Is Beale Street safe for kids?

In the day, Beale Street in Memphis is a lively walking street, and families often visit earlier. Evenings are louder and more adult, with music and crowds, so plan an early dinner and a walk before dark rather than a late meal with small children.

Do Memphis barbecue places have kids' menus?

Many Memphis barbecue places do, or will serve a smaller portion of an adult dish. Ask at the counter. Ribs, pulled pork, chicken tenders, mac and cheese or a plain burger are common choices for children, and casual rooms are forgiving of noise.

Do Memphis restaurants take reservations?

Some Memphis restaurants do, but casual barbecue places usually do not, so go early. For a larger family, call ahead and ask when the room is quietest, and arrive before the lunch or dinner rush to avoid a long wait with small children.

What's the best way to keep track of kid-friendly places in Memphis?

Mosey is a food app for keeping track of where you have eaten, rating it by the dish and sharing the good places with friends. Rate each Memphis meal by the dish, add a tag such as Kid-Friendly or Family Friendly, and share a list. Follow friends to see what they rate.

Is the famous downtown rib restaurant good for families?

The downtown rib restaurant is a Memphis landmark, and children enjoy the walk and the smell. Check its current seating and hours before you go, and ask whether the room suits small children, since a basement dining room can be busy and loud.

City guide

Family Friendly Restaurants in Memphis: Barbecue and Beale

Mosey · November 11, 2026 · 4 min read

Family friendly restaurants in Memphis are easier to find than you might think, because the city's food culture is built around casual rooms, shared plates and barbecue that children can eat with their hands. The best family meals are relaxed, quick to arrive and forgiving of noise.

Beale Street is a lively walking street in the day. Evenings are louder and more adult, so families often visit earlier, and a famous downtown rib restaurant is a landmark on the walk.

What makes family friendly restaurants in Memphis different?

A family friendly restaurant is one where children are welcome, the menu has something simple, the service is quick and nobody minds crumbs. In Memphis, that usually means a barbecue joint, a diner or a casual downtown spot. Kids' menus, booths and high chairs are common.

Atmosphere matters, too. A noisy room is a gift to a family with a toddler, and a quiet fine dining room is not. Look for restaurants that mention families in their own descriptions, and call ahead if you need a high chair.

Which Memphis barbecue places suit families?

Memphis barbecue chains with a kids' menu are the easy choice for families, and long-running rib joints welcome children with big plates and big glasses of Kool-Aid. A well-known downtown rib restaurant sits in a basement near street art, and the smell of barbecue greets you at the corner.

Order ribs, pulled pork sandwiches and sides, and share. Barbecue is forgiving for children because it comes in small, handheld portions.

A good family tactic is to order one big plate for the table and add a few kids' portions. The adults can compare the ribs, the pulled pork and the sausage, and the children can nibble on what they like. Bring wet wipes, because barbecue is messy, and ask for extra napkins when you order.

Can you eat with kids on Beale Street?

Beale Street is the heart of Memphis music, and it is lively. In the afternoon, it is a pleasant place for families, with shops, candy stores and ice cream. After dark, the live music is louder and the crowds shift toward adults. A milkshake or ice cream stop nearby rounds out the walk.

A brewpub with live music and a dog-friendly patio is better suited to adults than to a kids-focused meal. Choose your timing: lunch and early dinner are best for families. If the music is part of the plan, ask a venue whether children are admitted after a certain hour, because some clubs set age limits in the evening. A walk along the street at midday, with a stop for a sandwich, is an easy way to see it without the late crowds.

What are Memphis restaurants with kids' menus?

Many casual restaurants offer smaller portions or kids' plates, such as chicken tenders, grilled cheese or a small order of ribs. Ask for a half portion of an adult dish if the menu does not list one. Most Memphis cooks are happy to help, and a plain plate of macaroni and cheese is easy to find.

If your child is a picky eater, ask for sides on the plate rather than mixed in, and for sauce on the side.

What about a Memphis casual dinner?

A casual dinner might be a burger, a plate of fried chicken or a catfish basket. For fried chicken, the Memphis fried chicken guide names Gus's and Alcenia's, both of which can work for families on a quiet evening.

Look for booths, paper menus and a relaxed pace. Early dinner is best, since restaurants fill with adults later.

How should you plan meals around sightseeing?

Memphis has museums, the river and a famous music studio, and each can fill half a day. Plan meals near what you are doing: a barbecue lunch downtown before a museum, an early dinner near your hotel. Keep snacks in a bag for the gaps.

Check hours and reservation policies. Many family restaurants do not take reservations, so arrive early.

What do you need to know about heat and timing?

Summer in Memphis is hot and humid, so plan outdoor meals for the morning or evening. Air-conditioned dining rooms are a relief at midday. Bring water, and apply sunscreen before walking.

A nap or quiet time in the afternoon is wise for little ones. Dinner at five or six keeps the day on schedule, and an early meal means shorter waits. If the weather turns, a covered patio or an indoor booth is worth the extra minutes of waiting. Keep a small bag of snacks for the car, because traffic and parking can stretch a quick meal into a longer outing.

What to read next

For a longer trip, read best fried catfish in Mississippi and the cheap eats in Nashville guide. The US guides page lists more cities.

A family trip is full of food moments. With the Mosey app you can rate each dish, write who liked what and build a Memphis family list, with Family Friendly and Kid-Friendly tags on the rooms that welcomed the whole table and a note on how long the wait ran.

Questions

Common questions

Is Beale Street safe for kids?
In the day, Beale Street in Memphis is a lively walking street, and families often visit earlier. Evenings are louder and more adult, with music and crowds, so plan an early dinner and a walk before dark rather than a late meal with small children.
Do Memphis barbecue places have kids' menus?
Many Memphis barbecue places do, or will serve a smaller portion of an adult dish. Ask at the counter. Ribs, pulled pork, chicken tenders, mac and cheese or a plain burger are common choices for children, and casual rooms are forgiving of noise.
Do Memphis restaurants take reservations?
Some Memphis restaurants do, but casual barbecue places usually do not, so go early. For a larger family, call ahead and ask when the room is quietest, and arrive before the lunch or dinner rush to avoid a long wait with small children.
What's the best way to keep track of kid-friendly places in Memphis?
Mosey is a food app for keeping track of where you have eaten, rating it by the dish and sharing the good places with friends. Rate each Memphis meal by the dish, add a tag such as Kid-Friendly or Family Friendly, and share a list. Follow friends to see what they rate.
Is the famous downtown rib restaurant good for families?
The downtown rib restaurant is a Memphis landmark, and children enjoy the walk and the smell. Check its current seating and hours before you go, and ask whether the room suits small children, since a basement dining room can be busy and loud.