Students, hipsters, and couples may always be raving about Charlottesville’s restaurant scene. But where are parents taking their kids to eat these days? Kids’ menus may be hard to come by, but here are several local favorites that are more than happy to accommodate little appetites.
Eppie’s: The macaroni and cheese is a go-to at Eppie’s for kids and adults alike. But the children’s menu also lets you build your own sandwich, choosing from Nutella, fluff, honey, banana, jam, and peanut butter.
Beer Run: So, this place is floor-to-ceiling beer and doesn’t have a kids’ menu. But if your child happens to be in a “hot dog only” restaurant rut, check out Beer Run’s hot dogs and bratwursts served in pretzel rolls.
Blue Mountain Brewery: No kids’ menu here either. But while you sample the seasonal beer flight on the patio, you can keep an eye on your kids as they run around the scenic but safely enclosed yard next to the hops. Food-wise, they might be interested in the hot dog, classic cheeseburger, or margherita pizza.
The Nook: It’s usually pretty lively inside, so you won’t feel bad coming in with a wriggly toddler or group of boisterous 10-year-olds. Everything on the kids’ menu is $5, but for the little ones feelin’ fancy, the Nook offers an adult-sized portion of some elaborate mac-n-cheese.
Zazus: The kiddos might not be into grilled veggie wraps with brown rice on a spinach tortilla, but Zazus’ kids’ menu offers the basics, with simple wraps including chicken, beans, and cheese.
Mellow Mushroom: This place may be crawling with UVA students, but it knows how to cater to the little ones too. Everything on the menu, which doubles as a coloring sheet, is less than six bucks, and each meal comes with a side choice of either steamed broccoli or apples.
Red Robin: O.K., it’s not even close to local, but it’s got the “restaurant for kids” thing down. Menus with crayons, free refills on fries and certain children’s items, and you might even walk out of there with a balloon.
Wild Wing Cafe: Not only does this wing spot offer a menu just for kids, but children under age 12 can eat for $1 on Mondays.