chevy's
Mexican franchise food. Chevy's actually makes very good food.
There's a kid's menu, crayons, and balloons, and a tortilla-making
machine to watch. The waiters have been very friendly and helpful.
Parking lot.
Emeryville Emery Bay Public Market, 5800 Shellmound
20+ Food Stalls - variety, including Indian, Thai, Korean, pizza,
Chinese, Mexican, etc. There's a small ball room and mechanical rides
for kids. Indian place usually gives free kid's serving of rice and
chicken. Parking lot.
Hong Kong East Ocean, 3199 Powell, by the Bay
Chinese. Excellent dim sum on weekends. Beautiful views. Lots of
families. Get there early for lunch or call ahead. Parking lot.
Cactus Taqueria, 5525 College Avenue
Mexican. Very informal, counter service. High chairs.
Hai Loon King, 2984 College, near Ashby.
Chinese. The service is friendly, the prices reasonable and the food
plentiful and delicious (try the General Tzo's Chicken).
Jade Villa, 800 Broadway, near 9th
Chinese. Dim sum restaurants are great places to take even small
children. A hubbub of activity keeps the kids from getting bored.
Le Cheval, 1007 Clay, at Tenth
Excellent Vietnamese food. Come early, especially on weekends. High
chairs, but no booths. Kids may like the Mango shake. Noisy, lots of
kids. Parking lot.
Red Tractor Cafe, 5634 College, across from Olivetto's
Down-home American. Simple food - meatloaf, macaroni and cheese,
mashed potatoes, chicken. Counter service. They have crayons and
placemats for the kids to color.
Zza's Trattoria, 552 Grand, near Lakeshore
Italian. Child's menu with pasta or pizza. Crayons. Very
friendly.
Fresh Choice O'Farrell and Stockton
If you're at Union Square, this is the best place to go with small
children. It's located in the Emporium/men's building in the
basement. Buffet, huge salad, pasta bar, potatoes, fruit, dessert.
Free for children under four. Highchairs on wheels. Also located in
Corte Madera, Walnut Creek, etc.
It should be noted that the opinions expressed on this page are those of individual members of Neighborhood Moms or the UCB Parents Network. Please take the opinions with a grain of salt (or dash of pepper, if you prefer), and send your recommendations to the WebMama
http://home.earthlink.net/~natashab/NMdiners.html
Beyond Burger King, revised 14 Nov 1999