There is nothing quite like gathering around a table to enjoy a family meal together. The only thing better might be gathering around a table to enjoy a family meal that mom and/or dad did not have to shop for, prepare, and clean up after once everyone is done.
If you’re looking for a locale with a great atmosphere that’s perfect for adults, as well as welcomes younger guests with open arms, try one of these favorites.
Proof (FourSeasons.com/scottsdale) features a menu of elevated comfort-food classics with a casual, welcoming atmosphere bursting with vibrant decor. While dining, children can enjoy the restaurant’s shuffleboard table and the railroad tracks that run through the restaurant. After dinner, the entire family can enjoy a sweet finale by choosing a retro candy bar or selecting from various homemade ice creams and shakes.
Z’Tejas (ZTejas.com) is a must for Tex-Mex-loving families. The restaurant is open for brunch, lunch, and dinner and serves Southwest classics like enchiladas, queso, and street tacos alongside fancier fare, including a Gorgonzola New York strip and grilled ruby trout. Kids 10 and younger get their own special menus with options like nachos, cheese quesadillas, and pancakes. The Z’Tejas kitchen is also happy to make any adjustments to a dish. The Scottsdale location has a large patio.
Like Z’Tejas, Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers (ColdBeers.com) also goes the extra mile to accommodate children with such favorites as just-their-size cheeseburger sliders, grilled cheese, hot dogs, corn dogs, and customizable mac ’n’ cheese, as well as root beer floats, tableside s’mores, and cookie skillets for dessert. Every kid’s meal comes with a small drink and fries, chips, or fruit, and on Tuesdays, all kids younger than 12 eat for free. Each location also hosts a family-themed trivia contest on Tuesday evenings.
Wine-loving parents are also in luck in Scottsdale, thanks to Postino (PostinoWinecafe.com). Both its Kierland and Highland locations offer a bevy of unique wines (by the glass or bottle), while at the same time making kids comfortable with the Postino’s Kids Eats menu. It is filled with activities for the kiddos to work on at the table, including coloring, connecting the dots, fun facts, and tic-tac-toe, along with each child’s choice of items like lemonade, apples, peanut butter and jelly, grilled cheese, and sliced chicken with dipping sauce.
Both Grassroots Kitchen & Tap (GrassrootsAZ.com) and Pita Jungle (PitaJungle.com) offer premium wine and craft beer options for the parents, and for the kids, extensive kid-friendly menu items. At Grassroots, every kid’s meal comes with a coupon for a free scoop of ice cream from Sweet Provisions, which is located next door. At the same time, Pita Jungle has build-your-own-meal options, where kids can choose their culinary adventure with a grain or carb, a vegetable, a protein, a seasonal fruit, and a drink.
Finally, if you’re looking for dinner and a show, opt for Kasai Japanese Steakhouse (KasaiScottsdale.com) or Angry Crab Shack (AngryCrabShack.com).
While there are also regular dining tables, Kasai features 14 hooded and hoodless teppanyaki tables. At those tables, guests of all ages can watch a chef cooking before them over large iron griddles. Children can order from their own custom menus, from a la carte offerings—including sliders, chicken strips, and teriyaki chicken—or off the adult menus.
At Angry Crab Shack, it’s all about the seafood boil. This Cajun-style group experience is priced by the pound, based on the shellfish and/or seafood ordered. Older kids will love choosing from the mussels, king crab, lobster, clams, shrimp, crawfish, Dungeness crab, and snow crab for the table. Once chosen, each item is boiled and then paired with potatoes, sausage, and seasonal vegetables, making it perfect for even picky young eaters. Once combined, the feast is delivered tableside and poured on covered tables to the delight of guests—especially the younger kids—who are given bibs to add to the experience.
Need additional options? Parents and children alike will also enjoy Pomo Pizzeria, Grimaldi’s Pizzeria, Someburros, Luci's at the Grove, and Flower Child.
