UCB Parents Recommendations for Places to Go
Eating out with Kids in Oakland & Vicinity
Advice and recommendations from the UCB Parents mailing list.
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Eating out with Kids in the Bay Area
Montclair & Nearby
My favorite nice restaurant in Montclair is "Italian Colors", near the Wells Fargo bank. They have crayons for the kids w/ paper on the tables. Food is excellent
Susan (10/01)
From: Cynthia (7/98)
I'd like to add a recommendation to the kid-friendly
restaurant list. It is called Flippers and is in Montclair
Village between Noah's and Peet's. The menu is primarily
burgers (garden, tofu, meat) and salads. I like the booths
and the fish tank (which has kept my kids busy while waiting
for the food). Nothing fancy, reasonably priced, and there are
always many other kids.
From: a mom (11/98)
Our favorite places for eating out with 2 screaming children under the
age of 5 is Pyramid Brewery in Berkeley and The Cantina on Park Blvd in
Oakland. The noise is so loud in both these places that you can't hear
the kids (it also helps to order a nice cold pale ale or a top shelf
margarita). Both restaurants provide crayons and a good children's
menu.
Downtown
We've found the dim sum restaurants are also great places to take
even small children. There seems to be enough activity that kids don't seem
to get bored as quickly as they might otherwise. The food may be a bit exotic
for some, but we've always managed to find some tidbits for our 3-year-old
daughter to eat. There are a number of dim sum restaurants in Oakland
Chinatown, but our favorite is Jade Villa, on Broadway near 9th.
Greg
Rockridge
Some places my kids like that I like too (mine are 10 and 13):
Rockridge Cafe - hamburgers (College Ave. in Rockridge)
Hickory Pit - ribs (near PayLess on 51st St)
Ginger
Another good place to take kids for dinner is a "new" restaurant on
College Ave. almost across from Olivetto's (near the Rockrdige Bart
station). It's called the The Red Tractor Cafe. They give you placemats
and crayons for the kids to color (many placemats are displayed on the
walls), and the ambiance is very low key. It's kind of like eating on a
screened in porch. The fare is simple, old-fashioned American
cuisine--e.g., meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, chicken,
etc. The food is good, the employees are pleasant, and kids are most
welcome.
Maria
Don't forget the new Red
Tractor Cafe, on College Ave. opposite Oliveto's near ROckridge BART,
(difficult to park) where my son likes the macaroni and cheese ($3.95). They
have other interesting dishes that cost a little more, and come with two side
orders of stuff like garlic mashed potatoes, fresh stringbeans, etc.
Wendy
Alameda
Place to eat with kids (we have two boys 3.5 and 5.5)
Emerybay Market is great as noted. But our best place is Chevy's! The
Alameda one is the nicest (and the first) on the water and the kids can
watch the boats on the estuary. They have a very good kids meals and the
regular food is great (fajitas anyway). There is also one in El Cerrito.
Kristin
Emeryville
Suggestions for places to eat with young kids (now that it's summer,
and hot, and cooking is painful) -- Emeryville Public Market (with small
Ball Room and mechanical horsie rides; 20 or so food stalls, meeting most
tastes)
Bruce
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UC Berkeley Parents Network and
should not be taken as a position of or endorsement by the
University of California, Berkeley.