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A restaurant with tents over the tables. — One Door North.

15 Kid-Friendly Restaurants in San Diego That Also Appeal to Adults

Find creative children’s menus, play areas, and food that parents won’t find boring

by Roxana Popescu and Candice Woo Updated Nov 29, 2022, 9:02am PST

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One Door North.

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by Roxana Popescu and Candice Woo Updated Nov 29, 2022, 9:02am PST

Attention, humans with children: There is hope. Eating out doesn’t have to mean Chuck E. Cheese, especially in family-friendly San Diego. Adults can find quality, innovative food and drinks, kids can find reassuring staples like pizza and nuggets, and at some restaurants with versatile menus, crossover items might just appeal to all age groups.

Beyond the food, what makes a place kid-friendly is the space and the attitude. Some of these places have play areas or games. Some have changing tables. All deliver on two fronts: they let parents feel like people and pint-sized patrons are more than just tolerated.

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Campfire

Let’s not bury the lede: they have s’mores. But Campfire, which serves food at tables and/or firepits, has a lot more. The chic and rustic space offers standout cocktails and a creative, seasonal menu from chef Eric Bost (Jeune et Jolie) that doesn’t neglect kids. Kid-friendly dishes include grilled cheese plus steak, fish, and chicken in smaller portions than the main menu.

2725 State St, Carlsbad, CA 92008

Visit Website

A teepee for kids on the side patio of Campfire.

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The Crack Shack - Encinitas

The kids menu at Crack Shack is a lot like the grown-up menu. Because: fried chicken! Adults can check out their sandwiches with delicacies like fried Jidori chicken breast, pickled fresno chilies, pickles, lime mayo, and napa cabbage, all nestled into brioche buns. For pipsqueaks, they keep things simple, with nuggets or grilled chicken with carrots or fries. (And if there ever were a place to order nuggets, this is it.) Food aside, the Little Italy and Encinitas locations both have whimsical play areas that are a good fit for preschoolers and grade schoolers.

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407 Encinitas Blvd, Encinitas, CA 92024

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A giant chicken statue on the patio of a restaurant. — Crack Shack Encinitas.

Also featured in:

42 North County Restaurants With Takeout and Delivery Options

Viewpoint Brewing Company

In a sea of child-friendly restaurants where the main draw is some kind of play structure or two-foot-tall chess set — and where everything else (i.e. menu, ingredients, methods) might seem like an afterthought — this brewery and restaurant stands out thanks to its gorgeous venue and broad menu, with everything from ceviche and steak frites to beer flights. While there’s no play area with slides or a sandbox, there are some cool shaped swinging seats. And the lagoon-front location with walking paths offers a perfect detour until their food (burger, grilled cheese, and more) lands or a place get the wiggles out after a slice of dense, squishy bread pudding.

Open in Google Maps

2201 San Dieguito Dr Suite D, Del Mar, CA 92014

Visit Website

Central bar counter and taps at Viewpoint Brewing with bar-height tables in the dining area.

Also featured in:

Best Brewery Eats in San Diego

Crab Hut

Great for seafood-loving kids, who will thrill at, for once, being encouraged to eat with their hands. This seafood boil specialist offers mild sauce options for its fresh shellfish, along with kid-friendly dishes like pasta, fish and chips, and chicken tenders. With locations in Kearny Mesa and downtown San Diego, the Mira Mesa outpost is the most spacious for groups and families.

8280 Mira Mesa Blvd Suite E, San Diego, CA 92126

Visit Website

A mixed seafood boil.

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Haidilao Hotpot San Diego

With a build-your-own sauce bar, plushie claw machines, and other amenities, the interactive dining experience at this global hot pot chain is great fun for kids. Under adult supervision, they can cook chosen ingredients in tabletop pots of broth which comes in mild tomato or bone broth options.

Open in Google Maps

4545 La Jolla Village Dr F9, San Diego, CA 92122

Visit Website

Raw meats, vegetables, and noodles arranged around a split hot pot with four colorful broths — A table at Haidilao.

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Grand Ole BBQ Flinn Springs

This sprawling indoor and outdoor barbecue joint in East County, which serves “Central Texas style slow smoked meats,” is a kid’s paradise. There’s room to play and a laid-back vibe. The kids menu has chicken strips and a pulled pork sandwich, but the general menu has options for carnivores of all ages: spare ribs, short ribs, brisket, burgers, and more.

Open in Google Maps

15505 Olde Hwy 80, El Cajon, CA 92021

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Where to Eat Barbecue in San Diego Right Now

Smokey and The Brisket BBQ

This spacious La Mesa barbecue spot has a playful retro atmosphere and its own arcade with games and a pool table. Its expansive menu features a large selection of smoked meat, sides, and sandwiches, including kid-sized brisket and pulled pork sandwiches along with other shareable dishes like pizza and flatbreads.

Open in Google Maps

5465 Lake Murray Blvd, La Mesa, CA 91942

Visit Website

Arcade games in a restaurant. — The arcade.

Also featured in:

Where to Eat Barbecue in San Diego Right Now

True Food Kitchen

True Food’s menu has tantalizing options for the younger crowd, like a just cheesy enough pizza and a gluten-free chicken teriyaki bowl. But there are also items on the main menu that might appeal to kids in case you want to give them a bite off your plate, like a dessert-y chopped salad with dates, dried cranberries, jicama, and almonds and the Ancient Grains bowl with sweet potato, snap peas, portobellos, avocado, and pesto.

7007 Friars Rd Suite 394, San Diego, CA 92108

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Cesarina

Food and community drive one another, and that’s the spirit of this Italian restaurant. For children who need a little extra encouragement to try to sit still and eat (in case the pappardelle bolognese isn’t enough), Cesarina’s legendary tiramisu, where clouds of mascarpone and espresso-soaked, homemade lady fingers are layered tableside, is the perfect leverage. For anyone avoiding caffeine, they can use less or no espresso. For exhausted parents, they can drench it with more. Also key: there are changing tables in both the men’s and women’s restrooms, and there’s an extensive vegan menu.

Open in Google Maps

4161 Voltaire St, San Diego, CA 92107

Visit Website

A fork is lifting Cesarina’s cheesy spaghetti as strings of melted cheese connect it to the heap of pasta in the dish below.

Also featured in:

One Door North

Eat inside a tent without having to brave things like inclement weather and actually setting up a tent. This 30th Street staple, now open seven days a week, has a dedicated kid’s menu, with cheeseburgers and chicken tenders as well as fun, campfire-inspired food like mini cornbread muffins, s’mores, and a cookie baked in a cast iron pan.

Open in Google Maps

3422 30th St, San Diego, CA 92104

Visit Website

A restaurant with tents over the tables. — One Door North.

Also featured in:

Underbelly North Park

This ramen bar, with a few locations across San Diego, has something for everyone. For kids: rich bone broth that can come plain or with all the fixings, plus finger foods like crispy fried chicken, shrimp gyoza, and bao buns. For adults: ramen in traditional and more playful styles, plus cocktails like the Orchid of Asia, made with Japanese whiskey, ginger lotus root cordial, and spiced bitters.

Open in Google Maps

3000 Upas St, San Diego, CA 92104

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Panama 66

At Panama 66, the kids menu offers reassuring basics like PB&J and grilled cheese. But for those miraculous days when junior’s palate is open to something with a little oomph, a lot of the adult menu can work for kids too: There’s a turkey and brie sandwich, a cheese and a charcuterie plate, and a range of salads. The San Diego Museum of Art’s adjacent sculpture garden provides room to run (while keeping a careful distance from the art, of course).

1450 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101

Visit Website

The open-air main bar at Panama 66 in front of the sculpture garden.

Also featured in:

Station Tavern

This longtime South Park spot is a favorite of families thanks to its spacious kid and pet-friendly outdoor play area and a solid all-day menu of burgers, sandwiches, and salads. The tater tots are especially popular with kids, along with its hot dogs and grilled cheese sandwiches.

Open in Google Maps

2204 Fern St, San Diego, CA 92104

Visit Website

A patio outside a tavern. — The outdoor patio.

Harumama Noodles + Buns (Little Italy)

Its locations in Little Italy, La Jolla, Ocean Beach, Carlsbad, and Encinitas are kid-magnets for its adorable selection of sweet and savory animal-shaped steamed buns ranging from pulled-pork stuffed pig buns to sweet custard polar bears.

Open in Google Maps

1901 Columbia St, San Diego, CA 92101

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Panda-shaped steamed buns.

The Smoking Gun SD

Adults can enjoy a cocktail while kids take advantage of the on-site arcade, stocked with retro games, ping-pong, foosball, and more. Its 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. weekday happy hour features tater tots, pretzel balls, and wagyu cheeseburgers along with drink specials.

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555 Market St, San Diego, CA 92101

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People playing ping-pong.

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Campfire

2725 State St, Carlsbad, CA 92008

Let’s not bury the lede: they have s’mores. But Campfire, which serves food at tables and/or firepits, has a lot more. The chic and rustic space offers standout cocktails and a creative, seasonal menu from chef Eric Bost (Jeune et Jolie) that doesn’t neglect kids. Kid-friendly dishes include grilled cheese plus steak, fish, and chicken in smaller portions than the main menu.

2725 State St, Carlsbad, CA 92008

Visit Website

A teepee for kids on the side patio of Campfire.

The Crack Shack - Encinitas

407 Encinitas Blvd, Encinitas, CA 92024

The kids menu at Crack Shack is a lot like the grown-up menu. Because: fried chicken! Adults can check out their sandwiches with delicacies like fried Jidori chicken breast, pickled fresno chilies, pickles, lime mayo, and napa cabbage, all nestled into brioche buns. For pipsqueaks, they keep things simple, with nuggets or grilled chicken with carrots or fries. (And if there ever were a place to order nuggets, this is it.) Food aside, the Little Italy and Encinitas locations both have whimsical play areas that are a good fit for preschoolers and grade schoolers.

Open in Google Maps

407 Encinitas Blvd, Encinitas, CA 92024

Visit Website

A giant chicken statue on the patio of a restaurant. — Crack Shack Encinitas.

Viewpoint Brewing Company

2201 San Dieguito Dr Suite D, Del Mar, CA 92014

In a sea of child-friendly restaurants where the main draw is some kind of play structure or two-foot-tall chess set — and where everything else (i.e. menu, ingredients, methods) might seem like an afterthought — this brewery and restaurant stands out thanks to its gorgeous venue and broad menu, with everything from ceviche and steak frites to beer flights. While there’s no play area with slides or a sandbox, there are some cool shaped swinging seats. And the lagoon-front location with walking paths offers a perfect detour until their food (burger, grilled cheese, and more) lands or a place get the wiggles out after a slice of dense, squishy bread pudding.

Open in Google Maps

2201 San Dieguito Dr Suite D, Del Mar, CA 92014

Visit Website

Central bar counter and taps at Viewpoint Brewing with bar-height tables in the dining area.

Crab Hut

8280 Mira Mesa Blvd Suite E, San Diego, CA 92126

Great for seafood-loving kids, who will thrill at, for once, being encouraged to eat with their hands. This seafood boil specialist offers mild sauce options for its fresh shellfish, along with kid-friendly dishes like pasta, fish and chips, and chicken tenders. With locations in Kearny Mesa and downtown San Diego, the Mira Mesa outpost is the most spacious for groups and families.

8280 Mira Mesa Blvd Suite E, San Diego, CA 92126

Visit Website

A mixed seafood boil.

Haidilao Hotpot San Diego

4545 La Jolla Village Dr F9, San Diego, CA 92122

With a build-your-own sauce bar, plushie claw machines, and other amenities, the interactive dining experience at this global hot pot chain is great fun for kids. Under adult supervision, they can cook chosen ingredients in tabletop pots of broth which comes in mild tomato or bone broth options.

Open in Google Maps

4545 La Jolla Village Dr F9, San Diego, CA 92122

Visit Website

Raw meats, vegetables, and noodles arranged around a split hot pot with four colorful broths — A table at Haidilao.

Grand Ole BBQ Flinn Springs

15505 Olde Hwy 80, El Cajon, CA 92021

This sprawling indoor and outdoor barbecue joint in East County, which serves “Central Texas style slow smoked meats,” is a kid’s paradise. There’s room to play and a laid-back vibe. The kids menu has chicken strips and a pulled pork sandwich, but the general menu has options for carnivores of all ages: spare ribs, short ribs, brisket, burgers, and more.

Open in Google Maps

15505 Olde Hwy 80, El Cajon, CA 92021

Visit Website

Smokey and The Brisket BBQ

5465 Lake Murray Blvd, La Mesa, CA 91942

This spacious La Mesa barbecue spot has a playful retro atmosphere and its own arcade with games and a pool table. Its expansive menu features a large selection of smoked meat, sides, and sandwiches, including kid-sized brisket and pulled pork sandwiches along with other shareable dishes like pizza and flatbreads.

Open in Google Maps

5465 Lake Murray Blvd, La Mesa, CA 91942

Visit Website

Arcade games in a restaurant. — The arcade.

True Food Kitchen

7007 Friars Rd Suite 394, San Diego, CA 92108

True Food’s menu has tantalizing options for the younger crowd, like a just cheesy enough pizza and a gluten-free chicken teriyaki bowl. But there are also items on the main menu that might appeal to kids in case you want to give them a bite off your plate, like a dessert-y chopped salad with dates, dried cranberries, jicama, and almonds and the Ancient Grains bowl with sweet potato, snap peas, portobellos, avocado, and pesto.

7007 Friars Rd Suite 394, San Diego, CA 92108

Visit Website

Cesarina

4161 Voltaire St, San Diego, CA 92107

Food and community drive one another, and that’s the spirit of this Italian restaurant. For children who need a little extra encouragement to try to sit still and eat (in case the pappardelle bolognese isn’t enough), Cesarina’s legendary tiramisu, where clouds of mascarpone and espresso-soaked, homemade lady fingers are layered tableside, is the perfect leverage. For anyone avoiding caffeine, they can use less or no espresso. For exhausted parents, they can drench it with more. Also key: there are changing tables in both the men’s and women’s restrooms, and there’s an extensive vegan menu.

Open in Google Maps

4161 Voltaire St, San Diego, CA 92107

Visit Website

A fork is lifting Cesarina’s cheesy spaghetti as strings of melted cheese connect it to the heap of pasta in the dish below.

One Door North

3422 30th St, San Diego, CA 92104

Eat inside a tent without having to brave things like inclement weather and actually setting up a tent. This 30th Street staple, now open seven days a week, has a dedicated kid’s menu, with cheeseburgers and chicken tenders as well as fun, campfire-inspired food like mini cornbread muffins, s’mores, and a cookie baked in a cast iron pan.

Open in Google Maps

3422 30th St, San Diego, CA 92104

Visit Website

A restaurant with tents over the tables. — One Door North.

Underbelly North Park

3000 Upas St, San Diego, CA 92104

This ramen bar, with a few locations across San Diego, has something for everyone. For kids: rich bone broth that can come plain or with all the fixings, plus finger foods like crispy fried chicken, shrimp gyoza, and bao buns. For adults: ramen in traditional and more playful styles, plus cocktails like the Orchid of Asia, made with Japanese whiskey, ginger lotus root cordial, and spiced bitters.

Open in Google Maps

3000 Upas St, San Diego, CA 92104

Visit Website

Panama 66

1450 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101

At Panama 66, the kids menu offers reassuring basics like PB&J and grilled cheese. But for those miraculous days when junior’s palate is open to something with a little oomph, a lot of the adult menu can work for kids too: There’s a turkey and brie sandwich, a cheese and a charcuterie plate, and a range of salads. The San Diego Museum of Art’s adjacent sculpture garden provides room to run (while keeping a careful distance from the art, of course).

1450 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101

Visit Website

The open-air main bar at Panama 66 in front of the sculpture garden.

Station Tavern

2204 Fern St, San Diego, CA 92104

This longtime South Park spot is a favorite of families thanks to its spacious kid and pet-friendly outdoor play area and a solid all-day menu of burgers, sandwiches, and salads. The tater tots are especially popular with kids, along with its hot dogs and grilled cheese sandwiches.

Open in Google Maps

2204 Fern St, San Diego, CA 92104

Visit Website

A patio outside a tavern. — The outdoor patio.

Harumama Noodles + Buns (Little Italy)

1901 Columbia St, San Diego, CA 92101

Its locations in Little Italy, La Jolla, Ocean Beach, Carlsbad, and Encinitas are kid-magnets for its adorable selection of sweet and savory animal-shaped steamed buns ranging from pulled-pork stuffed pig buns to sweet custard polar bears.

Open in Google Maps

1901 Columbia St, San Diego, CA 92101

Visit Website

Panda-shaped steamed buns.

The Smoking Gun SD

555 Market St, San Diego, CA 92101

Adults can enjoy a cocktail while kids take advantage of the on-site arcade, stocked with retro games, ping-pong, foosball, and more. Its 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. weekday happy hour features tater tots, pretzel balls, and wagyu cheeseburgers along with drink specials.

Open in Google Maps

555 Market St, San Diego, CA 92101

Visit Website

People playing ping-pong.

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