Kid Friendly Places to Eat in Austin, TX

Dewey and I both lived in Austin for years. I can confidently say that it is one of our favorite cities. When he had a work conference planned there, I jumped at the chance to go with him. Since we don’t really have anyone we can leave Evan with anymore, he got to go as well. The interesting bit being that I have never actually been to Austin with a child. When I tell people how awesome it is, I talk about drinks on the patio, going to see live music and shopping. None of which I can really do with Evan in tow. So we had to figure out good kid friendly places to eat in Austin.

So I set out to have a great kid-friendly trip while introducing Evan to some of our favorites. Now, please know that Austin has MANY wonderful restaurants. These are the ones we went to and enjoyed. There are tons that we didn’t make it to that are favorites and amazing. So don’t yell if you prefer a different restaurant…I get it. 🙂 We were staying downtown so everything is relatively close to there (except the Rudy’s location we went to. We were out and about). All are Evan and family approved. Since I don’t live in Austin, I’ve linked to all the restaurants so that you can get the latest menu and location information. I don’t want to send you on a wild goose chase.

Magnolia Cafe 

Magnolia is and has always been one of our favorite places. The people watching is epic and the food is delicious. There are two great locations (click on the title link above for info) and we went to both on this trip. If you go at normal brunch time there will probably be a wait but it moves pretty fast. Keep an ear open for openings at the bar. It’s fun to watch the kitchen staff churn through all those orders. Recommended items: Kid’s French Toast (Evan – see pic at the top of the post), Love Migas (Dewey), Black Bean Entree (me..oh and get the Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette on your salad).

Yep, this is the Black Bean entree with a jalapeno corn cake. Yum! Oh and they are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so this is the perfect spot for those weird “we must eat now but it isn’t a normal meal time” cravings. Check out their menu here (unfortunately the kids menu isn’t online).

Rudy’s BBQ

Now, I will not tell you that Rudy’s is the best barbecue in Austin. What I will tell you is that it is very good, very consistent and you will not have to wait in line for 2 hours. You order the amount of meat and sides you need for your family. They will give you wax paper “plates” and you can divy it all out. I highly recommend the moist brisket, the new potatoes and the banana pudding. YUM!

Torchy’s Tacos

Torchy’s is a new place to try for me. It opened in Austin after we left. They have a few interesting options for kids on their menu. Evan decided to try fried chicken taco. He ate it ALL and gave it a big thumbs up. There are lots of locations in Austin. Unfortunately, they don’t have their kids menu on the website.

Oh, and there’s lots of great food for the adults too. THOSE SHRIMP TACOS!

Le Cafe Crepe

One morning I decided to let Evan pick our breakfast spot. The previous day we had passed Le Cafe Crepe so he shouted “Crepes!”. He was excited to see that they had his favorite Nutella crepes. He decided to go the strawberry route instead of the classic banana. I ordered a savoury vegetarian crepe with goat cheese. We both loved our choices and would have eaten there again but it was our last morning. Menus for your perusal here.

Kerby Lane Cafe

Another Austin staple, Kerby Lane has been around forever. Their specialty is pancakes. Every day they have a different option to pick from. I decided to go that way for breakfast. Evan said he hates pancakes (um…what?) and got a burger instead. I am pretty sure he has been abducted by aliens. I didn’t love the strawberry lemon pancakes. I was left wishing for blackberry but everything was very good none the less. Check out their menus here.

Roppolo’s Pizza

When staying downtown it can be difficult to find a quick, kid-friendly bite before leaving your child with a sitter. He wanted pizza, I wanted not to have to take him into a bar. So I headed to the Austin standard for bar hopping food…Roppolo’s on 6th. Who knew that they would give it to me in a box (usually you get it on a paper plate) and that Evan would LOVE it. Cheap dinner for the WIN! Not interested in street eats? They also have other locations.

Last but not least…you have to go for ice cream at Amy’s Ice Cream. A warning, though. Your child will swear that the tiny is too small and that they need, need, need a small. The ice cream is really filling so they probably won’t finish the small. Want the smile below? Get them the small anyway because…you’re on vacation.

 

There are also tons of food trucks in Austin that I wanted to try but we didn’t get a chance. It was hot and Evan was not interested.

Where are your favorite kid friendly places to eat in Austin?