I had a baby 19 months ago, and it’s pretty much my entire personality now. Not that I wanted it to be, it’s just keeping a small human alive is a lot of work. And a major part of that work is feeding them.
Or rather, picking up the food items they threw on the floor. I’m working with my kid on understanding that you don’t get to say “uh oh” if you throw something down on purpose. He doesn’t quite get it yet, but I’m hopeful he’ll understand soon. If not, I may lose my mind.
And just because I have a little human doesn’t mean I don’t still want a delicious meal and a night out where I don’t have to do the dishes. That’s why I thought I’d share with you my list of restaurants where you can actually take your toddler.
But first, a disclaimer...
My kid generally eats what we eat. I grew up eating tons of both Persian and Mexican food rather than foods made special for a kid, and that’s mostly how we handle meals now. He still eats plain foods you’d expect a toddler to have, like yogurt or fruit, but he also eats a lot of things I eat. I’m a moderation mama, so while he may have some salt, spice or whatever in one meal, he also eats a wide range of other things.
I get this may not be how you handle or handled feeding a toddler. That’s totally cool. I’m putting this disclaimer here because I know that sharing anything about parenting can bring in a lot of unsolicited advice. Please know that my kid is healthy and strong, and his pediatrician is very happy that he likes so many foods that a lot of kids his age haven’t even tried yet.
Okay. Now that we have all that out of the way, let's talk food. Here's where you'll catch my toddler struggling to use utensils and smiling sweetly at all the women working in the restaurant...
I had pho at least once a week while I was pregnant with my kid, even during the dog days of summer. It was one of the few foods I craved. And as soon as my kid was sitting up and able to try real food, pho was one of the things I wanted him to try. The first spoonful of broth made his eyes light up, like he was eating something he remembered from a bygone era. (The era being like seven months prior while he was in my belly.)
The staff at Pho Lien Hoa is always so helpful and accommodating too. They have high chairs and always offer to bring a small bowl for my kid so we can portion some of my pho for him. And they do have a small kid menu with basic dishes, which has been great since my kid has recently discovered a love of rice and meat. Plus, they have these really cool robots that bring your food to the table, and my child wants nothing more than to hitch a ride on one of them someday.
-
My husband loves a good bagel, and we have found ourselves at Duckie’s on many a weekend morning. They have some great bagel sandwiches for the adults, and I haven’t tried a single thing I didn’t like there. I do recommend the Steak Me Home Tonight, the Firequacker, or the Classic Breakfast Bagel. And my kid loves the PB&J bagel, or the cinnamon sugar bagel with the graham cracker maple shmear.
Where Duckie’s really excels is the outdoor space in front of the restaurant. There are picnic tables as well as lots of open space. Plus, there’s a small stage where they occasionally have live music. A toddler can run around and play out there and point to every single dog they see sitting under one of the picnic tables. And mom and dad can take turns eating and chasing their sweet little goober.
-
We won’t get into how much Chelino’s I had while I was pregnant, because I think medical professionals would worry. But I didn’t have gestational diabetes or high blood pressure, so I kept eating cheese enchiladas like they were candy. And now that I have a small human, I still find myself at Chelino’s enjoying a nice meal while my toddler crunches on chips and salsa, and spoons free queso into his gullet.
The thing about Chelino’s that really works for my kid is that servers are always coming back to the table to bring more chips or tortillas or a drink refill. Somehow, I, an introverted internet gremlin who would rather die than strike up a conversation with a stranger, gave birth to a little social butterfly who likes to wave and smile at everyone as they approach the table. And if you’re there on Fridays when they’re playing guitar, my kid is absolutely in hog heaven.
-
Are you raising an Oklahoma kid if they don’t like Braum’s? I think not. I know this isn’t a particularly healthy option, but I also believe part of being a kid is eating some junk every now and then, especially after a fun afternoon at the pool when mama can’t be bothered to make a meal for the family.
The best part here is that I can order my kid the two chicken strip meal, and then steal the soda to have with my grilled chicken salad. (Please know I actually want to eat the bacon cheeseburger, but as I mentioned recently, I had a gruesome gallbladder situation, so I eat boring now.) Though, if we get this to go, Braum’s pretty much always forgets the little cup of cottage cheese that comes with the salads. But, I think that’s just part of the Braum’s experience.
-
Let me say upfront that the food at The Sister Cuisine is amazing, but this place shouldn’t have worked so well for our little family as it did. See, we were in the 36th and May area of town, and were too hungry to think straight. Whatever we’d been up to that day took too damn long, and we were all short circuiting from low blood sugar. But we popped into The Sister Cuisine, sat at the picnic table inside the restaurant where most people just sit while they wait for a to-go order, and we had a really amazing meal.
We ordered the Thai chicken duo, which is basically popcorn chicken with two different Thai sauces served with fries, and of course my kid loved them. But he also enjoyed tasting the crispy pork belly platter. His dad and I split some drunken noodles too.
The best part was the owner was so kind to us and to our kid. So many restaurants accommodate little kids while the staff is clearly pissed the kids are there. And I get it. I worked in so many restaurants where parents let their toddlers run wild. But servers who assume the parents will do that before you even seat the family is probably why we no longer go to a beloved local pizza chain anymore. We had such a lovely conversation with the owner and even got to meet her little girl. It was a really great meal.
-
For a good meal with a toddler, counter ordering is key. That way, one parent can order, and the other can run around outside with the toddler to wear them out before the meal. Spark at Scissortail and Chisholm Creek both have ample outdoor space for a kid to roam and play for the roughly seven minutes it takes to order food and for that food to be prepared. Plus, if you order a kid meal, that toddler then has the promise of a delightful custard at the end of the meal. (And mama can steal the fries from the kid meal since that toddler won’t be able to eat them all.)
If you have multiple toddlers in your family or friend group, Spark is a good place for everyone to meet up and have a meal. The counter ordering ensures you don’t have to wait for a check, and the space to play and run means that all tantrums can be nipped in the bud by simply standing to take a kid outside. It’s also really fun to get an order of rumble fries for the table and see who has a kid that can handle spicy stuff and who doesn’t. Not that I’m encouraging you to make your kids eat stuff they can’t handle. But if they want to try something, I say let them do it and let the chips (or fries, rather) fall where they may.
-
Parenting is a mix of being so over-the-moon in love with an adorable creature, and also crying every morning because that adorable creature wants to start his weekend mornings at 5 AM. But, if you’re awake, you may as well take the time to get dressed and go get breakfast. Besides, little kids love pancakes, so you can’t lose.
My kid enjoyed a nice buttery biscuit, and had some grits. (This was at a time when he had fewer teeth.) He also gummed a piece of bacon and munched on the crayons he was given with the kid’s menu.
-
This is not technically a restaurant, but don’t pretend like you don’t want a Costco hotdog and drink combo. You’re not better than that. Also, those sundaes? Sure. They’re no Dairy Queen Peanut Buster Parfait. But they’re just the thing your sweet tooth needs.
The best plan here is to take your toddler through the store first. Let them wander and run. It may seem a little stressful since Costco is always packed. But you need to let your kid burn that energy. And sometimes you need to stress test your heart by getting scared your sweet baby is lost forever among the crates of toilet paper. Then, once you find your tired kid, take them to the snack bar and split a slice of pizza with them. Just don’t let them fall asleep in the car on the way home afterward, because you likely have to unload twenty pounds of frozen goods from your shopping trip, and you can’t let those items melt while you try to transfer a sleeping kid to their crib.
What’s your go-to toddler restaurant in the OKC Metro?
What places did I miss? My kid loves gyros, so I’d love a toddler-friendly gyro restaurant recommendation!
