Kid-friendly restaurants in Boston: eating out with children

Most casual restaurants in Boston welcome children, and the best way to choose is by kind of place and time of day. In residential neighborhoods all but the most formal restaurants are family friendly, so you rarely need a special address.

When is the best time to eat out with children?

Early. Dinner at 5 or 5:30 p.m. is quieter than 7 p.m., and a restaurant that is calm at that hour will be loud later. Weekend brunch has long lines, so a weekday lunch or an early weekend arrival is easier. If your child naps, plan around it. A restaurant that accepts reservations is usually better for families than one with a long wait, because children cope badly with queues.

What kinds of restaurants work best?

Pizza places, diners, noodle shops, taquerias, family-style Chinese restaurants and pubs with food are dependable. Large, loud restaurants cover the noise of a toddler. Dim sum in Chinatown, where carts or order sheets bring small dishes, suits families because food arrives fast and you can share. Market halls let each person choose a counter. Fancier restaurants may welcome children but offer less flexibility, so call ahead.

What makes a restaurant good for families?

Look for restaurants that hand out coloring menus, serve children's portions, have space for strollers, or have enough background noise that a restless child does not matter.

What should you ask before you go?

Ask about high chairs and booster seats, a children's menu or half portions, a changing table, space for a stroller, and whether the kitchen can make plain pasta or rice. Ask whether there is outdoor seating for a restless child. Boston has many older buildings, and a stroller may not fit down a narrow aisle in the North End.

How do you feed picky eaters and allergies?

Order simple dishes: plain noodles, rice, grilled chicken, cheese pizza, fries and fruit. Many restaurants will make half portions if you ask. If your child has an allergy, tell the server at the start. Massachusetts requires allergen awareness in restaurants, and menus carry a notice inviting you to mention allergies. Check ingredients in sauces and fried foods.

How much should you tip when children are with you?

The same 18 to 20 percent, and consider more if the table is messy or you stay a long time. Servers rely on tips, and a family with small children takes more work. If your child spills, offer to help and say thank you.

What about food on the go?

Boston has playgrounds near food: the Boston Common Frog Pond area, the Greenway with its carousel and food trucks in warm months, and Piers Park in East Boston. A market lunch from Haymarket or the Boston Public Market fits a picnic. Bakeries in the North End sell small pastries that children can carry.

Which neighborhoods are quiet for families?

Residential neighborhoods have many casual restaurants on streets where parents walk. Cambridge and Somerville have family cafes around their squares. Waterfront restaurants in the Seaport are large and loud, and most have outdoor tables in summer. Choose the neighborhood you will be in anyway, and walk to dinner. Pack a small bag with wipes, a spare shirt, a snack and a quiet toy, because the wait for food is the hardest part for a young child. Ask for the check when the main course arrives if your child is tiring, so you can leave when you need to.

What about restaurants with entertainment or room to move?

Some Boston-area restaurants add something for children to do. Pizza restaurants with open kitchens let children watch the dough being tossed, and some Somerville and Cambridge places have games or crayons at the table. Chinatown banquet restaurants have round tables and lazy Susans that children enjoy, and a seafood restaurant with a tank is a hit with young diners. Outdoor patios give you room for a child who cannot sit still. Ask whether the restaurant has a quiet corner, because some are happy to seat families away from the bar.

What about eating out with a baby or a stroller?

Call ahead about the stroller, because many older restaurants have little floor space and some have a step at the door. A baby carrier is easier than a stroller in the North End. Ask about a place to warm a bottle or baby food, and a clean changing table. Most large restaurants and the market halls have family restrooms. If your baby is asleep, a table near a wall or a corner gives you room, and a quiet restaurant late in the afternoon is the best choice.

Timing matters more than the choice of restaurant. Eat early, before the dinner rush, and go on a weekday when you can, because a short wait is the difference between a good meal and a difficult one. Ask for a table near the door or a booth, order the children's food first and bring something to do in case the kitchen is slow. Check whether the place has a high chair, a changing table and room for a stroller. If your child has an allergy, tell the server at the start and ask who in the kitchen can answer questions.

How do you remember which restaurants worked for your family?

The restaurants that suit your family are the ones where the high chair was ready, the food came fast and nobody minded the noise. Rate those meals in the Mosey app by the dish, add a tag such as Family Friendly or Quiet Atmosphere, and keep the places in a list. Share the list with other parents, who can add their own, and follow friends with children the same age as yours to see where they eat. A dish rated at the time, while the details are fresh, helps you plan the next outing without starting from scratch.

Rate your next family dinner in the Mosey app and keep the good places in one list.

More guides to read next:

• Boston Chinatown food guide: dim sum, noodles, bakeries and hot pot
• Where to eat near Fenway Park before a Red Sox game
• Boston Public Market guide: hours, vendors and how to visit

More in the US food guides and the ranked lists of places.