Toddler Friendly Restaurant Recommendation

My husband & I like to go out to eat to nice restaurants. Since our twins arrived we haven't treated ourselves to a great meal. The twins are almost 20 months old. We have been taking them out more and the more we take them out to eat the better it is. Do you have any toddler friendly restaurant recommendations? We are not crazy about Friendly's/TGIF kind of places.

Toddler Friendly Restaurant Recommendation

Where do you live?

Toddler Friendly Restaurant Recommendation

We take my DS (16 months) to restaurants all the time. We just try to go at "off times". For example, on a Wednesday night at 5:00. For weekends, we won't get to a restaurant any later than 5 either. We're in Nassau and some of the places we've been to recently include: Passione (Carle Place), Fanaticos (Hicksville), On the border (hicksville), Mims (Syosset), Calda (Levittown).

I don't know if they do it on purpose (I'm guessing they do and if so, its smart), but we always seem to be seated around other kids! Unless I'm just noticing since I have one and it's nice to know that mine isn't the only one making noise lol.

Re: Toddler Friendly Restaurant Recommendation

We don't go out that much and definitely not with DS, but I have found that overall, most family style Italian places are accommodating,especially earlier in the day. Matteo's is one of our faves and I know there are several locations. I also think pub type places like The Good Life in Massapequa. The food is very good and it's already loud in there so kids will blend in.

Re: Toddler Friendly Restaurant Recommendation

We bring our kids everywhere. We just went to Painters in Brookhaven last night and there were tons of kids. They encourage families (they have a magician and balloon artist on Fridays and Saturdays) and have good food. I usually go out earlier (5:30-6:00) so that we are gone before the big rush.

Re: Toddler Friendly Restaurant Recommendation

We go to mostly TGI/Chilis type places but we have taken him to Ayhan's in Plainview before. Greek/Mediterranean food but they have a kids menu.

Re: Toddler Friendly Restaurant Recommendation

I'm not sure where you are located but here are some places we have been with our friend's/family's kids:

Blue Moon, RVC
Frank's Steak House, RVC or Jericho
Grillfire, RVC or Merrick
King Umberto's, Elmont
Park Place, Floral Park
The Luck Duck, Garden City
Jameson's, Floral Park
Trattoria Lucia, Bellerose
Piccola Bussola, Mineola

Message edited 4/7/2014 2:58:50 PM.

Re: Toddler Friendly Restaurant Recommendation

We've taken my DD to Grillfire in Merrick several times, and she does well there. It's fairly loud, and if you go around 5, there are a lot of families with kids. I love the food there.

Toddler Friendly Restaurant Recommendation

I take ds just about anywhere. We don't got to super expensive steak houses but we do go to nice places with him and have since birth. We have taught him how to behave and he is actually better out than at home.

Toddler Friendly Restaurant Recommendation

Thanks ladies for all of the recommendations. We are in Levittown so anywhere in Nassau or Western Suffolk is worth looking into. :)

Re: Toddler Friendly Restaurant Recommendation

No specific recommendations since I am not near you but I agree with others who said to just go early.
We try to never get to a chain restaurant on a weekend after 5 pm and local restaurants after 6 pm.
I find that if there is no wait, she is SOOO much better at dinner.
She doesn't have much patience at this age!

Message edited 4/8/2014 9:03:06 AM.