Ah, the challenge of eating out with kids. How do you find a restaurant that you can enjoy and is appropriate to take your kids to?

I was having dinner with a friend the other night who pointed out a very important point, not all cities have the benefit of Open Table and so for some of you visiting DC this is a new and fabulous tool that takes a lot of the guess work out of finding a restaurant and making restaurant reservations.

Open Table  allows you to make restaurant reservations online and read restaurant reviews from patrons. It is available on your computer and as an app on your phone. You simply enter in the time you would like to make a reservation for and for how many people and open table pulls up the restaurants with availability both at that time and around that time. You are able to do further searching by area which is great if you want to stay close to your hotel or grab a bite after touring a museum. You can also search by type of restaurant or for a specific restaurant, both within DC and the surrounding areas.  Open Table gives you a price scale and the reviews are a great way of getting a sense of whether the restaurant is appropriate for your kids.

A newer online reservation site to DC is CityEats. This website was created in partnership with the Food Network (which I love). It is available on your computer and as an app and works on the same principle as Open Table. Select your time and number of people and CityEats will pull a list of available restaurants together for you. You are also able to narrow down your search by area or type of restaurant. The site has great pictures of the restaurants and reviews written by the website staff, but also includes helpful reviews from patrons. Two of the kid friendly restaurants that came up in my search were Cafe Bonaparte, great for fancy pancakes (more commonly known as crepes, but remember it’s all how you sell it to the kids) and Hill Country BBQ, banana pudding – need I say more?

TIP: Don’t forget to cancel your reservation if you decide to go somewhere else, or the kids have a break down and you just can’t swing it. As the daughter of former restaurant owners I know how important this is.

Another great site to check out is Out To Eat With Kids.  Type in your city and state (not just Washington, DC – try your hometown too) and find restaurant deals in the area that are tailored to kids and families. Two of our favorite DC area restaurants that participate are Red Hot & Blue and Chicken Out. Watch for the KidsLiveWell logo next to restaurants that offer healthy kid’s meals and be sure to check out the Out To Eat With Kids blog for even more tips on healthy eating for your kids at restaurants and at home. Sign up to receive information about their giveaways too.

What are your favorite restaurants in DC to visit with kids?

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